Initiation of Review of Management Plan/Regulations of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary; Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Management Plan; Public Scoping Meetings

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The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMS or Sanctuary) was designated in November 1992, and consists of 638 square nautical miles of open ocean over and surrounding Stellwagen Bank, occurring between Cape Ann and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The present management plan for the Sanctuary was completed in July 1993. In accordance with Section 304(e) of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, as amended, (NMSA) (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.), the Marine Sanctuaries Division (MSD) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is initiating review of the management plan, to evaluate substantive progress toward implementing goals for the Sanctuary, and to make revisions to the plan and regulations as necessary to fulfill the purposes and policies of the NMSA. The revised management plan will likely involve changes to existing policies and regulations of the Sanctuary, to address contemporary issues and challenges, and to better protect and manage the Sanctuary's resources and qualities. The review process is composed of four major stages: information collection and characterization; preparation and release of a draft management plan/environmental impact statement, and any