[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 147 (Thursday, July 31, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 44950]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-19471]


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COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY


White House Task Force on Energy Project Streamlining; Public 
Organization Meeting of the Proposed Rocky Mountain Energy Council

AGENCY: Council on Environmental Quality.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The White House Task Force on Energy Project Streamlining will 
host a public meeting to solicit stakeholder input on the proposed 
formation of the Rocky Mountain Energy Council at the Sheraton Denver 
West hotel in Lakewood, Colorado.

DATES: Tuesday, August 26, 2003, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The Sheraton Denver West, 360 Union Boulevard, Lakewood, 
Colorado 80228, telephone (303) 987-2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Annette West at the White House 
Task Force on Energy Project Streamlining, 1000 Independence Avenue, 
WH-1, Washington, DC 20585; telephone (202) 586-3464; electronic mail 
at [email protected] (please note that Postal Service mail is 
delayed due to additional screening at the above address).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed Rocky Mountain Energy Council 
is intended to be a State and Federal partnership that will allow a 
more effective management strategy for environmentally responsible 
renewable and nonrenewable energy production as well as cooperative 
development of energy policies on Federal and State public lands in the 
Rocky Mountain region. The Council will be responsible for fostering 
Federal/State partnerships and early collaboration for Federal and 
State Government decision-making on energy issues facing the Rocky 
Mountain region and the Nation. It is intended that the Council take a 
broader geographic and longer-term perspective on managing renewable 
and nonrenewable public energy resources, including their 
identification, production, and transmission to the market. The 
responsibility of the Council is to address and resolve issues 
affecting the environmentally responsible development of the valuable 
public energy resources.
    State and Federal managers held a government to government planning 
and organization meeting on July 8-9, 2003. Participants included 
representatives from the States of Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, 
and those Federal Agencies with responsibilities for managing, 
authorizing, reviewing, consulting on, or certifying different aspects 
of energy projects on Federal lands. The objective of this meeting was 
to evaluate the benefits of creating a Rocky Mountain Energy Council 
(RMEC) and, if desired, determine what steps would be needed to 
organize and implement the RMEC. Participants agreed on the need for a 
Council to develop streamlined and forward-looking decision processes 
with respect to energy projects while preserving existing environmental 
protections.
    Three functions for the RMEC were identified:
    1. To develop Federal/State partnerships for the long-term 
management of renewable and nonrenewable energy resources on State and 
Federal public lands.
    2. To allow more forward looking and strategic planning--on a 
regional basis--for the environmentally responsible development, 
production, and distribution of the Nation's valuable energy resources.
    3. To develop processes for early collaboration and consultation 
among the State and Federal Agencies responsible for managing, 
authorizing, consulting on, reviewing, or certifying renewable and 
nonrenewable energy projects on public land.
    Discussions at the July organizational meeting were largely 
exploratory, and focused on identifying impediments and possible 
solutions to the following issue areas: how to effectively foster 
Federal/State partnerships, processes for early collaboration, 
information sharing, decision processes, conflict resolution, and 
strategic planning. Issues identified included limited resources, 
conflicting agency mandates, regulatory and jurisdictional conflicts. A 
broad agreement was developed that this type of collaborative effort is 
necessary to address the cross cutting issues raised by energy 
development on public lands in the west.
    The next step in the organizational process is to assure that the 
proposed Council has input from all interested stakeholders, including 
the public, industry, local organizations, and Tribal governments. The 
intent is to build upon the initial organizational discussions of the 
Council by collecting information and expectations from stakeholders, 
allowing a first official public meeting of the RMEC to be held by the 
end of 2003. The meeting is open to the public. Approximately 200 
visitors can be accommodated on a first-come-first-served basis.
    Upon request, interested parties may make oral or written 
presentations to the Federal and State managers. Such requests should 
be made no later than August 20, 2003, to Annette West. We request that 
oral statements be accompanied by a written summary of the statement to 
be made, which will be included in the minutes of the meeting. Please 
see the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section for the contact address 
and telephone number.
    Minutes of the August 26, 2003, meeting will be available for 
public inspection and downloading at http://www.etf.energy.gov by 
September 26, 2003. Hard copies of the minutes can be requested at the 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section above.

    Dated: July 25, 2003.
James L. Connaughton,
Chairman, Council on Environmental Quality.
[FR Doc. 03-19471 Filed 7-30-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3125-01-M