Notice2026-04914
Final Revised Management Plan for the Guana Tolomato Matanzas and Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserves
Primary source
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Published
March 13, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
Notice is hereby given that the Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce, approves the revised management plans for the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve in Florida and the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Rhode Island. In accordance with the Coastal Zone Management Act and its implementing regulations, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management revised their reserve's management plans, which replace the plans previously approved in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 49 (Friday, March 13, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 49 (Friday, March 13, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12362-12363]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-04914]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Final Revised Management Plan for the Guana Tolomato Matanzas and
Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserves
AGENCY: Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of approval of final management plans.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office for Coastal Management,
National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce, approves the revised management
plans for the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research
Reserve in Florida and the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research
Reserve in Rhode Island. In accordance with the Coastal Zone Management
Act and its implementing regulations, the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection's Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection
and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management revised
their reserve's management plans, which replace the plans previously
approved in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
ADDRESSES: The approved management plan for the Guana Tolomato Matanzas
Research Reserve can be downloaded or viewed at <a href="https://floridadep.gov/rcp/nerr-gtm/documents/guana-tolomato-matanzas-national-estuarine-research-reserve-management-plan">https://floridadep.gov/rcp/nerr-gtm/documents/guana-tolomato-matanzas-national-estuarine-research-reserve-management-plan</a>. The approved management plan for the
Narragansett Bay Research Reserve can be downloaded or viewed at
<a href="https://nbnerr.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2024-2029-Management-Plan-.pdf">https://nbnerr.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2024-2029-Management-Plan-.pdf</a>. The documents are also available by sending a written
request to the point of contact identified below (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Guana Tolomato Matanzas: Matt Chasse,
NOAA's Office for Coastal Management, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b1dcd0c5c59fd2d9d0c2c2d4f1dfded0d09fd6dec7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2f424e5b5b014c474e5c5c4a6f41404e4e01484059">[email protected]</span></a>, (240) 628-
5417; Narragansett Bay: Chris Kinkade, NOAA's Office for Coastal
Management, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4c2f243e253f62272522272d28290c22232d2d622b233a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a0c3c8d2c9d38ecbc9cecbc1c4c5e0cecfc1c18ec7cfd6">[email protected]</span></a>, (401) 366-4880.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to 15 CFR 921.33(c), a state must
revise the management plan for a reserve at least every five years.
Major changes to a reserve's management plan may be made only after
receiving written approval from NOAA. NOAA approves changes to
management plans via notice in the Federal Register. On August 2, 2024,
NOAA issued a notice in the Federal Register announcing a 30-day public
comment period for the proposed revision of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas
National Estuarine Research Reserve management plan (89 FR 63165). On
December 2, 2024, NOAA issued a notice in the Federal Register
[[Page 12363]]
announcing a 30-day public comment period for the proposed revision of
the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve management
plan (89 FR 95187). Each plan contains a summary of written and oral
comments received and an explanation of how comments were incorporated
into the final version of the management plan.
The management plan outlines a reserve's strategic goals and
objectives; administrative structure; programs for conducting research
and monitoring, education, and training; resource protection,
restoration, and manipulation plans; public access and visitor use
plans; consideration for future land acquisition; and facility
development to support reserve operations.
Revised Management Plan for the Guana Tolomato Matanzas NERR
In particular, the revised management plan for the Guana Tolomato
Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve focuses on changes to the
strategic plan, physical boundaries, and enhanced programmatic
alignment across the reserve's sectors. Since the last management plan,
the reserve received approval for an expansion of the site's boundary--
approved in March 2020-- to include the City of St. Augustine's
sovereign submerged lands within the Matanzas River and Salt Run, the
state's sovereign submerged lands along the Matanzas and Tolomato
Rivers that connect the City of St. Augustine's portion to the previous
boundary, and the Marshview parcel in the southern portion of the
reserve. In addition, the reserve completed several facility-
construction projects: the Princess Place Preserve Legacy House and
cabins for visiting investigator use, a freshwater wetland boardwalk, a
freshwater marsh boardwalk on the Guana River Yellow Trail, and a
storage facility (pole barn). The reserve also installed redesigned
interpretive displays at the Visitor Center and along several trails
within the reserve. This revised management plan will serve as the
guiding document for the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine
Research Reserve for the next five years.
Revised Management Plan for the Narragansett Bay NERR
The revised plan for the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine
Research Reserve provides information on new staff positions and new
staff hired, describes the reserve's updated position within the Rhode
Island Department of Environmental Management, and reflects an
expansion of the site's boundary approved in May 2024. Additionally,
the updated plan describes strategic goals and objectives and
identifies topic areas where additional planning will be conducted to
identify and develop new goals and objectives over the next five years.
This revised management plan will serve as the guiding document for the
Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve for the next five
years.
NOAA reviewed the environmental impacts of the revised management
plans and determined that this action is categorically excluded from
further analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as
amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
(Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.; 15 CFR 921.33.)
Keelin S. Kuipers,
Acting Director, Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2026-04914 Filed 3-12-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-P
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