[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 34 (Wednesday, February 20, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9327-9328]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3115]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8530-5]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of Upcoming 
Meeting of the Science Advisory Board Ecological Processes and Effects 
Committee

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) Science 
Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public meeting of the SAB 
Ecological Processes and Effects Committee to provide advice on the EPA 
Ecological Research Program's Multi-Year Plan.

DATES: The meeting dates are Wednesday, April 9, 2008 from 8:30 a.m. to 
5:30 p.m. through Thursday, April 10, 2008 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. 
(Eastern Time).

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the SAB Conference Center, 
located at: 1025 F Street, NW., Room 3705, Washington, DC 20004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Members of the public who wish to 
obtain further information about this meeting must contact Dr. Thomas 
Armitage, Designated Federal Officer (DFO). Dr. Armitage may be 
contacted at the EPA Science Advisory Board (1400F), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
or via telephone/voice mail; (202) 343-9995; fax (202) 233-0643; or e-
mail at: [email protected]. General information about the EPA 
SAB, as well as any updates concerning the meeting announced in this 
notice, may be found on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act, Public Law 92-463, notice is hereby given that the SAB Ecological 
Processes and Effects Committee will hold a public meeting to provide 
advice on the EPA Ecological Research Program's Multi-Year Plan and 
discuss other Committee business. The SAB was established by 42 U.S.C. 
4365 to provide independent scientific and technical advice to the 
Administrator on the technical basis for Agency positions and 
regulations. The SAB is a Federal Advisory Committee chartered under 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C., App. 
The SAB will comply with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB 
Staff Office procedural policies.
    Background: The EPA Office of Research and Development has 
developed a draft Ecological Research Program Multi-Year Plan that 
establishes long-term and annual goals for the Agency's Ecological 
Research Program and discusses planned research. The Multi-Year Plan 
describes a new direction for the Ecological Research Program intended 
to fill the need for a better understanding of the implications of 
human impacts on ecosystems and the services they provide. The 
redirected Ecological Research Program builds on past research efforts 
in ecosystem monitoring, restoration, and functioning to develop 
operational methods for incorporating quantitative information on 
ecosystem services into decision making.
    EPA's Office of Research and Development has requested that the SAB 
provide advice on the program focus, research questions, and 
implementation approach articulated in the Agency's draft Ecological 
Research Program Multi-Year Plan. The SAB has been asked to comment on: 
(1) The utility of the program in offering meaningful contributions to 
ecological sciences and providing useful information for decision 
making, (2) the adequacy of the proposed goals, objectives, and 
research questions in meeting the overall purpose of the program, (3) 
the proposed implementation approach, (4) anticipated challenges to 
achieving the overall goal of the program, and (5) ways to measure the 
progress, productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness of the program.
    To augment the expertise on the SAB Ecological Processes and 
Effects Committee, the SAB Staff Office has selected several SAB 
committee members with expertise in valuing ecosystem services to 
participate in this advisory activity. The roster and biosketches of 
members of the Ecological Processes and Effects Committee augmented for 
the advisory on EPA's Ecological Research Program are posted on the SAB 
Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.
    Availability of Meeting Materials: The draft Ecological Research 
Program Multi-Year Plan to be reviewed by the SAB Committee will be 
posted on the EPA Office of Research and Development SAB Web site at: 
http://www.epa.gov/ord/htm/multi-yearplans.htm. The EPA technical 
contact for the Ecological Research Program Multi-Year Plan is Dr. Rick 
Linthurst, EPA Office of Research and Development. Dr. Linthurst may be 
contacted by telephone at (919) 541-

[[Page 9328]]

4909, or via e-mail at: [email protected]. The agenda and other 
material for the upcoming public meeting will be posted on the SAB Web 
site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.
    Procedures for Providing Public Input: Interested members of the 
public may submit relevant written or oral information for the SAB 
Panel to consider on the topics included in this advisory activity and/
or group conducting the activity. Oral Statements: In general, 
individuals or groups requesting an oral presentation at a public 
meeting will be limited to five minutes per speaker, with no more than 
a total of one hour for all speakers. Interested parties should contact 
Dr. Armitage, DFO, in writing (preferably via e-mail) at the contact 
information noted above, by April 2, 2008 be placed on a list of public 
speakers for the meeting. Written Statements: Written statements should 
be received in the SAB Staff Office by March 12, 2008 so that the 
information may be made available to the SAB Panel members for their 
consideration. Written statements should be supplied to the DFO in the 
following formats: one hard copy with original signature, and one 
electronic copy via e-mail (acceptable file format: Adobe Acrobat PDF, 
WordPerfect, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, or Rich Text files in IBM-PC/
Windows 98/2000/XP format).
    Accessibility: For information on access or services for 
individuals with disabilities, please contact Dr. Armitage at the phone 
number or e-mail address noted above, preferably at least ten days 
prior to the meeting to give EPA as much time as possible to process 
your request.

    Dated: February 12, 2008.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. E8-3115 Filed 2-19-08; 8:45 am]
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