National Ocean Service Surveying and Mapping Projects in U.S. Waters for 

Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Coastal and Marine Data Acquisition 

APPENDIX B: NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF A DRAFT PROGRAMMATIC EIS FOR 

SURVEYING AND MAPPING PROJECTS IN U.S. WATERS FOR COASTAL AND 

MARINE DATA ACQUISITION 

B-1

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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 120 / Friday, June 25, 2021 / Notices 33663 

availability of the Final Evaluation 

Findings. 

Submitting Comments 

Timely comments received by the 

Office for Coastal Management are 

considered part of the public record and 

may be publicly accessible. Any 

personal information (e.g., name, 

address) submitted voluntarily by the 

sender may also be publicly accessible. 

NOAA will accept anonymous 

comments. You may also provide public 

comments during the virtual public 

meeting. You may participate online or 

by phone. If you would like to provide 

comment during the public meeting, 

please select ‘‘yes’’ during the online 

registration. The line-up of speakers will 

be based on the date and time of 

registration. Once you register, you will 

receive a confirmation of your 

registration. One hour prior to the start 

of the meeting on August 4, 2021, you 

will be emailed a link to the public 

meeting and information about 

participating. 

Keelin Kuipers, 

Deputy Director, Office for Coastal 

Management, National Ocean Service, 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2021–13583 Filed 6–24–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–JE–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Notice of Availability of a Draft 

Programmatic Environmental Impact 

Statement for Surveying and Mapping 

Projects in U.S. Waters for Coastal and 

Marine Data Acquisition 

AGENCY: National Ocean Service (NOS), 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA), Department of 

Commerce (DOC). 

ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft 

programmatic environmental impact 

statement; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

National Ocean Service (NOS) has 

prepared a draft programmatic 

environmental impact statement (PEIS) 

in accordance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 

amended (NEPA), to analyze the 

potential environmental impacts 

associated with NOS’s recurring data 

collection projects to characterize 

submerged features (e.g., habitat, 

bathymetry, marine debris). The ‘‘action 

area’’ for these projects encompasses 

United States (U.S.) rivers, states’ 

offshore waters, the U.S. territorial sea, 

the contiguous zone, the U.S. Exclusive 

Economic Zone (U.S. EEZ), and coastal 

and riparian lands. As a part of the 

Proposed Action, NOS may use active 

acoustic equipment such as sub-bottom 

profilers, single beam and multibeam 

echo sounders, side-scan sonars, and 

Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers. The 

Draft PEIS analyzes NOS data collection 

projects for a time period of 6 years. 

Publication of this document begins the 

60-day public comment period for the 

Draft PEIS. 

DATES: Written comments on the Draft 

PEIS will be accepted on or before 

August 24, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: The Draft PEIS can be 

viewed or downloaded from the NOS 

website at https:// 

oceanservice.noaa.gov/about/ 

environmental-compliance/surveyingmapping.html. You may submit 

comments on this document, identified 

by NOAA–NOS–2021–0055, by any of 

the following methods: 

• Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 

https://www.regulations.gov and enter 

NOAA–NOS–2021–0055 in the Search 

box. Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, 

complete the required fields, and enter 

or attach your comments. 

• Mail: Please direct written 

comments to DOC/NOAA/NOS 

Environmental Compliance Coordinator, 

SSMC4-Station 13612, 1305 East West 

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. 

• Email: nosaa.ec@noaa.gov. 

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 

considered by NOAA. 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. NOAA will 

accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/ 

A’’ in the required fields if you wish to 

remain anonymous). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Giannina DiMaio, DOC/NOAA/NOS, 

Environmental Compliance Coordinator, 

SSMC4-Station 13612, 1305 East West 

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 

nosaa.ec@noaa.gov, 240–533–0918. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Proposed Action analyzed in the Draft 

PEIS is to continue NOS’s surveying and 

mapping projects throughout the action 

area. The Draft PEIS has been prepared 

to: (1) Inform NOS and the public on the 

physical, biological, economic, and 

social impacts of NOS mapping and 

surveying projects; and (2) assist NOS in 

deciding how to execute its mapping 

and surveying program over the next 6 

years. 

The Draft PEIS assesses the direct, 

indirect, and cumulative environmental 

impacts of a suite of surveying and 

mapping data collection activities. NOS 

initially planned to address the 

environmental impacts of the Proposed 

Action through a Programmatic 

Environmental Assessment (PEA) and 

published a Notice of Intent to prepare 

a PEA in the Federal Register on 

December 19, 2016 (81 FR 91921). 

However, during preparation of the 

PEA, NOS determined that NOS and the 

public would be better served through 

the Environmental Impact Statement 

process due to the geographic scope of 

the mapping program and the 

complexities of the analysis. 

The purpose of the Proposed Action 

is to gather accurate and timely data on 

the marine and coastal environment. 

The need for the Proposed Action is to 

ensure safety at sea, economic wellbeing, and the efficient stewardship of 

public trust resources. NOS projects 

would include surveys performed from 

crewed vessels and remotely-operated 

or autonomous vehicles, operated by 

NOS field crews, contractors, grantees, 

or permit/authorization holders. NOS 

may use echo sounders and other active 

acoustic equipment and employ other 

equipment, including bottom samplers 

and conductivity, temperature, and 

depth instruments to collect the needed 

data. A project could also involve 

supporting activities, such as the use of 

divers and the installation of tide buoys. 

The Draft PEIS evaluates three 

alternatives: 

• Alternative A—No Action: Under 

Alternative A, NOS would continue to 

operate a variety of equipment and 

technologies to gather accurate and 

timely data on the nature and condition 

of the marine and coastal environment. 

This alternative reflects the technology, 

equipment, scope, and methods 

currently in use by NOS, at the level of 

effort reflecting NOS fiscal year 2019 

funding levels. (NOS operations were 

widely disrupted during the 2020 field 

season due to the COVID–19 pandemic. 

Therefore, the PEIS relies on 2019 as the 

baseline year for Alternative A, as it is 

the most recent example of typical field 

operations that would be enacted if NOS 

chose to continue historical levels of 

project effort.) 

• Alternative B: This alternative 

consists of Alternative A plus the more 

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widespread adoption of new techniques 

and technologies (such as remotely 

operated vehicles (ROVs), microwave 

water level (MWWL) radar sensors, etc.) 

to more efficiently perform surveying, 

mapping, charting and related data 

gathering. Specific examples of adaptive 

methods and equipment that NOS 

programs are likely to adopt under 

Alternative B in the next 6 years 

include: 

Æ Greater use of ROVs with echo 

sounder technologies; 

Æ Greater use of autonomous 

underwater vehicles (AUVs) and 

autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) 

with echo sounder technologies; 

Æ Conversion of one or more existing 

10-m (33 feet) crewed survey boats into 

ASVs; 

Æ Greater use of more efficient, widebeam sonar systems (phase-differencing 

bathymetric systems) for nearshore 

hydrographic surveys; 

Æ Increased field operations in the 

National Marine Sanctuary system with 

associated requirements for 

hydroacoustic charting, surveying, 

mapping and associated activities; and 

Æ Installation, operation, and 

maintenance of additional water level 

stations including transitioning to 

mostly MWWL radar sensors and 

upgraded storm strengthening to make 

stations more climate resilient. 

Under Alternative B, all of the 

activities and equipment operation 

described in Alternative A would 

continue, many at a higher level of 

effort. The nature of these actions would 

not change, but the overall level of 

activity would be increased. 

• Alternative C: Like Alternative B, 

Alternative C adopts new techniques 

and technologies to encourage greater 

program efficiencies regarding 

surveying, mapping, charting, and 

related data gathering activities. In 

addition, Alternative C would consist of 

NOS program implementation with an 

overall funding increase of 20 percent 

relative to Alternative B. Under 

Alternative C, all of the activities and 

equipment operation described in 

Alternative B would continue, many at 

a higher level of effort. The nature of 

these actions would not change, but the 

overall level of activity would be 

augmented. 

NOS will initiate consultations under 

the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act 

(MMPA), the Magnuson–Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act, and the National Marine 

Sanctuaries Act following publication of 

the Draft PEIS. NOS will also complete 

the required analysis and 

documentation to comply with Section 

106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act and Section 307 of the 

Coastal Zone Management Act. 

The purpose of this NOA is to invite 

affected government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, tribes and 

tribal organizations, and interested 

members of the public to participate in 

the Draft PEIS process and provide 

comments on the structure, contents, 

and analysis in the Draft PEIS. The 

official public review and comment 

period ends on August 24, 2021. Please 

visit the project web page for additional 

information regarding the program: 

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/about/ 

environmental-compliance/surveyingmapping.html. 

Authority: The preparation of the Draft 

PEIS was conducted in accordance with the 

requirements of NEPA, the Council on 

Environmental Quality’s Regulations (40 CFR 

1500 et seq. (1978)), other applicable 

regulations, and NOAA’s policies and 

procedures for compliance with those 

regulations. While the CEQ regulations 

implementing NEPA were revised as of 

September 14, 2020 (85 FR 43304, Jul. 16, 

2020), NOS prepared this Draft PEIS using 

the 1978 CEQ regulations because this 

environmental review began on December 19, 

2016, when NOS published a Notice of Intent 

to conduct scoping and prepare a Draft 

Programmatic Environmental Assessment. 

Written comments must be received on or 

before August 24, 2021. 

Paul M. Scholz, 

Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Ocean Services and Coastal Zone 

Management, National Ocean Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–13361 Filed 6–24–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–JE–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XB162] 

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to 

Specified Activities; Taking Marine 

Mammals Incidental to Marine Site 

Characterization Surveys Off of 

Delaware and New Jersey 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of incidental 

harassment authorization. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

regulations implementing the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as 

amended, notification is hereby given 

that NMFS has issued an IHA to Garden 

State Offshore Energy, LLC (Garden 

State) to incidentally harass, by Level B 

harassment, marine mammals incidental 

to marine site characterization surveys 

offshore of Delaware and New Jersey in 

the area of the Commercial Lease of 

Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy 

Development on the Outer Continental 

Shelf (OCS–A 0482) and along potential 

export cable routes to landfall locations 

in Delaware and New Jersey. 

DATES: This authorization is effective 

from June 11, 2021 through June 10, 

2022. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Carter Esch, Office of Protected 

Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8421. 

Electronic copies of the application and 

supporting documents, as well as a list 

of the references cited in this document, 

may be obtained online at: https:// 

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/ 

incidental-take-authorizations-undermarine-mammal-protection-act. In case 

of problems accessing these documents, 

please call the contact listed above. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The MMPA prohibits the ‘‘take’’ of 

marine mammals, with certain 

exceptions. Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and 

(D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et 

seq.) direct the Secretary of Commerce 

(as delegated to NMFS) to allow, upon 

request, the incidental, but not 

intentional, taking of small numbers of 

marine mammals by U.S. citizens who 

engage in a specified activity (other than 

commercial fishing) within a specified 

geographical region if certain findings 

are made and either regulations are 

issued or, if the taking is limited to 

harassment, a notice of a proposed 

incidental take authorization may be 

provided to the public for review. 

Authorization for incidental takings 

shall be granted if NMFS finds that the 

taking will have a negligible impact on 

the species or stock(s) and will not have 

an unmitigable adverse impact on the 

availability of the species or stock(s) for 

taking for subsistence uses (where 

relevant). Further, NMFS must prescribe 

the permissible methods of taking and 

other ‘‘means of effecting the least 

practicable adverse impact’’ on the 

affected species or stocks and their 

habitat, paying particular attention to 

rookeries, mating grounds, and areas of 

similar significance, and on the 

availability of the species or stocks for 

taking for certain subsistence uses 

(referred to in shorthand as 

‘‘mitigation’’); and requirements 

pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring 

and reporting of the takings are set forth. 

The definitions of all applicable 

MMPA statutory terms cited above are 

included in the relevant sections below.