National Environmental Policy Act Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Living Marine Resource Protection Plan for U.S. Coast Guard Activities Along the U.S. Atlantic Coast

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

[CGD 95-066]

National Environmental Policy Act Draft Environmental Impact

Statement: Living Marine Resource Protection Plan for U.S. Coast Guard

Activities Along the U.S. Atlantic Coast

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent of prepare a draft environmental impact

statement and notice of scoping.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces its intent to prepare and circulate

a draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Protected Living

Marine Resource Program that it is developing for the Atlantic Coast of

the United States. In preparing the Protected Living Marine Resource

Program, the Coast Guard plans to review the measures it develops

during its formal Endangered Species Act consultation with the national

Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to protect threatened or endangered

species.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 2, 1996.

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

Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second Street SW., Washington, D.C. 20593-

0001, or may be delivered to room 3216 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Captain J. A. Creech at (202) 267-1965

or by fax at (202) 267-4674.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: .

Request for Comments

The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to submit written

data, views or arguments. Persons submitting comments should include

their names and addresses 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-addressed postcard or envelope.

The Coast Guard invites comments and suggestions on the proposed

scope of the DEIS. Scoping will help the Coast Guard ensure that a full

range of issues related to this proposal are addressed, and will help

identify potentially significant impacts.

The Coast Guard will consider all comments received during the

comment period The DEIS and comments received will be received during

the formal consultation between the U.S. Coast Guard and the National

Marine Fisheries Service.

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 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 fatalities; and as a result of

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

determined that an EIS is the appropriate document to assess the

impacts of the proposed project under Section 102(2)(C) of the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969. All known or proposed alternatives

will be evaluated and considered.

Proposed Action

The Coast Guard's DEIS will examine alternative measures

contributing to protection and recovery of species currently listed as

threatened or endangered. The measures proposed in the EA and by

commenters to the EA include:

1. Reviewing vessel documentation and inspection programs.

2. Training programs for vessel lookouts.

3. Distributing notices of species locations via the NAVTEX

program.

4. Regulating minimum distances between protected species and

vessels or aircraft.

5. Surveying critical habitat areas, noting presence and activities

of protected species.

6. Increasing enforcement of existing laws.

7. Participating in regional whale recovery implementation groups.

8. Establishing or modifying vessel traffic routes.

9. Developing Coast Guard-wide and regional procedures to alert

employees of seasonally-heightened potentials for interaction with

protected species.

10. Including protected species awareness information in basic

boating safety training provided to the public.

11. Notifying the National Marine Fisheries Service regional office

when a significant incident is brought to attention of the Coast Guard.

12. Participating in regional species stranding networks.

13. Surveying lighting options for Coast Guard stations in the

vicinity of turtle nesting beaches.

Significant areas to be explored include: identification of

endangered or threatened species, and their habits; review of all

present operational requirements for Coast Guard vessels and aircraft;

identification of designated critical habitat areas and species high-

density areas; and evaluation of the potential occurrence of multiple

activities combining to produce beneficial or harmful effects not

otherwise likely.

The Coast Guard will evaluate the latest data on the habits of

protected species; and will consider the location of Coast Guard

stations and vessels; the navigational capabilities of Coast Guard

vessels; the training of Coast Guard

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employees related to protected species; and possible modifications to

vessel traffic control and aircraft operations.

The DEIS will consider the cumulative impacts of Coast Guard assets

operating together and in conjunction with other vessels.

No public meeting is currently scheduled. However, if comments

indicate that a public meeting would yield useful data or opinions, the

Coast Guard may schedule a meeting at a later date.

Dated: March 27, 1996.

J.A. Creech,

Capital, U.S. Coast Guard, Chairman-Endangered Species Act Compliance

Team.

[FR Doc. 96-7958 Filed 4-1-96; 8:45 am]

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