Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment of a Proposed Boundary Expansion of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve

• Published date: 10 July 2019
• Citation: 84 FR 32880
• Record Number: 2019-14713
• Section: Notices
• Court: National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 132 (Wednesday, July 10, 2019)

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 132 (Wednesday, July 10, 2019)]
                [Notices]
                [Pages 32880-32881]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2019-14713]
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                DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
                National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
                Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment of a
                Proposed Boundary Expansion of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National
                Estuarine Research Reserve
                AGENCY: Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, National
                Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
                ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft environmental assessment;
                request for comments.
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                SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is
                soliciting comments from the public on a draft environmental assessment
                for a proposed boundary expansion of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas (GTM)
                National Estuarine Research Reserve.
                DATES: Comments must be received no later than 30 days after
                publication of this notice.
                ADDRESSES: The draft environmental assessment can be downloaded or
                viewed at https://coast.noaa.gov/czm/compliance/. You may submit
                comments via email to [email protected]. You may also submit
                comments or request a copy of the draft environmental assessment by
                mail addressed to Stephanie Robinson, Office for Coastal Management,
                2234 South Hobson Ave., Charleston, SC 29405. Comments submitted by any
                other method or after the comment period may not be considered. All
                comments are a part of the public record and may be publicly
                accessible. Any personal identifying information (e.g., name, address)
                submitted voluntarily by the sender may also be accessible. NOAA will
                accept anonymous comments.
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie Robinson at (843) 740-1174
                and [email protected], or Erica Seiden at (240) 533-0781 and
                [email protected] of NOAA's Office for Coastal Management.
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                I. Background
                 The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, as lead agency
                for managing the GTM Reserve, has requested to modify the approved
                management boundary of the Reserve by adding three new parcels.
                Pursuant to 15 CFR 921.33(a), NOAA may require public notice, including
                notice in the Federal Register and an opportunity for public comment
                before approving a boundary or management plan change. In addition,
                changes in the boundary of a Reserve involving the acquisition of
                properties not listed in the management plan or final environmental
                impact statement (EIS) require public notice and the opportunity for
                comment. The Marsh View Preserve parcel was not evaluated in the
                Reserve's original EIS. Therefore, NOAA has developed an environmental
                assessment (EA) to analyze the effects of requested change to the
                Reserve boundary, which would result in a net increase in acreage of
                3,346.44 acres, and is publishing notice of the EA's availability for
                public review and comment.
                II. NOAA Proposed Action and Alternatives
                 NOAA is releasing a draft EA prepared in accordance with section
                102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as
                amended, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(c), and the Council on Environmental Quality
                Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR
                1500-1508). NOAA's proposed action would be to approve a change in the
                management boundary of the GTM Reserve to add three parcels to the
                approved boundary.
                 The draft EA identifies and assesses potential environmental
                impacts associated with the proposed project, and identifies a
                preferred alternative and a no action alternative. The preferred
                alternative would add three parcels to the Reserve's boundary. Although
                the preferred alternative would add three parcels outside the boundary
                originally designated for the Reserve, the addition of these three
                parcels would allow and enhance the Reserve's ability to: (1) Educate
                the community; (2) protect and manage the estuaries and their
                watersheds; (3)
                [[Page 32881]]
                provide aquatic/upland management; and (4) research and monitor the
                area. The proposed boundary expansion is therefore preferred over the
                no action alternative.
                 Dated: July 5, 2019.
                Nkolika Ndubisi,
                Management and Program Analyst, National Ocean Service, National
                Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
                [FR Doc. 2019-14713 Filed 7-9-19; 8:45 am]
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