[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 151 (Monday, August 6, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46730-46732]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19161]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XC120
Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Strategic Plan 2013-2017
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of Strategic Plan; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
announces the availability of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force
Strategic Plan 2013--2017 (Plan), approved by the Aquatic Nuisance
Species Task Force (ANSTF). The Plan is available for public review and
comment.
DATES: Comments must be received within 45 days after September 20,
2012.
ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the Strategic Plan are available on the
ANSTF Web site, http://anstaskforce.gov. To obtain a hard copy of the
Strategic Plan or to submit comments, see Document Availability and
Public Comment under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margaret M. (Peg) Brady, NOAA Policy
Liaison to the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force. 1315 East West
Highway, SSMC 3, Rm. 15426 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone: 301-427-8655;
Email: Peg.Brady@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
The Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force (ANSTF) is an
intergovernmental organization dedicated to preventing and controlling
aquatic nuisance species (ANS) and coordinating governmental efforts
dealing with ANS in the United States with those of the private sector
and other North American interests. ANSTF was established by Congress
with the passage of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and
Control Act (NANPCA, Pub. L. 101-646, 104 STAT. 4671, 16 U.S.C. 4701-
4741) in 1990 and reauthorized with the passage of the National
Invasive Species Act (NISA) in 1996. Section 1201(d) of NANPCA
designates the Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and
the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service and the as the ANSTF Co-
chairpersons. The ANSTF's charter is authorized by the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (FACA) of 1972. The charter provides the ANSTF with its
core structure and ensures an open and public forum for its activities.
To meet the challenges of developing and implementing a coordinated and
complementary Federal program for ANS activities, the ANSTF members
include 13 Federal agency representatives and 13 representatives from
ex-officio member organizations. These members work in conjunction with
Regional Panels and issue-specific committees to coordinate efforts
amongst agencies as well as efforts of the private sector and other
North American interests.
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Background
Section 1202 (a) of NANPCA authorizes the ANSTF to develop and
implement a program for waters of the United States to prevent
introduction and dispersal of ANS, to monitor, control, and study such
species, and to disseminate related information. The Aquatic Nuisance
Species Program document guided the work of the ANSTF from 1994 to
2002. The document tracked the requirements outlined in the NANPCA,
established the core and supporting elements of the ANS program,
provided for prioritization of activities, and charted a course for
implementation of the Act. The ANSTF Strategic Plans for 2002-2007 and
2007-2012 maintained the key elements of the ANS Program, but provided
a broader focus for activities consistent with provisions of NISA.
These plans provided more emphasis on prevention strategies,
particularly for intentional introductions.
On May 6, 2011, the ANSTF formed an ad hoc committee to draft the
ANSTF Strategic Plan for 2013--2017. A draft plan was presented to the
ANSTF on November 2, 2011. ANSTF Federal agency and ex-officio members
and Regional Panels representatives were given the opportunity to
review and comment on the draft plan. Each comment received was
reviewed and addressed by the ad hoc committee and a revised draft plan
was presented to the ANSTF. The ANSTF approved the revised draft on May
3, 2012.
The ANSTF Strategic Plan for 2013--2017 (hereafter, the Strategic
Plan) carries through many of the goals and objectives established in
previous plans by remaining focused on prevention, monitoring, and
control of ANS as well as increasing public understanding of the
problems and impacts associated with invasive species. The Strategic
Plan also calls attention to other areas of ANS management, including
habitat restoration and research. The Strategic Plan establishes the
following eight goals, each which contain associated objectives and
action items.
1. Coordination: The ANSTF was created to facilitate cooperation
and coordinate efforts between Federal, State, tribes, and local
agencies, the private sector, and other North American interests. The
objectives for the coordination goal include strengthening cooperation
at both national and regional levels within the ANSTF and the Regional
Panels and encouraging the development and implementation of ANS plans
and regulations.
2. Prevention: Prevention is the first-line of defense against ANS.
This goal calls for developing strategies to identify and reduce the
risk of ANS introduced by increasing development and use of risk
assessments, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point programs
(HACCP), and pathway assessment and interdiction options.
3. Early Detection and Rapid Response: Early Detection and Rapid
Response programs are designed to monitor habitats to discover new
species soon after introduction, report sightings of previously unknown
species in an area, and work quickly to keep the species from becoming
established and spreading. Objectives for the ANSTF include improving
detection and monitoring programs and facilitating development and
implementation of rapid response contingency plans.
4. Control and Management: Control and management tools are needed
to assess, remove, and contain ANS populations as well as to guide
management decisions. The ANSTF will implement this goal by evaluating
and providing support to management plans, increasing training
opportunities, and encouraging the development of management
techniques.
5. Restoration: Habitat restoration is an essential to guard
against future invasions and to minimize harm from invasive species.
This goal focuses on restoring impacted ecosystems and consideration of
potential ANS during planning and implementation of restoration
activities.
6. Education/Outreach: The lack of awareness concerning ANS impacts
is one of the largest management obstacles. Few people understand the
threat some ANS pose and how their actions might introduce them.
Objectives by the ANSTF for education and outreach include reaching out
to the general public, providing technical guidance to targeted
audiences, and raising awareness among legislators and decision makers.
7. Research: Research supports all facets of the Strategic Plan and
is necessary to increase the effectiveness of prevention, detection,
response, and control and management of invasive species. To help
ensure that research addresses critical needs, this goal focuses on
coordination among government agencies, academia, and other
participating entities.
8. Funding: Securing dedicated long-term and emergency funding is
necessary to achieve the goals laid out in the Strategic Plan. The
actions outlined by the ANSTF focus on coordinating Federal agency
budgets to support ANSTF priorities, develop partnerships, and seek
opportunities to leverage funds within Federal and State agencies,
local governments, tribal entities, industry, as well as other entities
including non-governmental organizations.
The Strategic Plan should not be considered a comprehensive list of
all ANS strategic actions; it does contain a targeted set of priority
strategic goals, objectives, and associated action items that are
intended to be completed in the next 5 years. The accomplishment of
specific objectives and action items will be dependent upon budgets of
individual agencies and the Regional Panels; and in some cases, legal
or regulatory changes as well as enforcement of these changes.
Following adoption of the Strategic Plan, an Operational Plan will be
composed to depict short-term efforts to achieve the actions in the
Strategic Plan to ensure the goals and objectives of the Strategic Plan
are measurable and accountable. The Operational Plan will be completed
by the ANSTF members working together and separately with support of
the Regional Panels and committees. The actions in the Operational Plan
will be updated regularly and reported on to measure the progress
towards meeting the goals of the Strategic Plan.
The Strategic Plan takes a deliberate, cooperative approach and
builds on existing programs. The ANSTF will utilize this plan to
maximize its efforts over the next 5 years to prevent and control
invasive species with the purpose of protecting our environment,
economy and human health. The Strategic Plan was approved by the ANSTF
on May 3, 2012; distribution of the document for public comment is the
final step for the ANSTF to adopt the Strategic Plan.
Document Availability
You may obtain copies of the Strategic Plan by any one of the
following methods:
Internet: http://anstaskforce.gov
Write: Susan Pasko, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. 1315 East West Highway, SSMC 3, Rm. 15719 Silver
Spring, MD 20910; Telephone: (301) 427-8682; Email:
Susan.Pasko@noaa.gov.
Request for Comments
Comments on the Strategic Plan are invited. The ANSTF will review
all submitted comments and make revisions, as appropriate, to the
Strategic Plan before adoption. You may
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submit a written comment by any one of the following methods:
Email: Susan.Pasko@noaa.gov.
Mail or hand-delivery: Susan Pasko, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration. 1315 East West Highway, SSMC 3, Rm. 15719
Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Fax: (301) 713-1043.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Dated: July 25, 2012.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, performing the functions and
duties of the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-19161 Filed 8-3-12; 8:45 am]
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