2012-24931. Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council

AGENCY:

Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a public meeting of the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (Council). A Federal advisory committee, the Council was created in part to foster partnerships to enhance public awareness of the importance of aquatic resources and the social and economic benefits of recreational fishing and boating in the United States. This meeting is open to the public, and interested persons may make oral statements to the Council or may file written statements for consideration.

DATES:

The meeting will take place Wednesday, November 7, 2012, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday, November 8, 2012, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Central Standard Time). For deadlines and directions on registering to attend the meeting, submitting written material, and/or giving an oral presentation, please see “Public Input” under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held at the Texas A & M University—Corpus Christi, Harte Research Institute; 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78412-5869.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Douglas Hobbs, Council Coordinator, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Mailstop 3103-AEA, Arlington, VA 22203; telephone [phone]; fax [phone]; or email [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In accordance with the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App., we announce that the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council will hold a meeting.

Background

The Council was formed in January 1993 to advise the Secretary of the Interior, through the Director of the Service, on nationally significant recreational fishing, boating, and aquatic resource conservation issues. The Council represents the interests of the public and private sectors of the sport fishing, boating, and conservation communities and is organized to enhance partnerships among industry, constituency groups, and government. The 18-member Council, appointed by the Secretary of the Interior, includes the Service Director and the president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, who both serve in ex officio capacities. Other Council members are directors from State agencies responsible for managing recreational fish and wildlife resources and individuals who represent the interests of saltwater and freshwater recreational fishing, recreational boating, the recreational fishing and boating industries, recreational fisheries resource conservation, Native American tribes, aquatic resource outreach and education, and tourism. Background information on the Council is available at http://www.fws.gov/​sfbpc.

Meeting Agenda

The Council will hold a meeting to consider:

• Finalizing the Council Strategic Work Plan for the 2012-2014 term.
• Issues regarding the Boating Infrastructure Grant Program, Clean Vessel Act Grant Program, and the Sport Fish Restoration Boating Access Program.
• The Rigs to Reefs Program and the Interior Department implementation of its “Idle Iron” policy for decommissioning and removing unused oil and gas production infrastructure.
• The on-going effort to assist the Service in crafting a strategic vision for its fishery and aquatic resource conservation efforts.
• An update on the activities of the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR) in implementing the America's Great Outdoors Initiative.
• An update from the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation on progress in implementing Council recommendations to improve the activities and operations of the Foundation.
• An update on the implementation of the National Ocean Policy.
• An update on activities of the Service's Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program.
• Other miscellaneous Council business.

The final agenda will be posted on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/​sfbpc.

Public Input

If you wish to	Then you must contact the Council Coordinator (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) no later than
Attend the meeting	Monday, October 29, 2012.
Submit written information or questions before the meeting for the council to consider during the meeting	Monday, October 29, 2012.
Give an oral presentation during the meeting	Monday, October 29, 2012.

Attendance

In order to attend this meeting, you must register by close of business on the dates listed above in “Public Input.” Please submit your name, time of arrival, email address, and phone number to the Council Coordinator (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

Submitting Written Information or Questions

Interested members of the public may submit relevant information or questions for the Council to consider during the meeting. Written statements must be received by the date listed above in “Public Input,” so that the information may be made available to the Council for their consideration prior to this teleconference. Written statements must be supplied to the Council Coordinator in one of the following formats: One hard copy with original signature, and one electronic copy via email (acceptable file formats are Adobe Acrobat PDF, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, or rich text file).

Giving an Oral Presentation

Individuals or groups requesting to make an oral presentation during the meeting will be limited to 2 minutes per speaker, with no more than a total of 30 minutes for all speakers. Interested parties should contact the Council Coordinator, in writing (preferably via email; see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT), to be placed on the public speaker list for this meeting. To ensure an opportunity to speak during the public comment period of the meeting, members of the public must register with the Council Coordinator. Registered speakers who wish to expand upon their oral statements, or those who had wished to speak but could not be accommodated on the agenda, may submit written statements to the Council Coordinator up to 30 days subsequent to the meeting.

Meeting Minutes

Summary minutes of the meeting will be maintained by the Council Coordinator (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) and will be available for public inspection within 120 days of the meeting and will be posted on the Council's Web site at http://www.fws.gov/​sfbpc.

Rowan W. Gould,

Director.