[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 109 (Friday, June 6, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31187-31188]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14780]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Notice of National Parks Overflights Working Group Meetings
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) and Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) announce the dates for the National Parks
Overflights Working Group (NPOWG) meetings. The NPOWG will meet June
11, 12 and 13; July 8 and 9; an August 4 and 5. The June and July
meetings are open to the public, with certain restrictions explained in
this notice. This notice serves to inform the public of the meeting
dates for the working group.
DATES AND LOCATIONS: The National Parks Overflights Working Group will
meet June 11 (beginning at 1:00 p.m.) June 12, and 13; July 8 and 9
(beginning at 9 a.m.); and August 4 and 5 (beginning at 9 a.m.), 1997.
The June and July meetings will be held in Washington, DC at locations
to be determined. The August meeting, which is now planned as a closed
meeting, will be held in Denver, Colorado.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Carla Mattix, Office of the Solicitor, U.S. Department of the Interior,
1849 C St., NW, Washington, DC 20240, telephone: (202) 208-7957, or
Linda Williams, Office of Rulemaking, Federal Aviation Administration,
800 Independence Ave., Washington, DC 20591, telephone: (202) 267-9685.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
By notice in the Federal Register on May 22, 1997, the NPS and FAA
[[Page 31188]]
announced the formation of the NPOWG. The working group is established
to recommend a notice of proposed rulemaking which would define the
process to reduce or prevent the adverse effects of commercial
sightseeing flights over the National Parks where deemed necessary. The
working group held its first sessions on May 20 and 21, 1997, in
Washington, DC.
The overflights working group is composed of nine members
representing a balance of air tour operators, both fixed and rotary
wing; general aviation users; other commercial aviation interests;
national tour associations; environmental groups; and Native Americans.
Co-chairs for the working group have been selected by the Department of
Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Interior (DOI). DOT and DOI
representatives will act as advisors to the membership, but will not be
active members of the working group. A facilitator provides focus for
the group.
The working group will terminate 100 days from the date of its
initial meeting. The group will make its final recommendations to the
ARAC and NPS Advisory Board at the end of that 100 days. The ARAC and
NPS Advisory Board will review the recommendations of the working group
and report to the NPS and FAA. Progress or status reports from the
working group are expected every 21 days. NPS and FAA anticipate that
the final product of the NPOWG will be a recommended notice of proposed
rulemaking.
Meeting Location and Protocol
Because the meeting location has not been selected as of the date
of this notice, persons interested in attending the June or July
meetings should contact a person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT. Readers are also reminded that the June meeting will begin at
1:00 on the 11th and end at noon on the 13th.
The June and July meetings are open to the public. In keeping with
the organizational protocols developed by the working group, the
following rules apply: Only working group members (or their alternates
when filling in for a member) have the privilege of sitting at the
negotiating table and of speaking from the floor during the
negotiations without working group approval, except: any member may
call upon another individual to elaborate on a relevant point, the NPS
and FAA advisors to the working group have the full right to the floor
and may raise and address appropriate points, and any person attending
working group meetings may address the working group if time permits
and may file statements with the working group for its consideration.
The final report of the NPOWG will be made available to the public
when it is reported to the Advisory Board and ARAC. In addition, both
agencies envision that public meetings will be held following the
publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking on the issues regarding
overflights of the national parks.
Issued in Washington, DC on June 2, 1997.
Ida M. Klepper,
Acting Director of Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 97-14780 Filed 6-2-97; 8:45 am]
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