Notice2026-06587
Initiation of Review of Management Plan for Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary; Request for Information
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
April 6, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is initiating a review of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary management plan, to evaluate progress toward implementing the goals of the sanctuary and to revise the management plan as necessary to fulfill the purposes and policies of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA). NOAA is requesting information from individuals, companies, organizations, Tribes, and government agencies on the scope, types, and significance of issues that NOAA should address in its process to revise the management plan. In addition to receiving written comments, NOAA will hold public meetings to provide information on the management plan review process and to gather oral comments.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 65 (Monday, April 6, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 65 (Monday, April 6, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17257-17259]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-06587]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Initiation of Review of Management Plan for Flower Garden Banks
National Marine Sanctuary; Request for Information
AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Initiation of review of management plan; request for
information.
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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is
initiating a review of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine
Sanctuary management plan, to evaluate progress toward implementing the
goals of the sanctuary and to revise the management plan as necessary
to fulfill the purposes and policies of the National Marine Sanctuaries
Act (NMSA). NOAA is requesting information from individuals, companies,
organizations, Tribes, and government agencies on the scope, types, and
significance of issues that NOAA should address in its process to
revise the management plan. In addition to receiving written comments,
NOAA will hold public meetings to provide information on the management
plan review process and to gather oral comments.
DATES: All comments should be received on or before 11:59 p.m. Eastern
Daylight Time (EDT) on May 21, 2026.
Comments will also be accepted during public meetings. Public
meetings will be held on:
(1) Date: April 20, 2026.
Location: Virtual. Registration is required to attend; to register
and for additional meeting details, visit: <a href="https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/management/mpr.html">https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/management/mpr.html</a>.
Time: 6-8 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT).
(2) Date: May 19, 2026.
Location: Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, 4700
Avenue U, Building 216, Galveston, Texas 77551. Registration is not
required to attend.
Time: 2-4 p.m. CDT.
(3) Date: May 19, 2026.
Location: Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, 4700
Avenue U, Building 216, Galveston, Texas 77551. Registration is not
required to attend.
Time: 6-8 p.m. CDT.
NOAA may take audio recordings of the public meetings, including
the public comment portion of the meetings. NOAA may end a meeting
before the time noted above if all those participating have completed
their oral comments.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by the following methods:
(1) Electronic Submission: Federal eRulemaking Portal <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAA-NOS-2025-0009">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAA-NOS-2025-0009</a>. To submit electronic
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comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal, visit <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and search for Docket Number NOAA-NOS-2025-0009.
(2) Mail: Written comments may also be mailed to Flower Garden
Banks National Marine Sanctuary (Management Plan Review), at 4700
Avenue U, Building 216, Galveston, Texas 77551.
(3) Public Meetings: Provide oral comments during public meetings,
listed in the DATES section above. Registration is not required to
attend in-person meetings. Registration is required to attend the
virtual meeting. Upon registration, NOAA will send a confirmation email
with a link to the virtual meeting. Registration will remain open until
the virtual meeting concludes, and any participant in attendance may
provide oral comment. Registration details for the virtual meeting and
additional information about how to participate in these public
meetings are available at <a href="https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/management/mpr.html">https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/management/mpr.html</a>.
Instructions: All comments received are a part of the public
record. The entirety of each comment, including the name of the
commenter, email address, attachments, and other supporting materials
will be publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business
information or otherwise sensitive or protected information such as
account numbers or Social Security numbers. NOAA will accept anonymous
comments through <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> (enter N/A in the required fields to
remain anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Johnston, Superintendent,
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, 4700 Avenue U, Building
216, Galveston, Texas 77551, or see: <a href="https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/management/mpr.html">https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/management/mpr.html</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (sanctuary or FGBNMS)
is located 80 to 125 miles off of the coasts of Texas and Louisiana,
encompassing approximately 160 square miles of marine ecosystems across
17 separate banks. These banks are made up of a combination of small
underwater mountains, ridges, troughs, and hard bottom patches along
the continental shelf. Together, they compose a chain of nationally
significant habitats for recreationally and economically important
species along the continental shelf. The ecosystems of the sanctuary
include thriving shallow water coral reefs, algal-sponge communities,
and deeper mesophotic reefs of black coral, octocoral, and algal nodule
habitats. NOAA first designated the sanctuary in 1992 (56 FR 63634). At
that time, the sanctuary consisted of East and West Flower Garden
Banks. Stetson Bank was added to the sanctuary in 1996 through an act
of Congress (Pub. L. 104-283). In 2021, NOAA expanded the sanctuary to
include portions of 14 more banks and applied the existing 2012
management plan to the expansion areas (86 FR 4937). These include
Horseshoe, MacNeil, Rankin, 28 Fathom, Bright, Geyer, Elvers, McGrail,
Bouma, Sonnier, Rezak, Sidner, Parker, and Alderdice Banks. The
sanctuary provides ecosystem services for recreational and commercial
uses, including opportunities for scuba diving, fishing, advancing
scientific understanding, and associated education and outreach. NOAA
manages FGBNMS as part of the National Marine Sanctuary System under
the National Marine Sanctuaries Act of 1972, 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.,
which comprises 18 national marine sanctuaries.
In addition to NOAA, several other Federal agencies share
jurisdiction over the FGBNMS area and its resources including: the U.S.
Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, which share primary
jurisdiction over offshore energy exploration and development; the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, which is responsible for protecting
the quality of the nation's waters; and the Gulf Council, which jointly
manages the U.S. fisheries along with NOAA. Additionally, U.S.
Department of Defense and U.S. Coast Guard operations, as well as
commercial shipping and other marine activities, occur in and around
the waters of FGBNMS.
Subsection 304(e) of the NMSA requires NOAA to periodically review
sanctuary management plans to evaluate progress toward implementing the
management plan and goals for the sanctuary, and to revise the plans as
necessary. This review ensures that national marine sanctuaries
continue to best conserve and enhance their nationally significant
resources (16 U.S.C. 1434(e)). The current FGBNMS management plan was
published in 2012, and is available at <a href="https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/management/2012mgmtplan.html">https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/management/2012mgmtplan.html</a>. With this management plan review, NOAA is
interested in public input on the adequacy of existing management
actions for the expansion areas as well as the pre-expansion areas.
The FGBNMS management plan review process is composed of four major
stages: (1) information collection including through this request for
information; (2) preparation and release of a draft management plan and
a draft environmental review conducted under the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) and any proposed amendments to sanctuary regulations;
(3) public review and comment on the draft documents; and (4)
preparation and release of a final management plan and environmental
review document, and any final amendments to sanctuary regulations, if
applicable. NOAA will also, as applicable, address other statutory and
regulatory requirements pursuant to the Endangered Species Act, Marine
Mammal Protection Act, Essential Fish Habitat provisions of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Coastal Zone
Management Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and Tribal
consultation responsibilities under Executive Order 13175.
II. Condition Report
To inform the FGBNMS management plan review, NOAA recently
published the FGBNMS Condition Report. The Condition Report, released
in November 2024, assessed the period from 2009-2021 and presents
summary information describing the status and trends of sanctuary
resources, covering the broad categories of human activities and
pressures, water quality, habitat, living resources, and maritime
heritage resources. This report also included the status and trends of
ecosystem services--the ways that humans benefit from the natural and
cultural resources of the sanctuary. The report is available to the
public online at <a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/docs/2024-fgbnms-condition-report.pdf">https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/docs/2024-fgbnms-condition-report.pdf</a>.
III. Preliminary Topics of Focus
NOAA is particularly interested in receiving public comment on the
following topics as they relate to the management plan review. This
list does not preclude or in any way limit the consideration of
additional topics raised through public comments, and discussions with
partner agencies.
Education and Community Outreach
NOAA is seeking input on the effectiveness of its current education
and outreach programs and new ideas for expanding public awareness,
including new applications of technologies, new engagement spaces, and
additional partnerships.
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<bullet> What additional formal and informal educational
partnerships should NOAA pursue?
<bullet> How can the application of new technologies enhance
sanctuary education programs?
<bullet> How can development of partnerships and external funding
sources complement and supplement NOAA's programs to advance progress
toward the sanctuary's goals and objectives?
Responding to Environmental Pressures and Long-Term Trends
NOAA is seeking input on the effectiveness of the sanctuary's
management responses to pressures.
<bullet> How can the new management plan effectively address issues
for both shallow coral and deep mesophotic habitats, as identified in
the 2009-2021 Condition Report (<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/docs/2024-fgbnms-condition-report.pdf">https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/docs/2024-fgbnms-condition-report.pdf</a>) and the 2023 Vulnerability
Assessment (<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/docs/20231201-fgnms-cva-final-report.pdf">https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/docs/20231201-fgnms-cva-final-report.pdf</a>)?
<bullet> What emergency response and restoration plans are
necessary to address potential increases in occurrences of acute
environmental stressors, such as coral bleaching events?
<bullet> How can NOAA better address invasive species?
<bullet> What collaboration and coordination among government
agencies and jurisdictions is necessary or helpful to advance effective
stewardship of sanctuary resources?
Research and Monitoring
NOAA is seeking input on critical research needs for effective
management and new research partnerships.
<bullet> What research and monitoring activities are necessary to
address topics identified in the 2024 Science Needs assessment (<a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/assessment/flower-garden-banks/">https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/assessment/flower-garden-banks/</a>) across
the multiple habitats at all 17 banks of the sanctuary?
<bullet> What new partnerships could potentially address research
gaps in a resource-constrained environment, including sharing of
federal and non-federal data, platforms, and equipment?
<bullet> What research and monitoring activities are necessary to
adequately monitor and understand mesophotic habitats?
<bullet> What new or emerging technologies could cost-effectively
enhance support for research and monitoring efforts?
Resource Use
NOAA is seeking input on how to effectively monitor resource use
and visitation, improve access, and ensure that uses are compatible
with ecosystem health. Consistent with the policies and principles of
Executive Order 14313 (July 3, 2025) NOAA aims to prioritize
responsible conservation, restore our lands and waters, and protect our
Nation's outdoor heritage for the enjoyment of the American people.
<bullet> What actions are or could be effective to ensure visitor
safety, facilitate visitor access, and support compatible use of
sanctuary resources?
<bullet> How can NOAA improve monitoring and understanding of
resource use, regulation compliance, and regulation enforcement in the
remotely located sanctuary?
<bullet> What strategic partnerships should NOAA pursue to maintain
and enhance infrastructure for access, such as mooring buoys, in a
resource-constrained program environment?
IV. Boundaries and Regulations
At this time NOAA also does not expect to undertake any major
rulemaking actions as part of this management plan review process.
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. 2026-06587 Filed 4-3-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on April 6, 2026.
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