[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 100 (Friday, May 22, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31161-31162]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-11023]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Establishing an Advisory Council Pursuant to the National Marine 
Sanctuaries Act and Solicitation for Applications for the Mallows Bay-
Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council

AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean 
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice of solicitation.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NOAA is establishing a national 
marine sanctuary advisory council for the Mallows Bay-Potomac River 
National Marine Sanctuary (MPNMS) which was designated on September 3, 
2019. The council will provide advice and recommendations to ONMS 
regarding the sanctuary management plan and will serve as liaisons 
between the sanctuary and constituents and community groups. ONMS is 
adding this council to the list of established national marine 
sanctuary advisory councils. ONMS solicits applications to fill council 
seats on an as needed basis and is now seeking applicants for seats on 
the MPNMS Sanctuary Advisory

[[Page 31162]]

Council. This notice contains web page links and contact information 
for the ONMS and application materials to apply for the advisory 
council.

DATES: Applications for membership on the Mallows Bay-Potomac River 
Sanctuary Advisory Council need to be received by July 1, 2020.

ADDRESSES: For further information contact: Sammy (Paul) Orlando c/o 
NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, c/o NOAA Chesapeake Bay 
Office, 200 Harry S Truman Parkway, Room 460, Annapolis, MD 21401, or 
call 240-460-1978, email [email protected], or fax 302-200-7182.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    Section 315 of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) (16 
U.S.C. 1445a) authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to establish 
advisory councils to advise and make recommendations regarding the 
designation and management of national marine sanctuaries. ONMS is 
establishing a new sanctuary advisory council for the MPNMS to serve as 
a liaison with the local community and to provide guidance and advice 
to ONMS regarding the sanctuary management plan. Through this notice, 
ONMS is establishing the advisory council for the MPNMS and soliciting 
applications for all seats. Applications are due July 1, 2020.

II. Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS)

    ONMS serves as the trustee for a network of underwater parks 
encompassing more than 600,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes 
waters from Washington State to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron 
to American Samoa. The network includes a system of 14 national marine 
sanctuaries and the Papah[amacr]naumoku[amacr]kea and Rose Atoll marine 
national monuments. National marine sanctuaries protect our nation's 
most vital coastal and marine natural and cultural resources, and 
through active research, management, and public engagement, sustain 
healthy environments that are the foundation for thriving communities 
and stable economies.
    One of the many ways ONMS ensures public participation in the 
designation and management of national marine sanctuaries is through 
the formation of advisory councils. Advisory councils are community-
based groups established to provide advice and recommendations to ONMS 
on issues including management, science, service, and stewardship, as 
well as to serve as liaisons between their constituents in the 
community and the site. Pursuant to Section 315(a) of the NMSA, 
advisory councils are exempt from the requirements of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act. Additional information on ONMS and its advisory 
councils can be found at http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov.

III. Advisory Council Membership

    According to section 315 of the NMSA, advisory council members may 
be appointed from among: (1) Persons employed by federal or state 
agencies with expertise in natural resources management; (2) members of 
relevant regional fishery management councils; and (3) representatives 
of local user groups, conservation and other public interest 
organizations, scientific organizations, educational organizations, or 
others interested in the protection and multiple use management of 
sanctuary resources (16 U.S.C. 1455 a(b)).
    The charter for each advisory council defines the number and type 
of seats and positions on the council. The advisory council charter for 
the MPNMS identifies the following non-governmental voting seat types: 
Maritime archaeology and history; cultural heritage; recreation; 
recreational fishing; business and economic development; tourism and 
marketing; education; research, science and technology; commercial 
fishing; and citizen-at-large. Additionally, the council will also have 
non-voting seats for: (1) NOAA; (2) the State of Maryland, Department 
of Planning; (3) Maryland Department of Natural Resources; (4) Charles 
County, Maryland; (5) several other government agencies with 
installations adjacent to the sanctuary boundaries (including 
Department of Navy/Department of Defense, U.S. Coast Guard, State of 
Virginia); (6) three state-recognized Tribes: Piscataway Conoy Tribe 
(MD), Piscataway Indian Tribe (MD), and Patawomeck Indian Tribe of 
Virginia (VA); and (7) youth (ages 14-17 at the time of application).
    For each of the existing advisory councils, applicants are chosen 
based upon their particular expertise and experience in relation to the 
seat for which they are applying; community and professional 
affiliations; views regarding the protection and management of marine 
or Great Lakes resources; and possibly (though not required) the length 
of residence in the area affected by the site. Council members and 
alternates for the MPNMS Sanctuary Advisory Council serve three-year 
terms, as reflected in the signed charter.
    More information on advisory council membership and processes, and 
materials related to the purpose, policies, and operational 
requirements for advisory councils can be found in the charter for a 
particular advisory council (https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/management/ac/council_charters.html) and the National Marine Sanctuary Advisory 
Council Implementation Handbook (https://nmssanctuaries.blob.core.windows.net/sanctuaries-prod/media/archive/management/pdfs/2010-ac-handbook-appendices-07162015.pdf). For more 
information about the new advisory council for the Mallows Bay-Potomac 
River National Marine Sanctuary, including seat descriptions and 
application materials, please visit https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/mallows-potomac.

B. Paperwork Reduction Act

    ONMS has a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control 
number (0648-0397) for the collection of public information related to 
the processing of ONMS national marine sanctuary advisory council 
applications across the National Marine Sanctuary System. Establishing 
a sanctuary advisory council for the MPNMS fits within the estimated 
reporting burden under that control number. See https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRASearch (Enter Control Number 0648-0397). 
Therefore, ONMS will not request an update to the reporting burden 
certified for OMB control number 0648-0397.
    Send comments regarding this burden estimate, or any other aspect 
of this data collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden, 
to: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, 1305 East West Highway, N/
NMS, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.
    Notwithstanding any other provisions of the law, no person is 
required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty 
for failure to comply with a collection of information subject to the 
requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501 et 
seq., unless that collection of information displays a currently valid 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OMB control 
number is #0648-0397.

John Armor,
Director, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Ocean 
Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2020-11023 Filed 5-21-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P