[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 118 (Friday, June 19, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 33596-33597]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-16241]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 100

[CGD07-98-033]
RIN 2115-AE46


Special Local Regulations; St. Johns River, Jacksonville, Florida

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is proposing to amend the permanent special 
local regulations for the Annual Greater Jacksonville Kingfish 
Tournament, by increasing the size of the No Wake Zone on the waters of 
the St. Johns River and establishing the annual date of the event 
during the second full week of July. The increased size of the zone is 
needed to safeguard the increasingly larger number of participants and 
other vessels transiting the St. Johns River and Sisters Creek during 
the Annual Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament. Vessel operators 
should use minimum speed in this area to avoid creating wakes, unless 
otherwise authorized by the Captain of the Port.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 9, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Group 
Mayport, 4200 Ocean Street, Mayport, FL 32233, or may be delivered to 
the operations office at the same address between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. Comments will 
become a part of the public docket and will be available for copying 
and inspection at the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ensign Gary Watson, Group Mayport, Tel: (904) 247-7318.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

    The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to participate in 
this rulemaking by submitting written views, data, or arguments. 
Persons submitting comments should include their names, addresses, 
identify this rulemaking (CGD07-98-033), and the specific section of 
this proposal to which their comments apply, and give reasons for each 
comment.
    The Coast Guard will consider all comments received during the 
comment period. The regulations may be changed in view of the comments 
received. The Coast Guard plans no public hearing. Persons may request 
a public hearing by writing to the address under ADDRESSES and stating 
why a hearing would be beneficial. The comment period of twenty days is 
justified because the persons affected by this rulemaking are within 
the greater Jacksonville area and additional efforts are being made to 
notify that community of the rulemaking so they may be able to comment 
within the shortened period.

Background and Purpose

    The event requiring this regulation is the Annual Greater 
Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament, which will be held annually during 
the second full week in July. It will begin in 1998 on July 14 in the 
Sisters Creek Marina, Sisters Creek, Jacksonville, Florida, at 6 a.m. 
and terminate at 4 p.m. each day until July 19. Due to the large number 
of participants and spectator craft, a larger No Wake Zone has been 
proposed on the waters of the St. Johns River lying between the eastern 
boundary formed by St. Johns River Lighted Buoy 7 position 30-23.56N, 
081-23.04W, and Lighted Buoy 8 position 30-24.03N, 081-23.01W, and the 
western boundary formed by Lighted Buoy 25 position 30-23.40N, 081-
28.26W, and Short Cut Light 26 position 30-23.46N, 081-28.16W with the 
northern and southern boundaries formed by the banks of the St. Johns 
River and extended north from the boundary formed by the St. Johns 
River and the Intracoastal Waterway, Sisters Creek, to Lighted Buoy 83 
on the

[[Page 33597]]

Intracoastal Waterway. The zone is needed to safeguard vessels 
transiting in the St. Johns River and Sisters Creek during this event. 
This event will occur annually and the date and times will be published 
in the Federal Register and in a Local Notice to Mariners. During each 
of these events, local law enforcement agents will be on scene to 
assist in enforcing the No Wake Zone and to monitor vessel traffic. 
This regulation is issued pursuant to 33 U.S.C. 1233 through 1236 as 
set out in the authority citation for all of Part 100.

Regulatory Evaluation

    This proposed rule is not a significant regulatory action under 
section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866 and does not require an 
assessment of potential costs and benefits under section 6(a)(3) of 
that order. It has not been reviewed by the Office of Management and 
Budget under that order. It is not significant under the regulatory 
policies and procedures of the Department of Transportation (DOT) (44 
FR 11040: February 26, 1979). The Coast Guard expects the economic 
impact of this proposed rule to be so minimal that a full Regulatory 
Evaluation under paragraph 10e of the regulatory policies and 
procedures of DOT is unnecessary. Only a small amount of recreational 
and fishing vessel traffic is expected to be disrupted by the increased 
size of the No Wake Zone.

Small Entities

    Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the 
Coast Guard must consider whether this proposed rule would have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
``Small entities'' include small businesses, not-for-profit 
organizations that are independently owned and operated and are not 
dominant in their field and governmental jurisdictions with populations 
of less than 50,000.
    Therefore, the Coast Guard certifies under 605(b) that this 
proposed rule would not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities because the No Wake Zone will only 
be in effect in a limited area for approximately 60 hours each year.

Collection of Information

    This proposed rule contains no collection of information 
requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et 
seq.).

Federalism

    This proposed action has been analyzed in accordance with the 
principles and criteria contained in Executive Order 12612, and it has 
been determined that the rulemaking does not have sufficient federalism 
implications to warrant the preparation of a Federalism Assessment.

Environmental Assessment

    The Coast Guard has considered the environmental impact of this 
proposal and has concluded under Figure 2-1, paragraph (34)(h) of 
Commandant Instruction M16475.1C, that this action is categorically 
excluded from further environmental documentation. A Categorical 
Exclusion Determination and Environmental Analysis checklist will be 
completed during the comment period.

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 100

    Marine safety, Navigation (water), Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Waterways.

Proposed Regulations

    In consideration of the foregoing, the Coast Guard proposes to 
amend Part 100 of Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:

PART 100--[AMENDED]

    1. The Authority citation for Part 100 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1233, 49 CFR 1.46 and 33 CFR 100.35.

    2. Revise Sec. 100.710 to read as follows:


Sec. 100.710  Annual Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament; 
Jacksonville, Florida.

    (a) Regulated area. A regulated area is established for the waters 
of the St. Johns River lying between a eastern boundary formed by St. 
Johns River Lighted Buoy 7 (LLNR (7145) position 30-23.56N, 081-23.04W, 
and Lighted Buoy 8 (LLNR 7150) position 30-24.03N, 081-23.01W, and the 
western boundary formed by Lighted Buoy 25 (LLNR 7305) position 30-
23.40N, 081-28.26W, and Short Cut Light 26 (LLNR 7310) position 30-
23.46N, 081-28.16W with the northern and southern boundaries formed by 
the banks of the St. Johns River and extended north from the boundary 
formed by the St. Johns River and the Intracoastal Waterway, Sisters 
Creek, to Lighted Buoy 83 (LLNR 38330) on the Intracoastal Waterway.
    (b) Regulations. Vessels operating in the regulated area must 
operate at No Wake Speed.
    (c) Dates. This section is effective annually during the second 
full week of July. Coast Guard Group Mayport will issue a Local Notice 
to Mariners each year announcing future specific times and dates of the 
event. In 1998, the event will occur from July 14 to July 19 from 6 
a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
N.T. Saunders,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Seventh Coast Guard 
District.
[FR Doc. 98-16241 Filed 6-18-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-14-M