May 15, 2014 — The following was released by NOAA:
NOAA’s Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is seeking applicants for one alternate seat on its advisory council. The council ensures public participation in sanctuary management and provides advice to the sanctuary superintendent.
“Each of the members brings a unique perspective to the council based on their long experience in the New England area,” said Craig MacDonald, sanctuary superintendent. “Since its establishment, the council has played a vital role in advising the sanctuary and NOAA on critical issues. We are very pleased that council members offer their considerable talents to help us manage the resources of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.”
The sanctuary is accepting applications for the following seat: mobile gear commercial fishing (alternate).
Candidates are selected based on their expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying, community and professional affiliations, and views regarding the protection and management of marine resources. Applicants who are chosen as members should expect to serve a three-year term.
The advisory council consists of 36 non-governmental primary and alternate members representing a variety of public interest groups. It also includes six governmental seats representing Massachusetts Environmental Police; Coastal Zone Management; Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries; New England Fisheries Management Council; NOAA Fisheries; and U.S. Coast Guard.
Applications are due by June 30. To receive an application kit or for further information please contact Elizabeth Stokes via e-mail at Elizabeth.Stokes@noaa.gov; by phone at 781-545-8026 x201; or by mail at 175 Edward Foster Road, Scituate, MA 02066. Application kits can also be downloaded from the sanctuary’s website at http://stellwagen.noaa.gov/.
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary encompasses 842 square miles of ocean, stretching between Cape Ann and Cape Cod. Renowned for its biological diversity and remarkable productivity, the sanctuary is famous as a whale watching destination and supports a rich assortment of marine life, including marine mammals, seabirds, fishes and marine invertebrates. The sanctuary’s position astride the historic shipping routes and fishing grounds for Massachusetts’ oldest ports also makes it a repository for shipwrecks representing several hundred years of maritime transport.