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There is hereby established a National Park System Advisory Board, whose purpose shall be to advise the Director of the National Park Service on matters relating to the National Park Service, the National Park System, and programs administered by the National Park Service. The Board shall advise the Director on matters submitted to the Board by the Director as well as any other issues identified by the Board. Members of the Board shall be appointed on a staggered term basis by the Secretary for a term not to exceed 4 years and shall serve at the pleasure of the Secretary. The Board shall be comprised of no more than 12 persons, appointed from among citizens of the United States having a demonstrated commitment to the mission of the National Park Service. Board members shall be selected to represent various geographic regions, including each of the administrative regions of the National Park Service. At least 6 of the members shall have outstanding expertise in 1 or more of the following fields: history, archeology, anthropology, historical or landscape architecture, biology, ecology, geology, marine science, or social science. At least 4 of the members shall have outstanding expertise and prior experience in the management of national or State parks or protected areas, or national or cultural resources management. The remaining members shall have outstanding expertise in 1 or more of the areas described above or in another professional or scientific discipline, such as financial management, recreation use management, land use planning or business management, important to the mission of the National Park Service. At least 1 individual shall be a locally elected official from an area adjacent to a park. The Board shall hold its first meeting by no later than 60 days after the date on which all members of the Advisory Board who are to be appointed have been appointed. Any vacancy in the Board shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was made. The Board may adopt such rules as may be necessary to establish its procedures and to govern the manner of its operations, organization, and personnel. All members of the Board shall be reimbursed for travel and per diem in lieu of subsistence expenses during the performance of duties of the Board while away from home or their regular place of business, in accordance with subchapter 1 ^[1] of chapter 57 of title 5. With the exception of travel and per diem as noted above, a member of the Board who is otherwise an officer or employee of the United States Government shall serve on the Board without additional compensation. It shall be the duty of such board to advise the Secretary on matters relating to the National Park System, to other related areas, and to the administration of sections 461 to 467 of this title, including but not limited to matters submitted to it for consideration by the Secretary, but it shall not be required to recommend as to the suitability or desirability of surplus real and related personal property for use as an historic monument. Such board shall also provide recommendations on the designation of national historic landmarks and national natural landmarks. Such board is strongly encouraged to consult with the major scholarly and professional organizations in the appropriate disciplines in making such recommendations.

The provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act shall apply to the Board established under this section with the exception of section 14 (b).

The National Park System Advisory Board shall continue to exist until January 1, 2010. The provisions of section 14(b) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (the Act of October 6, 1972; 86 Stat. 776) are hereby waived with respect to the Board, but in all other respects, it shall be subject to the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

There is hereby established the National Park Service Advisory Council (hereafter in this section referred to as the “advisory council”) which shall provide advice and counsel to the National Park System Advisory Board. Membership on the advisory council shall be limited to those individuals whose term on the advisory board has expired. Such individuals may serve as long as they remain active except that not more than 12 members may serve on the advisory council at any one time. Members of the advisory council shall not have a vote on the National Park System Advisory Board. Members of the advisory council shall receive no salary but may be paid expenses incidental to travel when engaged in discharging their duties as members. Initially, the Secretary shall choose 12 former members of the Advisory Board to constitute the advisory council. In so doing, the Secretary shall consider their professional expertise and demonstrated commitment to the National Park System and to the Advisory Board.