15 C.F.R. § 922.226 – Certification of preexisting leases, licenses, permits, approvals, other authorizations, or right to conduct a prohibited activity.

(a) A person may conduct an activity prohibited by § 922.223(a)(1) through (4) within the sanctuary if such activity is specifically authorized by a valid Federal, State, or local lease, permit, license, or right of subsistence use or of access that is in existence on the effective date of sanctuary designation, provided that the holder of the lease, permit, license, or right of subsistence use or of access complies with § 922.10 and provided that:
1. (1) The holder of such authorization or right notifies the Director, in writing, within 90 days of the effective date of the sanctuary designation of the existence and location of such authorization or right and requests certification of such authorization or right; and
2. (2) The holder complies with any terms and conditions on the exercise of such authorization or right imposed as a condition of certification, by the Director, to achieve the purposes for which the sanctuary was designated.
(b) Requests for certifications shall be addressed to the Director, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries; ATTN: Sanctuary Superintendent, Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary, 1305 East-West Hwy., 10th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910 or sent by electronic means as defined in the instructions for the ONMS permit application. A copy of the lease, permit, license, or right of subsistence use or of access must accompany the request.
(c) A certification requester with an authorization or right described in paragraph (a) of this section authorizing an activity prohibited by § 922.223(a)(1) through (4) may continue to conduct the activity without being in violation of applicable provisions of § 922.223(a)(1) through (4), pending the Director's review of and decision regarding his or her certification request.
(d) The Director may request additional information from the certification requester as the Director deems reasonably necessary to condition appropriately the exercise of the certified authorization or right to achieve the purposes for which the sanctuary was designated. The Director must receive the information requested within 45 days of the date of the Director's request for information. Failure to provide the requested information within this time frame may be grounds for denial by the Director of the certification request.
(e) In considering whether to issue a certification, the Director may seek and consider the views of any other person or entity, within or outside the Federal government, and may hold a public hearing as deemed appropriate by the Director.
(f) Upon completion of review of the authorization or right and information received with respect thereto, the Director shall communicate, in writing, any decision on a certification request or any action taken with respect to any certification made under this section, in writing, to both the holder of the certified lease, permit, license, approval, other authorization, or right, and the issuing agency, and shall set forth the reason(s) for the decision or action taken.
(g) The Director may amend, suspend, or revoke any certification issued under this section whenever continued operation would otherwise be inconsistent with any terms or conditions of the certification. Any such action shall be forwarded in writing to both the certification holder and the agency that issued the underlying lease, permit, license, or right of subsistence use or of access, and shall set forth reason(s) for the action taken.
(h) The Director may amend any certification issued under this section whenever additional information becomes available that he or she determines justifies such an amendment.
(i) The certification holder may appeal any action conditioning, amending, suspending, or revoking any certification in accordance with the procedures set forth at § 922.37.
(j) Any time limit prescribed in or established under this section may be extended by the Director for good cause.
(k) It is unlawful for any person to violate any terms and conditions in a certification issued under this section.