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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 16 (Thursday, January 24, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5242-5243]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-01381]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Membership in the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group 
Aviation Rulemaking Committee

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: By Federal Register notice (See 77 FR 27835-27836, May 11, 
2012 and 77 FR 48201, August 13, 2012) the National Park Service (NPS) 
and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) invited interested 
persons to apply to fill one upcoming opening on the National Parks 
Overflights Advisory Group (NPOAG) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). 
The notice invited interested persons to apply to fill a vacancy 
representing environmental concerns due to the incumbent member's 
completion of a three-year term appointment on October 9, 2012. Since 
the previous notices did not draw enough responses from individuals for 
the open environmental vacancy, NPS and FAA are using this notice to 
invite other interested individuals to apply for the environmental 
opening. If you responded to either of the initial notices for the 
environmental opening, you will still be under consideration and need 
not re-apply. This notice also informs the public of another upcoming 
opening to represent commercial air tour operator interests due to an 
incumbent member's completion of a three-year term appointment on May 
19, 2013.

DATES: Persons interested in applying for the NPOAG openings 
representing environmental concerns and commercial air tour operator 
interests need to apply by February 22, 2013.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Lusk, Special Programs Staff, 
Federal Aviation Administration, Western-Pacific Region Headquarters, 
P.O. Box 92007, Los Angeles, CA 90009-2007, telephone: (310) 725-3808, 
email: Keith.Lusk@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000 (the Act) was 
enacted on April 5, 2000, as Public Law 106-181. The Act required the 
establishment of the advisory group within 1 year after its enactment. 
The NPOAG was established in March 2001. The advisory group is 
comprised of a balanced group of representatives of general aviation, 
commercial air tour operations, environmental concerns, and Native 
American tribes. The Administrator of the FAA and the Director of NPS 
(or their designees) serve as ex officio members of the group. 
Representatives of the Administrator and Director serve alternating 1-
year terms as chairman of the advisory group.
    In accordance with the Act, the advisory group provides ``advice, 
information, and recommendations to the Administrator and the 
Director--
    (1) On the implementation of this title [the Act] and the 
amendments made by this title;
    (2) On commonly accepted quiet aircraft technology for use in 
commercial air tour operations over a national park or tribal lands, 
which will receive preferential treatment in a given air tour 
management plan;
    (3) On other measures that might be taken to accommodate the 
interests of visitors to national parks; and
    (4) At the request of the Administrator and the Director, safety, 
environmental,

[[Page 5243]]

and other issues related to commercial air tour operations over a 
national park or tribal lands.''

Membership

    The current NPOAG ARC is made up of one member representing general 
aviation, three members representing the commercial air tour industry, 
four members representing environmental concerns, and two members 
representing Native American interests. Current members of the NPOAG 
ARC are as follows:
    Heidi Williams representing general aviation; Alan Stephen, Elling 
Halvorson, and Matthew Zuccaro representing commercial air tour 
operators; Greg Miller, Kristen Brengel, and Dick Hingson representing 
environmental interests with one open seat; and Rory Majenty and Martin 
Begaye representing Native American tribes.

Selection

    The member selected to represent environmental concerns will be 
filling a currently open seat. The member selected to represent 
commercial air tour operator interests will be filling incumbent Elling 
Halvorson's seat which expires on May 19, 2013. Current members may 
apply for another term. The term of service for NPOAG ARC members is 3 
years.

Additional Openings

    In order to retain balance within the NPOAG ARC with these two 
openings, the FAA and NPS invite persons interested in representing 
environmental concerns and commercial air tour operator interests on 
the ARC to contact Mr. Keith Lusk (contact information is written above 
in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
    Requests to serve on the ARC must be made to Mr. Lusk in writing 
and postmarked or emailed on or before February 22, 2013. The request 
should indicate whether or not you are a member of an association or 
group related to environmental issues or commercial air tour operator 
interests or have another affiliation with issues relating to aircraft 
flights over national parks. The request should also state what 
expertise you would bring to the NPOAG ARC as related to these issues 
and concerns. The term of service for NPOAG ARC members is 3 years.

    Issued in Hawthorne, CA, on January 8, 2013.
Keith Lusk,
Program Manager, Special Programs Staff, Western-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-01381 Filed 1-23-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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