Regattas and marine parades: Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament,

[Federal Register: June 19, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 118)]

[Proposed Rules]

[Page 33596-33597]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr19jn98-37]

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 100

[CGD07-98-033]

RIN 2115-AE46

Special Local Regulations; St. Johns River, Jacksonville, Florida

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is proposing to amend the permanent special local regulations for the Annual Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament, by increasing the size of the No Wake Zone on the waters of the St. Johns River and establishing the annual date of the event during the second full week of July. The increased size of the zone is needed to safeguard the increasingly larger number of participants and other vessels transiting the St. Johns River and Sisters Creek during the Annual Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament. Vessel operators should use minimum speed in this area to avoid creating wakes, unless otherwise authorized by the Captain of the Port.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 9, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Group Mayport, 4200 Ocean Street, Mayport, FL 32233, or may be delivered to the operations office at the same address between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. Comments will become a part of the public docket and will be available for copying and inspection at the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ensign Gary Watson, Group Mayport, Tel: (904) 247-7318.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to participate in this rulemaking by submitting written views, data, or arguments. Persons submitting comments should include their names, addresses, identify this rulemaking (CGD07-98-033), and the specific section of this proposal to which their comments apply, and give reasons for each comment.

The Coast Guard will consider all comments received during the comment period. The regulations may be changed in view of the comments received. The Coast Guard plans no public hearing. Persons may request a public hearing by writing to the address under ADDRESSES and stating why a hearing would be beneficial. The comment period of twenty days is justified because the persons affected by this rulemaking are within the greater Jacksonville area and additional efforts are being made to notify that community of the rulemaking so they may be able to comment within the shortened period.

Background and Purpose

The event requiring this regulation is the Annual Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament, which will be held annually during the second full week in July. It will begin in 1998 on July 14 in the Sisters Creek Marina, Sisters Creek, Jacksonville, Florida, at 6 a.m. and terminate at 4 p.m. each day until July 19. Due to the large number of participants and spectator craft, a larger No Wake Zone has been proposed on the waters of the St. Johns River lying between the eastern boundary formed by St. Johns River Lighted Buoy 7 position 30-23.56N, 081-23.04W, and Lighted Buoy 8 position 30-24.03N, 081-23.01W, and the western boundary formed by Lighted Buoy 25 position 30-23.40N, 081- 28.26W, and Short Cut Light 26 position 30-23.46N, 081-28.16W with the northern and southern boundaries formed by the banks of the St. Johns River and extended north from the boundary formed by the St. Johns River and the Intracoastal Waterway, Sisters Creek, to Lighted Buoy 83 on the

[[Page 33597]]

Intracoastal Waterway. The zone is needed to safeguard vessels transiting in the St. Johns River and Sisters Creek during this event. This event will occur annually and the date and times will be published in the Federal Register and in a Local Notice to Mariners. During each of these events, local law enforcement agents will be on scene to assist in enforcing the No Wake Zone and to monitor vessel traffic. This regulation is issued pursuant to 33 U.S.C. 1233 through 1236 as set out in the authority citation for all of Part 100.

Regulatory Evaluation

This proposed rule is not a significant regulatory action under section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866 and does not require an assessment of potential costs and benefits under section 6(a)(3) of that order. It has not been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget under that order. It is not significant under the regulatory policies and procedures of the Department of Transportation (DOT) (44 FR 11040: February 26, 1979). The Coast Guard expects the economic impact of this proposed rule to be so minimal that a full Regulatory Evaluation under paragraph 10e of the regulatory policies and procedures of DOT is unnecessary. Only a small amount of recreational and fishing vessel traffic is expected to be disrupted by the increased size of the No Wake Zone.

Small Entities

Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the Coast Guard must consider whether this proposed rule would have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. ``Small entities'' include small businesses, not-for-profit organizations that are independently owned and operated and are not dominant in their field and governmental jurisdictions with populations of less than 50,000.

Therefore, the Coast Guard certifies under 605(b) that this proposed rule would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because the No Wake Zone will only be in effect in a limited area for approximately 60 hours each year.

Collection of Information

This proposed rule contains no collection of information requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Federalism

This proposed action has been analyzed in accordance with the principles and criteria contained in Executive Order 12612, and it has been determined that the rulemaking does not have sufficient federalism implications to warrant the preparation of a Federalism Assessment.

Environmental Assessment

The Coast Guard has considered the environmental impact of this proposal and has concluded under Figure 2-1, paragraph (34)(h) of Commandant Instruction M16475.1C, that this action is categorically excluded from further environmental documentation. A Categorical Exclusion Determination and Environmental Analysis checklist will be completed during the comment period.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 100

Marine safety, Navigation (water), Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Waterways.

Proposed Regulations

In consideration of the foregoing, the Coast Guard proposes to amend Part 100 of Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:

PART 100--[AMENDED]

  1. The Authority citation for Part 100 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1233, 49 CFR 1.46 and 33 CFR 100.35.

  2. Revise Sec. 100.710 to read as follows:

    Sec. 100.710 Annual Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament; Jacksonville, Florida.

    (a) Regulated area. A regulated area is established for the waters of the St. Johns River lying between a eastern boundary formed by St. Johns River Lighted Buoy 7 (LLNR (7145) position 30-23.56N, 081-23.04W, and Lighted Buoy 8 (LLNR 7150) position 30-24.03N, 081-23.01W, and the western boundary formed by Lighted Buoy 25 (LLNR 7305) position 30- 23.40N, 081-28.26W, and Short Cut Light 26 (LLNR 7310) position 30- 23.46N, 081-28.16W with the northern and southern boundaries formed by the banks of the St. Johns River and extended north from the boundary formed by the St. Johns River and the Intracoastal Waterway, Sisters Creek, to Lighted Buoy 83 (LLNR 38330) on the Intracoastal Waterway.

    (b) Regulations. Vessels operating in the regulated area must operate at No Wake Speed.

    (c) Dates. This section is effective annually during the second full week of July. Coast Guard Group Mayport will issue a Local Notice to Mariners each year announcing future specific times and dates of the event. In 1998, the event will occur from July 14 to July 19 from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. N.T. Saunders, Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Seventh Coast Guard District.

    [FR Doc. 98-16241Filed6-18-98; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 4910-14-M

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