Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Reserve seeks council applicants

News Release from NOAA

NOAA’s Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, part of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, is seeking applicants for two alternate seats on its advisory council.

The council ensures public participation in the reserve’s management and provides advice and recommendations to the superintendent.

“Community representatives on our advisory council are an extremely important part of our team,” said David Swatland, NOAA’s acting superintendent for Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. “Their input is an integral part of managing this special place.”

The reserve is accepting applications for the following seats: Native Hawaiian elder (alternate) and Native Hawaiian (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 or alternates should expect to serve a two-year term, or until a different advisory body is created pursuant to Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument’s management plan.

The advisory council consists of 15 primary members, and their alternates, who represent a variety of public interest groups, including conservation, education, research, and ocean-related commercial and recreational activities, as well as the Native Hawaiian community.

The council also includes 10 governmental seats representing: Department of Defense, Department of the Interior, Department of State, Marine Mammal Commission, NOAA Fisheries, National Science Foundation, U.S. Coast Guard, Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument and Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

Applications are due Sept. 30.

To receive an application kit, or for further information, contact Katie Gentry, reserve advisory council coordinator, via e-mail at katie.gentry@noaa.gov; by phone at 808-694-3936; or by mail at Katie Gentry, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, 6600 Kalanianaole Hwy, #300, Honolulu, HI 96825.

Application kits also may be downloaded at: Papahanaumokuakea.gov

The reserve encompasses an area of the marine waters and submerged lands of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, extending approximately 1,200 nautical miles long and 100 nautical miles wide. The reserve is managed by the Secretary of Commerce pursuant to the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and the Executive Orders that established the reserve in 2000.

The reserve is within Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010.