89406 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 27, 2023 / Notices 

(1) An explanation that the activities 

to be conducted under the requested 

renewal IHA are identical to the 

activities analyzed under the initial 

IHA, are a subset of the activities, or 

include changes so minor (e.g., 

reduction in pile size) that the changes 

do not affect the previous analyses, 

mitigation and monitoring 

requirements, or take estimates (with 

the exception of reducing the type or 

amount of take). 

(2) A preliminary monitoring report 

showing the results of the required 

monitoring to date and an explanation 

showing that the monitoring results do 

not indicate impacts of a scale or nature 

not previously analyzed or authorized. 

Upon review of the request for 

renewal, the status of the affected 

species or stocks, and any other 

pertinent information, NMFS 

determines that there are no more than 

minor changes in the activities, the 

mitigation and monitoring measures 

will remain the same and appropriate, 

and the findings in the initial IHA 

remain valid. 

Dated: December 21, 2023. 

Kimberly Damon-Randall, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–28514 Filed 12–26–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Draft Revised Management Plan for the 

Apalachicola National Estuarine 

Research Reserve 

AGENCY: Office for Coastal Management, 

National Ocean Service, National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is 

soliciting comments from the public 

regarding a proposed revision of the 

management plan for the Apalachicola 

National Estuarine Research Reserve. A 

management plan provides a framework 

for the direction and timing of a 

reserve’s programs; allows reserve 

managers to assess a reserve’s success in 

meeting its goals and to identify any 

necessary changes in direction; and is 

used to guide programmatic evaluations 

of the reserve. Plan revisions are 

required of each reserve in the National 

Estuarine Research Reserve System at 

least every five years. This revised plan 

is intended to replace the plan approved 

in 2015. 

DATES: Comments must be received at 

the appropriate address (see ADDRESSES) 

on or before January 26, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: The draft revised 

management plan can be downloaded or 

viewed at: https://floridadep.gov/ 

ANERR. The document is also available 

by sending a written request to the point 

of contact identified below (see FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). 

You may submit comments by any of 

the following methods: 

Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments by email to 

matt.chasse@noaa.gov. Include 

‘‘Comments on draft Apalachicola 

Management Plan’’ in the message’s 

subject line. NOAA will accept 

anonymous comments, however, the 

written comments NOAA receives are 

considered part of the public record, 

and the entirety of the comment, 

including the name of the commenter, 

email address, attachments, and other 

supporting materials, will be publicly 

accessible. Sensitive personally 

identifiable information, such as 

account numbers and Social Security 

numbers, should not be included with 

the comment. Comments that are not 

related to the Management Plan for the 

Apalachicola National Estuarine 

Research Reserve, or that contain 

profanity, vulgarity, threats, or other 

inappropriate language will not be 

considered. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matt 

Chasse of NOAA’s Office for Coastal 

Management by email at matt.chasse@

noaa.gov or by phone at (410) 570–1020. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to 15 CFR 921.33(c), Florida must revise 

the management plan for the 

Apalachicola Research Reserve at least 

every five years. If approved by NOAA, 

the Apalachicola Research Reserve’s 

revised plan will replace the plan 

previously approved in 2015. 

Management plans outline a reserve’s 

strategic goals and objectives; 

administrative structure; programs for 

conducting research and monitoring, 

education, and training; resource 

protection, restoration, and 

manipulation plans; public access and 

visitor use plans; consideration for 

future land acquisition; and facility 

development to support reserve 

operations. In particular, this draft of 

the revised management plan focuses on 

addressing specific coastal management 

issues including hydrological changes 

in the Apalachicola River and 

floodplain; coastal development; and 

climate change and extreme events. 

In developing the strategic plan, the 

reserve recognized that our natural 

environment and the human 

communities were inextricably linked. 

Likewise, the reserve identified a 

common theme, either prospective or 

continuing, among the issues discussed 

in the plan. This common theme 

informs the planned actions related to 

conservation or protection and 

restoration. Resilience is another 

common theme that is weaved 

throughout the plan. 

The Research and Monitoring 

Program aims to expand its 

understanding of the ecological 

processes related to the Apalachicola 

River and watershed. This will be 

achieved through continuous 

monitoring of weather, climate, sea 

level, and water quality data to provide 

and maintain baseline ecological status 

for the Apalachicola estuary. The 

program plans to develop new research 

initiatives and monitoring projects to fill 

gaps in the understanding of key 

ecosystem functions related to 

pollutants, habitats, and diversity. The 

program plans to continue being a 

central player in gathering and applying 

scientific information regarding the 

Apalachicola River and Bay system, and 

its efforts have contributed to the 

protection and management of this 

unique and valuable ecosystem. The 

program will also continue summarizing 

existing scientific information related to 

pollutants, habitats, and biological 

diversity to improve our understanding 

of the reserve and its ecology. 

Stewardship of the reserve is 

accomplished by actively managing 

resources that the reserve is directly 

responsible for, and by influencing the 

activities of others within and adjacent 

to reserve-managed areas. The reserve’s 

key land and water habitats are 

influenced by upstream water quality 

and quantity issues, making the 

Apalachicola Research Reserve 

especially conscious of potential 

environmental changes associated with 

off-site activities. As a result, the reserve 

works to ensure that the most effective 

and efficient techniques are utilized in 

reserve resource management activities. 

The Education and Outreach Program 

efforts include on-site and off-site 

education activities that prioritize infield studies for students and teachers; 

development and distribution of various 

media; dissemination of information at 

local events; recruitment and 

management of volunteers; and training 

workshops for local citizens and 

decision-makers. Programs target 

participants from all ages and walks of 

life while recognizing the local 

community as key stakeholders. The 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 27, 2023 / Notices 89407 

reserve is able to offer programming for 

K–12 students that provides for a 

continuity of content across the entire 

academic experience of local students. 

The reserve’s Coastal Training 

Program works with decision-makers, 

appointed leaders, and their staff to 

preserve the Apalachicola Bay and River 

by offering formal trainings, skillbuilding opportunities, tools, and 

technical assistance. These resources 

enable these groups to continue to 

implement sound policies based on 

science that protect the environment. 

Regular engagement with decisionmakers strengthens partnerships, 

furthers the reserve’s assessment of 

needs, and forges positive working 

relationships to increase stewardship 

and resilience throughout the reserve. 

The Apalachicola Research Reserve is 

a complex of independently managed 

subunits that support an array of 

recreational and commercial activities 

and are impacted by water use policies 

of three states. This updated 

management plan aligns with similar 

plans being implemented by the landmanaging partners within and adjacent 

to the reserve boundaries. Although the 

reserve boundaries are not changing in 

this management plan update, a 

possible future boundary expansion is 

in preliminary discussions with 

partners. Also, in 2020, the reserve 

completed the redesignation process for 

the Apalachicola Biosphere region as 

part of the United Nations Educational, 

Scientific, and Cultural Organization 

(UNESCO) Man and the Biosphere 

program. The revised management plan, 

once approved, would serve as the 

guiding document for the 234,715-acre 

(950 sq. km) research reserve for the 

next five years. 

NOAA’s Office for Coastal 

Management analyzes the 

environmental impacts of the proposed 

approval of this draft revised 

management plan in accordance with 

the National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 

4321 et seq., and the Council on 

Environmental Quality Regulations for 

Implementing the Procedural Provisions 

of NEPA (40 CFR 1500–1508). The 

public is invited to comment on the 

draft revised management plan. NOAA 

will take these comments into 

consideration in deciding whether to 

approve the draft revised management 

plan in whole or in part. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.; 15 

CFR 921.33. 

Keelin S. Kuipers, 

Deputy Director, Office for Coastal 

Management, National Ocean Service, 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2023–28523 Filed 12–26–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–NK–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

Review and Approval; Comment 

Request; Resident Perceptions of 

Offshore Wind Energy Development 

Off the Oregon Coast and Along the 

Gulf of Mexico 

AGENCY: National Oceanic & 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection, 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Commerce, in accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(PRA), invites the general public and 

other Federal agencies to comment on 

proposed and continuing information 

collections, which helps us assess the 

impact of our information collection 

requirements and minimize the public’s 

reporting burden. The purpose of this 

notice is to allow for 60 days of public 

comment preceding submission of the 

collection to OMB. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, 

comments regarding this proposed 

information collection must be received 

on or before February 26, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments to 

Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, 

at NOAA.PRA@noaa.gov. Please 

reference OMB Control Number 0648– 

0744 in the subject line of your 

comments. Do not submit Confidential 

Business Information or otherwise 

sensitive or protected information. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

specific questions related to collection 

activities should be directed to Dr. 

Theresa L Goedeke, Supervisory Social 

Scientist, 1305 East-West Hwy., SSMC 

4, Silver Spring, MD 2091, Email: 

theresa.goedeke@noaa.gov, Ph: (240) 

653–9143. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

This is a request for revision to an 

existing information collection. 

Pursuant to E.O. 14057 (Executive Order 

on Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries 

and Jobs Through Federal 

Sustainability), the Outer Continental 

Shelf Land Act, the National 

Environmental Policy Act, and the 

Coastal Zone Management Act, the 

requested revision will expand the 

existing data collection, which is 

currently focused on coastal Oregon, by 

adding a new geographical location, 

specifically, coastal Texas and 

Louisiana along the Gulf of Mexico. 

The Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management (BOEM) held its first 

leasing auction for the Gulf of Mexico in 

August 2023. BOEM finalized four Wind 

Energy Areas (WEAs) in the Gulf of 

Mexico in October 2023. Outside of 

official public engagement forums, 

preferences about offshore wind energy 

development generally remain unknown 

for members of the public, as well as for 

groups who may not perceive 

themselves as stakeholders. Failure to 

gain the perspective of communities 

regarding potential benefits or impacts 

is problematic, particularly when latent 

stakeholders to local projects emerge 

late in the planning process. 

The National Ocean Service (NOS) 

proposes to expand collection of data on 

the opinions, values, and attitudes 

relative to offshore wind energy 

development to coastal residents of 

Texas and Louisiana along the Gulf of 

Mexico in addition to coastal Oregon. 

Respondents (age 18 years and older) 

will be randomly sampled from 

households in 39 coastal counties in 

Texas and Louisiana. This information 

will be used by NOAA, BOEM, and 

others to understand what is important 

to communities; understand how 

differing values and perceptions across 

communities influence local receptivity 

to proposed development; and improve 

communication efforts targeted to 

residents, enabling agencies to more 

effectively and efficiently direct 

outreach and community inclusion 

activities. NOAA has a vested interest in 

offshore wind energy development, 

from many perspectives, including as it 

relates to the resilience, well-being, and 

sustainability of coastal communities. 

II. Method of Collection 

Information will be collected with a 

combination of mail recruitment with 

push-to-web and mail-back survey 

instruments. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0648–0744. 


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