[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 124 (Tuesday, June 29, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37405-37406]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-15768]


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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 [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marla Trollan, NGSP Communications 
Director, at [email protected] 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.

[[Page 37406]]

     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 [email protected].

    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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