[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 132 (Wednesday, July 10, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56736-56738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-14569]


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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 Proposed Lake 
Erie 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 (council) for the proposed Lake Erie 
National Marine Sanctuary. The council will provide advice and 
recommendations to ONMS regarding the sanctuary's designation. As a 
result, ONMS is adding the new 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 seeking applicants 
for seats on the proposed Lake Erie National Marine Sanctuary Advisory 
Council. This notice contains web page links and contact information 
for the proposed Lake Erie National Marine Sanctuary and application 
materials to apply for the newly established advisory council.

DATES: Applications for membership on the proposed Lake Erie Sanctuary 
Advisory Council need to be received by Wednesday, August 28, 2024.

ADDRESSES: For further information contact: Ellen Brody, Great Lakes 
Regional Coordinator, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, 4840 
South State Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48108, or call 734-741-2270, or email 
[email protected].

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. NOAA is 
establishing a new sanctuary advisory council for the proposed national 
marine sanctuary in Lake Erie to serve as a liaison with the local 
community and provide guidance and advice to ONMS regarding the 
designation. The advisory council for the proposed sanctuary in Lake 
Erie was not established when ONMS published its annual announcement on 
May 24, 2024 that was advertising to fill vacant seats on the other 17 
councils (89 FR 45854). Therefore, ONMS is adding the new advisory 
council to the list of sites with open vacancies and announcing that it 
is soliciting applications to fill the council's seats. Applications 
are due Wednesday, August 28, 2024.
    In the following Supplementary Information section, NOAA provides 
details regarding ONMS, the role of advisory councils, and contact 
information for the Proposed Lake Erie National Marine Sanctuary.

II. 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 16 national marine 
sanctuaries and

[[Page 56737]]

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

    Under section 315a(b) 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. 1455a(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 proposed national marine sanctuary in Lake Erie identifies the 
following initial, non-governmental voting seat types: citizen-at-
large; commercial/charter fishing; divers, dive clubs, and archaeology; 
economic development; education (K-12); higher education; historically 
underserved populations; history/maritime heritage and public 
interpretation; maritime industry; outdoor recreation; recreational 
fishing; research, science and technology; and tourism and marketing. 
Initially, the council will also have non-voting seats for government 
agencies, youth, and federally-recognized Indigenous Nations and 
Tribes. Recognizing the cultural significance of this area to 
Indigenous Nations and Tribes, NOAA welcomes the participation of such 
interested Nations and Tribes on the council. This could involve 
multiple Nations and Tribes. Nations and Tribes interested in 
participating in the advisory council should contact the NOAA 
representative identified in the ADDRESSES section. Participation on 
the council does not take the place of government-to-government 
consultation nor does it serve as the only opportunity for engagement 
between NOAA and federally recognized Indigenous Nations and Tribes.
    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 the length of residence in the 
area affected by the site. Council members and alternates for the 
proposed Lake Erie National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council serve 
three-year terms or until a post-designation sanctuary advisory council 
is established, 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 (http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/management/ac/council_charters.html) and the National Marine Sanctuary Advisory 
Council Implementation Handbook (http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/management/ac/acref.html). For more information about the new advisory 
council for the proposed national marine sanctuary in Lake Erie, 
including seat descriptions and application materials, please visit 
https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/lake-erie/.

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, 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.

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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 proposed sanctuary in Lake Erie 
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, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., 
unless that collection of information displays a currently valid 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. 2024-14569 Filed 7-9-24; 8:45 am]
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