Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 111 Part 2.djvu/529

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PUBLIC LAW 105-83—NOV. 14, 1997 111 STAT. 1609 (3) The Board shall be comprised of the following representatives or their designees— (A) the Secretary of Commerce, who shall be a co-chair of the Board; (B) the Secretary of State; (C) the Secretary of the Interior; (D) the Commandant of the Coast Guard; (E) the Director of the Office of Naval Research; (F) the Alaska Commissioner of Fish and Game, who shall also be a co-chair of the Board; (G) the Chairman of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council; (H) the Chairman of the Arctic Research Commission; (I) the Director of the Oil Spill Recovery Institute; (J) the Director of the Alaska SeaLife Center; (K) five members nominated by the Governor of Alaska and appointed by the Secretary of Commerce, one of whom shall represent fishing interests, one of whom shall represent Alaska Natives, one of whom shall represent environmental interests, one of whom shall represent academia, and one of

whom shall represent oil and gas interests; (L) three members nominated by the Governor of Washington and appointed by the Secretary of Commerce; and (M) one member nominated by the Governor of Oregon and appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. The members of the Board shall be individuals knowledgeable by education, training, or experience regarding fisheries or marine ecosystems in the north Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, or Arctic Ocean. Three nominations shall be submitted for each member to be appointed under subparagraphs (K), (L), and (M). Board members appointed under subparagraphs (K), (L), and (M) shall serve for three-year terms, and may be reappointed. (4)(A) The Secretary of Commerce shall review and administer grants recommended by the Board. If the Secretary does not approve a grant recommended by the Board, the Secretary shall explain in writing the reasons for not approving such grant, and the amount recommended to be used for such grant shall be available only for other grants recommended by the Board. (B) Grant recommendations and other decisions of the Board shall be by majority vote, with each member having one vote. The Board shall establish written criteria for the submission of Regulations, grant requests through a competitive process and for deciding upon the award of grants. Grants shall be recommended by the Board on the basis of merit in accordance with the priorities established by the Board. The Secretary shall provide the Board such administrative and technical support as is necessary for the effective functioning of the Board. The Board shall be considered an advisory panel established under section 302(g) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) for the purposes of section 302(i)(l) of such Act, and the other procedural matters applicable to advisory panels under section 302(i) of such Act shall apply to the Board to the extent practicable. Members of the Board may be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in performance of their duties for the Board. Not more than 5 percent of the funds provided to the Secretary of Commerce under paragraph (1) may be used to provide support for the Board and administer grants under this subsection.