[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 77 (Wednesday, April 21, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21524-21525]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9047]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7650-9]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Nominations for 
Additional Expertise on the Science Advisory Board's Ecological 
Processes and Effects Committee to Review a Model for Predicting 
Ecological Significance at the Landscape Scale

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is 
requesting nominations to add expertise to the SAB Ecological Processes 
and Effects Committee to review EPA's Critical Ecosystem Assessment 
Model (CrEAM). The CrEAM was developed to predict ecological 
significance at the landscape scale.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by May 12, 2004 per the 
instructions below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information regarding this Request for Nominations may contact 
Dr. Thomas Armitage, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), via telephone/
voice mail at (202) 343-9995; via e-mail at [email protected]; or 
at the U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board (1400F), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., 
NW., Washington, DC 20460. General information about the SAB can be 
found in the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: EPA Region V has requested that 
the SAB conduct a review of the CrEAM. The CrEAM is a spatially 
explicit model developed by EPA Region V for predicting the ecological 
significance of undeveloped land using ecological theory, existing data 
sets, and geographic information system (GIS) technology. The EPA 
Region V Critical Ecosystems Team developed the CrEAM to assess the 
ecological significance of land areas across the states of EPA Region V 
(Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin). The 
model may potentially be used to identify significant ecosystems in 
order to target protection and restoration efforts in EPA Region V. The 
CrEAM identifies ecologically significant areas by integrating three 
important conditions: (1) Ecosystem diversity, (2) ecological self 
sustainability, and (3) species and land cover rarity. A geographic 
information system was selected as the analysis platform for the CrEAM 
in order to aggregate multiple geographically referenced data sets and 
conduct landscape scale analysis. The National Land Cover Database 
(NLCD) was used as the base data layer in the model and twenty relevant 
data sets were used as indicators to predict the potential for 
ecosystem diversity, ecological self sustainability, and species and 
land cover rarity at a scale of 300m x 300m. This information can be 
used to prioritize ecologically significant areas in EPA Region V.
    The Science Advisory Board is a chartered Federal advisory 
committee, which reports directly to the EPA Administrator. The panel 
being formed will provide advice to the Agency, as a part of the SAB's 
mission to provide independent scientific and technical advice, 
consultation, and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on the 
technical bases for EPA positions and regulations. The Panel will 
provide advice to the EPA through the chartered SAB. The Panel will 
comply with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and 
all appropriate SAB procedural policies, including the SAB process for 
panel formation described in the Overview of the Panel Formation 
Process at the Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board, 
which can be

[[Page 21525]]

found on the SAB's Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/ec0210.pdf. 
The Panel will hold a two-day meeting to review the CrEAM.
    Tentative Charge to the Panel: EPA is seeking comment on the 
scientific validity of the conceptual framework and methodology used to 
identify ecologically significant ecosystems and on the scientific 
defensibility of the results generated from CrEAM queries. 
Specifically, EPA seeks advice from the panel on: (1) The 
appropriateness of the term ``ecological significance'' as defined in 
the CrEAM; (2) the scientific validity of the use the selected data 
sets and indicators to generate ratings of ecological significance; (3) 
the scientific validity of nesting and compositing of multiple 
indicator data sets to rate ecosystems; (4) relevant data sets 
consistently collected across the 6-state Region that should have been 
used but were not; and (5) the scientific and technical sufficiency of 
CrEAM queries for use in strategic planning and priority setting.
    Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is requesting 
nominations to add expertise to the Ecological Processes and Effects 
Committee to form an SAB panel to review the CrEAM. To supplement 
expertise on the Ecological Processes and Effects Committee, the SAB 
Staff Office is seeking individuals who have expertise in ecology and 
the use of geographic information system technology to evaluate data 
and conduct landscape scale analyses.
    Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested 
person or organization may nominate individuals qualified in the areas 
of expertise described above to serve on the Subcommittee. Nominations 
should be submitted in electronic format through the Form for 
Nominating Individuals to Panels of the EPA Science Advisory Board 
provided on the SAB Web site, http://www.epa.gov/sab. The form can be 
accessed through a link on the blue navigational bar on the SAB Web 
site, http://www.epa.gov/sab. To be considered, all nominations must 
include the information required on that form.
    Anyone who is unable to submit nominations using this form, and any 
questions concerning any aspects of the nomination process may contact 
the DFO, as indicated above in this notice. Nominations should be 
submitted in time to arrive no later than May 12, 2004. Any questions 
concerning either this process or any other aspects of this notice 
should be directed to the DFO.
    The SAB will acknowledge receipt of the nomination and inform 
nominators of the panel selected. From the nominees identified by 
respondents to this Federal Register notice (termed the ``Widecast''), 
SAB Staff will develop a smaller subset (known as the ``Short List'') 
for more detailed consideration. Criteria used by the SAB Staff in 
developing this Short List are given at the end of the following 
paragraph. The Short List will be posted on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab, and will include, for each candidate, the nominee's 
name and biosketch. Public comments on the Short List will be accepted 
for 21 calendar days. During this comment period, the public will be 
requested to provide information, analysis or other documentation on 
nominees that the SAB Staff should consider in evaluating candidates 
for the Panel.
    For the SAB, a balanced review panel (i.e., committee, 
subcommittee, or panel) is characterized by inclusion of candidates who 
possess the necessary domains of knowledge, the relevant scientific 
perspectives (which, among other factors, can be influenced by work 
history and affiliation), and the collective breadth of experience to 
adequately address the charge. Public responses to the Short List 
candidates will be considered in the selection of the panel, along with 
information provided by candidates and information gathered by SAB 
Staff independently of the background of each candidate (e.g., 
financial disclosure information and computer searches to evaluate a 
nominee's prior involvement with the topic under review). Specific 
criteria to be used in evaluation of an individual subcommittee member 
include: (a) Scientific and/or technical expertise, knowledge, and 
experience (primary factors); (b) absence of financial conflicts of 
interest; (c) scientific credibility and impartiality; (d) availability 
and willingness to serve; and (e) ability to work constructively and 
effectively in committees.
    Short List candidates will also be required to fill-out the 
``Confidential Financial Disclosure Form for Special Government 
Employees Serving on Federal Advisory Committees at the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency'' (EPA Form 3110-48). This confidential 
form allows Government officials to determine whether there is a 
statutory conflict between that person's public responsibilities (which 
includes membership on an EPA Federal advisory committee) and private 
interests and activities, or the appearance of a lack of impartiality, 
as defined by Federal regulation. The form may be viewed and downloaded 
from the following URL address: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/epaform3110-48.pdf.
    In addition to reviewing background material, Panel members will be 
asked to attend one public face-to-face meeting over the anticipated 
course of the advisory activity.

    Dated: April 15, 2004.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 04-9047 Filed 4-20-04; 8:45 am]
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