NOTICE

Solicitation of Interest for Serving on the Western Regional Air Partnership Technical Oversight and Initiative Oversight Committees

A little over a year ago, the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission issued its report. That report was the culmination of 4 years of effort and a lot of hard work on many people's part. However, that report recommended future actions and required follow-up on many of the issues. Since the report, the Governors and Tribal Leaders have been discussing the appropriate mechanism for follow on and to address new issues affecting the West.

Recently, the tribes and states approved the formation of the Western Regional Air Partnership or WRAP. The WRAP is a regional partnership of tribal, state, and federal governments established to "promote and monitor the implementation of the recommendations from the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission and, with the concurrence of its members, engage in other common regional air quality issues."

The success of the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission was due in large part to active participation by stakeholders. That participation was particularly valuable on the various committees and subcommittees. The WRAP also intends to use committees and subcommittees. At this time, the WRAP is soliciting for membership in the Technical Oversight Committee and the Initiative Oversight Committee. The WRAP needs individuals interested in representing environmental and industrial communities. Attached is an excerpt from the bylaws describing the role of the committees. Individuals interested in representing the environmental or industrial communities on either of these committees should send a letter of interest to: John Leary, Western Governors' Association, 600 17th Street, Suite 1705 South Tower, Denver, CO 80202. Letters must be received by September 12, 1997. For additional information call John Leary at 303-623-9378.

EXCERPT FROM WRAP BYLAWS:

III.TECHNICAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE (TOC) AND INITIATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE (IOC)

A. Charge.

  1. TOC. Provide general oversight to the technical activities of the WRAP. Identify technical issues and tasks necessary to support the activities of the WRAP and refer these issues to technical forums. Review products and recommendations from forums and make recommendations to the WRAP.
  2. IOC. Provide general oversight for the coordination and development of air quality strategies necessary to promote the implementation of the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission's recommendations. Oversee the development of other air quality policies and strategies at the direction of the WRAP. Refer issues to forums, review recommendations from forums and make recommendations to the WRAP.

B. Establishing the TOC and IOC.

  1. TOC and IOC membership will consist of representatives from 3 tribes and 3 states, a Federal Land Manager, an EPA representative, and two representatives each from the environmental and industrial communities.
  2. The WRAP will appoint members to the TOC and IOC, and designate the co-chairs.
  3. State and tribal members of the TOC and IOC will have three year staggered terms. Therefore, initial appointments will be for 1, 2, and 3 year terms. State and tribal membership will be rotated between states and tribes respectively.
  4. Federal members will be appointed for three year terms.
  5. Environmental and industry members will be chosen from letters of interest and will be appointed for 3 year terms.

C. Procedures and operating principles for forums.

  1. The TOC and IOC will identify issues to be addressed by their respective forums based on input, priorities and directions from the WRAP.
  2. The TOC and IOC will identify co-chairs for each forum. In consultation with respective co-chairs, the TOC or IOC will provide written objectives and expectations for each forum. Forums will be formed on an ad hoc basis and will sunset upon completion of the work as defined by the TOC or IOC.
  3. The co-chairs for each forum will organize the forum to include balanced stakeholder participation, appropriate expertise and a work plan.The work plan will include a schedule for progress reports and project completion. Public workshops may be used as a tool to solicit public and expert input into forums.
  4. Forums will contain 10-12 members and will operate on a consensus basis. If a forum cannot reach consensus, the issue in debate will be referred to the creating oversight committee for resolution. If the IOC or TOC cannot reach consensus, the issue will be referred to the WRAP for resolution.
  5. Staff support for committee work may come from committee members; organizations with expertise in the issue being discussed, e.g., EPA or other federal agencies, states or tribes, the Western States Air Resource Council (WESTAR), the National Tribal Environmental Council (NTEC); and from paid staff when funds are available.
  6. Reports prepared by forums, or any committee, will be submitted to the Public Advisory Board for review before consideration by the WRAP.The PAB will receive public input on such reports. Forums and committees shall acknowledge such input and may revise reports based on this input before submitting them to the WRAP.

D. Special Work Groups.

  1. Composition. A work group formed for a special narrow purpose may be made up of subject matter experts not reflective of the stakeholder requirements outline in I.B. above. An example is an Inventory Work Group, which would be made up of state, tribal, and agency inventory specialists. However, work group members must be open to the views and concerns of all interests as they bear on the work groups' work product. It is the responsibility of the oversight committee creating a work group to ensure that all views are considered in the final work product. Work groups should not be formed to address broad issues involving policy choices.
  2. Process for creating work groups. The IOC or TOC will appoint a chair for a working group. The chair will, with the consent of the committee, make appointments that reflect the product expected from the group. In making such appointments, consideration should be based on technical expertise, but with a membership structure that can adequately address the views and concerns of the governing committee itself. Such structures could include subject matter experts in a variety of fields, generalists able to address many facets of the problem at hand, or combinations of the two.