[Federal Register: June 29, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 124)]
[Notices]
[Page 37405-37406]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29jn10-42]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XT64
Notice of Public Review and Comment Period on NOAA's Next
Generation Strategic Plan (NGSP)
AGENCY: Office of Program Planning & Integration, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NOAA's Next Generation Strategic Plan (Plan) sets the course
for the agency's mission, a vision of the future, the societal outcomes
that NOAA aims to help realize, and, consequently, the actions that the
agency must take. The draft Plan lays the foundation for NOAA to play a
leading Federal role in responding to the Nation's most urgent
challenges, ranging from climate change, severe weather, and natural or
human-induced disasters to declining biodiversity and threatened or
degraded ocean and coastal resources. NOAA's draft strategy emerged
from extensive consultations across the Nation with staff and
stakeholders--the extended community of partners and collaborators in
the public, private, and academic sectors who have a stake in NOAA's
mission. During more than 20 regional stakeholder forums, a national
forum in Washington, DC, and through web-based engagement and idea
generation, NOAA gathered input that helped assess the greatest
challenges facing our Nation and the highest priority goals for NOAA.
NOAA invites comments on the Plan on its: mission statement; vision of
the future; long-term strategic goals and five-year objectives;
enterprise components and five-year objectives; and strategic
partnerships.
DATES: The public comment period is open from June 29, 2010, to August
10, 2010. Comments must be submitted by COB on August 10, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments via the following methods--
NGSP Website (www.noaa.gov/ngsp).
Mail: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Office of Program Planning and Integration, 1315 East West Highway,
Room 15749, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.
Email comments to strategic.planning@noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marla Trollan, NGSP Communications
Director, at marla.trollan@noaa.gov or (302) 270-6288.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: You may view the Plan in its entirety at:
www.noaa.gov/ngsp.
I. Summary of the Plan
Through its longstanding mission of science, service, and
stewardship, NOAA generates tremendous value for the Nation -- and the
world -- by advancing our understanding of and ability to anticipate
changes in the Earth's environment, by improving society's ability to
make scientifically-informed decisions, and by conserving and managing
ocean and coastal resources. NOAA's mission of science, service, and
stewardship is to understand and anticipate changes in climate,
weather, oceans, and coasts, share knowledge and information with
others, and conserve and manage marine resources.
NOAA's mission is central to many of today's greatest challenges.
Climate change. Severe weather. Natural and human-induced disasters.
Declining biodiversity. Threatened or degraded ocean and coastal
resources. These challenges convey a common message: Human health,
prosperity, and well-being depend upon the health and resilience of
natural ecosystems.
NOAA's vision of the future is one of healthy ecosystems,
communities, and economies that are resilient in the face of change.
Resilient ecosystems, communities, and economies can maintain and
improve their health and vitality over time by anticipating, absorbing,
and diffusing change--whether sudden or prolonged. This vision of
resilience will guide NOAA and its partners in our collective effort to
reduce the vulnerability of communities and ecological systems in the
short term, while helping society avoid or adapt to long-term
environmental, social, and economic changes. To this end, NOAA will
focus on four long-term outcomes within its primary mission domains.
NOAA's Long-Term Goals:
Climate Adaptation and Mitigation: An informed society
anticipating and responding to climate and its impacts;
Weather-Ready Nation: Society is prepared for and responds
to weather-related events;
Healthy Oceans: Vibrant marine fisheries, habitats, and
biodiversity sustained within healthy and productive ecosystems; and
Resilient Coastal Communities and Economies: Coastal and
Great Lakes communities are environmentally and economically
sustainable.
NOAA cannot achieve these goals on its own, but neither can society
achieve them without NOAA. This Plan describes the long-term outcomes
that NOAA will contribute to in each of these areas, along with the
specific objectives that NOAA will pursue over the next five years.
Over the next five years, NOAA will direct its collective mission
capabilities toward objectives for society in each of its four
interrelated and mutually supportive long-term goals:
Long-term goal: Climate Adaptation and Mitigation - An
informed society anticipating and responding to climate and its
impacts.
Objective: Improved scientific understanding of the
changing climate system and its impacts.
Objective: Integrated assessments of current and future
states of the climate system that identify potential impacts and inform
science, services, and decisions.
Objective: Mitigation and adaptation efforts supported by
sustained, reliable, and timely climate services.
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Objective: A climate-literate public that understands its
vulnerabilities to a changing climate and makes informed decisions.
Long-term goal: Weather-Ready Nation - Society is prepared
for and responds to weather-related events.
Objective: Reduced loss of life, property, and disruption
from high-impact events.
Objective: Improved water resource management.
Objective: Improved transportation efficiency and safety.
Objective: Healthy people and communities through improved
air and water quality.
Objective: Secure, reliable infrastructure for energy,
communications, and agriculture.
Long-term goal: Healthy Oceans - Vibrant marine fisheries,
habitats, and biodiversity sustained within healthy and productive
ecosystems.
Objective: Improved understanding of ecosystems to inform
resource management decisions.
Objective: Recovered, rebuilt, and sustained living marine
resources.
Objective: Healthy habitats that sustain resilient and
thriving marine resources and communities.
Objective: Safe and sustainable seafood for healthy
populations.
Long-term goal: Resilient Coastal Communities and
Economies - Coastal and Great Lakes communities that are
environmentally and economically sustainable.
Objective: Resilient coastal communities that can adapt to
the impacts of hazards and climate change.
Objective: Comprehensive ocean and coastal planning and
management.
Objective: Safe, efficient and environmentally sound
marine transportation.
Objective: Improved coastal water quality supporting human
health and coastal ecosystem services.
Objective: Safe, environmentally sound Arctic access and
resource management.
As a whole, NOAA's capacity to achieve these goals and objectives
will depend upon the continued strengthening and integration of NOAA's
enterprise-wide science and technology, stronger partnerships and
stakeholder engagement, and effective organizational and administrative
functions. Over the next five years, NOAA will also direct its
capabilities toward objectives for society in each of these components
of its enterprise.
NOAA's Science & Technology Enterprise:
Objective: A holistic understanding of the Earth system
through research.
Objective: Accurate and reliable data from sustained and
integrated earth observing systems.
Objective: An integrated environmental modeling system.
NOAA's Engagement Enterprise:
Objective: An engaged and educated public with an improved
capacity to make scientifically informed environmental decisions.
Objective: Integrated services meeting the evolving
demands of regional stakeholders.
Objective: Full and effective use of international
partnerships and policy leadership to achieve NOAA's mission
objectives.
NOAA's Organization & Administration Enterprise:
Objective: Diverse and constantly evolving capabilities in
NOAA's workforce.
Objective: A modern information technology infrastructure
for a scientific enterprise.
Objective: Sound, life-cycle management of capital
investments.
II. Request for Comments
NOAA invites comments on its: mission statement; vision of the
future; long-term strategic goals and five-year objectives; enterprise
components and five-year objectives; and strategic partnerships. NOAA
prefers that you submit comments online via the NGSP website,
www.noaa.gov/ngsp, where you may post general comments on the plan,
comment on any particular section, as well as vote on the comments
posted by others. This method will help NOAA understand which aspects
of the plan deserve the most attention in developing a final version.
You may also mail comments to: National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Office of Program Planning and Integration, 1315 East
West Highway, Room 15749, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 or email
comments to strategic.planning@noaa.gov.
Dated: June 24, 2010
Susan A. Kennedy,
Deputy Director of Strategic Planning, Office of Program Planning and
Integration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-15768 Filed 6-28-10; 8:45 am]
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