[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 201 (Tuesday, October 19, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56329-56330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-27255]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 091799F]


Nominations for Recovery Science Review Panel To Guide Recovery 
Planning Process for Pacific Anadromous Salmonid Species

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of request for nominations.

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SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is ready to begin 
formal recovery planning for Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) of 
Pacific anadromous salmonid species listed as threatened or endangered 
species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). The scope of this 
recovery planning effort will encompass listed ESUs in Washington, 
Oregon, Idaho, and California. This notice is a solicitation for 
nominations to a Recovery Science Review Panel to guide the technical 
and scientific aspects of the recovery planning process and ensure its 
consistency and scientific credibility.

DATES: Nominations must be received on or before December 3, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be sent to Office of Science and 
Technology, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 ATTN: 
Salmonid Recovery Panel.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: M. Elizabeth Clarke, Office of Science 
and Technology, NMFS, (301)713-2363.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS will soon begin formal recovery 
planning for over 20 ESUs of Pacific anadromous salmonid species listed 
under the ESA over the past several years. Formal ESA recovery efforts 
that are already underway for listed Snake River and Sacramento River 
populations may eventually be integrated into this process. NMFS will 
establish Technical Recovery Teams for discrete geographic areas, or 
domains. The Technical Recovery Teams will be responsible for 
establishing delisting criteria and recovery goals for listed 
anadromous salmonid species within their domain. To facilitate this 
complex recovery planning process and ensure its consistency and 
scientific credibility, NMFS intends to establish a single Recovery 
Science Review Panel (the Panel) which will advise the Northwest and 
Southwest Region's Science Directors.
    While the Technical Recovery Teams will work independently, the 
Panel will provide scientific guidance and review the Teams' processes 
and products. The Panel will consist of 3-5 highly qualified and 
independent scientists and will perform the following functions:
    1. Review the credentials of candidates nominated for Technical 
Recovery Teams to determine if they meet established criteria for 
technical expertise. NMFS will select the teams from the qualified 
candidates;
    2. Review core principles and elements of the recovery planning 
process being developed by the NMFS;
    3. Ensure that well-accepted and consistent ecological and 
evolutionary principles form the basis for all recovery efforts;
    4. Review processes and products of all Technical Recovery Teams 
for scientific credibility and to ensure consistent application of core 
principles across ESUs and recovery domains;
    5. Oversee peer review for all recovery plans and appropriate 
substantial intermediate products.
    Candidates for this Panel should:
    1. Be scientists of international reputation who have a 
distinguished record of scientific accomplishment in the fields of 
ecology, evolutionary biology, conservation biology, fisheries biology, 
or salmon biology.
    2. Have held positions of scientific leadership during their 
career.
    3. Have demonstrated fairness and cooperation during their career.
    4. Meet National Research Council standards for independence and 
conflict of interest.
    Initial terms shall be 3 years for the Recovery Science Review 
Panel. Before completion of the final year, and after considering 
workloads, other commitments, and future needs for recovery planning, 
members' terms will be reviewed and adjusted (as appropriate) to 
provide for a staggering of termination dates. We anticipate that 
fulfilling the responsibilities of the Panel will require approximately 
a 10-15 percent time commitment (2-3 days per month) from Panel 
members. Panel members will be compensated for their time and expenses.
    Due to the Panel's role in NMFS' development of recovery plans, 
NMFS considers the Panel to be a ``recovery

[[Page 56330]]

team'' under ESA 4(f)(2), 16 U.S.C. 1533 (f)(2).
    NMFS is seeking the most highly qualified individuals to serve on 
this Panel, which will be charged with providing scientific guidance to 
the most ambitious application of conservation biology principles to a 
real-world natural resource problem. We encourage submissions from all 
interested parties, including scientific societies, academic 
institutions, existing regional scientific panels, tribes, states, and 
other salmon co-managers and stakeholders, environmental groups, and 
federal agencies.
    Each submission should include the submitting person or 
organizations's name and affiliation, a detailed Curriculum Vitae of 
nominee, and supporting letter(s) describing the qualifications of the 
nominee to serve on this Panel. Self nominations are acceptable.
    Nominations should be sent to (see ADDRESSES) and nominations must 
be received by (see DATES).

    Dated: October 13, 1999.
William W. Fox Jr.,
Director, Office of Science and Technology, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-27255 Filed 10-18-99; 8:45 am]
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