Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: As provided in Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory

Committee Act, the Service announces a meeting designed to foster

partnerships to enhance recreational fishing and boating in the United

States. This meeting, sponsored by the Sport Fishing and Boating

Partnership Council (Council), is open to the public and interested

persons may make oral statements to the Council or may file written

statements for consideration.

DATES: June 2, 1997, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the JW Marriott Hotel, 1331

Pennsylvania Avenue, Salon S, Washington, DC 20004-1796, telephone

(202) 393-2000.

Summary minutes of the conference will be maintained by the

Coordinator for the Council at 1033 North Fairfax Street, Suite 200,

Arlington, VA 22314, and will be available for public inspection during

regular business hours within 30 days following the meeting. Personal

copies may be purchased for the cost of duplication.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Doug Alcorn, Council Coordinator, at 703/836-1392.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Partnership Council will hear a briefing

by representatives from the American League of Anglers and Boaters

(ALAB) on ALAB's consensus position on the proposed language for

reauthorizing the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration (Wallop-Breaux)

Program, to be considered by the Congress later this year. The

Partnership Council will also hear briefings on two initiatives

recommended by recreational fisheries stakeholders: (1) To address fish

habitat through an amendment to the Clean Water Act, and (2) to

catalyze state-led outreach efforts for recruiting and maintaining a

strong constituency of anglers. The Partnership Council's Technical

Working Group for boating issues will give a status report on the

Recreational Lakes Initiative and the status of the Boating Initiative

assigned to the Working Group in October 1996. The Partnership

Council's Technical Working Group for recreational fisheries issues

will present annual findings from its evaluation of Federal agency

activities for providing and enhancing recreational fishery resources,

pursuant to the President's 1995 Executive Order (Number 12962) for

Recreational Fisheries. the topic of discussion will be the Technical

Working Group's objective assessment of how well Federal agencies have

implemented their respective strategic plans to accomplish goals

established one year ago in the nationally-comprehensive Recreational

Fishery Resources Conservation Plan. Based on the Technical Working

Group's findings, the Partnership Council will make recommendation for

consideration by the National Recreational Fisheries Coordination

Council, also established by the President in Executive Order 12962.

The Partnership Council will also consider comments from the public

before closing.

Dated: April 30, 1997.

Jay L. Gerst,

Acting Deputy Director.

[FR Doc. 97-12715 Filed 5-14-97; 8:45 am]

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