[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 202 (Thursday, October 18, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64109-64110]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25619]
[[Page 64109]]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Army Corps of Engineers
Notice of Solicitation of Applications for Stakeholder
Representative Members of the Missouri River Recovery Implementation
Committee
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Commander of the Northwestern Division of the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (Corps) is soliciting applications to fill two
vacant stakeholder representative member positions on the Missouri
River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC). Members are sought to
fill vacancies on a committee to represent various categories of
interests within the Missouri River basin. The MRRIC was formed to
advise the Corps on a study of the Missouri River and its tributaries
and to provide guidance to the Corps with respect to the Missouri River
recovery and mitigation activities currently underway. The Corps
established the MRRIC as required by the U.S. Congress through the
Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA), Section 5018.
DATES: The agency must receive completed applications and endorsement
letters no later than November 19, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Mail completed applications and endorsement letters to U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District (Attn: MRRIC), 1616 Capitol
Avenue, Omaha, NE 68102-4901 or email completed applications to
info@mrric.org. Please put ``MRRIC'' in the subject line.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary S. Roth, 402-995-2919.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The operation of the MRRIC is in the public
interest and provides support to the Corps in performing its duties and
responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.; Sec. 601(a) of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of
1986, Public Law 99-662; Sec. 334(a) of WRDA 1999, Public Law 106-53,
and Sec. 5018 of WRDA 2007, Public Law 110-114. The Federal Advisory
Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2, does not apply to the MRRIC.
A Charter for the MRRIC has been developed and should be reviewed
prior to applying for a stakeholder representative membership position
on the Committee. The Charter, operating procedures, and stakeholder
application forms are available electronically at www.MRRIC.org.
Purpose and Scope of the Committee. The duties of the MRRIC cover
two areas:
1. The Committee provides guidance to the Corps, and affected
Federal agencies, State agencies, or Native American Indian Tribes on a
study of the Missouri River and its tributaries to determine the
actions required to mitigate losses of aquatic and terrestrial habitat,
to recover federally listed species protected under the Endangered
Species Act, and to restore the river's ecosystem to prevent further
declines among other native species. This study is identified in
Section 5018(a) of the WRDA. It will result in a single, comprehensive
plan to guide the implementation of mitigation, recovery, and
restoration activities in the Missouri River Basin. This plan is
referred to as the Missouri River Ecosystem Restoration Plan (MRERP).
For more information about the MRERP go to www.MRERP.org.
2. The MRRIC also provides guidance to the Corps with respect to
the Missouri River recovery and mitigation plan currently in existence,
including recommendations relating to changes to the implementation
strategy from the use of adaptive management; coordination of the
development of consistent policies, strategies, plans, programs,
projects, activities, and priorities for the Missouri River recovery
and mitigation plan. Information about the Missouri River Recovery
Program is available at www.MoRiverRecovery.org.
3. Other duties of MRRIC include exchange of information regarding
programs, projects, and activities of the agencies and entities
represented on the Committee to promote the goals of the Missouri River
recovery and mitigation plan; establishment of such working groups as
the Committee determines to be necessary to assist in carrying out the
duties of the Committee, including duties relating to public policy and
scientific issues; facilitating the resolution of interagency and
intergovernmental conflicts between entities represented on the
Committee associated with the Missouri River recovery and mitigation
plan; coordination of scientific and other research associated with the
Missouri River recovery and mitigation plan; and annual preparation of
a work plan and associated budget requests.
Administrative Support. To the extent authorized by law and subject
to the availability of appropriations, the Corps provides funding and
administrative support for the Committee.
Committee Membership. Federal agencies with programs affecting the
Missouri River may be members of the MRRIC through a separate process
with the Corps. States and Federally recognized Native American Indian
tribes, as described in the Charter, are eligible for Committee
membership through an appointment process. Interested State and Tribal
government representatives should contact the Corps for information
about the appointment process.
This Notice is for individuals interested in serving as a
stakeholder member on the Committee. In accordance with the Charter for
the MRRIC, stakeholder membership is limited to 28 people, with each
member having an alternate. Members and alternates must be able to
demonstrate that they meet the definition of ``stakeholder'' found in
the Charter of the MRRIC. Applications are currently being accepted for
representation in the stakeholder interest categories listed below:
a. Hydropower;
b. Irrigation;
c. Major Tributaries;
d. Navigation;
e. Thermal Power; and
f. Waterway Industries.
Terms of stakeholder representative members of the MRRIC are three
years. There is no limit to the number of terms a member may serve.
Members and alternates of the Committee will not receive any
compensation from the federal government for carrying out the duties of
the MRRIC. Travel expenses incurred by members of the Committee will
not be reimbursed by the federal government.
Application for Stakeholder Membership. Persons who believe that
they are or will be affected by the Missouri River recovery and
mitigation activities and are not employees of federal agencies,
tribes, or state agencies, may apply for stakeholder membership on the
MRRIC. Applications for stakeholder membership may be obtained
electronically at www.MRRIC.org. Applications may be emailed or mailed
to the location listed (see ADDRESSES). In order to be considered, each
application must include:
1. The name of the applicant and the primary stakeholder interest
category that person is qualified to represent;
2. A written statement describing the applicant's area of expertise
and why the applicant believes he or she should be appointed to
represent that area of expertise on the MRRIC;
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3. A written statement describing how the applicant's participation
as a Stakeholder Representative will fulfill the roles and
responsibilities of MRRIC;
4. A written description of the applicant's past experience(s)
working collaboratively with a group of individuals representing varied
interests towards achieving a mutual goal, and the outcome of the
effort(s);
5. A written description of the communication network that the
applicant plans to use to inform his or her constituents and to gather
their feedback, and
6. A written endorsement letter from an organization, local
government body, or formal constituency, which demonstrates that the
applicant represents an interest group(s) in the Missouri River basin.
To be considered, the application must be complete and received by
the close of business on November 19, 2012, at the location indicated
(see ADDRESSES). Applications must include an endorsement letter to be
considered complete. Full consideration will be given to all complete
applications received by the specified due date.
Application Review Process. Committee stakeholder applications will
be forwarded to the current members of the MRRIC. The MRRIC will
provide membership recommendations to the Corps as described in
Attachment A of the Process for Filling MRRIC Stakeholder Vacancies
document (www.MRRIC.org). The Corps is responsible for appointing
stakeholder members. The Corps will consider applications using the
following criteria:
Ability to commit the time required.
Commitment to make a good faith (as defined in the
Charter) effort to seek balanced solutions that address multiple
interests and concerns.
Agreement to support and adhere to the approved MRRIC
Charter and Operating Procedures.
Demonstration of a formal designation or endorsement by an
organization, local government, or constituency as its preferred
representative.
Demonstrations of an established communication network to
keep constituents informed and efficiently seek their input when
needed.
Agreement to participate in collaboration training as a
condition of membership.
All applicants will be notified in writing as to the final decision
about their application.
Certification. I hereby certify that the establishment of the MRRIC
is necessary and in the public interest in connection with the
performance of duties imposed on the Corps by the Endangered Species
Act and other statutes.
Mary S. Roth,
Project Manager for the Missouri River, Recovery Implementation
Committee (MRRIC).
[FR Doc. 2012-25619 Filed 10-17-12; 8:45 am]
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