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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 11 / Tuesday, January 19, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
addressing threats to MDBC through management activities.
55. Comment: NOAA received a comment requesting a Critical Habitat Assessment of the banks be included in the proposed expansion as required in the International Finance Corporation IFC Performance Standard 6
Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources.
Response: To develop each alternative, NOAA identified nationally significant coral habitats that are vulnerable to multiple threats as detailed in the FEIS and final rules Need for Action sections. For more detail regarding how specific habitats were selected in the alternatives, refer to Chapter 3 of the FEIS. In summary, ONMS determined the selected habitats were most in need of protection based on the best available scientific information as well as through public comment and interagency coordination.
56. Comment: NOAA received a comment that requested the agency incorporate and address management of artificial reefs within sanctuary boundaries, specifically decommissioning of oil and gas platforms.
Response: NOAAs Final Preferred Alternative does not include any artificial reef structures. Federal policy on artificial reefs is discussed in the FEIS Appendix G and in the 2012
FGBNMS Management Plan.
57. Comment: NOAA received a comment requesting the use of collaborative, consensus-building, transparent processes for selection and management of sanctuary resources.
Response: ONMS uses several public, stakeholder-driven processes to ensure collaborative, transparent selection and management of resources. National marine sanctuaries have sanctuary advisory councils, composed of voting and non-voting members that represent a variety of government agencies; local user groups; and the general public, that advise sanctuary superintendents on priority issues. Sanctuary advisory councils may choose to establish committees and working groups to further delve into issues; working groups provide an opportunity to involve more stakeholders from the community in developing recommendations for consideration by the full sanctuary advisory councils.
Additionally, through NEPA and the federal rulemaking processes, ONMS is required to solicit, consider, and respond to public comments during each stage in an expansion, designation, or regulatory update. All comments
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received are made available and considered by ONMS.
58. Comment: NOAA received comments requesting the use of British Petroleum BP restoration funds to justify expansion to Alternatives 4 and 5. One comment noted specific issues affecting FGBNMS operational capacity to manage alternatives with greater environmental benefit had changed i.e.
substantial resources have since been dedicated to managing mesophotic and deep benthic communities in the Gulf of Mexico through the Deepwater Horizon NRDA.
Response: FGBNMS is engaged in collaborative efforts with NOAA
Fisheries through the MDBC project funded through NRDA. NOAA has determined, for the purpose of this action, that Alternatives 4 and 5 are beyond the geographic scope that is feasible for the sanctuary to effectively manage see comment 54 and refer to Chapter 3 of the FEIS.
59. Comment: NOAA received a comment requesting FGBNMS design, develop, and commission a research vessel dedicated to studying marine mammal population growth in the pelagic environment.
Response: FGBNMS currently operates the R/V Manta, a research vessel that can be used as a platform to research marine mammals, and thus rejects this request. NOAA Fisheries conducts marine mammal population studies and their Southeast Fisheries Science Center develops a report every 5 years. Further, the sanctuary collaborates with external organizations and partners to support marine mammal research.
60. Comment: NOAA received a comment requesting the creation of an interpretive center in support of the sanctuary.
Response: NOAA will evaluate opportunities for an interpretive center through the next FGBNMS management plan review process.
61. Comment: NOAA received a comment requesting inclusion of a user education and enforcement program to ensure the public is aware of new boundaries and requirements.
Response: Existing online and print materials created for the proposed action contain select maps and several photographs. When the proposed action becomes final, NOAA will work to update and distribute printed and online materials to reflect the features and boundaries of FGBNMS.
62. Comment: NOAA received comments regarding input from the FGBNMS Sanctuary Advisory Council and other stakeholders. More specifically, commenters asked why the
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FGBNMS Sanctuary Advisory Council was not informed of new information and proposed boundaries for NOAAs original preferred alternative in the DEIS Alternative 3 prior to publication, and asked why NOAA
selected Alternative 3 instead of the 2007 FGBNMS Advisory Councils recommendation Alternative 2.
Response: FGBNMS received input from its Sanctuary Advisory Council through a Boundary Expansion Working Group comprised of stakeholders from varied constituent seats. In 2007, the working group presented its recommendation for sanctuary expansion to the full Advisory Council, after which the 2007 Sanctuary Advisory Council recommendation Alternative 2 was approved, based on the criteria developed by the original BEWG. Their recommendation became the foundation for NOAAs original preferred alternative Alternative 3, which also included additional research in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.
After the release of the DEIS, a Sanctuary Advisory Council working group reformed. Based on the Sanctuary Advisory Council recommendations in response to the DEIS, NOAA made a number of changes to the boundaries of the polygons surrounding the banks and submerged features. In 2018, the BEWG
brought forth its recommendation for sanctuary expansion to the full Advisory Council, which was approved and became NOAAs Revised Preferred Alternative for the NPRM and the Final Preferred Alternative in this FEIS.
NOAAs Final Preferred Alternative represents the collaborative efforts between constituent/stakeholder groups and the sanctuarys multi-use management. Refer to FEIS Chapter 3, Sections 3.2 and 3.5 which details development of the Final Preferred Alternative and provides the rationale for the selection of Alternative 3 as the original preferred alternative in the DEIS, respectively.
63. Comment: NOAA received a comment suggesting FGBNMS form an Advisory Council working group on maritime shipping traffic regarding shipping routes.
Response: NOAA will consider this suggestion in the future.
64. Comment: NOAA received comments claiming science was disregarded during the development of the boundary configuration for the Revised Preferred Alternative presented in the NPRM.
Response: The bank boundaries of the Revised Preferred Alternative presented in the NPRM NOAAs Final Preferred Alternative closely follow BOEMs NAZs, which were based on information
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