[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 230 (Friday, November 28, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72520-72521]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-28366]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AK-910-09-1739-NSSI]


Call for Nominations: North Slope Science Initiative, Science 
Technical Advisory Panel, Alaska

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Call for Nominations for the North Slope Science Initiative, 
Science Technical Advisory Panel.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a call for nominations to serve on the 
North Slope Science Initiative, Science Technical Advisory Panel in 
accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act 
(FACA) of 1972, 5 U.S.C. Appendix.

DATES: Submit a completed nomination form and nomination letter to the 
address listed below no later than 45 days from the date of publication 
of this Notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John F. Payne, Ph.D, Executive 
Director, North Slope Science Initiative (AK-910), c/o Bureau of Land 
Management, Alaska State Office, 222 West 7th Avenue, 13, 
Anchorage, Alaska 99513, phone (907) 271-3431, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the Science Technical 
Advisory Panel is to advise the North Slope Science Oversight Group on 
issues such as identifying and prioritizing inventory, monitoring and 
research needs, and providing other scientific as requested by the 
Oversight Group. The Oversight Group consists of the Alaska Regional 
Directors of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, 
Minerals Management Service, and National Marine Fisheries Service; the 
BLM-Alaska State Director; The Commissioners of the Alaska Departments 
of Fish and Game and Natural Resources; the Mayor of the North Slope 
Borough and the president of the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. 
Advisory to the Oversight Group are the Regional Executive, U.S. 
Geological Survey, Alaska Director, U.S. Arctic Research Commission, 
and the Regional Directors of the National Weather Service and U.S. 
Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory.
    The Science Technical Advisory 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, and academia, as determined by the Secretary of the 
Interior. 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 North Slope Science 
Initiative (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, North Slope Science Initiative shall serve 
as the Designated Federal Officer of the Science Technical Advisory 
Panel.

Qualifications and Procedures Required for Nomination

    All membership shall consist of professionals with advanced degrees 
and a minimum of five years of work experience in Alaska in their field 
of expertise, 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 Technical Advisory Panel. Members will be 
appointed for three-year terms. At the discretion of the Secretary of 
the Interior, Science Technical Advisory Panel members may be 
reappointed indefinitely.

How To Nominate

    Individuals may nominate themselves to the Science Technical 
Advisory Panel. You may obtain nomination forms from the Executive 
Director, North Slope Science Initiative (see address above), or from 
http://www.northslope.org. To make a nomination, or self nominate, you 
must

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submit a completed nomination form with a letter of reference that 
describes the nominee's qualifications to serve on the Science 
Technical Advisory 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, and academia. Nominees selected to serve on the Science 
Technical Advisory 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 of the North Slope Science Initiative. The Oversight 
Group will submit their recommendations through the Bureau of Land 
Management to the Secretary of the Interior who has the responsibility 
for making the appointments. Members of the Science Technical Advisory 
Panel will serve without monetary compensation. Members will be 
reimbursed for travel and per diem expenses at the current rate for 
Government employees.

Certification

    I hereby certify that the establishment of the Science Technical 
Advisory Panel for the North Slope Science Initiative is necessary and 
in the public interest in connection with the Secretary of the 
Interior, and in compliance with Section 348, Energy Policy Act of 2005 
(Pub. L. 109-58).

Thomas P. Lonnie,
State Director.
[FR Doc. E8-28366 Filed 11-26-08; 8:45 am]
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