Notice2026-09372
Notice of Availability of a Draft Management Plan and Draft Environmental Assessment for the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary; Request for Public Comment
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Published
May 12, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has prepared a draft management plan (DMP) as part of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS or sanctuary) management plan review. The DMP, which replaces a 2011 sanctuary management plan, was developed to evaluate substantive progress toward implementing the goals of the sanctuary, and to make revisions to the management plan as necessary to fulfill the purposes and policies of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. NOAA also prepared a draft environmental assessment (DEA), which evaluates the environmental impacts of implementing the DMP, and ongoing field activities. NOAA is soliciting public comments on the DMP and DEA at this time.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 91 (Tuesday, May 12, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 91 (Tuesday, May 12, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25865-25867]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-09372]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice of Availability of a Draft Management Plan and Draft
Environmental Assessment for the Olympic Coast National Marine
Sanctuary; Request for Public Comment
AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Ocean Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has
prepared a draft management plan (DMP) as part of the Olympic Coast
National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS or sanctuary) management plan review.
The DMP, which replaces a 2011 sanctuary management plan, was developed
to evaluate substantive progress toward implementing the goals of the
sanctuary, and to make revisions to the management plan as necessary to
fulfill the purposes and policies of the National Marine Sanctuaries
Act. NOAA also prepared a draft environmental assessment (DEA), which
evaluates the environmental impacts of implementing the DMP, and
ongoing field activities. NOAA is soliciting public comments on the DMP
and DEA at this time.
DATES: Written comments should be received on or before 11:59 p.m.
Eastern Daylight Time on July 13, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the DMP and DEA along with additional background
materials are available at <a href="https://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/management/mpr">https://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/management/mpr</a>.
You may submit comments on the DMP and DEA by any of the following
methods:
Electronic Submission: Federal eRulemaking Portal: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Submit electronic comments via the Federal
eRulemaking Portal and search for Docket Number NOAA-NOS-2023-0003.
Mail: Written comments may also be mailed to Olympic Coast National
Marine Sanctuary (Management Plan Review), 115 Railroad Ave. East,
Suite 301, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
Instructions: All comments received are a part of the public
record, and the entirety of the 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: H[eacute]l[egrave]ne Scalliet, Deputy
Superintendent, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Olympic Coast
National Marine Sanctuary, 115 Railroad Ave. East, Suite 301, Port
Angeles, WA 98362, or see <a href="https://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/management/mpr">https://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/management/mpr</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary was designated in July
1994. It spans 3,188 square miles of marine waters off the rugged coast
of the Olympic Peninsula, covering much of the continental shelf and
the heads of several major submarine canyons, with seasonal upwelling
that supports locally abundant marine life and seasonal populations of
marine mammals and seabirds. Along its shores are thriving kelp and
intertidal communities, teeming with fishes and other sea life. In the
darkness of the seafloor, scattered communities of deep-sea coral and
sponges form habitats for fish and other marine wildlife.
In addition to important ecological resources, the Olympic Coast
has a rich cultural and historical legacy. The sanctuary is located
within the boundaries of the legally defined usual and accustomed (U&A)
fishing areas of
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four coastal tribes with reserved treaty rights. These rights were
reserved by the tribes via treaties that the United States Government
signed with the Makah Tribe under the 1855 Treaty of Neah Bay and the
Hoh Tribe, Quileute Tribe, and Quinault Indian Nation under the 1856
Treaty of Olympia, long before OCNMS was designated. The vibrant
contemporary communities of these sovereign nations, often referred to
as the Coastal Treaty Tribes, have forged inseparable ties to the ocean
environment, maintaining traditions of the past while navigating the
challenges of the present and future.
The current OCNMS management plan was published in 2011, and is
available online at <a href="https://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/management/2011-plan/">https://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/management/2011-plan/</a>. To inform the OCNMS management plan review, NOAA published an
updated OCNMS Condition Report in March 2022. The Condition Report
assessed the period from 2008-2019 and presented 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
humans derive benefits from different ecosystem attributes that they
care about for their lives and livelihoods. The report is available
online at <a href="https://nmssanctuaries.blob.core.windows.net/sanctuaries-prod/media/docs/2008-2019-ocnms-condition-report.pdf">https://nmssanctuaries.blob.core.windows.net/sanctuaries-prod/media/docs/2008-2019-ocnms-condition-report.pdf</a>.
II. Management Plan Review
The purpose of this management plan review is to fulfill the
purposes and policies outlined in Section 301(b) of the National Marine
Sanctuaries Act (NMSA; 16 U.S.C. 1431(b)) to protect and manage the
resources of the sanctuary. As required by Section 304(e) of the NMSA
(16 U.S.C. 1434(e)), a management plan review enables NOAA to evaluate
the substantive progress toward implementing the sanctuary's existing
management plan and the goals for the sanctuary and to revise the
sanctuary's management plan and regulations as necessary to fulfill the
purposes and policies of the NMSA.
A revised sanctuary management plan enables NOAA's Office of
National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) to adjust the allocation of time and
resources to focus on new priority issues, partnerships, technologies
and opportunities that have emerged since the existing sanctuary
management plan was published. A revised management plan also
prioritizes use of collaborative and community-based approaches to
pursuing sanctuary goals, supported by a variety of partnerships with
Federal and state government agencies, tribal governments and
communities, the Intergovernmental Policy Council (IPC), scientific
entities, non-governmental organizations, and sanctuary volunteers and
advisory council members. Additionally, a revised management plan would
allow NOAA to better articulate its efforts to respond to key findings
of the Condition Report, to implement new tools to safeguard cultural
and maritime heritage resources, and to explore innovative management
practices to respond to emerging issues in OCNMS, such as changing
ocean conditions.
Proposed updates to the OCNMS management plan are based on ONMS
evaluation, input from the advisory council and from the IPC on the
current management plan, analysis of comments received during public
scoping, and findings from the latest OCNMS condition report.
Consistent with the information provided in the 2023 Notice of Intent
(88 FR 6236, Jan. 31, 2023), NOAA is not proposing modifications to the
sanctuary regulations at this time. Through the public scoping process,
NOAA received 37 electronic submissions to <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> (with 3
additional attachments), 4 mailed letters, 1 email submission, and 82
comments at public scoping meetings held in February 2023, for a total
of 127 total public scoping comments. A summary of the public scoping
comments is provided in Appendix F of the DEA, which is available at
<a href="https://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/management/mpr">https://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/management/mpr</a>.
III. Action Plans
NOAA is proposing to implement a revised management plan that
describes the goals, strategies, and activities intended to help
conserve and promote the resources in the sanctuary. The proposed
management plan consists of 15 action plans organized under four
priority themes:
Priority Theme A: Achieve Effective Collaborative and Coordinated
Management
<bullet> Collaborative and Coordinated Sanctuary Management Action
Plan: Improved communication, greater collaboration and stronger
relationships between ONMS and other agencies and governments with
jurisdiction over resources in the sanctuary.
<bullet> Community Involvement in Sanctuary Management Action Plan:
Increased involvement of Olympic Peninsula communities in sanctuary
management issues and ocean conservation.
<bullet> Sanctuary Operations Action Plan: Improved efficiency and
effectiveness in OCNMS management capacities and capabilities.
Priority Theme B: Conduct Collaborative Research, Assessments, and
Monitoring To Support Management of Resources in the Sanctuary
<bullet> Ocean Conditions Action Plan: Sustain and enhance ocean
observations collected on the Olympic Coast to track change over time,
and apply ocean data in support of ecosystem-based management efforts.
<bullet> Habitats and Marine Species Action Plan: Continue to map
and characterize seafloor habitats in the sanctuary and track the
status and trends of key habitats and selected marine communities over
time in order to elucidate relationships among ecosystem components and
support ecosystem-based management.
<bullet> Data Management and Application Action Plan: Maintain,
manage, and archive data resources to protect them from loss, to ensure
their availability for use in sanctuary management, to share sanctuary
data with the public, and to support related research efforts,
including social science, led by partners.
<bullet> Complementary Research Action Plan: Work with Coastal
Treaty Tribes and research partners from other fields and disciplines
to foster additional appropriate research and deepen our collective
understanding of the Olympic Coast.
Priority Theme C: Improve Ocean Literacy: Education and Outreach
<bullet> Education Action Plan: Provide and support educational
opportunities for teachers and students of all ages in communities
adjacent to the sanctuary that lead to greater understanding of ocean
literacy, knowledge of national marine sanctuaries and ocean
conservation, and increased likelihood of lifelong stewardship
behavior.
<bullet> Outreach Action Plan: Increase understanding of the value
and importance of the sanctuary and public support for the sanctuary
through continued community and visitor involvement in events and other
opportunities.
Priority Theme D: Conserve Resources in the Sanctuary
<bullet> Cultural Heritage Action Plan: Respectfully honor,
celebrate, and protect the unique cultural heritage connected to the
sanctuary through meaningful collaboration and
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partnership with the Coastal Treaty Tribes.
<bullet> Resilience Action Plan: Investigate and improve sanctuary
understanding and resilience to changing ocean conditions through
research and monitoring, capacity building, collaborative partnerships,
and education and outreach.
<bullet> Spills Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Restoration
Action Plan: Increase protection of resources and habitats within OCNMS
from the impacts of an oil or hazardous materials spill. Improve
preparedness and coordination for responding to spills affecting marine
resources within OCNMS.
<bullet> Marine Debris Action Plan: Increase identification and
removal of abandoned submerged and floating marine debris. Reduce
environmental and aesthetic impacts of debris on coastal beaches.
<bullet> Resource Protection Action Plan: Minimize disturbance to
wildlife in the sanctuary, improve water quality to ensure protection
of natural resources in the sanctuary, mitigate human-caused
degradation of marine habitats, and further understand introduced
species and minimize their presence and impacts.
<bullet> Maritime Heritage Action Plan: Improve understanding of
the maritime resources in the sanctuary region and improved
communication and partnership between ONMS, the Washington State
Historic Preservation Office, the Makah Tribal Historic Preservation
Office, the Hoh Tribal Historic Preservation Office, the Quinault
Tribal Preservation Office, the Quileute Tribe's cultural resource
management representatives, and other maritime heritage partners.
IV. Environmental Compliance and Federal Consultations
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq., as amended) and NOAA's Policy and Procedures for
Compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and Related
Authorities: Companion Manual for NOAA Administrative Order 216-6A
(June 30, 2025), NOAA has prepared a DEA to evaluate the potential
impacts on the human environment of implementing NOAA's proposed
action. The proposed action is to update NOAA's management activities
conducted within OCNMS that relate to research, monitoring, education,
outreach, community engagement, and resource protection. The proposed
management activities include implementing routine field activities and
existing sanctuary regulations. No significant impacts to resources and
the human environment are expected to result from this proposed action.
Accordingly, under NEPA, an EA is the appropriate document to analyze
the potential impacts of this action. Following the close of the public
comment period and the satisfaction of consultation requirements under
any applicable natural and cultural resource statutes, NOAA will
finalize the EA and determine if a Finding of No Significant Impact is
appropriate, or if an Environmental Impact Statement must be prepared.
In addition to NEPA, NOAA must comply with several related statutes
and executive orders. The DEA contains information to support effect
determinations under the Endangered Species Act; Migratory Bird Treaty
Act; Marine Mammal Protection Act; Essential Fish Habitat provisions of
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; National
Historic Preservation Act; Coastal Zone Management Act; and Executive
Order 13175 on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal
Governments. Appendix D of the DEA includes additional documentation
related to these compliance requirements and consultation processes. In
addition, consistent with the policies and principles of Executive
Order 14313 of 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.
NOAA is seeking public comment on the DMP and DEA, which are
available at <a href="https://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/management/mpr">https://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/management/mpr</a> or may be
obtained by contacting the individual listed under the heading FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
(Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.)
John Armor,
Director, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Ocean
Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2026-09372 Filed 5-11-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 12, 2026.
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