Notice2025-01163
Notice of Availability of Final Guidance on Designation of New Regional Ocean Partnerships
Primary source
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Published
January 17, 2025
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
Under the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (NDAA), coastal States (including Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands, and American Samoa), Indian Tribes (as defined in the final guidance), and other entities may form new partnerships and apply to NOAA (as delegated) for designation as a regional ocean partnership (ROP). ROPs coordinate the management of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. After inviting Tribal consultation and careful consideration of public comments, NOAA announces the final guidance on designating new ROPs under the NDAA.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 11 (Friday, January 17, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 11 (Friday, January 17, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5814-5815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-01163]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice of Availability of Final Guidance on Designation of New
Regional Ocean Partnerships
AGENCY: Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of final guidance regarding the
designation of new regional ocean partnerships.
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SUMMARY: Under the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2023 (NDAA), coastal States (including Puerto Rico, the
United States Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, the Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands, and
American Samoa), Indian Tribes (as defined in the final guidance), and
other entities may form new partnerships and apply to NOAA (as
delegated) for designation as a regional ocean partnership (ROP). ROPs
coordinate the management of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources.
After inviting Tribal consultation and careful consideration of public
comments, NOAA announces the final guidance on designating new ROPs
under the NDAA.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the final designation guidance document may be
found on NOAA's Office for Coastal Management website at <a href="https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/rop-designation-guidance-final.pdf">https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/rop-designation-guidance-final.pdf</a>.
A summary of comments received and NOAA's responses to the comments
may be found at: <a href="https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/rop-designation-guidance-comments.pdf">https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coasthome/funding/_pdf/rop-designation-guidance-comments.pdf</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joshua Lott, Office for Coastal
Management, NOS, NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland,
20910; ATTN: Regional Ocean Partnership Designation Guidance. Phone:
(202) 670-3826; or Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ccbea3bce2a5a5a6ad8ca2a3adade2aba3ba"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="780a170856111112193816171919561f170e">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ROPs are regional organizations voluntarily
convened by coastal States and Indian Tribes, and designated by NOAA,
as delegated, per the NDAA, to coordinate the management of ocean,
coastal, and Great Lakes resources. These partnerships work in
collaboration with other governments (including Tribal, Federal, and
local) and stakeholders to address ocean and coastal issues of common
concern in that region.
[[Page 5815]]
There are four existing ROPs: the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, the
Northeast Regional Ocean Council, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on
the Ocean, and the West Coast Ocean Alliance. Section 10102(b)(3) of
the NDAA, codified at 16 U.S.C. 1468(b)(3), designates these four
entities as regional ocean partnerships; as such, the designation
guidance and application process for new partnerships does not apply to
them.
The final designation guidance includes elements, specified in the
NDAA, that must be included in an application for a new ROP; the manner
in which the application must be submitted to NOAA; and funding
eligibility for new ROPs. Applications for new ROPs must identify the
members that will comprise the new ROP, identify the governing body of
the new ROP, identify the purposes and functions of the new ROP, and be
formally submitted by all state governors and Tribal government
leaders.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1468.
Jeffrey L. Payne,
Director, Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2025-01163 Filed 1-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-P
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