04-4592. Science Advisory Board; Meeting

AGENCY:

Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, NOAA, DOC.

ACTION:

Notice of open meeting.

SUMMARY:

The Science Advisory Board (SAB) was established by a Decision Memorandum dated September 25, 1997, and is the only Federal Advisory Committee with responsibility to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere on long- and short-range strategies for research, education, and application of science to resource management. SAB activities and advice provide necessary input to ensure that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) science programs are of the highest quality and provide optimal support to resource management.

Time and Date: The meeting will be held Tuesday, March 16, 2004, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, March 17, 2004, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. These times and the agenda topics described below may be subject to change. Refer to the Web page listed below for the most up-to-date meeting agenda.

Place: The meeting will be held both days at the Key Bridge Marriott Hotel, 1401 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA.

Status: The meeting will be open to public participation with a 30-minute time period set aside on Tuesday, March 16, for direct verbal comments or questions from the public. The SAB expects that public statements presented at its meetings will not be repetitive of previously submitted verbal or written statements. In general, each individual or group making a verbal presentation will be limited to a total time of five (5) minutes. Written comments (at least 35 copies) should be received in the SAB Executive Director's Office by March 8, 2004, to provide sufficient time for SAB review. Written comments received by the SAB Executive Director after March 8, 2004, will be distributed to the SAB, but may not be reviewed prior to the meeting date. Approximately thirty (30) seats will be available for the public including five (5) seats reserved for the media. Seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Matters To Be Considered: The meeting will include the following topics: (1) NOAA Research Review, (2) NOAA Social Science Research Activities, (3) Reports of Cooperative Institute reviews, (4) Ocean Modeling review, (5) FY 2005 budget requests, and (6) public statements.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dr. Michael Uhart, Executive Director, Science Advisory Board, NOAA, Rm. 11142, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. (Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [e-mail]); or visit the NOAA SAB Web site at http://www.sab.noaa.gov.

Dated: February 25, 2004.

Louisa Koch,

Deputy Assistant Administrator, OAR.