67444 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 218 / Thursday, November 9, 2000 / Notices

Deepwater missions are defined as operations

that occur at least 50 nautical miles offshore,

or require an extended on-scene presence,

long transit times to reach the operations

area, and/or the forward deployment of

forces. Deepwater missions typically require

Coast Guard personnel to be involved in

long-term, continuous missions, often with

deployments away from home stations for

several months on end. These missions may

also take place in severe environments from

arctic to tropical, 24 hours a day, wherever

the Coast Guard’s presence is required.

Overall, the Coast Guard performs fourteen

statutorily mandated missions in the

Deepwater regions around the globe. These

fall into four main categories: Maritime Law

Enforcement; Maritime Safety; National

Defense; and Marine Environmental

Protection.

Maritime Law Enforcement includes:

Living marine resources enforcement, drug

interdiction, alien migrant interdiction and

general law enforcement.

Maritime Safety includes: Search and

rescue (SAR) and the International Ice Patrol.

National Defense includes: General

defense operations, maritime intercept

operations, deployed port security and

defense operations, environmental defense

operations, and peacetime military

engagement.

Marine Environmental Protection includes:

Maritime pollution enforcement and

response, lightering zone enforcement and

foreign vessel inspection.

In 1999, an Interagency Task Force on

United States Coast Guard Roles and

Missions was appointed to ‘‘provide advice

and recommendations regarding the

appropriate roles and missions for the Coast

Guard through the year 2020,’’ with special

attention to the Deepwater missions. The

Task Force’s findings affirmed that the Coast

Guard must remain a military, multi-mission,

maritime service in the 21st century to meet

national policies and statutory mandates. The

Task Force further recommended that the

Coast Guard forces possess inherent

operational flexibility and adaptability,

including the ability to operate alongside the

forces and personnel of other US armed

services, US civilian agencies, and nations. In

addition, the Coast Guard must strive to be

cost effective across all missions.

The Coast Guard’s Deepwater ships and

aircraft (assets) are aging and technologically

obsolete. This equipment was originally

acquired from the early 1960s to the mid

1980s. The average age of the Deepwater

cutters is 27 years old, making this force

older than 36 of the world’s 41 major naval

fleets. Although some cutters received

upgrades, during the next 10 years these

cutters will reach the ends of their projected

service lives.

Consequently, Deepwater assets lack

fundamental capabilities and technologies

necessary for efficient and effective mission

performance. Examples include poor sensors

and night operations capability, inadequate

communication systems among Coast Guard

units and forces of other services, agencies

and navies of other countries. In addition,

antiquated technology increases operating

and maintenance hours and costs, placing

greater demands on the logistics

infrastructure.

[FR Doc. 00–28779 Filed 11–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

[USCGD08–00–025]

Lower Mississippi River Waterway

Safety Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Lower Mississippi River

Waterway Safety Advisory Committee

(LMRWSAC) will meet to discuss

various issues relating to navigational

safety on the Lower Mississippi River

and related waterways. The meeting

will be open to the public.

DATES: LMRWSAC will meet on

Thursday, December 7, 2000, from 9

a.m. to 12 noon. This meeting may close

early if all business is finished. Written

material and requests to make oral

presentations should reach the Coast

Guard on or before November 20, 2000.

Requests to have a copy of your material

distributed to each member of the

committee should reach the Coast Guard

on or before November 20, 2000.

ADDRESSES: LMRWSAC will meet at the

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, 900

Center Blvd, New Orleans, LA Hall D,

Room 338 during the International

Workboat Show. Send written material

and requests to make oral presentations

to LT(jg), Zeital Merchant, Committee

Administrator, c/o Commanding Officer,

Marine Safety New Orleans, 1615

Poydras Steet, New Orleans, LA 70112.

This notice is available on the Internet

at http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

questions on this notice, contact LT(jg)

Zeita Merchant, Committee

Administrator, telephone (504) 589–

4222, Fax (504) 589–4241.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of

this meeting is given under the Federal

Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App.

2.

Agenda of Meeting

Lower Mississippi River Waterway

Safety Advisory Committee (LMRWSAC)

The agenda includes the following:

(1) Introduction of committee members.

(2) Election of Committee Chairman &

Vice Chairman

(3) Remarks by RADM P. Pluta,

Committee Sponsor.

(a). Establishment of a working group to

develop strategic planning to guide

LMRWSAC.

(4) Approval of the April 26, 2000

minutes.

(5) Old Business:

Captain of the Port status report

VTS update report

PORTS update report

River crossing dredging ranges side

markings

(6) New Business:

(7) Next meeting.

(8) Adjournment.

Procedural

The meeting is open to the public.

Please note that the meeting may close

early if all business is finished. At the

Chair’s discretion, members of the

public may make oral presentations

during the meeting. If you would like to

make an oral presentation at the

meeting, please notify the Committee

Administrator no later than November

20, 2000. Written material for

distribution at the meeting should reach

the Coast Guard no later than November

20, 2000. If you would like a copy of

your material distributed to each

member of the committee or

subcommittee in advance of the

meeting, please submit 30 copies to the

Committee Administrator at the location

indicated under Addresses no later than

November 20, 2000.

Information on Services for Individuals

with Disabilities

For information on facilities or

services for individuals with

disabilities, or to request special

assistance at the meetings, contact the

Committee Administrator at the location

indicated under Addresses as soon as

possible.

Dated: October 16, 2000.

Paul J. Pluta,

Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander,

Eighth Coast Guard District.

[FR Doc. 00–28701 Filed 11–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–15–U

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Public Notice For Waiver of

Aeronautical Land-use Assurance

Lawrence Municipal Airport, North

Andover, Massachusetts

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Request for Public Comments.

Notice of Intent to Waiver with respect

to land.