[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 109 (Friday, June 6, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31187-31188]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14780]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of National Parks Overflights Working Group Meetings

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) and Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) announce the dates for the National Parks 
Overflights Working Group (NPOWG) meetings. The NPOWG will meet June 
11, 12 and 13; July 8 and 9; an August 4 and 5. The June and July 
meetings are open to the public, with certain restrictions explained in 
this notice. This notice serves to inform the public of the meeting 
dates for the working group.

DATES AND LOCATIONS: The National Parks Overflights Working Group will 
meet June 11 (beginning at 1:00 p.m.) June 12, and 13; July 8 and 9 
(beginning at 9 a.m.); and August 4 and 5 (beginning at 9 a.m.), 1997. 
The June and July meetings will be held in Washington, DC at locations 
to be determined. The August meeting, which is now planned as a closed 
meeting, will be held in Denver, Colorado.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Carla Mattix, Office of the Solicitor, U.S. Department of the Interior, 
1849 C St., NW, Washington, DC 20240, telephone: (202) 208-7957, or 
Linda Williams, Office of Rulemaking, Federal Aviation Administration, 
800 Independence Ave., Washington, DC 20591, telephone: (202) 267-9685.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    By notice in the Federal Register on May 22, 1997, the NPS and FAA

[[Page 31188]]

announced the formation of the NPOWG. The working group is established 
to recommend a notice of proposed rulemaking which would define the 
process to reduce or prevent the adverse effects of commercial 
sightseeing flights over the National Parks where deemed necessary. The 
working group held its first sessions on May 20 and 21, 1997, in 
Washington, DC.
    The overflights working group is composed of nine members 
representing a balance of air tour operators, both fixed and rotary 
wing; general aviation users; other commercial aviation interests; 
national tour associations; environmental groups; and Native Americans. 
Co-chairs for the working group have been selected by the Department of 
Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Interior (DOI). DOT and DOI 
representatives will act as advisors to the membership, but will not be 
active members of the working group. A facilitator provides focus for 
the group.
    The working group will terminate 100 days from the date of its 
initial meeting. The group will make its final recommendations to the 
ARAC and NPS Advisory Board at the end of that 100 days. The ARAC and 
NPS Advisory Board will review the recommendations of the working group 
and report to the NPS and FAA. Progress or status reports from the 
working group are expected every 21 days. NPS and FAA anticipate that 
the final product of the NPOWG will be a recommended notice of proposed 
rulemaking.

Meeting Location and Protocol

    Because the meeting location has not been selected as of the date 
of this notice, persons interested in attending the June or July 
meetings should contact a person listed under  FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT. Readers are also reminded that the June meeting will begin at 
1:00 on the 11th and end at noon on the 13th.
    The June and July meetings are open to the public. In keeping with 
the organizational protocols developed by the working group, the 
following rules apply: Only working group members (or their alternates 
when filling in for a member) have the privilege of sitting at the 
negotiating table and of speaking from the floor during the 
negotiations without working group approval, except: any member may 
call upon another individual to elaborate on a relevant point, the NPS 
and FAA advisors to the working group have the full right to the floor 
and may raise and address appropriate points, and any person attending 
working group meetings may address the working group if time permits 
and may file statements with the working group for its consideration.
    The final report of the NPOWG will be made available to the public 
when it is reported to the Advisory Board and ARAC. In addition, both 
agencies envision that public meetings will be held following the 
publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking on the issues regarding 
overflights of the national parks.

    Issued in Washington, DC on June 2, 1997.
Ida M. Klepper,
Acting Director of Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 97-14780 Filed 6-2-97; 8:45 am]
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