[Federal Register: February 20, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 34)]
[Notices]
[Page 9327-9328]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20fe08-66]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-8530-5]
Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of Upcoming
Meeting of the Science Advisory Board Ecological Processes and Effects
Committee
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) Science
Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public meeting of the SAB
Ecological Processes and Effects Committee to provide advice on the EPA
Ecological Research Program's Multi-Year Plan.
DATES: The meeting dates are Wednesday, April 9, 2008 from 8:30 a.m. to
5:30 p.m. through Thursday, April 10, 2008 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
(Eastern Time).
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the SAB Conference Center,
located at: 1025 F Street, NW., Room 3705, Washington, DC 20004.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Members of the public who wish to
obtain further information about this meeting must contact Dr. Thomas
Armitage, Designated Federal Officer (DFO). Dr. Armitage may be
contacted at the EPA Science Advisory Board (1400F), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460;
or via telephone/voice mail; (202) 343-9995; fax (202) 233-0643; or e-
mail at: armitage.thomas@epa.gov. General information about the EPA
SAB, as well as any updates concerning the meeting announced in this
notice, may be found on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee
Act, Public Law 92-463, notice is hereby given that the SAB Ecological
Processes and Effects Committee will hold a public meeting to provide
advice on the EPA Ecological Research Program's Multi-Year Plan and
discuss other Committee business. The SAB was established by 42 U.S.C.
4365 to provide independent scientific and technical advice to the
Administrator on the technical basis for Agency positions and
regulations. The SAB is a Federal Advisory Committee chartered under
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C., App.
The SAB will comply with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB
Staff Office procedural policies.
Background: The EPA Office of Research and Development has
developed a draft Ecological Research Program Multi-Year Plan that
establishes long-term and annual goals for the Agency's Ecological
Research Program and discusses planned research. The Multi-Year Plan
describes a new direction for the Ecological Research Program intended
to fill the need for a better understanding of the implications of
human impacts on ecosystems and the services they provide. The
redirected Ecological Research Program builds on past research efforts
in ecosystem monitoring, restoration, and functioning to develop
operational methods for incorporating quantitative information on
ecosystem services into decision making.
EPA's Office of Research and Development has requested that the SAB
provide advice on the program focus, research questions, and
implementation approach articulated in the Agency's draft Ecological
Research Program Multi-Year Plan. The SAB has been asked to comment on:
(1) The utility of the program in offering meaningful contributions to
ecological sciences and providing useful information for decision
making, (2) the adequacy of the proposed goals, objectives, and
research questions in meeting the overall purpose of the program, (3)
the proposed implementation approach, (4) anticipated challenges to
achieving the overall goal of the program, and (5) ways to measure the
progress, productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness of the program.
To augment the expertise on the SAB Ecological Processes and
Effects Committee, the SAB Staff Office has selected several SAB
committee members with expertise in valuing ecosystem services to
participate in this advisory activity. The roster and biosketches of
members of the Ecological Processes and Effects Committee augmented for
the advisory on EPA's Ecological Research Program are posted on the SAB
Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.
Availability of Meeting Materials: The draft Ecological Research
Program Multi-Year Plan to be reviewed by the SAB Committee will be
posted on the EPA Office of Research and Development SAB Web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/ord/htm/multi-yearplans.htm. The EPA technical
contact for the Ecological Research Program Multi-Year Plan is Dr. Rick
Linthurst, EPA Office of Research and Development. Dr. Linthurst may be
contacted by telephone at (919) 541-
[[Page 9328]]
4909, or via e-mail at: linthurst.rick@epa.gov. The agenda and other
material for the upcoming public meeting will be posted on the SAB Web
site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.
Procedures for Providing Public Input: Interested members of the
public may submit relevant written or oral information for the SAB
Panel to consider on the topics included in this advisory activity and/
or group conducting the activity. Oral Statements: In general,
individuals or groups requesting an oral presentation at a public
meeting will be limited to five minutes per speaker, with no more than
a total of one hour for all speakers. Interested parties should contact
Dr. Armitage, DFO, in writing (preferably via e-mail) at the contact
information noted above, by April 2, 2008 be placed on a list of public
speakers for the meeting. Written Statements: Written statements should
be received in the SAB Staff Office by March 12, 2008 so that the
information may be made available to the SAB Panel members for their
consideration. Written statements should be supplied to the DFO in the
following formats: one hard copy with original signature, and one
electronic copy via e-mail (acceptable file format: Adobe Acrobat PDF,
WordPerfect, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, or Rich Text files in IBM-PC/
Windows 98/2000/XP format).
Accessibility: For information on access or services for
individuals with disabilities, please contact Dr. Armitage at the phone
number or e-mail address noted above, preferably at least ten days
prior to the meeting to give EPA as much time as possible to process
your request.
Dated: February 12, 2008.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. E8-3115 Filed 2-19-08; 8:45 am]
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