Reserve Advisory Council
Meeting information and materials. Click hereCouncil resolutions and letters. Click here
In managing the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, the Secretary of Commerce is directed to establish a Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve Council, in accordance with the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. The role of the Council is to provide advice and recommendations to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an agency of the Department of Commerce on the Reserve Operations Plan, potential designation of the Reserve as a National Marine Sanctuary and management of the Reserve. The Council plays an important role in helping shape these initiatives, which will provide lasting protection to the marine resources within Reserve waters.
The Council operates under a charter developed by the National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP), which prescribes the frequency of meetings, objectives and roles, and operation of the Council. The Council was officially established on December 5, 2000, when the charter was signed. All travel costs to meeting locations for Council members will be paid by the NMSP. Council meetings will be open to the public.
The voting members of the Council (except for the State of Hawaii representative) were chosen through an open, competitive process held during December 2000 and January 2001. A call for applications was published in the Federal Register and posted on this website. Members were announced on January 29, 2001.
The following documents contain charter for the Council (Supplement 1), the application kit (Supplement 2), communication protocols that all Council members will be expected to follow (Supplement 3) and contact and the Federal Register Notice (Supplement 4):
| Supplement 1. | Council Charter (PDF 3.1MB) Amendment 1 (PDF 12KB) Amendment 2 (PDF 401KB) Amendment 3 (PDF 41KB) Amendment 4 (PDF 29KB) |
| Supplement 2. | Application for membership as a member or an alternate on the Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve Council |
| Supplement 3. | Communication Protocols |
| Supplement 4. | Federal Register Notice of call for the following seats: (1) Native Hawaiian Representative (1) Ocean-related Tourism Representative (1) Native Hawaiian Elder Alternate (2) Native Hawaiian Alternates and (1) Conservation Alternate. |
Reserve Council Membership
The Council has 15 voting members and 10 non-voting members. The members include the following:
Voting representatives
(learn more about our council)
Timothy E. Johns (Chair)
State of Hawaiʻi Representative
Linda Paul (Vice-Chair)
Conservation Representative
Kem Lowry (Secretary)
Citizen-At-Large Representative
Louis "Buzzy" Agard (Elder)
Native Hawaiian Representative
Tammy Harp
Native Hawaiian Representative
Vacant
Native Hawaiian Representative
Laura Thompson
Conservation Representative
Jessica Wooley
Conservation Representative
Cindy Hunter
Research Representative
Bill Gilmartin
Research Representative
Don Schug
Research Representative
Gail Grabowsky
Education Representative
Rick Gaffney
Recreational Fishing Representative
Vacant
Ocean-Related Tourism Representative
Bobby Gomes
Commercial Fishing Representative
Vacant
Native Hawaiian Alternate (Elder)
Vacant
Native Hawaiian Alternate
Vacant
Native Hawaiian Alternate
Carol Wilcox
Conservation Alternate
Vacant
Conservation Alternate
Kanekoa Shultz
Conservation Alternate
Brian Bowen
Research Alternate
Bill Worcester
Research Alternate
Gail Clarke
Education Alternate
Rick Hoo
Recreational Fishing Alternate
Matt Zimmerman
Ocean-Related Tourism Alternate
Gary Dill
Commercial Fishing Alternate
Department of Defense (USN)
Department of the Interior (FWS)
Department of State
Marine Mammal Commission
National Marine Fisheries Service
National Science Foundation
U.S. Coast Guard
Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary