8892 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 33 / Thursday, February 19, 2015 / Notices 

We anticipate that the Coast Guard’s 

contributions under the proposed 

CRADA will include the following: 

(1) Provide the ECS manufacturers 

with summaries and formats of the 

information that will be distributed in 

the Ohio River eNav Technology 

Demonstration. 

(2) Test the ECS equipment with the 

format upgrades in the RDC Test 

Laboratory prior to the Demonstration 

and provide feedback to manufacturers. 

Also, provide non-Federal participants 

with access to the RDC Test Laboratory 

data output stream to evaluate the data 

displays on their equipment. 

(3) Deploy an eNav system that 

distributes navigation and safety 

information to marine users in the 

Technology Demonstration Test Area on 

the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. 

(4) Conduct the Ohio River eNav 

Technology Demonstration. During the 

Demonstration, record the information 

distributed through the AIS and the 

information received by participating 

mariners’ AIS receivers. Collate and 

analyze the information collected by 

participating vessels to quantify system 

performance. Collect anecdotal 

information on mariners’ responses to 

the technology and its benefits. 

We anticipate that the non-Federal 

participants’ contributions under the 

proposed CRADA will include the 

following: 

(1) Configure their software to enable 

the receipt and display of eNav 

information on ECS devices located on 

vessel bridges of customers who are 

participating in the Ohio River eNav 

Technology Demonstration. 

(2) Provide the Coast Guard with the 

latest version of its ECS software to 

support the RDC Test Laboratory 

evaluation. 

(3) The RDC and its federal partners 

may finalize some AIS message types 

after the Ohio River Technology 

Demonstration has started. As their 

resources permit, the non-Federal 

participants will update their software 

and distribute them to their customers 

and the RDC after the Demonstration 

has started. 

(4) At the conclusion of the 

Demonstration, the RDC and the nonFederal participants will jointly 

document the CRADA effort in a white 

paper format, to document the features 

developed by the ECS manufacturers, 

their installation on the test vessels, and 

the results of the Ohio River eNav 

Technology Demonstration. 

The Coast Guard reserves the right to 

select for CRADA participants all, some, 

or no proposals submitted for this 

CRADA. The Coast Guard will provide 

no funding for reimbursement of 

proposal development costs. Proposals 

and any other material submitted in 

response to this notice will not be 

returned. Proposals submitted are 

expected to be unclassified and have no 

more than five single-sided pages 

(excluding cover page, DD 1494, JF–12, 

etc.). The Coast Guard will select 

proposals at its sole discretion on the 

basis of: 

(1) Existence of commercial customers 

who routinely operate in the Ohio River 

eNav Technology Demonstration study 

area, who are equipped with an ECS 

capability that accept AIS inputs to 

navigate, and who are willing to 

participate in the Demonstration. 

(2) How well respondents address the 

following criteria: 

(a) Technical capability to support the 

non-Federal party contributions 

described; and 

(b) Resources available for supporting 

the non-Federal party contributions 

described. 

Currently, the Coast Guard is 

considering CNS and Rose Point for 

participation in this CRADA. This 

consideration is based on the fact that 

the Coast Guard has identified CNS and 

Rose Point as customers in the 

Demonstration area that use ECS with 

AIS input capability. However, the 

Coast Guard does not wish to exclude 

other viable participants from this 

CRADA. 

This is a technology transfer/

development effort. Presently, the Coast 

Guard has no plan to procure an ECS 

capability. Since the goal of this CRADA 

is to identify and investigate the 

advantages, disadvantages, required 

technology enhancements, performance, 

costs, and other issues associated with 

using ECS capabilities, non-Federal 

CRADA participants will not be 

excluded from any future Coast Guard 

procurements based solely on their 

participation in this CRADA. Special 

consideration will be given to small 

business firms/consortia, and preference 

will be given to business units located 

in the U.S. 

This notice is issued under the 

authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 15 

U.S.C. 3710(a). 

Dated: January 26, 2015. 

Dennis C. Evans, 

Captain, USCG, Commanding Officer, U.S. 

Coast Guard Research and Development 

Center. 

[FR Doc. 2015–03328 Filed 2–18–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–04–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Coast Guard 

[USCG–2014–0941] 

Port Access Route Study: In the 

Chukchi Sea, Bering Strait and Bering 

Sea 

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. 

ACTION: Notice of study; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: This study is a continuation 

of and an expansion of scope to the Port 

Access Route Study (PARS) the Coast 

Guard announced in 2010. Based on 

comments received from the 2010 notice 

the Coast Guard has developed a 

potential vessel routing system for the 

area. The Coast Guard requests 

comments on how consolidating vessel 

traffic into a defined vessel routing 

system may impact or benefit the region. 

The goal of the study is to help reduce 

the risk of marine casualties and 

increase the efficiency of vessel traffic 

in the region. The recommendations of 

the study may lead to future rulemaking 

action or appropriate international 

agreements. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before August 18, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If 

you have questions on this notice of 

study, call or email LT Kody Stitz, 

Seventeenth Coast Guard District (dpw); 

telephone (907) 463–2270; email 

Kody.J.Stitz@uscg.mil or Mr. David 

Seris, Seventeenth Coast Guard District 

(dpw); telephone (907)463–2267; email 

David.M.Seris@uscg.mil. If you have 

questions on viewing or submitting 

material to the docket, call Cheryl F. 

Collins, Program Manager, Docket 

Operations, telephone 202–366–9826. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Participation and Request for 

Comments 

We encourage you to participate in 

this study by submitting comments and 

related materials. All comments 

received will be posted without change 

to http://www.regulations.gov and will 

include any personal information you 

have provided. 

Comment submission: You may 

submit comments identified by docket 

number USCG–2014–0941 using any 

one of the following methods: 

(1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: 

http://www.regulations.gov. 

(2) Fax: 202–493–2251. 

(3) Mail: Docket Management Facility 

(M–30), U.S. Department of 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 33 / Thursday, February 19, 2015 / Notices 8893 

Transportation, West Building Ground 

Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590– 

0001. 

(4) Hand delivery: Same as mail 

address above, between 9 a.m. and 5 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. The telephone number 

is 202–366–9329. 

To avoid duplication, please use only 

one of these four methods. See the 

‘‘Public Participation and Request for 

Comments’’ portion of the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 

below for instructions on submitting 

comments. 

Privacy Act 

Anyone can search the electronic 

form of comments received into any of 

our dockets by the name of the 

individual submitting the comment (or 

signing the comment, if submitted on 

behalf of an association, business, labor 

union, etc.). You may review a Privacy 

Act notice regarding our public dockets 

in the January 17, 2008, issue of the 

Federal Register (73 FR 3316). 

Public Meeting 

The Coast Guard will hold public 

meeting(s) if there is sufficient demand 

to warrant holding a meeting. You must 

submit a request for one on or before 

Month Day, Year (30 days from publish 

date) using one of the four methods 

specified under ADDRESSES. Please 

explain why you believe a public 

meeting would be beneficial. If we 

determine that a public meeting would 

aid in the study, we will hold a meeting 

at a time and place announced by a later 

notice in the Federal Register. 

Definitions 

The following definitions (except 

‘‘Regulated Navigation Area’’) are from 

the International Maritime 

Organization’s (IMO’s) publication 

‘‘Ships’ Routeing’’ Tenth Edition 2010 

and should help you review this notice: 

Area to be avoided (ATBA) means a 

routing measure comprising an area 

within defined limits in which either 

navigation is particularly hazardous or 

it is exceptionally important to avoid 

casualties and which should be avoided 

by all ships, or certain classes of ships. 

Deep-water route means a route 

within defined limits, which has been 

accurately surveyed for clearance of sea 

bottom and submerged obstacles as 

indicated on the chart. 

Inshore traffic zone means a routing 

measure comprising a designated area 

between the landward boundary of a 

traffic separation scheme and the 

adjacent coast, to be used in accordance 

with the provisions of Rule 10(d), as 

amended, of the International 

Regulations for Preventing Collisions at 

Sea, 1972 (COLREGS). 

Precautionary area means a routing 

measure comprising an area within 

defined limits where ships must 

navigate with particular caution and 

within which the direction of traffic 

flow may be recommended. 

Recommended route means a route of 

undefined width, for the convenience of 

ships in transit, which is often marked 

by centerline buoys. 

Recommended track is a route which 

has been specially examined to ensure 

so far as possible that it is free of 

dangers and along which vessels are 

advised to navigate. 

Regulated Navigation Area (RNA) 

means a water area within a defined 

boundary for which regulations for 

vessels navigating within the area have 

been established under 33 CFR part 165. 

Roundabout means a routing measure 

comprising a separation point or 

circular separation zone and a circular 

traffic lane within defined limits. Traffic 

within the roundabout is separated by 

moving in a counterclockwise direction 

around the separation point or zone. 

Separation zone or separation line 

means a zone or line separating the 

traffic lanes in which ships are 

proceeding in opposite or nearly 

opposite directions; or separating a 

traffic lane from the adjacent sea area; 

or separating traffic lanes designated for 

particular classes of ship proceeding in 

the same direction. 

Traffic lane means an area within 

defined limits in which one-way traffic 

is established. Natural obstacles, 

including those forming separation 

zones, may constitute a boundary. 

Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) 

means a routing measure aimed at the 

separation of opposing streams of traffic 

by appropriate means and by the 

establishment of traffic lanes. 

Two-way route means a route within 

defined limits inside which two-way 

traffic is established, aimed at providing 

safe passage of ships through waters 

where navigation is difficult or 

dangerous. 

Vessel routing system means any 

system of one or more routes or routing 

measures aimed at reducing the risk of 

casualties; it includes traffic separation 

schemes, two-way routes, recommended 

tracks, areas to be avoided, no anchoring 

areas, inshore traffic zones, 

roundabouts, precautionary areas, and 

deep-water routes. 

Background and Purpose 

Requirement for Port Access Route 

Studies 

Under the Ports and Waterways Safety 

Act (PWSA) (33 U.S.C. 1223(c)), the 

Commandant of the Coast Guard may 

designate necessary fairways and traffic 

separation schemes (TSSs) to provide 

safe access routes for vessels proceeding 

to and from U.S. ports. 

Port Access Route Study to Date 

The Coast Guard announced a port 

access route study in the Federal 

Register on November 8, 2010 (75 FR 

68568). The purpose of the PARS was to 

solicit public comments on whether a 

vessel routing system such as a fairway 

or TSS was needed and if it could 

increase vessel safety in the area. The 

2010 PARS was limited geographically 

in scope to a section of water extending 

approximately 100 nautical miles north 

of the Bering Strait into the Chukchi Sea 

to approximately 30 nautical miles 

south of St. Lawrence Island in the 

Bering Sea. At that time the Coast Guard 

did not propose a specific vessel routing 

system, but instead sought more general 

comments about whether a vessel 

routing system was needed or advisable 

in the study area. The Coast Guard 

received twenty five comments, and 

after reviewing them, determined that a 

vessel route needed to be proposed so 

more specific comments and concerns 

could be gathered and evaluated before 

determining if a routing system would 

be beneficial. The Coast Guard further 

determined that the study area should 

include a larger geographic area than 

was initially studied before finalizing 

the study and publishing the results. 

Vessel Routing Comments to Date 

The Coast Guard received twenty five 

public comments during the open 

comment period associated with the 

2010 announcement. Nearly all of the 

comments that addressed vessel routing 

were supportive of the Coast Guard 

creating and implementing some form of 

vessel routing measure in the area. 

Since no specific routing measure was 

proposed in 2010, the comments 

received did note that precise concerns 

and impacts could only be identified 

after a specific route or measure was 

proposed. 

Reopening of the Comment Period 

This Federal Register notice 

announces the Coast Guard’s intent to 

continue the PARS started in 2010, 

expand the study area and release the 

Coast Guard’s proposed vessel routing 

system for comment. The Coast Guard’s 

goal of the study remains the same in 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES
8894 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 33 / Thursday, February 19, 2015 / Notices 

that the study is focused on gathering 

factual and relevant information to aid 

the Coast Guard in reducing the risk of 

marine casualties and increasing the 

efficiency of vessel traffic in the region. 

The study will assess whether the 

creation of a vessel routing system is 

advisable to increase the predictability 

of vessel movements, which may 

decrease the potential for collisions, oil 

spills, and other events that could 

threaten the marine environment. 

Based on comments received to date 

there is a general sense that a designated 

traffic route could improve traffic 

predictability thereby reducing marine 

casualties and oil spills; however, a few 

comments received did note that a 

designated traffic route (depending on 

location) could adversely impact 

subsistence hunting, marine mammals 

and other wildlife more so than widely 

dispersed vessel traffic. Therefore, the 

Coast Guard puts forth a potential twoway route as a starting point for 

analyzing where to put a vessel traffic 

route should one be deemed needed and 

beneficial to the region. 

The Coast Guard will analyze vessel 

traffic density, agency and stakeholder 

experience in vessel traffic management, 

navigation, ship handling, the effects of 

weather, impacts to subsistence 

hunting, impacts to marine mammals 

and other wildlife concerns into the 

decision making process of the study. 

We encourage you to participate in the 

study process by submitting comments 

in response to this notice. 

The expanded study area is described 

as an area bounded by a line connecting 

the following geographic positions: 

• 67°30′ N, 168°58′37′′ W; 

• 67°30′ N, 167°30′ W; 

• 54°50′ N, 164°40′ W; 

• 54°03′ N, 166°25′ W; 

• 63°20′ N, 173°43′ W; thence 

following the Russian Federation/

United States maritime boundary line to 

the first geographical position. 

The proposed ship routing measures 

are described as follows: 

(1) A four nautical mile wide, twoway route extending from Unimak Pass 

in the Aleutian Islands that proceeds 

Northward through the Bering Sea and 

Bering Strait before terminating in the 

Chukchi Sea. 

(2) A four nautical mile wide, twoway route extending from a location 

North of the Western side of St. 

Lawrence Island and near the US/

Russian Federation maritime border, 

then proceeding Northeast to a junction 

with the first two way route located to 

the West of King Island. 

(3) A total of four precautionary areas, 

each circular and 8 nautical miles wide 

in diameter. Three of these 

precautionary areas will be located at 

the starting/ending points of the twoway routes, and the fourth will be 

located at the junction of the 

recommended two-way routes. 

See the ADDRESSES section for where 

to obtain a copy of the chart showing 

the exact location of the proposed route. 

Timeline, Study Area, and Process of 

this PARS: The Seventeenth Coast 

Guard District will conduct this PARS. 

The study will continue upon 

publication of this notice and may take 

24 months to complete. 

We will publish the results of the 

PARS in the Federal Register. It is 

possible that the study may validate the 

status quo (no routing measures) and 

conclude that no changes are necessary. 

It is also possible that the study may 

recommend one or more changes to 

enhance navigational safety and the 

efficiency of vessel traffic management. 

The recommendations may lead to 

future rulemakings or appropriate 

international agreements. 

Schematic of proposed vessel routing 

system: A chart showing the Coast 

Guard’s proposed two-way route can be 

downloaded from http://

www.regulations.gov, type ‘‘USCG– 

2014–0941’’ into the search bar and 

click search, next to the displayed 

search results click ‘‘Open Docket 

Folder’’, which will display all 

comments and documents associated 

with this docket. 

Dated: February 3, 2015. 

D.B. Abel, 

Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, 

Seventeenth Coast Guard District. 

[FR Doc. 2015–03332 Filed 2–18–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–04–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

National Park Service 

[NPS–ANRSS–17182; PPWONRADE2, 

PMP00EI05.YP0000] 

North Cascades Ecosystem Grizzly 

Bear Restoration Plan/Environmental 

Impact Statement, Washington 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service and 

National Park Service, Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: The National Park Service 

(NPS) and the Fish and Wildlife Service 

(FWS) are jointly preparing a North 

Cascades Ecosystem Grizzly Bear 

Restoration Plan and Environmental 

Impact Statement (Plan/EIS) to 

determine how to restore the grizzly 

bear to the North Cascades ecosystem 

(NCE), a portion of its historical range. 

DATES: The FWS and NPS request that 

comments be submitted by March 23, 

2015, or 15 days after the last public 

open house, whichever is later. Open 

houses will be announced in local 

media. For more information on 

submitting public comments, see How 

To Provide Comments, under Public 

Comment in the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section. 

ADDRESSES: Information will be 

available for public review online at 

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/NCEG; in 

the Office of the Superintendent, 810 

State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 

98284 (360–854–7200, telephone); and 

in the Washington Fish and Wildlife 

Office, 510 Desmond Dr. SE., Suite 102, 

Lacey, WA 98503 (360–753–9440). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Denise Shultz, Public Information 

Officer, North Cascades National Park 

Service Complex, 810 State Route 20, 

Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 (360–854– 

7302, telephone), or Brent Lawrence, 

Public Affairs Specialist, FWS Pacific 

Regional Office, 911 NE 11th Ave., 

Portland, OR 97232 (503–231–6211). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to the National Environmental Policy 

Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C) 

(NEPA), the National Park Service (NPS) 

and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) 

are jointly preparing a North Cascades 

Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan 

and Environmental Impact Statement 

(Plan/EIS) to determine how to restore 

the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) 

to the North Cascades ecosystem (NCE), 

a portion of its historical range. 

Background 

Situated in the core of the North 

Cascades Ecosystem (NCE), the North 

Cascades National Park Complex is 

surrounded by more than 2.6 million 

contiguous acres of federally designated 

wilderness, including protected lands 

and de facto wilderness in British 

Columbia, Canada. The United States 

portion of the NCE is contiguous with 

habitat north of the international border 

in British Columbia, Canada, but 

isolated from other grizzly bear 

populations in both the United States 

and Canada. 

Research indicates that this 

wilderness landscape is capable of 

supporting a self-sustaining grizzly bear 

population. However, there has only 

been one observation of a solitary bear 

during the past 10 years. Given the low 

number of grizzly bears, very slow 

reproductive rate, and other recovery 

constraints, grizzly bears in the NCE are 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES