[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 162 (Wednesday, August 20, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49173-49174]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-19210]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket Number: 0808141100-81101-01]


Science Advisory Board; Preliminary Report of the NOAA Science 
Advisory Board Fire Weather Research Working Group

AGENCY: Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce 
(DOC).

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: NOAA Research (OAR) publishes this notice on behalf of the 
NOAA Science Advisory Board (SAB) to announce the availability of the 
preliminary draft report of the SAB Fire Weather Research Working 
Group's (here called the FWRWG) for public comment. The preliminary 
draft report

[[Page 49174]]

of the FWRWG has been prepared pursuant to the request initiated from 
NOAA for an external panel of experts to carry out an independent 
review of current fire weather research being conducted by NOAA and 
other federal agencies, and in universities and elsewhere, and examine 
how the results of that research are being further developed and 
transitioned to operations by NOAA.

DATES: Comments on this preliminary report must be received by 5 p.m. 
on September 19, 2008.

ADDRESSES: The Preliminary Draft Report of the FWRWG will be available 
on the NOAA Science Advisory Board Web site at http://www.sab.noaa.gov/Reports/FWRWG.
    The public is encouraged to submit comments electronically to 
[email protected]. For individuals who do not have access to 
the Internet, comments may be submitted in writing to: NOAA Science 
Advisory Board (SAB), c/o Dr. Cynthia Decker, 1315 East-West Highway-R/
SAB, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Cynthia Decker, Executive 
Director, Science Advisory Board, NOAA, 1315 East-West Highway-R/SAB, 
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. (Phone: 301-734-1156, Fax: 301-734-1459) 
during normal business hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday 
through Friday, or visit the NOAA SAB Web site at http://www.sab.noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of its charge, the FWRWG was tasked 
to examine fire weather-related research efforts conducted by groups 
external to NOAA and identify areas of commonality where research 
activities might be leveraged for mutual benefit. The FWRWG was 
requested to develop findings and recommendations to ensure these 
research results lead to improved operational fire weather information 
and forecasts and to examine related research within NOAA not 
necessarily specific to fire but which could result in improved fire 
weather services or other NOAA emergency support operations. The 
complete terms of reference for the working group can be found at 
http://www.sab.noaa.gov/Working_Groups/current/fireweather/FWRWG_terms.pdf.
    The SAB is chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act and 
is the only Federal Advisory Committee with the responsibility to 
advise the Under Secretary on long- and short-term strategies for 
research, education, and application of science to resource management 
and environmental assessment and prediction.
    NOAA welcomes all comments on the content of the preliminary draft 
report. We also request comments on any inconsistencies perceived 
within the report, and possible omissions of important topics or 
issues. This preliminary draft report is being issued for comment only 
and is not intended for interim use. For any shortcoming noted within 
the preliminary report, please propose specific remedies. Suggested 
changes will be incorporated where appropriate, and a final report will 
be posted on the SAB Web site.
    Please follow these instructions for preparing and submitting 
comments. Using the format guidance described below will facilitate the 
processing of comments and assure that all comments are appropriately 
considered. Overview comments should be provided first and should be 
numbered. Comments that are specific to particular pages, paragraphs or 
lines of the section should follow any overview comments and should 
identify the page and line numbers to which they apply. Please number 
each page of your comments.

    Dated: August 14, 2008.
Terry Bevels,
Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. E8-19210 Filed 8-19-08; 8:45 am]
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