GLIN==> Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary - Lake Huron

Today's federal register....


[Federal Register: August 24, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 162)]
[Notices] 
[Page 42651]
>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24au09-30] 

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Final Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for Thunder
Bay National Marine Sanctuary: Notice of Public Availability

AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of public availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 304(e) of the National Marine
Sanctuaries Act (NMSA), as amended, NOAA is releasing the Final
Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for Thunder Bay National
Marine Sanctuary.

DATES: The Final Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary will be available on August 25, 2009.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy: For a copy of the Final Management Plan
and Environmental Assessment, please contact Tera Panknin, Management
Plan Review Coordinator, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, 500 W.
Fletcher Street, Alpena, MI 49707; (989) 356-8805 ext. 38; or via e-
mail at <A HREF="mailto:TBMPR at noaa.gov">TBMPR at noaa.gov</A>. Copies can also be downloaded from the Thunder
Bay NMS Web site at <A HREF="http://thunderbay.noaa.gov">http://thunderbay.noaa.gov</A>.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tera Panknin at (989) 356-8805 ext. 38
or via e-mail at <A HREF="mailto:TBMPR at noaa.gov">TBMPR at noaa.gov</A>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background Information

 Thunder Bay was designated in 2000 as the nation's thirteenth
national marine sanctuary. It is jointly managed by NOAA and the State
of Michigan. It was designated to preserve nationally significant
shipwrecks and regional maritime landscape through resource protection,
education, and research.
 Thunder Bay NMS's first management plan review began in September
2006 with public scoping meetings, followed by meetings of working
groups made up of sanctuary staff, sanctuary advisory council members,
and members of the public to developed action plans of the management plan.
 NOAA released a draft revised management plan on February 24, 2009
(74 FR 8231) and accepted comments through April 10, 2009. During this
time, NOAA held four public meetings in Rogers City, MI (March 18,
2009), Harrisville, MI (March 19, 2009), Lansing, MI (March 20, 2009),
and Alpena, MI (March 24, 2009). A total of 24 people provided oral
comments at those meetings, and 23 people submitted written comments on
the draft revised management plan for a total of 61 individual
comments. Each of these comments are addressed in the Response to
Comments document.

II. Summary of the Final Management Plan

 The core of the Final Management Plan is four action plans:
Resource Protection, Education and Outreach, Research, and Sanctuary
Operations and Administration. Each is summarized below:

A. Resource Protection Action Plan

 This action plan involves considering the need for boundary
expansion, assessing recreational use of the sanctuary, increasing
compliance with regulations, fostering greater awareness of the
sanctuary by recreational users, and preserving maritime heritage artifacts.

B. Education and Outreach Action Plan

 The second action plan involves developing education material for a
broader audience, increasing awareness of the sanctuary through
education programs, enhancing sanctuary communications with other
entities, maintaining a sanctuary presence in the community, and
maximizing the effects of education through ongoing evaluation.

C. Research Action Plan

 The third action plan involves characterizing the sanctuary's
maritime heritage resources and landscape features, developing a
monitoring program for sanctuary maritime heritage sites, continuing
partnership with Alpena County Public Library to manage the Thunder Bay
Sanctuary Research Collection, developing partnerships with local,
national, and international researchers and organizations, and
utilizing volunteers, fellows, students, and interns for sanctuary
characterization, research, and monitoring.

D. Sanctuary Operations and Administration Action Plan

 The fourth and final action plan involves developing infrastructure
to enhance and maintain the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center and
for research vessels, equipment, and field operations; hiring staff;
enhancing operation of the Thunder Bay Sanctuary Advisory Council; and
developing procedures to ensure safety for staff and sanctuary visitors.

III. Environmental Assessment

 NOAA prepared an environmental assessment that analyzes the
environmental impacts of the revised management plan pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act. In doing so, the environmental
assessment analyzes two alternatives: The status quo (no change to the
1999 management plan) and the preferred alternative (revising the 1999
management plan). Included with the environmental assessment is NOAA's
finding of no significant impact.

 Dated: August 17, 2009.
Daniel J. Basta,
Director, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
[FR Doc. E9-20332 Filed 8-21-09; 8:45 am]
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