The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries conducted scoping in association with the Management Plan Review of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (Sanctuary). Among the actions identified by this scoping was to expand the Sanctuary and apply regulations to the new areas. In order to accomplish this goal, the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is developing a draft environmental impact statement to expand the network of protected areas within the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary by incorporating selected reefs and banks in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico for their long-term protection and management. This action would extend sanctuary regulations currently in place in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, as well as several new regulations to the expanded areas.
As of May 23, 2018, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget is reviewing these proposed rules under Executive order 12866.
Click here for OMB’s review site.
