[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 155 (Thursday, August 12, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49913-49914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-18458]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Western 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 Western Regional Panel. The meeting topics are 
identified in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

DATES: The Western Regional Panel will meet from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on 
Wednesday, September 8, 2004, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, September 
9, 2004, and 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, September 10, 2004. Minutes 
of the meeting will be available for public inspection during regular 
business hours, Monday through Friday.

ADDRESSES: The Western Regional Panel meeting will be held at the 
Sheraton Anchorage Hotel, 401 East 6th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501. 
Phone 907-276-8700. 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: Tina Proctor, Western Panel 
Coordinator and FWS Regional Aquatic Nuisance Species Program 
Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 25486, DFC, 
Denver CO, 80225, or Everett Wilson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 
703-358-2108.

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 Western Regional 
Panel. The Task Force was established by the Nonindigenous Aquatic 
Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990. The Western Regional Panel 
was established by the ANS Task Force in 1997 and is comprised of 
representatives from Federal, State, and local agencies and from 
private environmental and commercial interests.
    The purpose of the Panel is to advise and make recommendations to 
the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force on issues relating to the 
Western region of the United States that includes: Alaska, Arizona, 
California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, North 
Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, 
Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Responsibilities of the Panel 
include:
    a. Identifying priorities for the Western Region with respect to 
aquatic nuisance species;
    b. Making recommendations to the Task Force regarding an education, 
monitoring (including inspection), prevention, and control program to 
prevent the spread of the zebra mussel west of the 100th Meridian.
    c. Coordinating, where possible, other aquatic nuisance species 
program activities in the Western region that are not conducted 
pursuant to the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control 
Act of 1990 (as amended, 1996);
    d. Developing an emergency response strategy for Federal, State, 
and local entities for stemming new invasions of aquatic nuisance 
species in the region;
    e. Providing advice to public and private individuals and entities 
concerning methods of controlling aquatic nuisance species; and
    f. Submitting an annual report describing activities within the 
Western region related to aquatic nuisance species prevention, 
research, and control.
    The Western Regional Panel will discuss several topics at this 
meeting including: ballast water challenges, impact of New Zealand mud 
snails, member updates, zebra mussels in the Missouri River, zebra 
mussels in Kansas, assessing the potential ecological and economic 
impacts of zebra mussels to Western river systems, NAISA status, status 
of State ANS management plans, reports from other regional panels, the 
Canadian national strategy to deal with the threat of invasive species, 
climate change--opening up new routes and pathways, northern pike 
impacts on native fish, an outreach program to aquarium owners,

[[Page 49914]]

and aquatic nuisance species in Alaska. There will also be reports on 
WRP projects: cross boundary Spartina control and eradication, the 
educational material catalog on a searchable database, the joint 
Western Governor's Association project and the database of estuarine 
species in California, Oregon and Washington.

    Dated: July 28, 2004.
Mamie A. Parker,
Co-Chair, Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, Assistant Director--
Fisheries & Habitat Conservation.
[FR Doc. 04-18458 Filed 8-11-04; 8:45 am]
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