[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 203 (Monday, October 21, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 84124]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24291]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Finding of No Significant Impact and Final Environmental 
Assessment for DARPA's Reefense Program, Baker Point, Florida

AGENCY: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Department 
of Defense (DoD).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: DARPA announces the availability of a Finding of No 
Significant Impact (FONSI) and a Final Environmental Assessment (EA) 
for the Reefense Program at Baker Point, Florida. The environmental 
review process led to the conclusion that the proposed action will not 
have a significant effect on the human environment. Therefore, an 
Environmental Impact Statement will not be prepared.

ADDRESSES: The Final EA and FONSI are available online through the 
project website at https://hsrl.rutgers.edu/research/darpa-reefense.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Catherine Campbell, 703-526-2044 
(Voice), <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#efac8e9b878a9d86818ac1ac8e829f8d8a8383af8b8e9d9f8ec1828683"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="aeedcfdac6cbdcc7c0cb80edcfc3decccbc2c2eecacfdcdecf80c3c7c2">[email protected]</span></a> (Email).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notification of the availability of the 
Draft EA was published in the Federal Register (89 FR 37184) on May 6, 
2024. The public review period began on May 6, 2024 and concluded on 
June 5, 2024. Legal notices were published in the Panama City News 
Herald on May 9 and May 12, 2024. DARPA received two comments: one from 
a private individual and one from the Environmental Protection Agency, 
Region 4. Comments received during this public review were considered 
when preparing the Final EA. DARPA's proposed action analyzed in the EA 
is for the installation of bio-hybrid oyster reef structures to test 
whether such structures can attenuate wave energy more effectively than 
traditional hardscape solutions to protect coastal shorelines and 
infrastructure. Components would consist of reef module breakwaters, 
mosaic oyster habitat structures, and intertidal vegetation planting. 
These structures, or modules, created using cutting-edge scientific 
advances, are intended to create a self-sustaining oyster reef to 
attenuate wave energy and, thus, protect upland infrastructure by 
mitigating damage related to coastal flooding, erosion, and storm 
surge. The geographic scope analyzed in the EA is a proposed action 
area of approximately one acre located off the coast of Baker Point, 
Florida that is adjacent to Tyndall Air Force Base and within East Bay 
of the St. Andrew Bay estuary. The analysis within the EA yielded no 
significant impacts to the resources analyzed and would not result in 
significant impacts overall. The EA and FONSI were prepared in 
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended (42 United States Code 4321 et seq.) and Council on 
Environmental Quality implementing regulations (40 Code of Federal 
Regulations parts 1500-1508).

    Dated: October 16, 2024.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2024-24291 Filed 10-18-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6001-FR-P


</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>