National Environmental Policy Act Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the USCG Atlantic Protected Living Marine Resource Initiative

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

[Docket No. CGD 95-066]

National Environmental Policy Act Draft Environmental Impact

Statement for the USCG Atlantic Protected Living Marine Resource

Initiative

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability of a Draft

Environmental Impact Statement for the Protected Living Marine Resource

Initiative for water off the Atlantic Coast of the United States. This

Draft Environmental Impact Statement was prepared in consultation with

the National Marine Fisheries Service under the Endangered Species Act.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 16, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to Commandant (G-O), U.S. Coast Guard

Headquarters, 2100 Second St SW, Washington, DC 20593-0001, ATTN: CDR

Rooth; or may be delivered to room 3111 at the same address between 8

a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday except Federal holidays. Comments

will be available for inspection or copying at room 3216, U.S. Coast

Guard Headquarters.

A copy of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement may be obtained

by writing to CDR Rooth at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Commander R. Rooth at (202) 267-1456,

or by fax at (202) 267-4427 or (202) 267-4222.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to submit written

data, views, or arguments. Persons submitting comments should include

their name and address and identify this notice (CGD 95-066. Please

submit two copies of all comments and attachments in an unbound format,

no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches; suitable for copying and electronic

filing. Persons wanting acknowledgment of receipt of comments should

enclose a stamped, self-addresssed postcard or envelope.

[[Page 40063]]

The Coast Guard invites comments and suggestions on the proposed

and alternate actions in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The

Coast Guard will consider all comments received during the comment

period.

Pursuant to the court order in Richard Strahan v. Rear Admiral John

Linnon, et. al., the comment period shall end on September 16, 1996.

Background Information

On August 9, 1995, the Coast Guard published, in the Federal

Register (60 FR 40631), a notice of availability and request for

comments announcing the availability of an Environmental Assessment

(EA) and a proposed Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on Coast

Guard activities along the U.S. Atlantic coast. On October 11, 1995,

the Coast Guard published, in the Federal Register (60 FR 52949), a

notice reopening and extending the comment period for the EA and FONSI.

The EA focused on the six whale, and five turtle species listed as

threatened or endangered and found along the Atlantic coast. The Coast

Guard received comments from Federal, State, and local agencies and the

public.

As a result of new information concerning the October 1995

interaction between a Coast Guard vessel and a suspected Humpback

whale, and recent Northern Right Whale mortalities; and as a result of

comments received in response to the EA and FONSI, the Coast Guard

announced in the Federal Register (61 FR 14590), of April 2, 1996, its

intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to assess the

impacts of a revised proposed project under section 102(2)(C) of the

National Environmental Policy Act.

Proposed Action

The DEIS contains an overview of the Coast Guard missions and

describes how the proposed action, the Atlantic Protected Living Marine

Resources Initiative, aids the Coast Guard in enhancing conservation of

protected species in the Atlantic, rather than only six whale and five

turtle species focused on in the EA.

The U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Protected Living Marine Resource

Initiative, includes:

1. The Internal Program which would include organizational

directives and guidance governing the conduct of aircraft and vessel

(boat and cutter) operations, the training of Coast Guard personnel,

and the notification of the maritime community of threatened or

endangered species sightings.

2. The Conservation Program which would include the training and

education of non-Coast Guard personnel on endangered and threatened

species, and the participation of the Coast Guard with other federal,

state, and local agencies in the regional recovery implementation teams

to develop initiatives to address non-Coast Guard vessels.

The Coast Guard evaluation includes the latest data on the habits

of protected species, and the location of Coast Guard stations and

vessels, the training of Coast Guard employees related to protected

species, and possible modification to vessel and aircraft operations.

The DEIS also analyzes the cumulative impacts of Coast Guard assets

operating together and in conjunction with other vessels.

Dated: July 25, 1996.

T.J. Meyers,

Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Chief, Office of Aids to Navigation.

[FR Doc. 96-19478 Filed 7-30-96; 8:45 am]

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