[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 173 (Monday, September 8, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 52952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-22780]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR


Office of the Assistant Secretary--Policy, Management and Budget; 
Intent To Reestablish the Joint Fire Science Program Stakeholder 
Advisory Group Charter and Call for Non-Federal Nominations

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and 
Budget, Interior.

ACTION: Second call for nominations.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture 
intend to reestablish the Charter for the Joint Fire Science Program 
Stakeholder Advisory Group. This is the second notice soliciting 
nominations for new members for the Group. Individuals nominated under 
the previous Federal Register published July 16, 2003 (Vol. 68, No. 
136) should not resubmit materials. The Group advises the Secretaries 
through the Governing Board of the Joint Fire Science Program 
concerning research priorities on wildland fuels issues, post-fire 
emergency stabilization and rehabilitation practices, restoration of 
fire-adapted ecosystems, and fire management procedures on lands 
administered by Interior and Agriculture. The Joint Fire Science 
Program provides scientific information and tools to support the 
wildland fire management program.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted to the address listed below 
September 29, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Submit all nominations to Dr. Bob Clark, Joint Fire Science 
Program Manager, National Interagency Fire Center, 3833 S. Development 
Ave., Boise, Idaho 83705.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Bob Clark, Joint Fire Science 
Program Manager, National Interagency Fire Center, 3833 S. Development 
Ave., Boise, Idaho 83705, (208) 387-5349. Internet: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Joint Fire Science Program was 
established in 1998 to provide scientific information and tools in 
support of the wildland fire management program. Since its inauguration 
the Program has funded 220 research projects. The results of completed 
projects are made available to field offices to provide guidance for 
wildland fire management, and fuels treatment and rehabilitation 
project planning. All program projects require scientist-manager 
partnerships along with a strong emphasis on technology transfer.
    The Stakeholder Advisory Group will consist of not more than 15 
members, 5 Federal and 10 nonfederal. This call for nominations will 
establish the nonfederal membership on the Group. Group membership will 
be balanced in terms of categories of interest and geographic regions 
represented. Any individual or organization may nominate one or more 
persons to serve on the Joint Fire Science Program Stakeholder Advisory 
Group. Individuals may also nominate themselves for Group membership.
    All nomination letters should include the name, address, 
profession, relevant biographic data, and reference sources for each 
nominee, and should be sent to the address in the ADDRESSES section. 
Letters of support should be from interests or groups that nominees 
claim to represent. This material will be used to evaluate nominees' 
expertise and qualifications for advising the Secretaries on matters 
pertaining to research into wildland fuels problems, implementation of 
strategies and solutions for managing increasing fuel loadings, and 
post fire rehabilitation on federally administered wildlands. 
Nominations may be made for the following categories of interest:

Wildland fire suppression and operations
Prescribed fire management
Air quality and smoke management
Burned area emergency stabilization and rehabilitation
Fire ecology and ecosystem restoration
Forest and woodland management
Rangeland management
Wildlife Management
Soil and water management
Conservation
Social science and economics
Modeling and remote sensing
Tribal government
State or local agencies
Public at large

    Each Stakeholder Advisory Group Member will be appointed to serve a 
2-year term. Terms will be staggered to maintain continuity on the 
Group. Initially, appointment terms for half of the non-federal members 
will be for three years. At the end of the member' term, the member may 
continue to serve at the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior 
and Secretary of Agriculture for an interim period, which will not 
exceed 120 days, in order to ensure continuity on the Stakeholder 
Advisory Group.
    Members will serve without salary, but non-federal members will be 
reimbursed for travel and per diem expenses at current rates for 
Government employees. The Group will meet at least twice annually. 
Additional meetings may be called in connection with special needs for 
advice. The Department of the Interior's Director, Office of Wildland 
Fire Coordination will be the Designated Federal Officer who will call 
meetings of the Group. This notice is published in accordance with 
section 9 (a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) of 1972 
(5 U.S.C. App.).

    Dated: August 28, 2003.
P. Lynn Scarlett,
Assistant Secretary--Policy, Management and Budget, Department of the 
Interior.
[FR Doc. 03-22780 Filed 9-5-03; 8:45 am]
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