[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56789-56790]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23484]


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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: Notice.

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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

[[Page 56790]]

Advisory Committee Act (FACA) of 1972.

DATES: All nominations must be received no later than October 14, 2011.

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 information 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, Bureau of Ocean Energy, Management, Regulations, and 
Enforcement, and National Marine Fisheries Service; the Bureau of Land 
Management's 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 members of the Oversight Group are the Regional 
Executive of the U.S. Geological Survey, the Alaska Director of the 
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 will 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 Technical 
Advisory 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 will serve 
as the Designated Federal Officer of the Science Technical Advisory 
Panel.

Qualifications and Proceedures Required for Nomination

    All membership will consist of professionals with advanced degrees 
and a minimum of 5 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 3-
year terms. At the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior, Science 
Technical Advisory Panel members may be reappointed. Under current 
Administration policy, federally registered lobbyists may not serve on 
the panel.

How To Nominate

    Individuals may nominate themselves to the Science Technical 
Advisory Panel. You may obtain nomination forms from the Executive 
Director of the North Slope Science Initiative (see address above), or 
from http://www.northslope.org. To make a nomination, or self nominate, 
you must 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 will collect the nomination forms and 
letters of reference and distribute them to the Oversight Group of the 
NSSI. 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.

Certification

    I hereby certify that the Science Technical Advisory Panel is 
necessary and in the public interest in connection with the Secretary 
of the Interior's responsibilities, and in compliance with Sections 
348, Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58).

Julia Dougan,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-23484 Filed 9-13-11; 8:45 am]
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