[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 16, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 7926]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2948]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Marine Protected Areas Center Public Information and Feedback 
Forum

AGENCY: National Ocean Service, NOAA, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of a public meeting concerning the 
development of a national system of marine protected areas (MPAs) 
pursuant to Executive Order 13158 (May 26, 2000). This meeting in the 
Washington, DC metropolitan area is the first in a series of regional 
forums to be held around the United States to solicit input from the 
public concerning their views on a national system of MPAs. Additional 
meetings will be announced and scheduled pending available resources. 
Refer to the web page listed below for background information 
concerning the development of a national system of MPAs. Meeting room 
capacity is limited to 75 people, and as such participants are required 
to RSVP via the e-mail address (preferable), fax number, or phone 
number listed below, by no later than 5 p.m. EST on February 28, 2005. 
Attendance will be available to the first 75 people who RSVP.
    Those who wish to attend but cannot due to space or schedule 
limitations can find background materials at the web page listed below 
and may submit written statements to the e-mail, fax, or mailing 
address below. A written summary of the meeting will be posted on the 
Web site within one month of its occurrence.

DATES: The meeting will be held Monday, March 7, 2005 from 6:30 p.m. to 
9 p.m. EST.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Hotel Washington, 15th St 
NW., at Pennsylvania Ave NW., Washington, DC 20004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonathan Kelsey, National System 
Development Coordinator, National Marine Protected Areas Center, 1305 
East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910. (Phone: 301-713-3155 
ext. 230, Fax: 301-713-3110); email: [email protected]; or visit 
the National MPA Center Web site at http://mpa.gov/national_system/).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: These forums are intended to solicit the 
public's views regarding the development of a national system of MPAs. 
All input received via these forums, email, or fax will be for the 
public record and considered in developing a draft proposal for a 
national system of MPAs. At this preliminary stage in the effort to 
develop the national system, NOAA does not intend to respond to any 
comments received via these forums, email, fax, or mail. Once a draft 
proposal is developed for the national system of MPAs, NOAA will 
publish it in the Federal Register for formal public comment and will 
subsequently provide a formal response to comments received.
    Matters to be Considered: Executive Order 13158 (May 26, 2000) 
calls for the development of a national system of MPAs. These forums 
are intended to solicit the public's views concerning the development 
of a national system of MPAs. Refer to the Web page listed above for 
background information concerning the development of the national 
system of MPAs.

    Dated: February 7, 2005.
Eldon Hout,
Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management.
[FR Doc. 05-2948 Filed 2-15-05; 8:45 am]
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