Notice of Area the Public Is Requested To Temporarily Avoid During Coral Reef Restoration Activities in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS)

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Notice of Area the Public Is Requested To Temporarily Avoid

During Coral Reef Restoration Activities in the Florida Keys National

Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS)

AGENCY: Marine Sanctuaries Division (MSD), Office of Ocean and Coastal

Resource Management (OCRM), National Ocean Service (NOS), National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce

(DOC).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: NOAA requests that users of the FKNMS avoid, from July 6

through September 7, 1999, an area approximately 6.75 acres marked by

construction buoys in the vicinity of 24 deg.37'30'' N, 81 deg.24'23''

W, a bank reef located 7 nautical miles (12.9 km) off the southwest tip

of Big Pine Key, Florida, During this time, NOAA and authorized

contractors will be conducting physical restoration activities of a

coral reef where the R/V Columbus Iselin grounded of August 10 through

12, 1994. The public is requested to avoid the area during this period

due to the presence of heavy construction materials and equipment

(e.g., barges and cranes), moorings, surface air supply hoses of divers

and increased localized boat traffic. The intent of this notice is to

ensure the protection of life and property during these complex

activities.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harriet Sopher, Program Manager,

Resource Protection Team, Marine Sanctuaries Division, National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration, 1305 East West Highway, SSMC4, 12th

Floor, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910. Telephone number: 301-713-3145

ext. 109.

Background

On August 10 through 12, 1994, the R/V Columbus Iselin, a 155-foot

oceanographic research vessel, ran aground on the western portion of

Looe Key reef within the FKNMS. The grounding site is a bank reef

located 7 nautical miles (12.9 km) off the soutwest tip of Big Pine

Key, Florida (24 deg.37' N, 81 deg.24' W). The impact of the grounding

and the shifting of the vessel created large scars on four of the Looe

Key coral spurs. Significant injuries were inflicted to the coral reef

colonies, substrate, and other resident marine organisms such as

sponges and sea fans. The unconsolidated coral rubble and ship debris

have been removed. Storm events, including Hurricane Georges in the

Fall of 1998 have caused additional damage to the grounding site.

Section 312 of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA 16 U.S.C.

1443) authorizes NOAA to pursue claims for response costs and damages

when sanctuary resources are destroyed, lost or injured. Funds

recovered under section 312 are used to restore, replace or acquire

equivalent sanctuary resources. As part of the restoration process at

the site of the R/V Columbus Iselin grounding, NOAA and its authorized

contractor will be placing three to five ton boulders and tremie

concrete to rebuild the physical infrastructure of the damaged coral

reef spurs. This activity will occur from July 6 through September 7,

1999.

Because divers, moorings, heavy construction materials and

equipment (e.g., barges and crane) and increased localized boat traffic

will be present during the restoration activity, NOAA requests the

public to avoid an area of approximately 6.75 acres where the

restoration activity will occur. The area will be marked by buoys. The

buoys will be set about 30' beyond the barge tie down locations, and

create an area 600' oriented (approximately) E-W by 490' oriented

(approximately) N-S, around the grounding site (24 deg.37' N,

81 deg.24' W). The intent is to protect the life and property of

construction crews and Sanctuary users while heavy construction

materials and equipment (e.g., barges and cranes) are in the area;

protect moorings which will be used at the site to stabilize the barge;

protect the surface air supply hoses of the divers and SCUBA crew who

will be conducting the restoration activities; and to ensure timely and

successful completion of the restoration.

The area for which the public is requested to avoid is the minimum

area

[[Page 35128]]

necessary to moor the barges and includes buffer zones to moor support

vessels and provide an extra margin for public safety while completing

the restoration activities. The time period for which the public is

requested to avoid the restoration site is the expected time necessary

to complete the construction activities. If less or more time is

needed, NOAA will so notify the public.

During the planning process for this project (Winter of 1999), one-

on-one contact was made with local dive operators, a public meeting was

held to explain the restoration project and make the public aware of

the area it would be requested to temporarily avoid. Additionally, NOAA

issued press releases to the local newspapers and radio stations which

have covered the restoration planning process and which have provided

notice of NOAA's request for the public to avoid the restoration area.

Locations and Boundaries of the Area the Public is Requested To

Avoid

The area which the public is requested to avoid is located

approximately 7 nautical miles (12.9 kilometers) offshore the southwest

tip of Big Pine Key, Florida (24 deg. 37'N, 81 deg. 24'W). The total

area is approximately 6.75 acres. The boundary of this area will be

marked by construction buoys.

The area is bounded by the following coordinates:

Latitude Longitude

A: 24 deg.32'40.3'' N 81 deg.24'30.6'' W.

B: 24 deg.32'42.3'' N 81 deg.24'24.5'' W.

C: 24 deg.32'46.9'' N 81 deg.24'26.3'' W.

D: 24 deg.32'44.8'' N 81 deg.24'32.4'' W.

Dates

The public is requested to avoid the area from July 6 through

September 7, 1999, or until the construction marker buoys are removed

at NOAA's direction if the work is completed prior or later. Public

notice of this request also will be provided through local news media,

a Notice to Mariners, and posting of placards on bulletin boards in

public areas in Big Pine Key and at Bahia Honda State Park.

Dated: June 24, 1999.

Ted I. Lillestolen,

Deputy Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone

Management.

[FR Doc. 99-16583 Filed 6-29-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-08-M