NOAA’S STELLWAGEN BANK NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY
SEEKS COMMUNITY APPLICANTS FOR SANCTUARY ADVISORY COUNCIL

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, managed by the U.S. Commerce Department’s NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is seeking applicants for two voting and two non-voting or alternate Sanctuary Advisory Council seats representing:

The council meets four times a year, in daytime public sessions located at handicapped accessible sites between Cape Ann and Cape Cod, including the Boston metropolitan area. Applicants are chosen based upon their expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying. Considerations include community and professional affiliations, philosophy regarding the conservation and management of marine resources, and the length of residence in the area affected by the sanctuary.

Current seat holders may re-apply.

Sanctuary Advisory Council application packages are available at the sanctuary Web site: http://stellwagen.noaa.gov/management or can be obtained by calling Ruthetta Halbower at
(781) 545-8026, ext. 201 or fax at (781) 545-8036. Completed Sanctuary Advisory Council member application packages must be received by close of business 15 April 2005 at Stellwagen National Marine Sanctuary Office, 175 Edward Foster Road, Scituate, MA 02066. Questions concerning the positions should be directed to Ben Cowie-Haskell, Sanctuary Operations Coordinator at (781) 545-8026 ext. 207.

The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council was established in March 2001 to assure continued public participation in the management of the Sanctuary. Serving in a volunteer capacity, the council’s 15 voting members represent a variety of local user groups, as well as the general public, plus six local, state and federal government jurisdictions. Since its establishment, the council has played a vital role in advising the sanctuary and NOAA on critical issues and is currently focused on the sanctuary’s development of a new five-year management plan.

The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary encompasses 842 square miles of ocean, stretching between Cape Ann and Cape Cod. Renowned for its scenic beauty and remarkable productivity, the sanctuary supports a rich diversity of marine life including marine mammals, more than 30 species of seabirds, over 100 species of fishes, and hundreds of marine invertebrates and plants.

NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program seeks to increase public awareness of America’s maritime heritage by conducting scientific research, monitoring, exploration and educational programs. Today, the sanctuary program manages 13 national marine sanctuaries and one coral reef ecosystem reserve that encompass more than 131,000 square miles of America’s ocean and Great Lakes natural and cultural resources.

The NOAA National Ocean Service manages the NMSP and is dedicated to exploring, understanding, conserving and restoring the nation’s coasts and oceans. The NOAA National Ocean Service balances environmental protection with economic prosperity in fulfilling its mission of promoting safe navigation, supporting coastal communities, sustaining coastal habitats and mitigating coastal hazards.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources.

On the Web:

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov

NOAA’s National Ocean Service: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov

NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov

NOAA’s Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary: http://stellwagen.noaa.gov