[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 56 (Monday, March 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15960-15961]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-06280]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment of Potential White 
Shark Research and Education Projects in the Gulf of the Farallones and 
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries

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

ACTION: Notice of Availability; Request for Public Comment.

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SUMMARY: NOAA has developed a draft programmatic environmental 
assessment (PEA) to analyze the potential impacts of anticipated 
research and education projects in the next five years and that may 
have the potential to affect White Sharks within Gulf of the Farallones 
National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS) and the northern portion of the 
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). The anticipated types 
of research and education projects described in the document have been 
evaluated for consistency with the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, 
sanctuary goals and objectives, and ONMS permitting regulations. The 
draft PEA is available for download on the Web site: http://farallones.noaa.gov/eco/sharks/sharks_pea.html. Proposed projects that 
are outside the scope of this PEA would be further evaluated on a case-
by-case basis during their individual permit review phase.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This draft PEA on potential research and 
education permit decisions for attraction or approach of White Sharks 
incorporates a permit-specific draft EA released for public comment in 
2010. On September 30, 2010, NOAA released a draft EA for public 
comment that analyzed the potential impacts of issuing a research 
permit that involved attaching location transmitters on up to eleven 
White Sharks (75 FR 60407). The purpose of the proposed research study 
was learn more about the full migratory cycle of White Sharks that 
visit the sanctuary seasonally. Since then, NOAA has determined that 
the full suite of potential permit projects--both research and 
education--should be analyzed in order to better understand the scope 
of potential effects of permitting decisions on White Sharks in the 
sanctuaries. Rather than finalizing the permit-specific EA, NOAA has 
developed this programmatic analysis and seeks public comment.

DATES: Comments on this draft environmental assessment may be made on 
or before April 23, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by 
NOAA-NOS-2014-0015, by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NOS-2014-0015, click the 
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields and enter or attach 
your comments.
     Mail: Submit written comments to: Max Delaney, Permit 
Coordinator, Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, The 
Presidio, 991 Marine Drive, San Francisco, CA 94129.
    Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, 
may not be

[[Page 15961]]

considered by ONMS. All comments received are a part of the public 
record and will generally be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business 
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily 
by the sender will be publicly accessible. ONMS will accept anonymous 
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain 
anonymous). Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in 
Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Max Delaney, Gulf of the Farallones 
National Marine Sanctuary, The Presidio, 991 Marine Drive, San 
Francisco, CA 94129. Phone: (415) 970-5255.

     Dated: March 14, 2014.
Daniel J. Basta,
Director for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
[FR Doc. 2014-06280 Filed 3-21-14; 8:45 am]
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