[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 102 (Friday, May 24, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45854-45857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11487]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Solicitation for Applications for Advisory Councils Established 
Pursuant to the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and Executive Order

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 ONMS will solicit applications to 
fill non-governmental seats on its 17 established national marine 
sanctuary advisory councils and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral 
Reef Ecosystem Reserve Advisory Council (advisory councils), under the 
National Marine Sanctuaries Act and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 
Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve Executive Order, respectively. Note, the 
list of 18 established advisory councils in the Contact Information for 
Each Site section includes the advisory council established for the 
Proposed Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary and the Proposed Hudson 
Canyon National Marine Sanctuary. Vacant seats, including positions 
(i.e., primary and alternate), for each of the advisory councils will 
be advertised differently at

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each site in accordance with the information provided in this notice. 
This notice contains web page links and contact information for each 
site, as well as additional resources on advisory council vacancies and 
the application process.

DATES: Please visit individual site web pages, or reach out to a site 
as identified in this notice's SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section on 
Contact Information for Each Site, regarding the timing and 
advertisement of vacant seats, including positions (i.e., primary or 
alternate), for each of the advisory councils. Applications will only 
be accepted in response to current, open vacancies and in accordance 
with the deadlines and instructions included on each site's website.

ADDRESSES: Vacancies and applications are specific to each site's 
advisory council. As such, questions about a specific council or 
vacancy, including questions about advisory council applications, 
should be directed to a site. Contact Information for Each Site is 
contained in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on a 
particular advisory council or available seats, please contact the site 
as identified in this notice's SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section on 
Contact Information for Each Site, below. For general inquiries related 
to this notice or ONMS advisory councils established pursuant to the 
National Marine Sanctuaries Act or Executive Order 13178, contact Sage 
Riddick, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Protected Area Policy 
Division, [email protected], or at 240-560-3365.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 315 of the National Marine 
Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) (16 U.S.C. 1445a) allows the Secretary of 
Commerce to establish advisory councils to advise and make 
recommendations regarding the designation and management of national 
marine sanctuaries. Executive Order 13178 similarly established a Coral 
Reef Ecosystem Reserve Council pursuant to the NMSA for the 
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve. In this 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section, NOAA provides details regarding the 
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the role of advisory councils, 
and contact information for each site.

Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS)

    ONMS serves as the trustee for a network of underwater parks 
encompassing more than 620,000 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 15 national marine 
sanctuaries and 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 advisory groups established to provide advice and recommendations 
to ONMS on issues including management, science, service, and 
stewardship; and to serve as liaisons between their constituents in the 
community and the site. Pursuant to section 315(a) of the National 
Marine Sanctuaries Act, 16 U.S.C. 1445A(a), 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.

Advisory Council Membership

    Under section 315 of the NMSA, advisory council members may be 
appointed from among: (1) Persons employed by Federal or State agencies 
with expertise in management of natural resources; (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. For the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef 
Ecosystem Reserve Advisory Council, section 5(f) of Executive Order 
13178 (as amended by Executive Order 13196) specifically identifies 
member and representative categories.
    The charter for each advisory council defines the number and type 
of seats and positions on the council; however, as a general matter, 
available seats could include: Conservation, education, research, 
fishing, whale watching, diving and other recreational activities, 
boating and shipping, tourism, harbors and ports, maritime business, 
agriculture, maritime heritage, and citizen-at-large.
    For each of the advisory councils, applicants are chosen based upon 
their particular 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 the length of residence in the area affected by the site. 
Applicants chosen as members or alternates should expect to serve two- 
or three-year terms, pursuant to the charter of the specific national 
marine sanctuary advisory council or Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 
Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve Advisory Council. 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 (http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/management/ac/council_charters.html) and the 
National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council Implementation Handbook 
(https://farallones.noaa.gov/manage/sac_handbook.html).

Contact Information for Each Site

     Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Advisory 
Council: Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, University of 
California, Santa Barbara, Ocean Science Education Building 514, MC 
6155, Santa Barbara, CA 93106; 805-893-6437; https://channelislands.noaa.gov/sac/council_news.html.
     Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council: 
Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, P.O. Box 159, Olema, CA 94950; 
415-464-5260; http://cordellbank.noaa.gov/council/applicants.html.
     Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council: 
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, 33 East Quay Road, Key West, FL 
33040; 305-809-4700; https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/sac/recruitment.html.
     Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Advisory 
Council: Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, 4700 Avenue U, 
Building 216, Galveston, TX 77551; 409-621-5151; http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/advisorycouncil/recruitment.html.
     Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council: 
Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, 10 Ocean Science Circle, 
Savannah, GA 31411; 912-598-2345; http://graysreef.noaa.gov/management/sac/council_news.html.
     Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Advisory 
Council: Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, 991 Marine 
Drive, The Presidio, San Francisco, CA 94129; 415-561-6622;

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https://farallones.noaa.gov/manage/sac_recruitment.html.
     Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary 
Advisory Council: Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine 
Sanctuary, NOAA Inouye Regional Center, NOS/ONMS/HIHWNMS, 1845 Wasp 
Boulevard, Building 176, Honolulu, HI 96818; 808-879-2818; https://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/management/advisory/recruitment.html.
     Mallows Bay--Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary 
Advisory Council: Mallows Bay--Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary, 
NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office, 200 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Room 460, 
Annapolis, MD 21401; (240) 460-1978; https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/mallows-potomac/involved/recruitment.html.
     Monitor National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council: 
Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, 100 Museum Drive, Newport News, VA 
23606; 757-599-3122; https://monitor.noaa.gov/advisory/news.html.
     Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council: 
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, 99 Pacific Street, Building 
455A, Monterey, CA 93940; 831-647-4201; http://montereybay.noaa.gov/sac/recruit.html.
     National Marine Sanctuary of American S[amacr]moa Advisory 
Council: National Marine Sanctuary of American S[amacr]moa, Tauese P.F. 
Sunia Ocean Center, P.O. Box 4318, Pago Pago, American S[amacr]moa 
96799; 684-633-6500; https://americansamoa.noaa.gov/council/recruitment/.
     Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve 
Advisory Council: NOAA Inouye Regional Center, NOS/ONMS/PMNM, 1845 Wasp 
Boulevard, Building 176, Honolulu, HI 96818; 808-725-5800; http://www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/new-about/council/apply/.
     Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council: 
Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, 115 East Railroad Avenue, 
Suite 301, Port Angeles, WA 98362; 360-457-6622; http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/involved/sac/recruitment.html.
     Proposed Lake Ontario Sanctuary Advisory Council; NOAA 
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, 4840 South State Road, Ann 
Arbor, MI 48108; 734-741-2270; https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/lake-ontario/advisory/members.html.
     Proposed Hudson Canyon Sanctuary Advisory Council; NOAA 
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, 4840 South State Road, Ann 
Arbor, MI 48108; 734-741-2270; https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/hudson-canyon/involved/advisory-council.html.
     Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Advisory 
Council: Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, 175 Edward Foster 
Road, Scituate, MA 02066; 781-545-8026; http://stellwagen.noaa.gov/management/sac/recruitment.html.
     Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council: 
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, 500 West Fletcher Street, 
Alpena, MI 49707; 989-356-8805; https://thunderbay.noaa.gov/involved/recruitment.html.
     Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary 
Advisory Council, University of Wisconsin Green-Bay, Sheboygan Campus, 
One University Drive, Sheboygan, WI 53081; 989-766-3359; https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/wisconsin/involved/.

Privacy Act Statement

    Authority. The collection of information concerning the 
solicitation for applications for sanctuary advisory councils is 
authorized under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, 16 U.S.C. 1445a, 
and Executive Order 13178, and in accordance with the Privacy Act of 
1974, as amended, (Privacy Act) 5 U.S.C. 552a.
    Purposes. The collection of names, contact information, 
professional information, qualifications, and answers to the 
application questions is required in order for the Office of National 
Marine Sanctuaries to evaluate and appoint members to the sanctuary 
advisory councils. The information collected will be reviewed by NOAA 
employees, and may also be reviewed by current sanctuary advisory 
council members as part of the evaluation process.
    Routine Uses. NOAA will use the application information for the 
purposes set forth above. The Privacy Act authorizes disclosure of the 
collected information for the following purposes: to NOAA staff for 
work-related purposes; for other purposes as set forth in the Privacy 
Act; and for routine uses published in one or more of the following 
Privacy Act System of Records Notices, as applicable: COMMERCE/DEPT-11, 
Candidates for Membership, Members, and Former Members of Department of 
Commerce Advisory Committees, available at https://www.commerce.gov/opog/privacy/SORN/SORN-DEPT-11; COMMERCE/DEPT-18, Employees Personnel 
Files Not Covered by Notices of Other Agencies, available at https://www.commerce.gov/opog/privacy/SORN/SORN-DEPT-18; and OPM/GOVT-1, 
General Personnel Records, available at https://www.opm.gov/information-management/privacy-policy/sorn/opm-sorn-govt-1-general-personnel-records.pdf, which cover certain records regarding Federal 
employees and may also cover records of individuals who are not Federal 
employees who, through their service on a sanctuary advisory council, 
may be considered as volunteers providing gratuitous services to the 
agency without compensation; and, for individuals who are also members 
of a Regional Fishery Management Council, COMMERCE/NOAA-13, Personnel, 
Payroll, Travel, and Attendance Records of the Regional Fishery 
Management Councils.
    Effects of Not Providing Information. Providing the application 
information is voluntary; however, if the information is not provided, 
the individual will not be considered for appointment as a member of a 
sanctuary advisory council.
    Consent. By submitting an application to the Office of National 
Marine Sanctuaries for appointment to a sanctuary advisory council, you 
are consenting to the use and disclosure of the information for the 
purposes and routine uses described above. However, if you prefer that 
your application be reviewed by NOAA employees only and not disclosed 
to current council members as part of the evaluation process, please 
contact the sanctuary advisory council coordinator to request internal 
review only, which will not result in any disadvantage or impact 
regarding your candidacy, or for any questions regarding this Privacy 
Act Statement.

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. Soliciting 
applications for sanctuary advisory councils 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.

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    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.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431, et seq.

John Armor,
Director, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Ocean 
Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-11487 Filed 5-23-24; 8:45 am]
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