2011-8559. Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee; Teleconference Line Available for Public Meeting

AGENCY:

Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), will host a Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee (Committee) meeting on April 27, 2011. The meeting is open to the public. This meeting was announced in the Federal Register on April 1, 2011. In-person registration is now closed due to full room capacity. A listen-only teleconference line is now available. The meeting agenda will include a presentation and discussion of the Service's Draft Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines.

DATES:

The meeting will take place on April 27, 2011, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. If you are a member of the public wishing to listen via the teleconference line, you must register online no later than April 20, 2011 (see “Meeting Participation Information” under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION).

ADDRESSES:

Meeting Location: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 530, Arlington, VA 22203 (see “Meeting Location Information” under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Rachel London, Division of Habitat and Resource Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On March 13, 2007, the Department of the Interior published a notice of establishment of the Committee in the Federal Register (72 FR 11373). The Committee's purpose is to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) on developing effective measures to avoid or minimize impacts to wildlife and their habitats related to land-based wind energy facilities. All Committee members serve without compensation. In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), a copy of the Committee's charter is filed with the Committee Management Secretariat, General Services Administration; Committee on Environment and Public Works, U.S. Senate; Committee on Natural Resources, U.S. House of Representatives; and the Library of Congress. The Secretary appointed 22 individuals to the Committee on October 24, 2007, representing the varied interests associated with wind energy development and its potential impacts to wildlife species and their habitats. The Committee provided its recommendations to the Secretary on March 4, 2010.

Draft Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines

The Draft Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines were made available for public comment on February 18, 2011, with a comment-period ending date of May 19, 2011. The draft Guidelines are available for comment at http://www.fws.gov/​windenergy/​docs/​Wind_​Energy_​Guidelines_​2_​15_​2011FINAL.pdf. We will publish the final Guidelines for public use after consideration of any comments received. The purpose of the Guidelines, once finalized, will be to provide recommendations on measures to avoid, minimize, and compensate for effects to fish, wildlife, and their habitats. For more information, including how to comment on the draft Guidelines, see our Federal Register notice of February 18, 2011 (76 FR 9590).

Meeting Location Information

Please note that the in-person meeting location is full to capacity.

Meeting Participation Information

All Committee meetings are open to the public. The public has an opportunity to comment at all Committee meetings.

We require that all persons planning to listen to the meeting via teleconference register at http://www.fws.gov/​windenergy no later than April 20, 2011. We will give preference to registrants based on date and time of registration. The in-person meeting registration is closed due to a filled room capacity.

Dated: April 6, 2011.

Rachel London,

Alternate Designated Federal Officer, Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee.