[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 162 (Monday, August 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51838-51839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-20851]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
Public Review of Draft Coastal and Marine Ecological
Classification Standard
AGENCY: Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments on draft Coastal and Marine
Ecological Classification Standard.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) is conducting a
public review of the draft Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification
Standard (CMECS). CMECS provides a means of classifying ecological and
habitat units using a common terminology. It provides a uniform
protocol for identifying, characterizing and naming ecological units in
support of monitoring, protection, and restoration of unique biotic
assemblages, protected species, critical habitat, and important
ecosystem components. The FGDC Coastal and Marine Spatial Data
Subcommittee, chaired by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), developed this draft standard. The FGDC
Coordination Group, comprised of representatives of Federal agencies,
approved releasing this draft standard for public review at its July
20, 2010 meeting. The FGDC invites all stakeholders in coastal and
marine ecology and management to comment on this standard to ensure
that the standard meets their needs.
The draft Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard may
be downloaded at http://www.csc.noaa.gov/benthic/cmecs/CMECS_doc.pdf.
Comments shall be submitted online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/22G2S67.
Comments that concern specific issues/changes/additions may result
in revisions to the draft Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification
Standard. Reviewers may obtain information about how comments were
addressed upon request. After formal endorsement of the standard by the
FGDC, the standard and a summary analysis of the changes will be made
available to the public on the FGDC Web site.
DATES: Comments on the draft Coastal and Marine Ecological
Classification Standard must be submitted no later than Monday,
December 13, 2010.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Ms. Julie Binder Maitra, U.S. Geological
Survey, Federal Geographic Data Committee, [email protected], 703-648-
4627.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FGDC coordinates the development of the
National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), which encompasses the
policies, standards, and procedures for organizations to cooperatively
produce and share geospatial data. Federal agencies that make up the
FGDC develop the NSDI in cooperation with organizations from State,
local and tribal governments, the academic community, and the private
sector. The authority for the FGDC is OMB Circular No. A-16 Revised on
Coordination of Geographic Information and Related Spatial Data
Activities (Revised August 19, 2002). More information on the FGDC and
the NSDI is available at http://www.fgdc.gov. Standards are a
foundational component of the NSDI.
The Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS)
is a framework for organizing scientific information about the marine
and coastal environments of the United States. It was developed to
provide a common language that facilitates standardization of
information in
[[Page 51839]]
support of conservation and management efforts and is applicable
locally, regionally and nationally. The standard builds on and
integrates with existing classification standards. The CMECS domain
extends from the coastal tidal splash zone to the deep ocean, including
all substrate and water column features of the oceans as well as the
deep waters of the Great Lakes.
CMECS describes the defining features of individual habitats via
five component classifications. The surface geology component describes
the geological composition of surface and near-surface substrates
including biogenic structures. The benthic biotic component is a
hierarchical classification of the biological composition of coastal
and marine benthos. The sub-benthic component classifies
characteristics of the sediments and soils below the surface providing
detailed information on the composition of the sediment column. The
geoform component describes the major geomorphic and structural
characteristics of the coasts, islands and the seafloor. The water
column component defines and organizes the structure, characteristics
and processes of the water column and associated biota. A comprehensive
set of modifiers allows the inclusion of additional information on
environmental, structural, physical, chemical and biotic features in
addition to required elements of the classification. Each component can
be used and mapped independently or combined as needed to address
specific questions or applications. The proposed standard was developed
to be technology- and scale-neutral; users may choose the operational
scale and level of detail suited for their purpose. CMECS is a dynamic
content standard that will allow additional types and refinement of the
classification with improvements in technology and information.
Dated: August 13, 2010.
Ivan DeLoatch,
FGDC Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 2010-20851 Filed 8-20-10; 8:45 am]
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