Document ID: EPA-HQ-OA-2011-0798-0001
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Gulf of Mexico Regional Ecosystem Restoration Strategy (Preliminary)
Posted Date: 2011-10-05T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 193 (Wednesday, October 5, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61695-61696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-25769]

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

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OA-2011-0798; FRL-9475-6]

Gulf of Mexico Regional Ecosystem Restoration Strategy 
(Preliminary)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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

SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the Gulf of Mexico 
Regional Ecosystem Restoration Strategy (Preliminary) for public review 
and feedback. The document is available at http://www.regulations.gov 
in the docket identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-2011-0798. 
President Barack Obama established the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration 
Task Force (Task Force) on October 5, 2010 through Executive Order 
13554 for the purpose of coordinating the long-term conservation and 
restoration of America's Gulf Coast. The Task Force is an 
intergovernmental advisory body comprised of senior officials from 11 
federal cabinet level agencies and the Executive Office of the 
President, and one representative from each of the five Gulf Coast 
states, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The 
President charged the Task Force to work with state and federal 
agencies, tribes, communities, stakeholders and the public throughout 
the Gulf Coast to develop a Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Restoration 
Strategy. Additionally, the Task Force was instructed to build upon 
existing research and ecosystem restoration plans, and to learn from 
those who are actively involved in ecosystem restoration.
    Over the past year the Task Force has engaged with various 
stakeholders and the public as well as coordinated with other entities 
that share the Task Force's important goals. The Task Force held at 
least one public meeting in each of the five Gulf states, which 
included a public listening session to gather individual input from 
those most connected to the Gulf ecosystem. In addition to the 
listening sessions that took place during public meetings, the Task 
Force held multiple listening sessions throughout the Gulf in 
partnership with local government leadership, academics, and non-
governmental organizations. The culmination of these efforts has led to 
the development of the Gulf of Mexico Regional Ecosystem Restoration 
Strategy (Preliminary), which is being released for public review and 
feedback.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 26, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-
2011-0798, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: oei.docket@epa.gov.
     Fax: (202) 566-9744.
     Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket 
Center, Office of Environmental Information Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA 
Docket Center, EPA West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., 
NW., Washington, DC 20004. Such deliveries are only accepted during the 
Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be 
made for deliveries of boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-2011-
0798. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in 
the public

[[Page 61696]]

docket without change and may be made available online at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-
mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous 
access'' system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact 
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you 
send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without going through http://www.regulations.gov your e-mail address will be automatically captured 
and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket 
and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic 
comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact 
information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you 
submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties 
and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to 
consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special 
characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or 
viruses. For additional information about EPA's public docket visit the 
EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some 
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such 
as copyrighted material, will be available to the public only at the 
EPA Docket Center. Publicly available docket materials are available 
either electronically in http://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at 
the Office of Environmental Information Docket, EPA/DC, EPA West, Room 
3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The Public Reading 
Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading 
Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Office of 
Environmental Information Docket is (202) 566-1752.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carolyn Scully, Gulf Coast Ecosystem 
Restoration Task Force, Mail Code 1101R, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: (202) 566-1457; e-mail address: scully.carolyn@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

What should I consider as I prepare my feedback for the Gulf Coast 
Ecosystem Restoration Task Force?

    Tips for Preparing Your Feedback. When preparing your feedback, you 
may find the following suggestions helpful:
     Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives 
and substitute language for your requested changes.
     Describe any assumptions and provide any technical 
information and/or data that you used.
     Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns, and 
suggest alternatives.
     Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the 
use of profanity or personal threats.
     Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period 
deadline identified under DATES.

    Dated: September 26, 2011.
John H. Hankinson, Jr.,
Executive Director, Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force.
    Dated: September 26, 2011.
John E. Reeder,
Deputy Chief of Staff to the Administrator, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency.
[FR Doc. 2011-25769 Filed 10-4-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P