[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 231 (Monday, December 3, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67954-67955]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-23347]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[AK-910-1310-DB-NSSI-241A]


North Slope Science Initiative Science Technical Advisory Panel: 
Notice of Intent To Renew Charter and Call for Nominations

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to renew and call for nominations for the 
North Slope Science Initiative Science Technical Advisory Panel.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the renewal of the North Slope Science 
Initiative Science Technical Advisory Panel (Science Panel) by the 
Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) and calls for nominations to 
serve on the Science Technical Advisory Panel in accordance with the 
provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) of 1972, 5 
U.S.C. Appendix. A copy of the renewed Science Panel charter will be 
filed with the appropriate committees of Congress and the Library of 
Congress in accordance with Section 9(c) of FACA.

DATES: Submit a completed nomination form and nomination letters to the

[[Page 67955]]

address listed below no later than January 17, 2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John F. Payne, Ph.D., Executive 
Director, North Slope Science Initiative (AK-910), c/o Bureau of Land 
Management; 222 W. Seventh Ave., 13; Anchorage, AK 99513, 
telephone (907) 271-3431.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the Science Panel is to 
advise the North Slope Science Initiative (NSSI) Oversight Group on 
issues such as identifying and prioritizing inventory, monitoring and 
research needs, and providing other scientific advice as requested by 
the Oversight Group. The Oversight Group consists of the Alaska 
Regional Directors of the Fish and Wildlife Service, Minerals 
Management Service, National Park Service, Geological Survey, and 
National Marine Fisheries Service; the BLM-Alaska State Director; The 
Commissioners of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and the 
Department of Fish and Game; the Mayor of the North Slope Borough; and 
the President of the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. Advisory 
entities to the Oversight Group include the U.S. Department of Energy 
and the U.S. Arctic Research Commission.
    The Science Panel shall consist of a representative group of not 
more than 15 scientists and technical experts from diverse professions 
and interests, including the oil and gas industry, subsistence users, 
Alaska Native entities, conservation organizations, wildlife management 
organizations, and academia, as determined by the Secretary. The 
members will be selected from among, but not limited to, the following 
disciplines: North Slope traditional and local knowledge, landscape 
ecology, petroleum engineering, civil engineering, geology, botany, 
hydrology, limnology, habitat biology, wildlife biology, biometrics, 
sociology, cultural anthropology, economics, ornithology, oceanography, 
fisheries biology, and climatology.
    The duties of the Science Panel are solely advisory to the 
Oversight Group, which will give direction to the Science Panel 
regarding priorities for decisions needed for the Department of the 
Interior's management. Duties could include the following:
    a. Advise the Oversight Group on science planning and relevant 
research and monitoring projects;
    b. Advise the Oversight Group on scientific information relevant to 
the Oversight Group's mission;
    c. Review selected reports to advise the Oversight Group on their 
content and relevance;
    d. Review ongoing scientific programs of NSSI member organizations 
on the North Slope at the request of the member organizations to 
promote compatibility in methodologies and compilation of data;
    e. Advise the Oversight Group on how to ensure that scientific 
products generated through NSSI activities are of the highest technical 
quality;
    f. Periodically review the North Slope Science Plan and provide 
recommendations for changes to the Oversight Group;
    g. Provide recommendations for proposed NSSI-funded inventory, 
monitoring and research activities to the Oversight Group;
    h. Provide other scientific advice as requested by the Oversight 
Group; and
    i. Coordinate with groups and committees appointed or requested by 
the Oversight Group to provide science advice, as needed.
    The Executive Director for the NSSI shall serve as the Designated 
Federal Officer for the Science Panel. Specifically, the membership 
will consist of professionals with advanced degrees and a minimum of 
five years of work experience in their field in Alaska, preferably in 
the North Slope region. Professionals will be selected from among those 
disciplines and entities described above. Any individual or 
organization may nominate one or more persons to serve on the Science 
Panel. Members will be appointed for three-year terms. At the 
discretion of the Secretary of the Interior, Science Panel members may 
be reappointed indefinitely.
    Individuals may nominate themselves to the Science Panel. You may 
obtain nomination forms from the Executive Director, NSSI (see address 
above), or from www.northslope.org. To make a nomination, you must 
submit a completed nomination form with a letter of reference that 
describes the nominee's qualifications to serve on the Science Panel. 
The professional discipline the nominee would like to represent should 
be identified in the letter of nomination and in the nomination form. 
Nominees may be scientists and technical experts from diverse 
professions and interests, including the oil and gas industry, 
subsistence users, Alaska Native entities, conservation organizations, 
wildlife management organizations, and academia. Nominees selected to 
serve on the Science Panel will serve only in their professional 
capacity and will not serve to represent any group, agency or entity 
with whom they may be affiliated.
    The Executive Director shall collect the nomination forms and 
letters of reference and distribute them to the Oversight Group for the 
NSSI. The Oversight Group will submit their recommendations through the 
BLM to the Secretary of the Interior who has responsibility for making 
the appointments.
    Members on the Science Panel will serve without monetary 
compensation. Members will be reimbursed for travel and per diem 
expenses at current rates for Government employees.

Certification

    I hereby certify that the establishment of the Science Technical 
Advisory Panel for the NSSI is necessary and in the public interest in 
connection with the Secretary of the Interior's responsibilities to 
manage the lands, resources and facilities by the Department of the 
Interior, and in compliance with Section 348, Energy Policy Act of 2005 
(Pub. L. 109-58).

    Dated: November 8, 2007.
Thomas P. Lonnie,
State Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. E7-23347 Filed 11-30-07; 8:45 am]
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