A 13-member citizen advisory committee will begin meeting in June to help chart the future of the one-year-old Hanford Reach National Monument in eastern Washington.
The Federal Planning Advisory Committee will meet in two sessions June 20-21 in Richland, Washington, to begin forming recommendations on how the Monument should be managed. The meetings, open to the media and the public, will be from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on June 20 and 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on June 21. They will be in the Consolidated Information Center in the Library, Rooms 120 and 120A, on the Washington State University Tri-Cities Campus, 2770 University Dr., in Richland.
The committees work will focus on providing advice that identifies and reconciles, where possible, land management issues and other local concerns while addressing appropriate stewardship of the scientific, archaeologic, historic, geologic and paleontologic resources found within the Monument."Local collaboration is crucial in forging recommendations for the future of this locally, regionally and nationally recognized area," said Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton."I support the Advisory Committees mission to shape a vision for the future of the Hanford Reach National Monument."
The Monument is managed along with Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). The Refuge became part of the Monument when the Monument was designated by Presidential Proclamation on June 9, 2000.
The purpose of the committee is to provide the Service and the Department of Energy (DOE) with local recommendations prior to, and during, the development of a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and associated environmental documents as part of the Services land use planning process for the Hanford Reach National Monument/Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge.
The committee will likely meet a dozen times over the next 18 months.
Agenda items for the June 20-21 meeting include: Introductions of Committee Members and Alternates, Facilitators, and the Designated Federal Official; Introductory statements by Service and DOE authorities; Informational presentations about the Advisory Committee Charter, DOE requirements, National Wildlife Refuge System mandates and organization, and Presidential Proclamation #7319, which legally created the Monument. Additionally, the Committee will discuss meeting design process, content and milestones.
Time will be made available for public comments.
Members of the advisory were nominated locally and appointed last year by former Secretary of the
Interior Bruce Babbitt. They are:
STATE: Jeff Tayer, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and alternate Ron Skinnarland, Washington Department of Ecology
CITY: Chris Jensen, Pasco City Council, and alternate Bob Thompson, Mayor of Richland
COUNTY: Leo Bowman, Benton County, and alternate Frank Brock, Franklin County
TRIBAL: Robert Tomanawash, Wanapum People, and alternate Rex Buck, Wanapum People.
UTILITIES/IRRIGATION: Douglas Ancona, Grant County Public Utility District, and alternate Nancy Craig, Grant County Public Utility District
K-12 EDUCATION: Karen Wieda, West Richland, and alternate Royace Aikin, Richland
LOCAL ECONOMY: Jim Watts, Richland, and alternate Harold Heacock, Kennewick
ENVIRONMENTAL/CONSERVATION: Richard Leaumont, Pasco, and alternate Mike Lilga, Richland
SCIENTIFIC/ACADEMIC (3 positions): Dave Geist, Kennewick, and alternate Dennis Dauble, Richland; Michelle Gerber, Richland, and alternate Eric Gerber, Richland; Gene Schreckhise, Kennewick, and alternate Ed Rykiel, Richland
OUTDOOR RECREATION: Rich Steele, Richland, and alternate Mike Wiemers, Richland
PUBLIC-AT-LARGE: Kris Watkins, Pasco and alternate Valoria Loveland, Pasco
Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
FWS
