[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 243 (Thursday, December 18, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70529-70530]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-31211]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Mississippi River Basin Panel 
Meeting

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a meeting of the Aquatic Nuisance 
Species (ANS) Task Force Mississippi River Basin Regional Panel. The 
meeting topics are identified in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

DATES: The Mississippi River Basin Regional Panel will meet from 8 a.m. 
to 5 p.m. on Thursday, January 8, 2004, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, 
January 9, 2004. Minutes of the meeting will be available for public 
inspection during regular business hours, Monday through Friday.

ADDRESSES: The Mississippi River Basin Regional Panel meeting will be 
held at the Radisson Hotel--New Orleans, 1500 Canal Street, New 
Orleans, LA 70112. Phone 504-522-4500. Minutes of the meeting will be 
maintained in the office of Chief, Division of Environmental Quality, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Suite 322, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, 
Arlington, Virginia 22203-1622.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jay Rendall, Mississippi River Basin 
Panel Chair and Exotic Species Program Coordinator, Minnesota 
Department of Natural Resources at (651) 297-1464 or Jerry Rasmussen, 
Coordinator, MICRA, P.O. Box 774, Bettendorf, IA 52722, at (309) 793-
5811, or Shawn Alam, Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force at (703) 358-
2025.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. I), this notice announces 
meetings of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Mississippi River 
Basin Regional Panel. The Task Force was established by the 
Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990. The 
Mississippi River Basin Regional Panel was established by the ANS Task 
Force in 2002. The Mississippi River Basin Panel, comprised of 
representatives from Federal, State, local agencies and from private 
environmental and commercial interests, performs the following 
activities:
    a. Identifies priorities for activities in the Mississippi River 
Basin,
    b. develops and submits recommendations to the national Aquatic 
Nuisance Species Task Force,
    c. coordinates aquatic nuisance species program activities in the 
Basin,
    d. advises public and private interests on control efforts, and
    e. submits an annual report to the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task 
Force.
    The purpose of the Panel is to advise and make recommendations to 
the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force on issues relating to the 
Mississippi River Basin region of the United States that includes 
thirty-two Mississippi River Basin States: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, 
Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Kansas, Louisiana,

[[Page 70530]]

Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North 
Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, 
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, 
West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The Mississippi River Basin 
Regional Panel will discuss several topics at this meeting including: a 
review of the first Panel meeting and Panel efforts to date including 
the development of an Executive Board report; presentations on round 
goby predation on smallmouth bass eggs; updates on Asian Carp, bighead 
and silver carp risk assessments; updates on white perch and 
distribution of ANS in the Basin; discussions on pathways and 
prevention activities such as the use of HACCP in fish hatcheries; a 
report on an Asian carp barrier feasibility study initiated by the 
Minnesota DNR; development of national ballast water regulations, and 
state ballast water regulations; status reports from panel 
subcommittees; a discussion on each subcommittee's responsibilities, 
the 2004 Action Plans, and recommendations for the ANS Task Force; and 
updates from Panel member organizations and states.

    Dated: December 1, 2003.
William E. Knapp,
Acting Co-Chair, Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, Acting Assistant 
Director--Fisheries & Habitat Conservation.
[FR Doc. 03-31211 Filed 12-17-03; 8:45 am]
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