Saving Archaeology in Italy

The US State Department's Cultural Heritage Center circulated the following e-mail yesterday. I'll have more to say on this soon, but for those of you already inclined to write a letter in support of extending the MoU with Italy that protects its archaeological resources, the deadline is April 22 and you can send your comments in as an attachment to <culprop@state.gov>.

From: "Cultural Property" <CULPROP@state.gov>
Date: April 6, 2010 11:26:52 AM EDT
To: "Cultural Property" <CULPROP@state.gov>
Subject: Meeting of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee

The Department of State’s Cultural Heritage Center would like to draw 
your attention to an announcement that will be published in tomorrow’s 
Federal Register 
(http://www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2010-07898_PI.pdf).
 
[Billing Code: 4710-05]
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 6945]
 
Notice of Meeting of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee
In accordance with the provisions of the Convention on Cultural Property
Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq.) (the Act) there will be a meeting of
the Cultural Property Advisory Committee on Thursday, May 6, 2010, from 9:00
a.m. to approximately 5:00 p.m., and on Friday, May 7, 2010, from 9:00 a.m. to
approximately 3:00 p.m., at the Department of State, Annex 5, 2200 C Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. During its meeting the Committee will review a proposal to
extend the “Memorandum of Understanding Between the Government of the United
States of America and the Government of the Republic of Italy Concerning the
Imposition of Import Restrictions on Categories of Archaeological Material
Representing the Pre-Classical, Classical and Imperial Roman Periods of Italy”
signed in Washington, D.C. on January 19, 2001 and amended and extended in 2006
through an exchange of diplomatic notes. The purpose of this review is for the
Committee to make findings and a recommendation regarding the proposal to extend
this Memorandum of Understanding.
 
The Committee’s responsibilities are carried out in accordance with
provisions of the Act. The U.S. – Italy Memorandum of Understanding, as
amended and extended, the Designated List of restricted categories, the text of the
Act and related information may be found at
http://exchanges.state.gov/heritage/culprop.
 
Exercising delegated authority from the President and the Secretary of State,
I have determined that portions of the meeting on May 6 and 7 will be closed
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 552b(c)(9)(B) and 19 U.S.C. § 2605(h), because the
disclosure of matters involved in the Committee’s proceedings would compromise
the Government’s negotiation objectives or bargaining positions on the
negotiations of this Memorandum of Understanding. However, on May 6, the
Committee will hold an open session, 9:30 a.m. to approximately 11:30 a.m., to
receive oral public comment on the proposal to extend the Memorandum of
Understanding. Persons wishing to attend this open session should notify the
Cultural Heritage Center of the Department of State at (202) 632-6301 by
Thursday, April 22, 2010, 5:00 p.m. (EDT) to arrange for admission, as seating is
extremely limited.
 
Those who wish to make oral presentations should request to be scheduled
and submit a written text of the oral comments by Thursday, April 22, 2010, to
allow time for distribution of these comments to Committee members for their
review prior to the meeting. Oral comments will be limited to five minutes each or
less to allow time for questions from members of the Committee and must
specifically address the determinations under section 303(a)(1) of the Act, 19
U.S.C. § 2602(a)(1), pursuant to which the Committee must make findings. This
citation for the determinations can be found at the web site noted above. The
Committee also invites written comments and asks that they be submitted no later
than April 22, 2010. All written materials, including the written texts of oral
statements, should be faxed to (202) 632-6300, if 5 pages or less. Written
comments greater than five pages in length must be duplicated (20 copies) and
mailed to Cultural Heritage Center, SA-5, Fifth Floor, Department of State,
Washington, D.C. 20522- 0505. Express mail is recommended for timely delivery.
 
Date: MAR 29 2010 _______________________
Judith A. McHale
Under Secretary
Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
Department of State
[FR Doc. 2010-7898 Filed 04/06/2010 at 8:45 am; Publication Date: 04/07/2010]