Notice2023-19380
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 11, 2023
Effective
September 7, 2023
Issuing agencies
Commerce Department
Abstract
On January 21, 2022, NOAA requested written comments to facilitate the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries' (ONMS) five-year review of the nomination for a proposed Mariana Trench National Marine Sanctuary (NMS). On March 10, 2022, NOAA reopened the public comment period for an additional 45 days, ending on April 25, 2022. In those notices, NOAA requested relevant information as it pertains to its 11 evaluation criteria for inclusion in the inventory of sites eligible to be considered for designation as national marine sanctuaries. NOAA has synthesized the information gathered through the public process, completed an internal analysis, and the ONMS Director has made the determination that the Mariana Trench NMS nomination will be removed from the inventory.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 174 (Monday, September 11, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 174 (Monday, September 11, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62343-62344]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19380]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Review of Nomination for Mariana Trench National Marine Sanctuary
AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: On January 21, 2022, NOAA requested written comments to
facilitate the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries' (ONMS) five-year
review of the nomination for a proposed Mariana Trench National Marine
Sanctuary (NMS). On March 10, 2022, NOAA reopened the public comment
period for an additional 45 days, ending on April 25, 2022. In those
notices, NOAA requested relevant information as it pertains to its 11
evaluation criteria for inclusion in the inventory of sites eligible to
be considered for designation as national marine sanctuaries. NOAA has
synthesized the information gathered through the public process,
completed an internal analysis, and the ONMS Director has made the
determination that the Mariana Trench NMS nomination will be removed
from the inventory.
DATES: This determination took effect on September 7, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Kristina Kekuewa, Pacific Islands Regional Director, NOAA
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, 1845 Wasp Blvd., Honolulu,
Hawaii 96818, or at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e58e978c96918c8b84cb8e808e90809284a58b8a8484cb828a93"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bed5ccd7cdcad7d0df90d5dbd5cbdbc9dffed0d1dfdf90d9d1c8">[email protected]</span></a>, or at 808-725-5252.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristina Kekuewa, Pacific Islands
Regional Director, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, 1845
Wasp Blvd., Honolulu, Hawaii 96818, or at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a4cfd6cdd7d0cdcac58acfc1cfd1c1d3c5e4cacbc5c58ac3cbd2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="214a53485255484f400f4a444a54445640614f4e40400f464e57">[email protected]</span></a>, or
at 808-725-5252.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information
In 2014, NOAA issued a final rule re-establishing the sanctuary
nomination process (SNP), which details how communities may submit
nominations of areas of the marine and Great Lakes environment for NOAA
to consider for designation as national marine sanctuaries (79 FR
33851). NOAA moves successful nominations to an inventory of areas that
could be considered for national marine sanctuary designation. The
final rule re-establishing the SNP included a five-year limit on any
nomination added to the inventory that NOAA does not advance for
designation. The nomination for Mariana Trench NMS was accepted to the
national inventory on March 13, 2017, and was therefore scheduled to
expire in March 2022.
In November 2019, NOAA issued a notice (84 FR 61546) to clarify
procedures for evaluating and updating a nomination as it approaches
the five-year mark on the inventory of areas that could be considered
for national marine sanctuary designation. This notice explained that
if a nomination remains responsive to the 11 evaluation criteria for
inclusion on the inventory, it may be appropriate to allow the
nomination to remain on the inventory for another five years. The
notice also established a process for NOAA to consider the continuing
viability of nominations nearing the five-year expiration mark. The 11
evaluation criteria can be found at <a href="https://nominate.noaa.gov">https://nominate.noaa.gov</a>.
On January 21, 2022, NOAA published a notice in the Federal
Register to request written comments to facilitate ONMS' five-year
review of the nomination of the Mariana Trench NMS (87 FR 3284). On
March 10, 2022, following requests from the public for additional time
to comment on the five-year review, NOAA reopened the public comment
period for an additional 45 days, ending on April 25, 2022 (87 FR
13709). NOAA requested relevant information pertaining to the 11
evaluation criteria that NOAA applied to evaluate the Mariana Trench
NMS nomination for inclusion in the national inventory of areas that
NOAA may consider for future designation as a national marine
sanctuary. During the two comment periods, 62 online comments were
received, and the nominator provided additional information, which NOAA
has considered in evaluating the nomination against the criteria.
Submitted comments can be found at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> (search for
Docket Number NOAA-NOS-2022-0005). Additionally, the nominating
organization subsequently submitted a letter to NOAA requesting that
the nomination be withdrawn and removed from the inventory.
In analyzing this material, particular attention was given to new
scientific information about the national significance of natural and
cultural resources, increases or decreases in the threats to resources
proposed for protection, and changes to the management framework of the
area. NOAA also assessed the level of community-based support for the
nomination from a broad range of interests.
[[Page 62344]]
Following NOAA's review of the relevant information, it was
determined that there are still significant threats to the area, and it
is still an area of national significance. However, there is not
currently demonstrated broad community support for the nomination
remaining on the inventory of possible designations. ONMS has also
determined that it is not clear, at this time, how a sanctuary
designation would supplement or complement existing management and
regulatory authorities for the Marianas Trench. Therefore, and in
consideration of the nominating organization's request to withdraw the
nomination, the ONMS Director has determined the nomination for the
Mariana Trench NMS should not remain on the inventory of successful
nominations.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.
John Armor,
Director, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Ocean
Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-19380 Filed 9-8-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P
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