A person may conduct an activity prohibited by § 922.193 (a)(1) through (3) if such activity is specifically authorized by a valid Federal, State, or local lease, permit, license, approval, or other authorization in existence on the effective date of Sanctuary designation, or by any valid right of subsistence use or access in existence on the effective date of Sanctuary designation, provided that:

for any State or local lease, permit, license, approval, or other authorization, or any right of subsistence use, the State Archaeologist certifies to the Director, within 90 days of the effective date of designation, that the activity authorized under the State or local lease, permit, license, approval, or other authorization, or any right of subsistence use, is being conducted consistent with the Programmatic Agreement, in which case such activity shall be deemed to have met the requirements of this section and § 922.47; or

In the case where either:

The State Archaeologist does not certify that the activity authorized under a State or local lease, permit, license, approval, or other authorization, or right of subsistence use is being conducted consistent with the Programmatic Agreement; or

The activity is conducted pursuant only to a Federal permit, the holder of the authorization or right complies with paragraphs (b) through (k) of this section.

For an activity described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, the holder of the authorization or right may conduct the activity prohibited by § 922.193 (a)(1) through (3) provided that:

The holder of such authorization or right notifies the Director, in writing, within 90 days of the effective date of Sanctuary designation, of the existence of such authorization or right and requests certification of such authorization or right;

The holder complies with the other provisions of § 922.194; and

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.

The holder of an authorization or right described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section authorizing an activity prohibited by § 922.193 may conduct the activity without being in violation of applicable provisions of § 922.193, pending final agency action on his or her certification request, provided the holder is in compliance with this § 922.194.

Any holder of an authorization or right described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section may request the Director to issue a finding as to whether the activity for which the authorization has been issued, or the right given, is prohibited by § 922.193, thus requiring certification under this section.

Requests for findings or certifications should be addressed to the Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management; ATTN: Sanctuary Manager, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve, 1305 East-West Highway, N/ORM, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910. A copy of the lease, permit, license, approval, or other authorization must accompany the request.

The Director may request additional information from the certification requester as he or she 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 postmark date of the request. The Director may seek the views of any persons on the certification request.

The Director may amend any certification made under this § 922.194 whenever additional information becomes available justifying such an amendment.

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 § 922.194, 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.

Any time limit prescribed in or established under this § 922.194 may be extended by the Director for good cause.

The holder may appeal any action conditioning, amending, suspending, or revoking any certification in accordance with the procedures set forth in § 922.50.

Any amendment, renewal, or extension made after the effective date of Sanctuary designation, to a lease, permit, license, approval, other authorization or right is subject to the provisions of § 922.195 and § 922.49.

For any activity authorized pursuant to § 922.193 (b), the holder of such license or permit shall notify the Director, in writing, within 90 days of the effective date of Sanctuary designation, of the existence of such authorization or right.