MEDIA RELEASE

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

The council provides advice and recommendations to the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, a division of the National Ocean Service, and ensures public participation in management of the country’s largest marine conservation area.

“As members of our community, the advisory council plays an important role in the protection and management of our vital marine resources,” said Allen Tom, Pacific Islands Regional Director for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. “We look forward to working with our new members.”

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 and cultural resources.

Applicants who are chosen as members 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.

“I strongly encourage the public to consider serving on the advisory council,” said Tim Johns, council chair. “It’s a great way to make a positive difference on behalf of our community and future generations.”

The council is accepting applications for two primary seats (Native Hawaiian and Ocean-Related Tourism), and four alternates: Conservation, Native Hawaiian Elder, and Native Hawaiian (2).

Members serve without pay but will be provided airfare and lodging to attend meetings if coming from other islands. The advisory council meets on average four to five times a year for one to two days each meeting.

The Advisory Council consists of 15 primary and alternate members representing a variety of public interest groups. It also includes 10 governmental seats representing: Department of Defense, Department of the Interior, Department of State, Marine Mammal Commission, National Marine Fisheries Service, 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 Jan. 31, 2012.

To receive an application kit, or for further information, contact the Reserve Advisory Council Coordinator Wesley Byers via e-mail at wesley.byers@noaa.gov, by phone at 808-694-3920, or by mail at Wesley Byers, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Pacific Island Region, 6600 Kalanianaole Hwy, #300, Honolulu, HI 96825.

Application kits can also be downloaded from the website: www.papahanaumokuakea.gov

The Reserve encompasses an area of the marine waters and submerged lands of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, extending approximately 1200 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.

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources.