FEDERAL LAND MANAGERS’ AQRV WORKGROUP (FLAG):

CONSTRUCTING A CONSISTENT PROCESS

PURPOSE

• FLAG is an interagency workgroup whose objective is to achieve greater consistency in the procedures Federal Land Managers (FLMs) use in identifying and evaluating air quality related values (AQRVs).

Federal Land Manager (FLM):

• With respect to any lands in the United States, the Secretary of the Department with authority over such lands

• DOI--delegated to the Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks

• DOA--delegated to the Forest Service and redelegated to the Regional Forester or individual Forest Supervisor

AQRV

• A resource, as identified by the FLM for one or more Federal areas, that may be adversely affected by a change in air quality. The resource may include visibility or a specific scenic, cultural, physical, biological, ecological, or recreational resource identified by the FLM for a particular area.

MANDATORY CLASS I AREAS INCLUDE:

• National Parks > 6,000 acres

• Nat’l Wilderness Areas > 5,000 acres

• International Parks

-- in existence on August 7, 1977.

FLAG ORGANIZATION

• Leadership Committee (Air Quality Chiefs from FWS, NPS, and USFS)

• Coordinating Committee (representatives from FWS, NPS, and USFS)

• Project Manager

• Subgroups

SUBGROUPS ARE ADDRESSING:

• Visibility

• Terrestrial effects of ozone

• Aquatic and terrestrial effects of wet and dry deposition

• Process and policy issues

TASKS

• Define sensitive AQRVs

• Identify the critical pollutant loads (or levels), when possible, and the criteria that define adverse impacts

• Standardize the methods and procedures for conducting AQRV analyses

• Recommend monitoring tools and protocols

PHASED APPROACH

• Phase I addressing issues that can be resolved without the collection of new data

• Phase II will address more complex issues; may require additional data collection

TIMELINE

• November 1999 - Draft Phase I report available for public review

• December 15, 1999 - Public meeting in Denver to discuss the draft FLAG report

• November-December 1999 - 60 day public review• June 2000 - Final report distributed• To be determined - Initiate work on Phase II

FLAG QUESTIONS??

• Project Manager: John Bunyak–(303) 969-2818 Ozone: Bob Musselman – (970) 498-1239Deposition: Ellen Porter – (303) 969-2617Visibility: Mark Scruggs – (303) 969-2077 Policy: Bruce Bayle – (404) 347-3872web page: http://www.aqd.nps.gov/ard/flagfree