The United States shall be represented on the Commission by four United States Commissioners who are knowledgeable or experienced concerning Pacific salmon, to be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the President. Of these, one shall be an official of the United States Government who shall be a nonvoting member of the United States Section; one shall be a resident of the State of Alaska and shall be appointed from a list of at least six qualified individuals nominated by the Governor of that State; one shall be a resident of the States [1] of Oregon,[2] or Washington and shall be appointed from a list of at least six qualified individuals nominated by the Governors of those States; and one shall be appointed from a list of at least six qualified individuals nominated by the treaty Indian tribes of the States of Idaho, Oregon or Washington. Two of the initial appointments shall be for two-year terms; all other appointments shall be for four-year terms. Each Commissioner is eligible for reappointment. Any individual appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of any term of office shall be appointed for the remainder of that term. Unless otherwise agreed, the chairmanship of the United States Section shall rotate annually among all four members with the order of rotation determined by lot at the first meeting.
The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior, shall designate an Alternate Commissioner for each Commissioner from the respective lists referred to in subsection (a), and may designate an Alternate Commissioner for the Federal Commissioner. In the absence of a Commissioner, the Alternate Commissioner may exercise all functions of such Commissioner at any meeting of the Commission or of the United States Section. Alternate Commissioners are eligible for reappointment and may attend all meetings of the United States Section.
Panel members described in subsections (c)(2), (c)(3), (d)(2), and (e)(2) shall be appointed by the Governor of the applicable State. Panel members described in subsections (c)(4) and (e)(3) shall be appointed by the Secretary of the Interior from lists of nominations provided by the appropriate treaty Indian tribes. All other Panel members shall be appointed by the Secretary: Provided, That at least one member of the northern Panel shall be a voting member of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, at least one member of the southern Panel shall be a voting member of the Pacific Fishery Management Council; and the Panel members described in subsections (c)(5), (d)(3), and (e)(4) shall be appointed from lists of nominations provided by the Governors of the applicable States. For the northern, southern, and Fraser River panels, the appointing authorities listed above may also designate an alternate Panel member, meeting the same qualifications and having the same term of office, to service in the absence of a Panel member appointed under this subsection. Panel members and alternate Panel members, other than the southern Panel member described in subsection (c)(5), shall serve four-year terms; except that the Secretary of State shall designate one-half of the initial appointments to each Panel as serving two-year terms. The southern Panel member described in subsection (c)(5) and the corresponding alternate shall each be appointed for one-year terms; the first such member shall be appointed from the commercial sector and an alternate shall be appointed from the recreational sector, with the alternate succeeding to the member position in the subsequent year; thereafter the member and alternate positions shall rotate between the commercial and recreational sectors on an annual basis. Any individual appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of any term of office shall be appointed for the remainder of that term. Panel members and alternates shall be eligible for reappointment and may attend all meetings of the relevant United States Panel Section.