[Federal Register: April 7, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 66)]
[Notices]               
[Page 17040-17041]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07ap98-120]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

 
Notice of National Parks Overflights Working Group Meeting

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) and Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) announce that a meeting of the National Parks 
Overflights Working Group (NPOWG) will take place on April 14-15 in 
Denver, Colorado. This meeting will be open to the public. This notice 
serves to inform the public of the meeting dates for the working group.

DATES AND LOCATIONS: The NOPWG will meet April 14 beginning at 10:00 
a.m., in conference rooms in the Doubletree Southeast Hotel, 13696 E. 
Iliff Place, Denver, Colorado, telephone: (303) 337-2800. The starting 
time for the meeting on April 15 will be announced at the April 14 
meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Carla Mattix, Office of the Solicitor, U.S. Department of the Interior, 
1849 C St., NW, Washington, DC 20240, telephone: (202) 208-7959, or 
Linda Williams, Office of Rulemaking, Federal Aviation Administration, 
800 Independence Ave., Washington, DC 20591, telephone: (202) 267-9685.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    By notice in the Federal Register on May 22, 1997, the NPS and FAA 
announced the establishment of the NPOWG. The working group was 
established to recommend a notice of proposed rulemaking which would 
define the process to reduce or prevent the adverse effects of 
commercial sightseeing flights over the National Parks where deemed 
necessary. The working group held sessions from May through October, 
1997. In December 1997, the NPOWG presented its concept paper to the 
NPS' Advisory Board and the FAA's Aviation Rulemaking Advisory 
Committee (ARAC). Both the ARAC and the Advisory Board approved the 
concept paper.
    Following the approval of the concept paper, the NPOWG agreed to 
work with the NPS and FAA to develop a complete NPRM. The purpose of 
the meeting in Denver is to review a draft NPRM, which the agencies 
have provided to the NPOWG, and to complete work on that draft.

Meeting Protocol

    The April 14-15 meeting will be open to the public. In keeping with 
the organizational protocols developed by the working group, the 
following rules apply: Only working group members (or their alternates 
when filling in for a member) will be seated at the negotiating table. 
Only they will be speaking from the floor during the negotiations 
without working group approval. However, any member may call upon 
another individual to elaborate on a relevant point, and the NPS and 
FAA advisors to the working group have the full right to the floor and 
may raise and address appropriate points. Any other person attending 
working group meetings may address the working group if time permits 
and may file statements with the working group for its consideration.

[[Page 17041]]

    When completed, the NPRM will be published in the Federal Register 
for public comment. In addition, both agencies envision that public 
meetings will be held following that publication.

    Issued in Washington, DC on April 2, 1998.
Joseph A. Hawkins,
Director of Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 98-9113 Filed 4-3-98; 9:29 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M