    [Senate Hearing 115-897]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                            S. Hrg. 115-897

                       A DECADE OF THE DIGITAL COAST PARTNERSHIP
                        PROGRAM: SUCCESSES AND OPPORTUNITIES

    =======================================================================

                                    HEARING

                                   BEFORE THE

                       SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCEANS, ATMOSPHERE,
                            FISHERIES, AND COAST GUARD

                                     OF THE

                             COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
                          SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
                              UNITED STATES SENATE

                         ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 SECOND SESSION

                                   __________

                                  JUNE 5, 2018

                                   __________

        Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
                                 Transportation

    [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                    Available online: http://www.govinfo.gov

                                  __________

                       U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
    59-902 PDF                  WASHINGTON : 2025

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

           SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION

                         ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 SECOND SESSION

                       JOHN THUNE, South Dakota, Chairman
    ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi         BILL NELSON, Florida, Ranking
    ROY BLUNT, Missouri                  MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
    TED CRUZ, Texas                      AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
    DEB FISCHER, Nebraska                RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut
    JERRY MORAN, Kansas                  BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii
    DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska                 EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts
    DEAN HELLER, Nevada                  TOM UDALL, New Mexico
    JAMES INHOFE, Oklahoma               GARY PETERS, Michigan
    MIKE LEE, Utah                       TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin
    RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin               TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
    SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia  MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire
    CORY GARDNER, Colorado               CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada
    TODD YOUNG, Indiana                  JON TESTER, Montana
                           Nick Rossi, Staff Director
                     Adrian Arnakis, Deputy Staff Director
                        Jason Van Beek, General Counsel
                     Kim Lipsky, Democratic Staff Director
                  Chris Day, Democratic Deputy Staff Director
                          Renae Black, Senior Counsel
                                     ------

                SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCEANS, ATMOSPHERE, FISHERIES,
                                AND COAST GUARD

    DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska, Chairman       TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin, Ranking
    ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi         MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
    DEB FISCHER, Nebraska                RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut
    JAMES INHOFE, Oklahoma               BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii
    MIKE LEE, Utah                       EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts
    RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin               GARY PETERS, Michigan
    CORY GARDNER, Colorado
    TODD YOUNG, Indiana

                                C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------
                                                                       Page
    Hearing held on June 5, 2018.....................................     1
    Statement of Senator Sullivan....................................     1
    Statement of Senator Baldwin.....................................     2
        Letter dated January 16, 2017 to Hon. John Thune and Hon.
          Bill Nelson from Kurt W. Allen, Vice President, Federal
          Vertical Lead, Quantum Spatial, Inc........................     4
        Letter dated January 24, 2017 to Hon. John Thune and Hon.
          Bill Nelson from the American Planning Association,
          Association of State Floodplain Managers, Coastal States
          Organization, MAPPS, National Association of Counties,
          National Estaurine Research Reserve Association, National
          Society of Professional Surveyors, National States
          Geographic Information Council and The Nature Conservancy..     5
        Statements of Support for the Digital Coast Act..............     6
    Statement of Senator Nelson......................................     8
    Statement of Senator Wicker......................................    39
        Report dated May 2018 entitled, ``The 2018 CoreLogic Storm
          Surge Report--The Impact of Storm Surge Among American's
          Largest Coastline''........................................    40

                                   Witnesses

    Nicole LeBoeuf, Deputy Assistant Administrator, National Ocean
      Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S.
      Department of Commerce.........................................    10
        Prepared statement...........................................    11
    Paul Barnes, Geographic Information Services Director, Harrison
      County, Mississippi on behalf of the National Association of
      Counties.......................................................    14
        Prepared statement...........................................    15
    David Millar, Government Accounts Director, Americas for Fugro...    27
        Prepared statement...........................................    29
    Tyson Fettes, Register of Deeds, Racine County, Wisconsin........    32
        Prepared statement...........................................    33

                                    Appendix

    Response to written questions submitted by Hon. Roger F. Wicker
      to Nicole LeBoeuf..............................................    57
    Response to written questions submitted by Hon. Jim Inhofe to
      David Millar...................................................    57

                         A DECADE OF THE DIGITAL COAST
                         PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM: SUCCESSES
                               AND OPPORTUNITIES

                                  ----------

                             TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 2018

                                   U.S. Senate,
    Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and
                                           Coast Guard,
            Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
                                                        Washington, DC.
        The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:00 a.m. in
    room SR-253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Dan Sullivan,
    Chairman of the Subcommittee, presiding.
        Present: Senators Sullivan [presiding], Wicker, Fischer,
    Inhofe, Young, Baldwin, Nelson, and Blumenthal.

                OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. DAN SULLIVAN,
                        U.S. SENATOR FROM ALASKA

        The Chairman. The Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere,
    Fisheries, and the Coast Guard will now come to order.
        Today's hearing will focus on the Digital Coast Partnership
    Program. The Digital Coast Program is a project of NOAA that
    provides a collaborative, online data base of the most up-to-
    date coastal information made available to both the public and
    to private users.
        Beyond just a database, the Digital Coast also provides
    tools for coastal communities to decipher and use the high tech
    mapping data to make accurate decisions and smart investments
    in their communities.
        We have called this hearing at the request of my Ranking
    colleague, Senator Baldwin, but this is a topic of mutual
    interest for her and I, as well as this entire committee.
        Alaska, for example, has more than 44,000 miles of
    shoreline, which more than doubles the shoreline of the entire
    Lower 48 of the United States. Given that three-quarters of
    Alaska's citizens live in coastal regions, publicly accessible
    coastal data is of vital importance for the safety of our
    citizens and my state's economy.
        Economic activity in Alaska's coastal areas includes world
    renowned fish and shellfish industries, as well as the
    burgeoning recreation and tourism industries.
        It is no secret that in recent years, the Arctic region has
    faced an unprecedented increase in vessel traffic, yet the
    necessary supporting infrastructure, and importantly data, does
    not match this growing demand.
        Many areas of the Arctic have not been surveyed at all.
    Ever. And others have not been surveyed since World War II,
    over 70 years ago. To its credit, NOAA has recognized this need
    and has pursued increasingly robust plans for mapping in the
    Arctic.
        With more data, Digital Coast will give our constituents
    more tools and knowledge to help all our coastal communities
    thrive.
        In May of last year, the Senate passed Senator Baldwin's
    legislation, the Digital Coast Act, by unanimous consent. The
    bill is currently pending in the House, legislation which I was
    glad to be a cosponsor of, would authorize the next phase in
    coastal mapping at NOAA by ensuring that stakeholders will
    continue to have the data to make smart choices for economic
    development, shoreland management, and coastal restoration.
        The legislation supports further development of the
    existing Digital Coast program by increasing access to uniform,
    up-to-date data to help communities get the information they
    need to manage their resources, respond to emergencies, and
    plan for long-term coastal resilience.
        To date, the Digital Coast program has proved valuable in
    Alaska, aiding in the acquisition and processing of geospatial
    data, providing access to educational platforms, and
    establishing baseline data for a fishery restoration project in
    the Kiwalik River Watershed.
        With improved data, the Digital Coast program will continue
    to benefit my state, as well as other coastal communities
    nationwide.
        I look forward to hearing more from our witnesses, and I
    want to thank them for all being here today.
        I now recognize Ranking Member Baldwin.

                   STATEMENT OF HON. TAMMY BALDWIN,
                      U.S. SENATOR FROM WISCONSIN

        Senator Baldwin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        I really appreciate your working with me to host this
    hearing. I wanted to thank you also for your partnership and
    the collaboration we have had on S. 110, the Digital Coast Act,
    which would formally authorize this important program.
        Greetings to our distinguished panel. It is great to have
    you here.
        I am really eager this morning to hear about the successes
    of the Digital Coast program over the last decade and the
    opportunities for the program moving forward. Our bill, as the
    Chairman said, has passed this Committee and the Full Senate
    twice now, but it has been sitting at the desk in the House
    awaiting consideration.
        I believe that when folks hear the diverse and important
    applications of the Digital Coast program, hopefully our bill
    will not have to wait much longer.
        Mr. Chairman, your state certainly has the longest
    coastline in the United States. No discrepancy there, no
    argument. But the Great Lakes are not, well, they are a little
    further behind, but we get to claim 4,500 miles of coast, and I
    do not have to tell you that our coastal communities are
    vibrant hubs of commerce and prosperity. In addition, Lake
    Michigan and Lake Superior are also sources of drinking water
    for millions of people.
        That is why it has been a top priority for me to both
    restore and protect the environmental quality of the Great
    Lakes. To do that, we simply must have robust, timely, and
    accurate data. Data that is not easily accessible does not get
    used.
        That is why about 20 years ago in 1997 communities began
    asking NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
    Administration, to develop a central clearinghouse for coastal
    data that would be readily available to decisionmakers at all
    levels, from neighborhood councils to the Federal Government.
        Ten years ago this month, on June 30, 2008 NOAA launched
    the first phase of the Digital Coast platform. The first phase
    included high quality NOAA data.
        In the decade since, the program has wisely begun to
    incorporate data from a vast array of sources including other
    Federal agencies, states and local communities, and from
    private companies like Quantum Spatial in Sheboygan, Wisconsin
    and Continental Mapping in Madison, Wisconsin.
        In 2015, that equated to more than 70 terabytes of data, 50
    tools, and 100 use stories, and 20 trainings on the Digital
    Coast platform.
        The results speak for themselves. People are using Digital
    Coast. As of 2015, there have been more than 150,000 data
    downloads and about one million unique visits to the platform.
        The benefits of this program fall into two main categories.
    First, it makes users more efficient because they can easily
    access the data, and it makes them more effective because the
    data and tools that are available are of the highest quality.
    This is why 3 out of 4 Digital Coast users surveyed say that
    they could not have completed their projects without the
    information and the tools available on the platform.
        During Tyson Fettes' time as Racine County Register of
    Deeds, the County has done award winning work using the
    geospatial mapping tools available on Digital Coast to benefit
    Wisconsin residents, including the development of a new smart
    phone application that will aid in disaster assessment in the
    future.
        Racine County, and its Lake Michigan coastal neighbors,
    knows that bluff erosion is a major concern, and one that
    Digital Coast tools are also helping to address.
        The Wisconsin Coastal Natural Hazards Work Group, the
    Association of State Flood Plain Managers, and the University
    of Wisconsin Madison have mapped erosion hotspots along the
    coast. With this tool, planners can better predict the
    conditions that lead to bluff instability and collapse.
        This tiny Digital Coast program, funded at $1.7 million in
    Fiscal Year 2017, has been leveraged to save countless taxpayer
    dollars that would otherwise be spent duplicating effort or
    wasting time and money to find this data elsewhere.
        That is why our bill has overwhelming support from across
    the aisle, across the Capitol, and across the country. In fact,
    Mr. Chairman, I would like to add these letters of support for
    the Digital Coast Act into the hearing record.
        The Chairman. Without objection.
        [The information referred to follows:]

                                          Quantum Spatial, Inc.
                                   St. Petersburg, FL, January 16, 2017

    Hon. John Thune,
    Chairman,
    Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    United States Senate,
    Washington, DC.

    Hon. Bill Nelson,
    Ranking Minority Member,
    Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    United States Senate,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Thune and Ranking Member Nelson:

        I write in strong support of S. 110, the Digital Coast Bill, and
    urge the Committee to mark up and report the bill favorably to the full
    Senate for its consideration. S. 110, introduced by Senator Tammy
    Baldwin, is a bill that would authorize the National Oceanic and
    Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a constituent-driven
    program to provide a digital information platform capable of
    efficiently integrating coastal data with decision-support tools,
    training, and best practices. The collection of coastal geospatial data
    will help inform and improve local, State, regional, and Federal
    capacities to manage their respective coastal regions.
        Quantum Spatial is the largest, most technically advanced full-
    service geospatial solutions provider in North America. We apply the
    power of geospatial solutions to the decisions and processes that
    matter most to organizations. Quantum Spatial partners with
    organizations that map, model and manage their world. We provide
    advanced imaging and remote sensing technologies, backed by powerful
    modeling, visualization, and GIS tools. These geospatial services have
    strategic value to local and state officials for many uses including
    decision making associated with severe weather impacting our coastal
    communities
        The Digital Coast is a web-based collection of data, tools,
    trainings, and case studies designed for coastal managers and
    technicians across the U.S. While the Digital Coast was developed, and
    is currently maintained by the NOAA Office for Coastal Management
    (OCM), hundreds of organizations and federal, state, and local agencies
    have contributed and make use of its content. The collection of high-
    quality, authoritative resources that comprise the Digital Coast is
    focused on coastal and ocean issues and is designed to support state
    and local decision makers charged with ensuring the public's safety and
    the wise management of coastal resources. The Digital Coast Program
    supports those involved in reducing flood risks, green infrastructure,
    coastal and ocean habitat, and renewable energy activities.
        The Digital Coast program multiplies its impact to regional and
    state coastal management efforts by its ``make once and use many
    times'' architecture structure. According to an April 2015 report
    prepared by NOAA, annual net benefits have grown from about $2.3
    million in 2009 to more than $6.7 million in 2013. Currently, benefits
    exceed costs by a margin of 3 to 1, with net benefits of $25 million.
    Continued operation over the next 15 years is expected to yield a net
    benefit of $117 million, equating to a return on investment of 411
    percent. User surveys and the Digital Coast return on investment study
    have shown that by providing information in this manner, Digital Coast
    saves coastal managers and technicians both resources and time.
        The Digital Coast Program is a federal-state-local partnership that
    provides valuable data and training to a diverse group of local,
    regional, and statewide coastal interests all of which goes to
    supporting, building, and sustaining the resilience of the coastal
    economy. For all of these reasons, we strongly support S. 110 and urge
    the Committee and your Senate colleagues to actively support this
    legislation.
                Sincerely,
                                                 Kurt W. Allen,
                                 Vice President, Federal Vertical Lead,
                                                      Quantum Spatial, Inc.
    cc: Senator Tammy Baldwin
                                     ______

                                     [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Baldwin. And with that, I look forward to hearing
    the great success stories from our witnesses and thinking
    through what the next 10 years might mean for the Digital
    Coast.
        Thank you.
        The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Baldwin.
        I want to welcome our witnesses who came from all over the
    United States. Let me introduce them.
        We have, first, Ms. Nicole LeBoeuf, who is the Deputy
    Assistant Administrator for NOAA, the National Ocean Service
    part of NOAA.
        Mr. Paul Barnes, he is the Director of Geographic
    Information Services, Harrison County, Mississippi.
        Mr. David Millar, Director of Government Accounts Americas
    from Fugro. He will be showing a short, 3 minute video
    following his testimony.
        And Mr. Tyson Fettes, the Register of Deeds in Racine
    County, Wisconsin.
        Each of you will have 5 minutes to deliver your oral
    statement. A longer written statement will be included in the
    record.
        I see the Ranking Member for the whole Committee is here.
    Senator Nelson, would you like to say a few words?

                    STATEMENT OF HON. BILL NELSON,
                       U.S. SENATOR FROM FLORIDA

        Senator Nelson. Mr. Chairman, this Subcommittee is so
    important that I felt compelled.
        The Chairman. Well, we know that, but thank you very much
    for saying that. We really appreciate you being here.
        Senator Nelson. Thank you and to the Ranking Member.
        What is so great about the tool that we are talking about
    this morning is that it allows folks to visualize sea level
    rise and what it means for coastal communities.
        Mr. Chairman, my state is one of those coastal communities.
    Twenty-one million people live in Florida; 75 percent of the
    population of the state is along the coast. Needless to say
    that the effects of sea level rise is already having its
    effect, considerably, with water sloshing over the streets in
    Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale.
        Lo and behold, I found out much further north on the west
    coast, not the Atlantic Coast, the mayor of Sarasota told me,
    and I said, ``Send me some pictures,'' and indeed, that is what
    is happening.
        We had a field hearing three years ago down in Miami Beach.
    One of the scientists testified that it is not projections. It
    is not forecasts. It is actual measurements.
        Over the last four decades, the sea has risen in southeast
    Florida from 5 to 8 inches. He said, this scientist, by the
    way, a dear friend, a former member of the astronaut corps who
    sadly has passed away from cancer. But he said, ``By the end of
    the century, the intensity of hurricanes, including rainfall
    near the centers of hurricanes, may increase. But even if
    hurricane frequency and intensity do not change,'' but we have
    a season on the forecast this year, Lord knows, please, do not
    let the forecast be right, that this is going to be a terrible
    hurricane season. ``But even if the hurricane frequency and
    intensity do not change, rising sea levels and coastal
    development will likely increase the impact of hurricanes and
    other coastal storms on the coastal communities and
    infrastructure.''
        They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, here it
    is, a sunny day; sunny day king tide flooding in Miami Beach.
    There we go. Can you show that one too?
        At another field hearing in West Palm Beach just last year,
    the Broward County Resilience officer showed a video of a man
    biking along a City of Fort Lauderdale, sidewalks submerged in
    seawater.
        Then we took the Committee to St. Petersburg, where the
    city has designed its new pier out of floating docks to
    accommodate sea level rise.
        And then we could go to see tidal flooding and sea level
    rise in Sarasota. What I just mentioned, the Vice Mayor, this
    is Sarasota. Now, this is much further north than Miami and
    Fort Lauderdale, and on the opposite coast, the Gulf Coast. And
    so, those pictures as you can see.
        Or St. Augustine, Florida much further north on the
    Atlantic Coast, where the Public Works Department is seeing
    nuisance flooding from high tides that overwhelm their storm
    system, their storm water system.
        Despite all these examples, the sea level rise are on sunny
    days. The NASA scientist at our hearing back in 2014 was
    talking about climate that could exacerbate the damage from
    hurricanes. Warmer ocean water fuels hurricanes making them
    more intense and the sea level rise compounds storm surge and
    rain-induced flooding.
        So here are some more pictures. Take a look at north
    Florida. Jacksonville, this is during Hurricane Irma. This is
    very far north of Jacksonville. Jacksonville is near the
    Georgia line.
        Well, do you want to take a look at Puerto Rico? Hurricane
    Maria absolutely ravaged the island. It is not an exaggeration
    to say that climate change and sea level rise are putting
    peoples' lives and property at risk.
        So the real question is, what are we going to do about it?
    There are two pieces to a solution.
        One is we are going to have to stop putting so many
    greenhouse gases in the atmosphere so fast. That is called
    ``climate mitigation,'' and it means we must invest in new
    technology, in the economy of the future. Things like wind,
    solar, electric vehicles, and more efficient buildings.
        Number two, we are going to have to make our communities
    more resilient to the greenhouse gases and the warming that we
    have already got in the system. This is called ``climate change
    adaptation.'' You do not have to agree with climate science to
    know that this makes sense. It has already been done in Miami
    Beach with tens of millions of dollars of huge pumps that are
    used to now get the water off the streets.
        We are talking about strengthening building codes to
    withstand wind events; restoring the function of floodplains so
    that when 2 or 3 feet of rainwater gets dumped, it can absorb
    and recede; and rebuilding natural flood protection, like sand
    dunes and beaches. I am committed to doing both of those
    solutions.
        Mr. Chairman, you are very kind to let me expound, but as
    the Ranking Member of the Full Committee, I felt like it is
    necessary that since your Ranking Member is experiencing these
    effects of climate change and sea level rise in my state of
    Florida that I need to bring it to the attention of the
    Committee.
        Thank you, Mr. Chair.
        The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Nelson.
        Now I want to turn to our witnesses for their testimony.
    You will have five minutes each to deliver your oral statement
    and a longer written statement will be included in the record,
    if you so wish.
        We will begin with Ms. LeBoeuf.

             STATEMENT OF NICOLE LeBOEUF, DEPUTY ASSISTANT

                 ADMINISTRATOR, NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE,

            NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION,

                      U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

        Ms. LeBoeuf. Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Baldwin, of
    course Senator Nelson, and members of the Subcommittee.
        Thank you for the opportunity for the National Oceanic and
    Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, to provide its views on
    the successes of the Digital Coast, and on opportunities for
    the future.
        NOAA appreciates the Subcommittee's interest and support
    for the Digital Coast and its contributions to the economic and
    environmental resilience of our Nation's coasts and Great
    Lakes.
        My name is Nicole LeBoeuf. I am the Deputy Assistant
    Administrator for NOAA's National Ocean Service. As a proud
    steward of our Nation's coastal resources, NOAA is pleased to
    see the tangible impacts that Digital Coast has made on the
    ground across the United States.
        What is Digital Coast? We have already heard some of that.
    Thank you for the very generous and, of course, accurate
    assessment.
        Digital Coast is a web-based resource of data, tools,
    trainings, and case studies tailored specifically to assist
    coastal managers, policymakers, and other decision officials in
    addressing complex coastal issues. Now in its eleventh year,
    Digital Coast provides a high return on investment, is a
    leading public-private partnership, and supports economic
    development. In short, Digital Coast is government done right.
        As coastal communities and populations continue to grow,
    they are confronted with changing environmental conditions.
    They increasingly rely upon Digital Coast to understand and
    prepare for these changes. One out of every three coastal
    communities in the United States has used Digital Coast
    resources, and NOAA continues to improve Digital Coast based on
    their stated requirements.
        NOAA created the Digital Coast Partnership to strengthen
    our connection to its diverse stakeholders. The Partnership
    consists of eight national organizations, some represented here
    today, that work with NOAA to ensure that coastal communities
    have the data, tools, and information they need to make
    informed decisions and to help identify needs as they emerge.
    These organizations drive the Digital Coast, and NOAA responds
    with the products and services to meet their needs.
        Digital Coast offers a high return on taxpayer investment.
    Its current benefits exceed its cost to taxpayers by a margin
    of 3 to 1, with net benefits of over $25 million since its
    inception.
        Continued operation of the Digital Coast, as it exists
    today for the next 15 years, would yield an estimated benefit
    of approximately $117 million to taxpayers. That is over a 400
    percent return on investment.
        The Digital Coast operates as a leading public-private
    partnership by reducing costs to businesses and to the public
    by offering valuable data and information, while supporting as
    many as 1,500 high tech, private sector jobs. Moreover, these
    data are collected to the same specifications as the Federal
    Government, ensuring seamless usability of these data across
    geographic boundaries.
        The Digital Coast supports economic development. Local,
    State, and national decisionmakers use the Digital Coast as a
    tool to make investment decisions that fuel economic growth
    while balancing other concerns.
        For example, many coastal communities use Digital Coast to
    make smart economic development and investment decisions when
    weighing the risks of proximity of critical infrastructure
    projects near current and future flood-prone areas.
        NOAA is eager to facilitate Digital Coast's continued
    effectiveness by strengthening our relationships with the
    public and private sector; by increasing the availability of
    core coastal datasets; providing improved decision support
    tools and training; by expanding collaborations through the
    Digital Coast partnerships; and by enhancing the Digital Coast
    platform overall. These priorities are outlined in the Digital
    Coast Strategic Plan spanning 2016 to 2021.
        Once again, I appreciate the opportunity to testify today.
    I thank the Committee for highlighting the importance of the
    Digital Coast in growing our economy and in meeting our
    society's needs for a safe, secure, and healthy coastal
    environment.
        Thank you for acknowledging the Digital Coast's decade of
    success and accomplishments.
        I welcome any questions you may have about the Digital
    Coast and NOAA's foundational role in it.
        Thank you.
        [The prepared statement of Ms. LeBoeuf follows:]

     Prepared Statement of Nicole LeBoeuf, Deputy Assistant Administrator,
           National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
                  Administration, U.S. Department Of Commerce
        Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Baldwin, and members of the
    Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity for the National Oceanic
    and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to provide views on the successes
    of the Digital Coast Partnership Program (Digital Coast) and
    opportunities for the future. NOAA and the Department of Commerce
    appreciate the Subcommittee's interest and support for the Digital
    Coast's contributions to the economic and environmental resilience of
    coastal and Great Lakes states, regions, and the Nation.
        My name is Nicole LeBoeuf and I am the Deputy Assistant
    Administrator for NOAA's National Ocean Service, within the Department
    of Commerce. As a steward of the Nation's coastal resources, NOAA is
    pleased to see the tangible impacts the Digital Coast has made on the
    ground in communities across our Nation. The Digital Coast is helping
    to grow the U.S. economy, safeguard our citizens, sustainably manage
    our valuable coastal and ocean resources, and find compatible solutions
    to sometimes competing economic, societal, and environmental goals.
        The Digital Coast is a web-based resource of data, tools, and
    trainings designed to help coastal managers and technicians across the
    Nation address complex coastal issues. As coastal economies and
    populations continue to expand and are confronted with changing
    environmental conditions, coastal communities increasingly rely on the
    Digital Coast to prepare for these changes. It has quickly become one
    of the most widely used resources for coastal communities to easily
    find authoritative, high-quality information to make wise
    infrastructure investments, help communities prepare for impending
    changes and disasters, and drive economic growth. Now in its eleventh
    year, the Digital Coast is cost-effective, provides a high return on
    investment, contributes to the economy, and is a true partnership with
    private companies, universities, and federal, state, and local
    agencies. In short, the Digital Coast is government done right.
        I am excited to visit Senator Sullivan's great State of Alaska
    later this month to gain a better understanding of the unique coastal
    challenges impacting the region and its present and future needs. In
    recent meetings between NOAA staff and the state, non-profit
    organizations, private companies and local communities, the message was
    clear that reliable data are needed. There is no doubt that Alaska,
    like many coastal states, still needs basic geospatial and other data
    to make informed decisions. NOAA is committed to working with state
    partners and other Federal agencies to help provide that information in
    cost-effective ways that meet the diverse needs of coastal communities.
    Addressing the Needs of Coastal Communities
        NOAA created and continues to improve the Digital Coast in response
    to the needs of coastal communities. Before 2007, coastal planners,
    managers, and other decision-makers did not have ready access to data
    relevant to coastal issues. They also needed easy-to-use tools,
    training, and information resources to use the data to its full
    potential. Our daily interactions with partners, our project work, and
    surveys to constituents allowed us to develop the Digital Coast based
    on their needs. The Digital Coast leverages technology to meet user
    needs and operates under three guiding principles: 1) Inform coastal
    decision-making; 2) Provide value for the target audience and for the
    nation; and 3) Evolve continuously and sustainably.
        The Digital Coast offers hundreds of state-of-the-art products,
    from high-resolution data sets to interactive mapping tools. Several of
    Digital Coast's tools are specifically designed to help locate data at
    an individual user's local scale. For example, the Coastal County
    Snapshots tool provides county-level educational information on topics
    such as flood exposure, ocean and Great Lakes jobs, and wetland
    benefits. The Coastal Flood Exposure Mapper also helps communities
    assess their coastal hazard risks and vulnerabilities by creating
    customized maps that show the people, places, and natural resources
    exposed to coastal flooding. Finally, the Digital Coast's training
    academy provides over 125 online and in-person learning resources to
    ensure that users have the necessary skills to apply the Digital
    Coast's data and tools to make sound coastal management decisions.
        Digital Coast has been instrumental in supporting local, state, and
    national decision-making that promotes economic growth. Counties use
    Digital Coast information in their economic development strategies when
    weighing investment decisions. In the Great Lakes, officials used
    Digital Coast economic data to pinpoint natural resources that support
    recreational activities, which helped them determine where to focus
    their attention to boost local tourism and recreation. Turning to our
    oceans, the U.S. Coast Guard's ocean vessel traffic data represents one
    of the most popular data sets, but it is large and cumbersome to use.
    The Digital Coast reformats the raw data to address this issue, saving
    users hundreds of hours.\1\ Lidar data, which is high-resolution
    elevation data, is another popular Digital Coast dataset that NOAA
    provides, and over 30,000 individuals have downloaded the customized
    data.\2\ Offering this high-resolution elevation data not only saves
    consumers money; we have heard from some smaller engineering companies
    that they could not do their jobs without this resource.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2015).
    Projected Benefits and Costs of the Digital Coast. Available at https:/
    /coast.noaa.gov/data/digitalcoast/pdf/benefits-costs.pdf
        \2\ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Digital Coast
    Site Provides $100 Million in Lidar Data. Available at https://
    coast.noaa.gov/states/stories/digital-coast-site-provides-100-million-
    in-lidar-data.html
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Lastly, the Digital Coast provides tools to inform shared solutions
    among diverse users of coastal resources. For example, he Bureau of
    Ocean Energy Management used Digital Coast data to assess potential
    impacts of offshore wind energy development on the tourism and
    recreation industry in over 100 Atlantic coast counties.
    The Digital Coast Partnership
        NOAA created the Digital Coast Partnership to solidify our
    connection to our diverse customers on a long-term basis. The Digital
    Coast Partnership is a group of eight national organizations that work
    with NOAA to ensure coastal communities have the relevant data, tools,
    and information needed to make informed decisions about our Nation's
    coastal areas and help identify needs as they evolve over time. Some of
    those partners are testifying at this hearing today.
        While NOAA developed and maintains the Digital Coast, hundreds of
    organizations, including private companies, universities, and federal,
    state, and local agencies, have contributed content. The Digital Coast
    Partnership has worked with NOAA to identify critical data and
    information needs and share resources among over 100,000 members. These
    partners and other content contributors use the Digital Coast as a
    catalyst and resource for bringing diverse organizations together to
    work toward common coastal management goals. The large membership of
    the partnership organizations increases the awareness, use, leverage,
    and extension of Digital Coast products and services. The partner
    network amplifies best practices and success stories, which fosters new
    management ideas, attracts more public interest, and leads to better
    decision-making on coastal issues.
    Return on Investment
        The Digital Coast has a high return on investment. Current benefits
    exceed costs by a margin of three to one, with net benefits of $25
    million between 2007-2013.\3\ Continued operation of the Digital Coast
    over the next 15 years is expected to yield a net benefit of $117
    million, equating to a return on investment of 411 percent.\4\ This
    return on investment is a good deal for the taxpayers and provides the
    growing base of stakeholders easy access to data and tools worth
    millions of dollars.\5\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \3\ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2015).
    Projected Benefits and Costs of the Digital Coast. Available at https:/
    /coast.noaa.gov/data/digitalcoast/pdf/benefits-costs.pdf
        \4\ Id.
        \5\ Id.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Since 2010, the number of coastal communities using Digital Coast
    resources has consistently surpassed our increasing targets. The number
    of communities in coastal states accessing information resources in the
    first quarter of Fiscal Year 2017 is 6,093, an increase of 286 percent
    since tracking started in 2010. This means that one out of every three
    coastal communities in the United States have accessed Digital Coast
    resources. Three out of four users say their projects could not have
    been accomplished without the resources found on the Digital Coast.\6\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \6\ . MAPPS. Digital Coast Overview. Available at: https://
    c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.mapps.org/resource/resmgr/
    federal_issues_digital_coast/digital_coast_overview_ppt_(.pdf
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        By providing easy access to a wide range of relevant resources, the
    Digital Coast helps users do their jobs more efficiently and spend less
    time and money finding, obtaining, and using the data and products that
    they need. Having this information in one easily accessible location
    also helps eliminate duplication of effort by government agencies.
        The Digital Coast reduces costs for businesses and the public to
    gain access to data and information, while sustaining between 890 and
    1,530 high-technology jobs in the private sector.\7\ NOAA works with
    private sector firms to acquire nationally consistent data products,
    leverages costs with other partners, and then integrates them into the
    Digital Coast framework to address multiple user needs. When NOAA and
    partners purchase geospatial data from private firms across multiple
    jurisdictions, each partner saves money. The Digital Coast also
    facilitates data consistency and standards, as data are collected to
    the same specifications by the Federal government, ensuring a seamless
    database across state boundaries.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \7\ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2015).
    Projected Benefits and Costs of the Digital Coast. Available at https:/
    /coast.noaa.gov/data/digitalcoast/pdf/benefits-costs.pdf
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Planning for the Future
        NOAA recognizes that partnership is key to Digital Coast's
    continued effectiveness. NOAA is committed to supporting and enhancing
    the Digital Coast Partnership to ensure it represents our key customers
    and user base. As a result, NOAA will strengthen our partnerships with
    the private and public sectors at both the national and local level. We
    will increase availability of our core trusted, accurate, and high
    quality coastal data sets. We will continue to provide decision-support
    tools and training to understand complex coastal issues and enable
    better decision-making. We will also expand interagency collaborations
    through the partnership to fill information and expertise gaps.
    Finally, we will enhance the core Digital Coast platform to improve
    this effective gateway to actionable resources. These priorities are
    outlined in the Digital Coast's strategic plan covering 2016-2021.
    Conclusion
        Once again, I appreciate the opportunity to testify today. I
    support the Committee's effort to highlight how the Digital Coast helps
    grow our economy and reduces costs while supporting our societal needs
    for a safe, secure, and healthy environment. Much has been accomplished
    in 11 years to enable more informed decisions, but we are only just
    getting started. There are additional needs to address, partnerships to
    enhance, and efficiencies to be gained. We are excited to accomplish
    even more in the next decade. I welcome any questions you may have
    regarding the Digital Coast and NOAA's foundational role in the
    program. Thank you.

        The Chairman. Great. Thank you, Ms. LeBoeuf.
        Mr. Barnes, you are recognized for five minutes.

       STATEMENT OF PAUL BARNES, GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SERVICES
       DIRECTOR, HARRISON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI; ON BEHALF OF THE
                    NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES

        Mr. Barnes. Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Baldwin, and
    distinguished members of the Subcommittee.
        I am honored to testify today on NOAA's Digital Coast.
        My name is Paul Barnes and I am the GIS Director for
    Harrison County, Mississippi. Today, I am representing the
    National Association of Counties. NACo represents all of the
    Nation's 3,069 counties, including over 400 coastal counties.
        Harrison County, with a population of just over 200,000 is
    located along the southern Mississippi coast and is best known
    for gaming, shipbuilding, pharmaceuticals, fisheries, and
    tourism. Because of our location, we face an increased threat
    of major hurricanes and devastating flooding and storm surge.
        Having gone through Hurricane Katrina in 2005, I am well
    aware of the challenges that local communities face to prepare,
    respond, and recover from disasters. That is why my county, and
    others like mine, are using Digital Coast to strengthen
    resiliency at the local level.
        Let me explain a few reasons why Digital Coast is important
    to coastal counties.
        First, Digital Coast is integral to counties' ability to
    protect both public safety and natural resources. Following a
    disaster, we are first on the scene and play a key role in
    coordinating response and working to mitigate damage before and
    after.
        In my county, we can predict storm surge ahead of time.
    This allows us to create and implement critical emergency plans
    for mass evacuation events. Because of Digital Coast, we can
    more easily determine whether our residents should shelter in
    place, evacuate in zones, or undertake a full scale evacuation.
    This helps to prevent tragedies, like Hurricane Rita, where
    people spent over two days on clogged roads and 73 people died.
        We also use Digital Coast wetlands and flood exposure data
    to justify appropriate building codes in flood zones.
        Additionally, since counties are major owners of public
    infrastructure--roads, bridges, hospitals, and other
    facilities--Digital Coast helps us keep this infrastructure
    safe.
        Take, for example, Miami-Dade County, Florida, which is
    home to 2.6 million residents. The County uses Digital Coast
    data and projection tools to conduct stress tests on the public
    infrastructure to determine vulnerability. This allows them to
    prioritize which facilities are the most important to get up
    and running after a disaster.
        Finally, we use Digital Coast and other GIS tools to
    educate the public about disaster risks. My department relies
    heavily on Digital Coast to provide a visual understanding of
    where wetlands are located in the County. This allows us to
    discuss building code requirements before construction begins.
    This also helps residents and businesses to make educated
    decisions before they buy the property, and allows the County
    to limit development in those flood-prone areas.
        Second, Digital Coast can help citizens, businesses, and
    communities save money. The value of a one-stop shop for
    Digital Coast tools is immeasurable. Data collection can be
    very time consuming, expensive, and located across numerous
    Federal, State, and local agencies. Many local governments have
    neither the resources nor the staff to collect it.
        For example, in Harrison County, we lack the ability to
    collect elevation data. If we tried to collect the data
    ourselves, it would easily cost our County taxpayers tens of
    thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars.
        Additionally, Digital Coast offers free online and
    classroom training to educate decisionmakers and the public
    about tools and strategies to address community hazards and
    risks.
        Moreover, Digital Coast can decrease flood insurance costs.
    Federally-backed flood insurance can be expensive for residents
    and businesses. Thanks to using Digital Coast resources, my
    County lowered flood insurance premiums by 20 percent for our
    residents.
        Third, and finally, NOAA's Digital Coast program can be
    strengthened if we work together. It is clear that Digital
    Coast has changed lives and we are taking proactive steps to
    protect our communities from future risks. That platform gives
    us resources that we would not be able to collect easily
    elsewhere.
        We thank the Senate for passing the Digital Coast Act by
    unanimous consent last year. We especially thank Senators
    Baldwin and Sullivan for championing the bill. We support your
    continued efforts to swiftly enact legislation to codify NOAA's
    Digital Coast program into law and this will ensure that
    communities like mine are protected and supported for years to
    come.
        We look forward to partnering with Congress to move and
    strengthen the program.
        I am happy to take any questions.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Barnes follows:]

      Prepared Statement of Paul Barnes, Geographic Information Services
       Director, Harrison County, Mississippi on Behalf of the National
                            Association of Counties
        Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Baldwin and distinguished members
    of the subcommittee, thank you thank you for the opportunity to testify
    on ``A Decade of the Digital Coast Partnership Program: Successes and
    Opportunities.''
        My name is Paul Barnes and I currently serve as the Geographic
    Information Services (GIS) Director for Harrison County, Mississippi. I
    also serve as the Planning Section Chief in the county's Emergency
    Operations Center Command in the event of a state emergency
    declaration. Prior to my current position, I was the Director of GIS
    for the Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District for ten
    years. Today, I am representing the National Association of Counties
    (NACo), who participates as a Digital Coast Partner.
        The Digital Coast Partnership is a diverse group of members. NACo,
    along with the American Planning Association, Association of State
    Floodplain Managers, Coastal States Organization, National Estuarine
    Research Reserve Association, National States Geographic Information
    Council, The Nature Conservancy and the Urban Land Institute work with
    the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on the Digital
    Coast platform. Through Digital Coast, NOAA has created an innovative
    public-private partnership to determine the tools, data and training
    that counties need to protect communities from future risks. Using the
    Partnership, NACo educates and trains county officials on Digital
    Coast, collaborates with the partners on coastal issues and strengthens
    resiliency at the local level.
    About NACo
        Founded in 1935, NACo is the only national organization that
    represents county governments in the United States and brings together
    county officials to advocate with a collective voice on national
    policy, exchange ideas, build new leadership skills, pursue
    transformational county solutions, enrich the public's understanding of
    county government and exercise exemplary leadership in public service.
    About America's Counties
        Counties are highly diverse, not only in my state of Mississippi,
    but across the nation, and vary immensely in natural resources, social
    and political systems, cultural, economic and structural circumstances,
    public health and environmental responsibilities. Counties range in
    area from 26 square miles (Arlington County, Virginia) to 87,860 square
    miles (North Slope Borough, Alaska). The population of counties varies
    from Loving County, Texas, with just under 100 residents to Los Angeles
    County, California, which is home to close to ten million people. Of
    the Nation's 3,069 counties, approximately 70 percent are considered
    ``rural,'' with populations less than 50,000, and 50 percent of these
    have populations below 25,000. At the same time, there are more than
    120 major urban counties, which collectively provide essential services
    to more than 130 million people every day.
        Many of the responsibilities of counties are mandated by both the
    states and Federal government. While county responsibilities differ
    widely, most states give their counties significant authorities. These
    authorities include construction and maintenance of roads, bridges and
    critical infrastructure, assessment of property taxes, record keeping,
    running elections, and overseeing jails, court systems and public
    hospitals. Counties are also responsible for child welfare, consumer
    protection, economic development, employment/workforce training,
    emergency management, land use planning, zoning and environmental
    protection.
        These responsibilities become even more crucial for the 452 coastal
    and Great Lakes shoreline counties who account for 40 percent of the
    Nation's population, and face increased risks due to hurricanes,
    earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts and other natural disasters.
    Additionally, since coastal counties economies are often built on a
    foundation of marine construction and transportation, ship and boat
    building, tourism and recreation and offshore mineral extraction,
    counties directly benefit from Digital Coast data, tools and resources
    to protect this infrastructure.
    About Harrison County, Mississippi
        While Harrison County is considered ``suburban'' with a population
    of just over 200,000 residents, we have a very diverse mix of urban,
    suburban and rural components. Located on the south-central Mississippi
    coast, we are the second most populated county in the state, and we
    encompass 976 square miles (574 square land miles/402 square water
    miles). Unlike other counties, we have two county seats, located in
    Biloxi and Gulfport, two of our five incorporated cities. Approximately
    151,000 of our residents live in one of these cities, but if Harrison
    County were a city, we would be the third largest in Mississippi, with
    50,000 residents living in the unincorporated area of the county.
        Like other coastal counties, our economy is heavily dependent on
    shipbuilding, fisheries and tourism. In fact, we are home to the
    longest man-made beach in the U.S., stretching 26-miles from Biloxi to
    Henderson Point. According to NOAA's Digital Coast Ocean Jobs Snapshot,
    tourism and recreation account for 79 percent of the jobs in the county
    and ocean jobs account for 11,034 employees, $242 million in wages and
    $453 million in goods and services (2013). We also have
    pharmaceuticals, gaming and two military bases; the Naval Construction
    Battalion Center and Keesler Air Force Base in the county.
        Because we are on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we face an increased
    risk of hurricanes and flooding. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina
    ripped through our county, we had significant loss of life and
    tremendous property damage. Most structures sustained some type of
    damage--almost 25 percent--one in four structures--were greatly
    impacted. 7,500 properties were moderately damaged, and over 15,000
    properties were substantially damaged or destroyed. The approximate
    cost to replace and/or repair just county-owned infrastructure after
    Hurricane Katrina was roughly $126 million. In the aftermath of
    disasters such as these, it is our job to protect our residents and
    businesses before, during and after disasters. Digital Coast is key to
    this effort.
    Digital Coast is beneficial for coastal and Great Lakes counties of all
            sizes.
        The topic of this hearing is of great importance to my county and
    many other coastal counties across the United States who are tasked
    with protecting the environment, ensuring public health and
    strengthening the economic vitality of our communities.
        Having gone through Hurricane Katrina in 2005, I am well aware of
    the challenges that local communities face to prepare, respond and
    recover from disasters. It takes time. That is why my county and others
    like mine are using NOAA's Digital Coast Initiative to strengthen
    resiliency at the local level.
        Today, I would like to highlight a few reasons why Digital Coast is
    so valuable to coastal communities, and potential opportunities for the
    program moving forward:

      1.  Digital Coast is integral to counties' ability to protect both
            public safety and natural resources.

      2.  Not only is Digital Coast a valuable tool for local governments,
            it can also help citizens, businesses and communities save
            money.

      3.  NOAA's Digital Coast program can be strengthened if we work
            together.
    Digital Coast is integral to counties' ability to protect both public
            safety and natural resources.
        In recent years, we have seen a spate of incredible and
    catastrophic disasters across the country, and it is only getting
    worse. According to NOAA, 2017 was one of the worst years on record for
    natural disasters. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria alone cost $265
    billion. These storm events directly impacted coastal counties who are
    responsible for public safety, protection of natural resources and
    strengthening local economies.
        First, counties play an indispensable role in addressing public
    health and safety issues. When a hurricane hits, flooding occurs or a
    tsunami threatens, residents, businesses and visitors call us for help
    when they are wondering whether they should evacuate, are looking for
    the nearest shelter, need to be rescued or aren't sure what to do. This
    was demonstrated over and over in 2017 with Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and
    Maria, as well as the massive wildfires across our western states.
    Digital Coast can help us plan well in advance of disasters to protect
    life, property and the unique heritage of our communities.
        While state statutes and organizational structures vary, local
    emergency management responsibilities are most commonly vested in
    county governments. Following a disaster, local emergency managers are
    often first on the scene and play a key role in coordinating emergency
    management efforts and working to mitigate damage before and after
    disasters.
        That's why we use Digital Coast data and tools to develop effective
    evacuation routes in my county. In 2017, before Hurricane Nate hit, we
    determined which areas would be potentially impacted by storm surge.
    Additionally, by using Digital Coast, we are able to effectively
    identify instances where residents should shelter in place, evacuate in
    zones or undertake a full-scale evacuation. This helps to prevent an
    evacuation disaster such as the one during Hurricane Rita where people
    spent over two days on clogged Texas roads and over 73 people died.
        We also use Digital Coast wetlands and flood exposure data to
    justify new building codes in special flood areas. For example, the
    picture below on the left shows the Henderson Point area in Harrison
    County without flooding. However, the picture on the right shows the
    area with a flood hazard composite layer using potentials for flooding
    and storm surge. This visualization allowed the county to justify an
    additional two-foot elevation requirement above base flood elevation
    for new structures in this area.

        Other counties are using Digital Coast to develop flood
    visualization tools for residents and businesses. Calcasieu Parish, in
    southwestern Louisiana, utilized Digital Coast to develop an urban
    flash flood forecasting and early warning system in the Contraband
    Bayou Watershed. With a population of nearly 200,000 residents spread
    across 1,094 square miles, the parish created a visual interactive
    storyboard. This real-time data allows the parish officials, residents
    and businesses to see which parts of the watershed may be impacted by a
    storm event, allowing the parish to efficiently coordinate and
    prioritize emergency response efforts within the region. It is the
    first of its scale and caliber in the entire state of Louisiana.
        In addition to assessing flood risk, Digital Coast has proven
    effective in evaluating fire hazard risk in Southern California. With
    the combination of weather, topography, native vegetation and the
    notorious Santa Ana winds, Southern California is highly susceptible to
    wildfires. Although wildfires are inevitable in this region, Digital
    Coast is helping county officials identify high-risk areas. By using
    Digital Coast's Coastal Change Analysis Program (CCap), researchers
    were able to scrutinize 26 years of data to identify wildfire risk
    areas and their proximity to urban developments. As the project
    continues, communities and researchers will be able to anticipate
    future wildfire risk, based on changing development patterns.
        Second, as counties are major owners of public infrastructure--45
    percent of our Nation's public road miles and nearly 40 percent of
    bridges, a third of the Nation's transit systems and airports, 78
    percent of public transportation, 976 hospitals and 91 percent of all
    local jails--we use Digital Coast to keep this infrastructure safe.
    Annually, counties spend $122 billion on building public infrastructure
    and repairing and operating public works, $22 billion on sewage and
    solid waste management and almost $83 billion on community health and
    public hospitals. To protect these investments, we must develop risk
    assessment, emergency management and mitigation plans for a variety of
    natural and manmade disasters to protect this infrastructure. In
    Harrison County, to protect the 1,880 miles (39.9 percent) of county-
    owned and maintained road miles and 108 of the 298 bridges in the
    county, we use Digital Coast and other GIS data for bridge and road
    management and maintenance efforts, corridor and ecosystem preservation
    to name a few.
        For our large urban counties who own a lot of public safety and
    purpose infrastructure, Digital Coast is even more important. Miami-
    Dade County, home to 2.6 million Floridians, owns and maintains five
    county airports, almost half of the county's road miles, 225 bridges,
    thousands of miles of pipes, pump stations and water and wastewater
    treatment plants, marinas, parks, nursing homes and a public hospital.
    Due to its geographic location along the southeastern Florida coast,
    the county uses Digital Coast data and projection tools to conduct
    ``stress tests'' on their facilities to determine vulnerability to sea
    level rise and storm surge events. Using resulting data, the county
    priorities which public safety facilities are the most important to get
    up and running after a disaster. Furthermore, Miami-Dade County
    collaborates with NOAA to offer Digital Coast trainings to public
    employees to understand these challenges at the county level.
        Another example hails from Virginia. The state is working with
    local communities to address the vulnerability of transportation
    infrastructure on the Eastern Shore from sea level rise and flooding
    events. Using data sets from the Digital Coast Sea Level Rise and
    Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer, the state determined that 33 miles of
    roads in the region are vulnerable to a one-foot sea level increase in
    the next several decades and nearly a quarter of roads would be
    impacted by a six-foot rise by 2090.
        Third, counties are responsible for preservation of natural
    resources, while protecting the public. We use Digital Coast
    information to set ordinances, rules and regulations on water quality,
    flood protection, acquiring damaged homes or businesses and relocating
    structures, set building codes, adopt land use setbacks, environmental
    restoration projects and returning property to open space, wetlands or
    recreational use and other programs.
        Throughout Mississippi, the Gulf region and nationwide, our
    counties are actively assessing how to use natural infrastructure and
    open space to buffer from storm events. In Harrison County, data
    provided through Digital Coast combined with our locally collected
    information helps to identify potential areas to acquire for open space
    conservation and/or natural infrastructure. In Jackson County, on the
    eastern Mississippi coast, the county has a living shoreline plan,
    which was just updated using Digital Coastal. Parks, open spaces,
    wetlands, beaches and shorelines absorb stormwater, improve offer water
    quality and offer habitat for wildlife as natural infrastructure to
    protect communities from flooding.
        Other counties are also utilizing GIS to meet water quality
    standards. Within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Prince George's County,
    MD. uses GIS-based tools to clean up polluted waterways. Located
    alongside the eastern portion of Washington, D.C., Prince George's is
    facing tighter stormwater requirements in the Chesapeake Bay. To keep
    the waterways clean, the county has launched an online GIS tool that
    allows residents to quickly report trash and litter locations.
        Furthermore, we utilize Digital Coast and other GIS tools to
    educate the public about disaster risks. While Digital Coast has a
    multitude of useful tools to make our work easier, my department
    largely relies on the Digital Coast Flood Exposure County Snapshot and
    its corresponding Wetlands Benefits Snapshot. These snapshots give a
    visual understanding of where wetlands are located in the county. Using
    the Flood Exposure County Snapshot, residents, businesses and the
    public sector immediately see that 27 percent of our residents and 11
    percent of our critical infrastructure (hospitals, roads, schools and
    shelters) are located within a FEMA floodplain (shown below).

        Through the Wetland Benefits Snapshot map, we can quickly display
    wetland areas in the county, as shown on the picture on the right, to
    educate residents and businesses about allowable development on a
    property. As a result, county code and zoning offices can discuss
    needed requirements with property owners and buyers before building can
    commence, such as wetlands surveys and elevation certificates. This
    allows residents and businesses to make educated decisions BEFORE they
    buy a property and allows the county to limit development in these
    hazardous flood prone areas.

        Not only is Digital Coast a valuable tool for local governments, it
    can also help citizens, businesses and communities save money. The
    value of the one-stop-shop for Digital Coast tools is immeasurable.
    Data collection can be very time-consuming and expensive and many local
    governments neither have the resources or the staff to collect it. This
    comprehensive data collection does not necessarily exist elsewhere.
        For example, in Harrison County, we lack the ability to collect
    elevation data. Instead, we rely heavily on Digital Coast data. This
    allows us to predict areas that may be inundated by flash flood and
    storm surges.
        If we tried to collect the data ourselves, it would easily cost our
    Harrison County tax-payers tens of thousands, if not hundreds of
    thousands of dollars. This would quickly drain available county
    resources for other vital emergency management programs.
        Additionally, Digital Coast offers free online and classroom
    trainings to educate practitioners and the public about tools and
    strategies to address risk. These offerings include a wide range of
    courses, such as ways to use green infrastructure for coastal risk,
    building risk communications skills, how to plan and facilitate
    collaborative meetings and how to utilize Digital Coast tools to amend
    land use codes for natural infrastructure.
        Training such as these are not only valuable for my county, but
    many communities across the U.S., especially those who have limited
    staff and resources to attend these classes. Moreover, the no-cost
    trainings increase awareness of risk, mitigation challenges and bring
    together diverse communities, disciplines of jurisdiction, federal,
    state and local agencies and organizations together. This results in a
    more collaborative effort.
        Finally, Digital Coast allows for better analysis of risk, which
    can lead to decreased flood insurance costs. Under the Federal
    Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program
    (NFIP), which provides federally-backed insurance for residents and
    businesses in flood zones, participating counties must adopt and
    enforce sound floodplain management practices to reduce future flood
    damage.
        By using Digital Coast, my county can undertake targeted pre-
    disaster mitigation investments to reduce the risk of flooding events.
    For example, we use Digital Coast C-CAP land cover and wetlands data to
    add additional layers to our GIS maps which allows us to better analyze
    vulnerable areas. As a result, the county has increased the community's
    FEMA's Community Rating System (CRS) score, which has decreased risk
    and lowered NFIP premium insurance rates by twenty percent for our
    residents in special flood hazard zones.
    NOAA's Digital Coast program can be strengthened if we work together.
        There is no doubt that the NOAA Digital Coast Initiative has
    changed lives. Through the data, tools and trainings, counties and
    other local governments are taking proactive steps to protect their
    communities from future risks.
        But, we need Congress's help to ensure that the program remains in
    place and continues to grow. NOAA's Digital Coast gives counties and
    other stakeholders necessary resources that they would not be able to
    collect easily elsewhere. However, the program faces constant risk of
    disbandment unless Congress acts.
        We are encouraged by the ``Digital Coast Act'' (S. 110/H.R. 4062)
    introduced in both the House Senate. We thank the sponsors for your
    support and championing these bills.
        We are especially encouraged by the Senate's decision to pass S.
    110 by unanimous consent last year and support your continued efforts
    to swiftly enact legislation to codify NOAA's Digital Coast program
    into law. This will ensure that communities like mine are protected and
    supported for years to come.
        We thank you again for your efforts and we look forward to working
    with Congress, NOAA and the Digital Coast Partnership to move and
    strengthen the program in the years ahead.
    In conclusion
        Chairman Sullivan and Ranking Member Baldwin, the bottom line is
    that Digital Coast gives communities the data and tools they need to
    better protect their residents, while providing a cost-effective
    service for federal, state and local governments and their citizens.
    Through Digital Coast we can not only protect and transform
    communities, but we can also lay the groundwork for a new and better
    future. Digital Coast is an extraordinary partnership that works.
        Thank you again for the opportunity to testify today on behalf of
    America's 3,069 counties. I would welcome the opportunity to work more
    closely with you to strengthen and improve our coastal planning
    efforts. I would be happy to address any questions.
    Attachments:
       Ocean Jobs County Snapshot: Harrison County, Mississippi

       Flood Exposure Snapshot: Harrison County, Mississippi

       Wetlands Benefits Snapshot: Harrison County, Mississippi
    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        The Chairman. Thank you, very much, Mr. Barnes.
        Mr. Millar, you are next.

                      STATEMENT OF DAVID MILLAR,
            GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTS DIRECTOR, AMERICAS FOR FUGRO

        Mr. Millar. Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Baldwin, and
    members of the Committee.
        Thank you for this opportunity to appear before you to
    provide an industry perspective on the past 10 years of the
    Digital Coast Partnership Program.
        My name is David Millar and I am the Government Accounts
    Director, Americas for Fugro based in Frederick, Maryland. My
    background includes 30 years of marine navigation, hydrographic
    survey, and ocean and coastal mapping experience.
        As Government Accounts Director for the Americas, I serve
    as Fugro's key account manager for the United States
    Government, other national governments within the Americas
    region, the United Nations, the World Bank, and other
    multilateral development banks.
        Fugro is the world's leading, independent provider of geo
    intelligence and asset integrity solutions for large
    construction, infrastructure, and natural resource projects.
    Our United States and Americas regional headquarters is located
    in Houston, Texas and we employ approximately 1,100 employees
    across 30 offices in 10 states.
        Working predominantly in the energy and infrastructure
    markets, we serve both public and private sector clients on
    land and at sea. Fugro has been active in all U.S. coastal
    states, including Alaska and those on the Great Lakes, for more
    than three decades supporting resource development initiatives,
    coastal infrastructure development, and providing survey and
    mapping support to Federal, State, and local governments.
        Fugro works with NOAA's Office of Coast Survey, the
    National Geodetic Survey, the Office for Coastal Management,
    the Army Corps of Engineers, the USGS, FEMA, the Bureau of
    Reclamation, and the U.S. Navy.
        Elevation data, land cover, and imagery acquired under
    these contracts are, or could be, incorporated into the Digital
    Coast. This combined experience and expertise has positioned
    Fugro as a strong participant in the Digital Coast Partnership
    Program.
        Data, tools, and training are critically important to
    managing coastal resources and NOAA's Digital Coast provides
    the coastal management community with all of these in one
    convenient portal.
        With more than 39 percent of the U.S. population living
    near the coasts, the need for this type of integrated data is
    growing among local, State, and Federal emergency response and
    resource development managers.
        With what seems like increased flooding frequency comes
    increased risk to life and property. Houston alone has
    experienced three 500-year floods in the past three years. And
    even as the city continues to recover, it is trying to plan for
    the next flooding event.
        Coastal and emergency managers throughout the country are
    under increased pressure to plan for, mitigate, and manage
    these events. The Digital Coast can be an invaluable resource
    in this process.
        Fugro has been the contributor of source data to the
    Digital Coast since before its inception 10 years ago.
    Highlights include:
        Providing land cover and land cover change information from
    Landsat to support C-CAP for inclusion into the Digital Coast;
        Surveying the entire West Coast of the United States
    between 2009 and 2011 for the Corps of Engineers in support of
    their National Coastal Mapping Program; and,
        Topographic LIDAR, bathymetric LIDAR, aerial photography,
    and hyperspectral imagery were acquired, processed, delivered,
    and are now part of the Digital Coast.
        Earlier this year, Fugro acquired topographic LIDAR data of
    the greater Houston-Galveston area under contract for the Texas
    Water Development Board, the Texas Natural Resources
    Information System, and the USGS. These data will become part
    of the Digital Coast, and given the devastating flooding from
    Hurricane Harvey last August will serve as an invaluable
    resource to the local coastal and emergency management
    community.
        Even Fugro uses the Digital Coast to support siting and
    desktop studies that help our clients assess the feasibility of
    infrastructure development projects in the coastal zone.
        Based on our experience with the Digital Coast, I have a
    few recommendations for the Committee's consideration.
        Firstly, increase the marketing and promotion of the
    Digital Coast. While I believe the Digital Coast is well known
    to those in government, I do not think that is the case within
    academia and the private sector.
        For example, a Google search of ``available coastal
    bathymetry data in the USA,'' does not present the Digital
    Coast within the first five pages of results.
        Incorporate or reference coastal sonar and bathymetric
    LIDAR from NOAA NCEI. All of the bathymetry data acquired and
    maintained by NOAA's Office of Coast Survey are stored at, and
    are served by, NOAA NCEI. It is suggested that the coastal data
    be visible or accessible from the Digital Coast.
        Third, develop a link between the U.S. Federal Mapping
    coordination site and the Digital Coast. The prior was
    developed by the Integrated Working Group on Ocean and Coastal
    Mapping and shows the mapping requirements and plans of Federal
    and State agencies around the country. It would be useful if
    the Digital Coast could also show these plans.
        And last, continue the Federal Government's commitment to
    data collection. The Digital Coast would not exist without
    coastal data. Having a combination of current and historical
    data allows coastal managers to not only assess the current
    situation, but also monitor change. Both are critical to
    maximize the utility of data served by the Digital Coast.
        Once again, I would like to thank the Committee for
    allowing me to provide this statement for the record and give
    testimony.
        I would be happy to answer any questions from the Committee
    on the Digital Coast program.
        Thank you.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Millar follows:]

       Prepared Statement of David Millar, Government Accounts Director,
                               Americas for Fugro
        Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Baldwin, and members of the
    Committee, thank you for this opportunity to appear before you to
    provide an industry perspective on the past ten years of the Digital
    Coast Partnership Program. My name is David Millar and I am the
    Government Accounts Director--Americas for Fugro, based in Frederick,
    Maryland. Data, tools and training are critically important to managing
    coastal resources and NOAA's Digital Coast provides the coastal
    management community with all of these in one convenient portal.
        My background includes 30 years of Marine Navigation & Positioning,
    Hydrographic Survey, Ocean and Coastal Mapping experience. As
    Government Accounts Director--Americas, I serve as Fugro's key account
    manager for the United States government, other national governments
    within the Americas Region, the United Nations, the World Bank and
    other Multilateral Development Banks. In this capacity, I am the
    interface between Fugro's government customers and all of Fugro's
    marine site characterization and asset integrity service offerings,
    across both the Land and Marine Divisions.
        Prior to this, I served as the President of Fugro Pelagos, Inc., a
    Fugro company specializing in Hydrographic Survey and Ocean & Coastal
    Mapping. There I was responsible for managing a company with
    approximately 80 staff and an annual budget of approximately $20M.
    During that period, I oversaw the delivery of Hydrographic Survey and
    Coastal Zone Mapping Services to NOAA, the United States Army Corps of
    Engineers, as well as similar government agencies in other nations. I
    am also on the Board of Directors of The Maritime Alliance, the GEBCO
    Guiding Committee, as well as the Establishment Board of Seabed 2030.
        Fugro is the world's leading, independent provider of geo-
    intelligence and asset integrity solutions for large construction,
    infrastructure and natural resource project. We provide the technical
    data and information required to design, construct and maintain
    structures and infrastructure in a safe, reliable and efficient manner.
    Our United States and Americas regional headquarters are located in
    Houston, Texas and we employ approximately 1,100 employees across 30
    offices in 10 states in the United States. Working predominantly in the
    energy and infrastructure markets, we serve both public and private
    sector clients on land and at sea.
        Fugro has been active in all U.S. Coastal States, including Alaska
    and those on the Great Lakes, for more than three decades, supporting
    resource development initiatives, coastal infrastructure development
    and maintenance activities in addition to providing survey and mapping
    support to federal, state and local governments.
        Fugro also holds multi-year contracts with NOAA Office of Coast
    Survey (OCS), NOAA National Geodetic Survey (NGS), NOAA Office for
    Coastal Management (OCM), United States Army Corps of Engineers
    (USACE), United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Federal Emergency
    Management Agency (FEMA), United States Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and
    the United States Navy. Elevation data acquired under all of these
    contracts is or could be incorporated into the Digital Coast.
        The following sections highlight specific Fugro experience with
    Federal agencies that relate to or support the Digital Coast Program:
    NOAA--Office of Coast Survey
        Fugro has been providing Hydrographic Survey Services to NOAA's
    Office of Coast Survey since 1997, providing critical support in
    addressing the Nation's charting backlog. This support has been in the
    form of executing hydrographic surveys utilizing vessel-based sonar and
    aircraft-based bathymetric lidar. Over the years, much of this work has
    been performed in Alaska, though most recently, the company has been
    tasked to work in Maine and the Gulf of Mexico.
    NOAA--National Geodetic Survey Coastal Mapping Program
        Fugro has been supporting the NOAA National Geodetic Survey Coastal
    Mapping Program since 2014. This program uses stereo photogrammetry
    with tide-coordinated aerial photography and/or bathy-topo lidar along
    the coast to provide the Nation with an accurate, consistent, up-to-
    date national shoreline, which serves as the critical baseline for
    demarcating the United States' marine territorial limits, including its
    Exclusive Economic Zone and for the geographic reference needed to
    support coastal zone management.
    NOAA--Office of Coastal Management
        Since 2005 Fugro has been providing Geospatial Services to NOAA's
    Office of Coastal Management. One of the services provided under this
    contract is the production of land cover and land cover change
    information, which is used by NOAA's Coastal Change Analysis Program
    (C-CAP). C-CAP provides nationally standardized, raster-based
    inventories of land cover for the coastal areas of the United States.
    USACE--National Coastal Mapping Program
        Fugro has been supporting the USACE's National Coastal Mapping
    Program since its inception in 2005, providing integrated topographic
    lidar, bathymetric lidar, aerial imagery and hyperspectral data along
    coastal areas of the contiguous United States and Hawaii. These data
    support the USACE's regional sediment management, construction,
    operations, and regulatory functions in the coastal zone
    USGS--Geospatial Services
        Fugro has been supporting the United States Geological Survey
    (USGS) via their Geospatial Product and Service Contract and its
    predecessor contract since 2008. Under this contract, the company has
    been supporting The National Map and many other federal, state and
    local projects through the provision of photogrammetric mapping,
    orthophotography, IFSAR and lidar.
    FEMA--Risk Map
        Fugro has been supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency's
    (FEMA's) Risk Mapping, Assessment and Planning (Risk MAP) program since
    2010. Risk MAP provides data and solutions that increase public
    awareness and reduces risk to life and property through a combination
    of flood hazard mapping, risk assessment tolls and hazard mitigation
    planning. Fugro provides geospatial content, including, topographic
    data, bathymetric data, ortho imagery and oblique imagery
    Digital Coast Partnership Program
        This combined experience and expertise has positioned Fugro as a
    strong participant in the Digital Coast Partnership Program. With more
    than 39 percent of the U.S. population living near the coast, projected
    to reach 134 million by 2020, the need and appreciation for this type
    of integrated data is growing among local, state, and Federal emergency
    response and resource development managers. Fugro plays an important
    role supporting the Digital Coast by providing high quality geospatial
    data in formats readily accessible to Federal partners, including NOAA.
        Through the contracts and programs summarized above, Fugro provides
    a variety of source data to the Digital Coast Program. These source
    data include elevation, land cover and imagery. The coastal data
    acquired under some, but not all, of these contracts are incorporated
    into the Digital Coast. Other data sources and content, such as hazards
    and climate, economic, benthic, fish, birds, corals, demographic,
    Federal geo-regulations, jurisdictions and boundaries, marine habitat,
    marine mammals and turtles, ocean uses and planning areas, physical and
    oceanographic and weather are provided by NOAA and many other
    contributors. All content is vetted by NOAA before being served and
    combined on-line with tools and training. The Digital Coast portal
    includes visualization tools, predictive tools and tools that make data
    easier to find and use. Training courses are also available online or
    at the user's location. Content is critical, however, and Digital Coast
    would not exist if it were not for current and historical data. For
    Fugro, acquiring and processing content that feeds into the Digital
    Coast via our numerous Federal government contracts results in
    approximately one-hundred well-paying jobs across the country.
        In many ways, Fugro's site characterization and asset integrity
    services mirror many of the areas prioritized in Digital Coast. The
    Digital Coast provides an enabling platform that facilitates use and
    application. It starts with data, turns it into information and
    facilitates action through discovery, download, mapping, analysis,
    learning and sharing. Within Fugro, we acquire data of the earth and
    its assets, we manage and analyze the data and we provide advice
    covering a wide spectrum of geo-engineering and asset integrity
    disciplines to our customers. As with the Digital Coast, this process
    allows our clients to make informed decisions and facilitate/de-risk
    complex and technically demanding projects. The nature of the projects
    is different, but the process is similar and the experiences gained
    through work in the Digital Coast Partnership Program are valuable to
    the private sector.
    Highlights
        Fugro has been a contributor to the Digital Coast Program since its
    inception ten years ago and even data that we acquired before this date
    have been incorporated into the Digital Coast. Several examples follow:

       Fugro, through its support to the Joint Airborne LIDAR
            Bathymetric Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX), acquired
            topographic lidar, bathymetric lidar, aerial photography and
            hyperspectral imagery along the Gulf Coast for the USACE
            immediately after Hurricane Katrina, which was subsequently
            incorporated into and is now served by the Digital Coast.

       Under our Geospatial Services contract with NOAA's Office of
            Coastal Management, Fugro provides land cover and land cover
            change information from Landsat imagery to support C-CAP. All
            of our C-CAP data are incorporated into the Digital Coast and
            is updated on a 5-year cycle. In 2015, our C-CAP work was in
            the Great Lakes. In 2016, it was in Washington, Wisconsin,
            Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, New York, New Hampshire,
            Maine, Michigan, Rhode Island, Connecticut, North Carolina and
            South Carolina. In 2017, we worked in Georgia, Alabama,
            Mississippi and California.

       Between 2009 and 2011, we surveyed the entire west coast of
            the United States from the Mexico border in the south to the
            Canadian border in the north. This work was executed under our
            contract with USACE and was in support of the Corp's National
            Coastal Mapping Program. Topographic lidar, bathymetric lidar,
            aerial photography and hyperspectral imagery were acquired,
            processed, delivered and are now served by the Digital Coast.

       Most recently, Fugro has been contracted by the Texas
            Natural Resources Information System and the USGS to acquire
            high-resolution topographic lidar data of the Greater Houston-
            Galveston area. This work was executed using four aircraft
            earlier this year. Given that this area was devastated by
            flooding from Hurricane Harvey last August, the dataset will
            undoubtedly serve as an invaluable resource to the local
            coastal and emergency management community.

        The frequency of coastal flooding seems to be increasing and with
    this comes increased risk of life and property. In the case of Houston,
    that city has experienced three 500-year floods in the past three
    years. As a result, coastal and emergency managers are under increased
    pressure to plan for, mitigate and manage these events. The Digital
    Coast can be an invaluable resource in this process.
        The private sector also uses the Digital Coast and in Louisiana
    where Fugro is contracted directly by the State of Louisiana's Coastal
    Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), as well as indirectly by
    CPRA's engineering contractors, we see data served by the Digital Coast
    used to monitor barrier island restoration projects on a regional
    scale, as well as to calibrate hydrologic models on a project level.
        Even Fugro uses the Digital Coast to support some of our other
    activities. Data from the Digital Coast is often used to support siting
    and desk top studies that help our clients assess the feasibility of
    infrastructure development projects in the coastal zone. Data can also
    be used to aid in the planning and estimating of future mapping
    projects, where the availability of Digital Coast data can often reduce
    the price to our clients on new data collections. Data from the Digital
    Coast can also be used for change detection purposes, such that rates
    of change can be developed and they can also be used for QC purposes to
    validate the results of new surveys in some cases.
    Recommendations
      1.  Increase the marketing and promotion of the Digital Coast
            Partnership Program--While I believe the Digital Coast is well
            known to those in federal, state and local governments, I am
            not sure it is so well known in academia and the private
            sector. As an example, a Google search of ``available coastal
            bathymetry data in the USA'' does not present the Digital Coast
            within the first five pages of results.

      2.  Incorporate coastal sonar and bathymetric lidar data from NOAA
            NCEI--All of the bathymetry data acquired and maintained by
            NOAA's Office of Coast Survey are stored at and served by NOAA
            NCEI. It is suggested that data that are coastal in nature
            (i.e., data that are adjacent to the coast) should be visible
            or accessible from the Digital Coast.

      3.  Develop a link between the U.S. Federal Mapping Coordination
            Seasketch site and the Digital Coast--The prior has been
            developed by the Integrated Working Group on Ocean and Coastal
            Mapping (IWG-OCM) and shows the mapping requirements and plans
            of Federal and state agencies around the country. It was
            developed to improve coordination and eliminate redundant
            mapping efforts, which it has done quite successfully. It would
            be useful if the Digital Coast could also show these plans as a
            layer, however.

      4.  Continue the Federal government commitment for data collection--
            As mentioned earlier, the Digital Coast would not exist without
            coastal data. Having a combination of current as well as
            historical data allows coastal managers to not only assess the
            current situation, but also allow them to monitor change. Both
            are critical to maximize the utility of data served by the
            Digital Coast.
    Conclusion
        Once again I would like to thank the Committee for allowing me to
    provide this statement for the record and to give testimony. I would be
    happy to answer any questions from the Committee on the Digital Coast
    Partnership Program.

        The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Millar.
        Mr. Fettes.

             STATEMENT OF TYSON FETTES, REGISTER OF DEEDS,
                        RACINE COUNTY, WISCONSIN

        Mr. Fettes. Thank you, Chairman Sullivan and Ranking Member
    Baldwin.
        I am very honored and excited to be here today. Thank you
    for having me.
        I wanted to take my time to tell you about a story of a
    situation that we were really just thrust into in my county, in
    Racine County, with some historic flooding that we had at the
    Fox River in my hometown of Burlington.
        I was, ironically enough, out at a conference, an Esri user
    group conference, in San Diego. There were about 20,000 people
    at this conference, and I woke up in the morning to about 50
    text messages because of the flooding that we had overnight.
    Senator Baldwin, I am sure you were privy to all of those
    messages also.
        Our flood stage rose very, very quickly and really put a
    lot of our community underwater very quickly.
        So while I was out at this conference, it was ironically a
    great place to be because I was able to connect up with some of
    the folks at Esri and I utilized their disaster relief program.
        They helped set up a damage assessment application for us,
    so we were able to very quickly, from San Diego, get
    information into the hands of the folks in the EOC to help get
    them mapping information and sea flood level information
    through NOAA. This information was extremely useful to the
    folks back in the EOC.
        What I think is really interesting about this story is that
    I am certainly no GIS expert. I am the County Register of
    Deeds. I happen to oversee the GIS department in our county. So
    we were thrust into finding information very, very quickly and
    because of the tools at our disposal, it made it very easy to
    integrate into a dashboard--NOAA data, flood level data--right
    into our dashboard in the Emergency Operation Center.
        Once we created the damage assessment application on a
    smart phone, I was able to fly back and we started having our
    damage assessment teams go out, actually in golf carts, through
    the community checking on homes.
        So in real time in the Emergency Operation Center, we were
    able to see over 1,000 responses from our teams instantly tied
    spatially to a map with photos of the damage in the basement.
    We were using FEMA codes so major, minor, affected damage. We
    were able to instantly see that information along with the
    current flood level information through the coastal program. It
    was really an amazing three, four days of a whirlwind being
    pushed into this.
        To your testimony, Mr. Millar, I thought it was a really
    interesting point of marketing this. I was not necessarily
    aware of all of these tools at our disposal and now, certainly,
    our county is, and we are looking forward to using more with
    the damage to our coast in Lake Michigan.
        Racine County borders Lake Michigan. And Senator Baldwin,
    as you are aware, you have been out and toured some of the
    erosion problems that we have had. The LIDAR data that is
    available to us will really be helpful to us to continue to
    manage the erosion along the coast of Lake Michigan.
        So with that, I want to thank you for having me today. I am
    very honored to be here and this information is really
    beneficial to us at the county level.one
        Thank you.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Fettes follows:]

            Prepared Statement of Tyson Fettes, Register of Deeds,
                            Racine County, Wisconsin
        On July 12, 2017, Racine County was hit by record flooding, with
    the Fox River in Burlington cresting 3ft higher than in recorded
    history (the river is usually at 4ft; flood stage is 11ft). Power went
    out at 4,478 properties and a state of emergency was declared.
        When the flooding happened, I was attending a major international
    conference for geographic information systems users in San Diego, CA,
    held by Esri (Environmental Systems Research Institute), a Digital
    Coast contributing partner and the organization that supplies GIS/
    mapping technology for almost all government agencies. I attended the
    conference in my capacity as Register of Deeds, along with our Real
    Property Lister. We had received an award at the conference in 2016,
    and were invited back to give a presentation on the award-winning
    project in 2017.
        As the flooding was hitting Racine County, I discussed it with
    Esri's Director of Global Sales & Business Development (now Director of
    Strategic Alliances), Chris Cappelli, who connected me with Esri's
    Disaster Response Team. That team worked with us while we were at the
    conference, at no cost, to develop and deploy a damage assessment
    application based on GIS technology that would allow us to start to
    spatially record, monitor and update damage assessment and clean-up in
    real time using smart phones or tablets. The application was designed
    to be used by field crews to submit information in the form of
    responses to a set of standardized questions, attaching photos, and
    categorizing damage according to FEMA classifications--affected, minor,
    major, or destroyed. Information received via self-reporting by the
    public was also incorporated, including updates and photographs of
    damage submitted via social media. All of this information, as well as
    sandbag and water resource areas, was laid out on a map, making it easy
    exactly what was happening at any given time.
        Flood level data aggregated and made available through NOAA's
    Digital Coast Program was integrated into the application, and the map
    automatically updated this information as it changed over time.
        When I returned to Racine County from California, I worked with the
    Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the Fire Chief to ensure the
    adoption of the app rather than relying on paper-based recording of
    damage information. The application provided an easy way of keeping
    information organized despite coming from many different sources in
    different formats and large volumes, all within a very short period of
    time. This also contributed significantly to our ability to submit the
    information required by FEMA and the State of WI extremely efficiently
    with a negligible amount of additional work, since it was collected and
    organized on the front end in the manner that FEMA and the State
    required it.
        In all, 900 damage assessments were conducted across the City of
    Burlington and the Town of Burlington in Racine County using the
    application. Together, the application and the integration of Digital
    Coast flood level data were extremely powerful tools that made it
    possible to deliver a confident and effective disaster response effort
    for the citizens of Racine County.
    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        The Chairman. Great. Thank you very much, Mr. Fettes.
        Mr. Millar, you have a video. Is that ready?
        Mr. Millar. Yes, I have it.
        The Chairman. I was going to give you a little extra time,
    if it is not too long.
        Mr. Millar. Two one-minute videos.
        The Chairman. Two, one-minute videos. OK. Why don't you go
    for it? Are they ready to roll?
        Mr. Millar. Yes.
        The Chairman. OK.
        Mr. Millar. So this, actually, is from the Apostle Islands.
    It is an animation flythrough of Sand Island and York Island of
    the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Lake Michigan, and it
    combines multiple datasets. We have integrated that here for
    this presentation. [video is shown]
        It is the Corps of Engineers' topographic LIDAR data from
    2007; the Corps of Engineers' bathymetric LIDAR data from 2007;
    NOAA Office of Coast Survey single beam sonar data from 1983;
    and then the NOAA Nautical Chart 14973 of the Apostle Islands.
        And through this flythrough, you can see the various layers
    of these data types that have been fused together to basically
    create a seamless model across the land, the land-water
    interface, and then the water below the water surface. That is
    critically important for modeling, and simulation, and
    projection purposes by the coastal resource managers. [video is
    shown]
        Here on that last, you can see a wreck symbol. There is the
    Wreck of the Sevona, 1890. That was the vessel on the left and
    then, obviously, the submerged wreck on the right.
        This next animation is actually from Alaska. It is Kachemak
    Bay; Bear Cove in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. [video is shown]
        This particular dataset combines NOAA NGS LIDAR data from
    2008; that is bathymetric and topographic LIDAR data. It
    contains NOAA Office of Coast Survey multibeam data from 2008.
    It contains NOAA's Integrated Office of Ocean and Coastal
    Management, natural color imagery from the Digital Coast and
    IOCM, Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping infrared imagery
    from the Digital Coast as well. Then this is super laid on NOAA
    Chart 16645.
        Again, you can see the integration of the various datasets
    here. Just for illustrative purposes, but you get a sense of
    the 3-D model. Hopefully that can be used for the simulation
    and forecasts and interpretive reasons.
        Thank you.
        The Chairman. Great, thank you. Thank you very much for
    that video.
        I am going to start by asking some questions here, but
    thank you very much for the testimony. It was very useful and I
    appreciate when you have recommendations, like you did, Mr.
    Millar. Those were, I think, pretty good recommendations. We
    will take a look at that.
        I want to start by asking Ms. LeBoeuf, what is NOAA doing
    to prioritize updating the nautical charts in the Arctic? Let
    me just give you an anecdote.
        A couple of years ago, I met some NOAA officials who were
    doing nautical mapping updating in Dutch Harbor. As you
    probably know, Ms. LeBoeuf, that is the biggest fishing port in
    the country, out in the Aleutian Island chain. Yet, even within
    Dutch Harbor, a lot of the charts were not very updated. That
    is a place that has enormously busy vessel traffic.
        Can you give me a sense of that? And then what are some
    strategies to fill Alaska's coastal data gaps? Can the Digital
    Coast leverage partnerships and resources to help do that?
        So those are three questions for you.
        Ms. LeBoeuf. Thank you, Senator Sullivan.
        Alaska does present a considerable challenge, given its
    size and its coastline extent.
        We have developed a national charting plan that looks out
    over the next 5 years of hydrographic survey priorities. In
    particular to Alaska, we also have an Arctic nautical charting
    plan that is a longer term plan. It is a 10 to 15 year outlook
    at Alaska and the Arctic region needs.
        We have identified the need for 11 priority charts, which
    is approximately half of the overall priorities that we are
    looking at across our hydrographic survey needs.
        And so, we are plotting a course forward, working very
    closely with the private sector, as well as our coastal
    partners. We are increasing opportunities for Digital Coast to
    be linked there with the State of Alaska.
        For example, the Digital Coast has a fellowship program and
    Alaska has just been awarded its first fellow to begin in
    September. That person will be dedicated to creating tighter
    connections between what Alaska needs across bathymetric as
    well as flood, risk, and other data needs with the Digital
    Coast. And so, we are very much looking forward to that
    opportunity.
        The Chairman. Great, thank you.
        Would you agree with me, we have a lack of data in many
    parts of the state, and yet particularly the increased traffic
    in some of the regions poses some risks? Would you agree with
    that?
        Ms. LeBoeuf. I would, sir. Yes.
        The Chairman. Let me ask Mr. Millar. You are familiar with
    some of the important economic activities derived from coastal
    activities, not just in Alaska, but in Mississippi, in
    Wisconsin.
        How should the capabilities you have be highlighted best to
    be able to be used in my state, or in Wisconsin, or other
    coastal communities? You mentioned a number of recommendations,
    but do you have a sense of how to highlight some of the
    capabilities that you, and your competitors, provide?
        Mr. Millar. Thank you, Chairman Sullivan, for the question.
        I would say Fugro, and our colleagues in the private sector
    mapping industry, are really looking at this from a data
    provision standpoint. So there are many platforms, sensors, and
    solutions are available to acquire and deliver these data to
    the Digital Coast.
        Once in the Digital Coast, then that data can serve many,
    many different applications and purposes, for economic
    development, for coastal protection, for coastal restoration,
    for fisheries, fisheries management, fisheries protection, even
    in the private sector.
        Our customers, as I mentioned, often have coastal
    infrastructure. So ports and harbor construction or expansion,
    LNG or other marine terminals, this data if it were available
    everywhere, could be used by our customers to facilitate and
    help them plan, and site, and permit those projects.
        The Chairman. Thank you very much.
        Senator Baldwin.
        Senator Baldwin. Thank you.
        As we have heard from all of our witnesses, Digital Coast
    provides quality products and services while reducing cost and
    potential duplications. We have heard from the local
    government, we have heard from the private sector, and the
    Federal Government. They are singing the same tune. It is not
    often we get that experience here.
        To Mr. Fettes and Mr. Barnes, you both testified about how
    your counties, which are thousands of miles apart, certainly
    hundreds of miles apart--one on a freshwater coast, one on a
    decidedly saltier coast--with different threats. Racine is
    vulnerable to riverine flooding; the Mississippi coast
    vulnerable to hurricanes and storm surge.
        You have used the Digital Coast platform. While communities
    like yours are the reason the program was started, Digital
    Coast is at risk because it is not authorized. It is not
    congressionally authorized.
        So if NOAA changed course and the Digital Coast was no
    longer maintained with current accurate data, what would that
    mean for your work? What implications would it have for real
    people in your communities?
        Mr. Barnes. Thank you, Ranking Member Baldwin, for that
    question. That really, I think as long as I have been in this
    profession, has been a critical issue, updated information.
        Every year it seems as if it does get better and we get
    more complete coverage. But we also know that the frequency of
    these updates are also very expensive.
        Regarding Digital Coast, which is an incredible resource,
    it pulls in information from so many different agencies and
    organizations, and trying to keep that up to date is difficult
    at best. But when you are relying on multiple resources that
    are responsible for their own updating, I think that really is
    the big challenge.
        And so, looking at it from the perspective of just one
    program like Digital Coast, I think maybe the real challenge is
    trying to help all agencies and organizations get more current
    on their information.
        Mr. Fettes. I think adding onto that, open data is key in
    sharing data.
        Senator Baldwin to your comments about the Federal
    Government, county government, local government working
    together, this information, for our office, we are a healthy
    sized county in the State of Wisconsin, but we are a very lean
    staff. So it is important for our team to be as efficient as
    possible.
        So for us to be able to tie-in to live and accurate open
    data is critical for us to be able to make decisions at the
    local government level. So we want to thank you for making that
    data available for us.
        Senator Baldwin. Ms. LeBoeuf, I know how much of an impact
    the Great Lakes make in terms of generating economic activity.
    It is quite something.
        I have one figure here that the Great Lakes alone generated
    nearly $5 trillion in economic activity, or about 30 percent of
    combined U.S. and Canadian economic output.
        As Mr. Millar showed in his video, the private sector has
    continued to invest in the development of new technologies that
    result in better quality data being collected for coastal
    management including the Great Lakes.
        So how does NOAA's Digital Coast program support these
    private sector investments in new technologies and employment
    opportunities?
        And then, Mr. Millar, if you have any perspectives that you
    want to share after Ms. LeBoeuf, please add that in.
        Ms. LeBoeuf. Thank you, Senator Baldwin.
        We rely heavily on the private sector to provide the data
    that goes into Digital Coast. But we have a relationship with
    them that is so tightly coupled to the needs of the coastal
    managers.
        We provide, as you said, both efficient and effective in
    working with these companies that provide the data. We let them
    know what the coastal managers need. They can hone right in on
    that. They can develop their technologies. They can be
    innovative in a way that is responsive, real time, to the
    priority of coastal communities when that data is received by
    NOAA.
        This Digital Coast effort spends about $5 million a year on
    acquiring data from the private sector, and as I said in my
    testimony, supporting about 1,500 high tech jobs. We receive
    that data and then we are able to put it into complex
    visualization tools that we know, through the partnerships and
    our conversations with the coastal managers, they are going to
    be able to readily use.
        So it is a very nice relationship. The private sector can
    go directly to the kinds of data that we know will be needed.
    Then we provide that data. And that feedback loop is absolutely
    transformative. And so, we very much appreciate their
    contributions and their continued investments.
        Senator Baldwin. Thank you.
        Mr. Millar, by the way, I will add I was up in the Apostle
    Islands last week in our north coast, Lake Superior.
        Yes, go ahead.
        Mr. Millar. Senator, thank you for the question.
        I would reinforce and restate, I guess, that the
    collaboration between NOAA and the private sector is very
    strong. There are forums through conferences and meetings,
    seminars, workshops where NOAA and the private sector can come
    together and share information on what is new, what is
    emerging.
        There is the Joint Hydrographic Center for Ocean and
    Coastal Mapping at the University of New Hampshire. We are
    their industrial partner, and once a year we come together with
    NOAA, again, in that forum to share research, innovation,
    development, and ideas. All of that ultimately makes it into
    the Government's specifications when this work is solicited and
    tendered.
        So the bar continuously gets raised through this process.
        Thank you.
        The Chairman. Great. Thank you.
        Senator Wicker.

                  STATEMENT OF HON. ROGER F. WICKER,
                     U.S. SENATOR FROM MISSISSIPPI

        Senator Wicker. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
        Mr. Barnes, thank you for your service to Harrison County
    and congratulations also on being chosen to testify today on
    behalf of the National Association of Counties.
        You mentioned in your written testimony, the flood exposure
    County Snapshot and the Wetlands Benefits Snapshot.
        How does Digital Coast help us save taxpayer money in that
    regard? How does it contribute to economic development in that
    regard? Why do we hear so much about disparities in terms of
    these maps from state to state?
        Mr. Barnes. Thank you, Senator Wicker for your warm welcome
    and for this question.
        Digital Coast has such a great collection of tools that at
    any level of technological advancement, I think communities
    have been able to use them.
        The economic impact of using something like Digital Coast
    for planning, to strategize for disaster preparedness and
    response is really critical. Now, there may not be an economic
    development obvious component when you look at it from the
    front side, but the big economic impact has to do with
    resilience.
        So if we plan properly, we are able to ensure that we do
    not build infrastructure, or public facilities, or even
    residential structures in areas that are vulnerable for flood
    risk and storm surge.
        So by building outside of those vulnerable areas, we are
    ensuring that we recover more quickly in the event of a
    disaster. And I believe that we all fully appreciate that it is
    not ``if'' a disaster will occur; it is ``when''. Something
    will happen in the future. We do not know when it will, but it
    will happen.
        The real economic development issue is being able to
    recover quickly, provide services, be able to generate revenue
    again so that we can fulfill that tax base and continue to
    develop and recover.
        I think the disparities are real important to note. In my
    County, for instance, we have pretty good resources. We are
    fairly advanced technologically. We have a very good
    progressive thinking board. Some of our more rural areas, and
    our smaller cities, they do not have those financial and
    personnel resources.
        When you take Digital Coast as a whole program, the
    training, the education, the tools, the online visualization
    resources, those things are readily available for people who do
    not create their own maps locally.
        Just in addition to that, we are capable of pulling in
    services. We do not have to just download data. We can use
    services within our own local maps. I think that is the real
    value of Digital Coast. From the have-not to the have-all, it
    helps everyone.
        Senator Wicker. Thank you very much.
        Ms. LeBoeuf, with regard to data on storm surge risk, I
    understand my staff provided you with a copy of the 2018
    CoreLogic Storm Surge Report.
        Did you get a copy of that?
        Ms. LeBoeuf. Yes, sir.
        Senator Wicker. Have you had a chance to look at it and
    give us your opinion about the value of that?
        Ms. LeBoeuf. I have scanned it sir, yes.
        Senator Wicker. All right. Well, could you comment on that?
        Ms. LeBoeuf. Well, what I will say in relation to the
    Digital Coast is that the data we provide that are used by
    companies like CoreLogic are able to provide information to the
    insurance industry, the building industry, and others about the
    risks associated with building in flood and in storm surge
    prone areas.
        And so, it is heartening to see those kinds of reports out
    there because I think a better educated development and
    insurance industry will make strategic and good choices.
        Senator Wicker. Very good.
        Mr. Chairman, I am going to ask that this Report be
    included in the record.
        The Chairman. Without objection.
        [The information referred to follows:]

        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Wicker. And then, quickly, back to you, Mr. Barnes.
    You mentioned Hurricane Rita and these people being trapped on
    the roads resulting in 73 deaths.
        What were the differences in that tragedy and our approach
    in Hurricane Nate? What role might Digital Coast have had a
    better result there?
        Mr. Barnes. Senator, thank you for that question.
        I am not familiar with the planning processes in Texas, so
    I have a hard time speaking directly to their engagement and
    their processes in evacuation.
        But what I can say about Hurricane Nate is that--and this
    started last year for our emergency operations--we have done as
    much as we can to get our announcements and the availability of
    information as public as possible. Just last year, we started
    televising our emergency management briefings while we were
    active during Nate.
        So I think the public information perspective is very
    dynamic and, of course, it changes from event to event. But
    people need to be aware of where those inundation areas or
    where those flash flooding events can occur.
        I believe that the only way to do that is to visualize
    these areas on the map and a dynamic working map. During
    Hurricane Katrina, we had nothing like that.
        I believe that if we had had a map for visualization of
    where that storm surge for a Category 3 or 4 Storm had gone, we
    may have clogged our roads, but it probably would have saved
    some lives.
        The messages for Hurricane Katrina were out there. It was
    very clear that these folks needed to leave, but I do not think
    they understand terms like, ``There will be a 10 to 12 foot
    storm surge.'' That makes no sense to anyone. They need to be
    able to see where this water is going to go.
        If I look at a map and my house is blue, then I figure it
    is about time to move.
        Senator Wicker. Thank you.
        Mr. Barnes. Thank you.
        The Chairman. Well, I want to thank the witnesses. We have
    a vote at 11 a.m., but I think Senator Baldwin and I have a few
    more questions to ask. Again, appreciate you flying in from all
    parts of the country.
        Let me follow up a little, Mr. Barnes, on some of the
    questions you had with Senator Wicker, actually for you and Mr.
    Fettes.
        How can Digital Coast partnerships and products be used to
    promote local and states' capacity to increase resiliency or,
    as you were just talking about, provide warnings particularly
    for some of the communities that you are referencing that might
    not have a lot of resources or that do not always have the most
    up-to-date data? That is for both of you.
        Mr. Fettes. Yes, I think that is a really great question.
        Most counties all have some form of GIS system in place. I
    believe it starts at the county level where they can help your
    more progressive cities and your small rural towns who do not
    have the ability to create applications themselves.
        But what I think is really important is--and it kind of
    goes to the theme of all of this--being able to see something
    on a map really changes how you can look at things. Even from
    people who are experienced decisionmakers who could maybe
    understand what a 10 or 12 foot storm surge means.
        But when you simplify it down to, ``Your parcel is blue and
    blue is bad,'' it really makes it crystal clear. And with being
    able to tie data and tie services into open data so there is no
    manual work. It is a script to make this possible. You can make
    all of these maps and applications public facing and put them
    in the places that matter.
        So, for example, the county could help that rural town have
    an application on that rural town's website tied to live data
    showcasing flood damage or where we are looking at flood levels
    with the upcoming storm. That is how I think the county can
    help both your city and town and everywhere in between at the
    county.
        So seeing things on a map, it really makes it easy to make
    decisions.
        The Chairman. Mr. Barnes, do you have a follow up on that?
        Mr. Barnes. Thank you.
        I am delighted that Mr. Fettes looked at it from the map
    perspective. I would like to talk about the communication and
    cooperation perspective.
        I think that as the training and the workshops provided by
    Digital Coast provide a forum, this environment where folks get
    together that normally would not. Now, I know you probably will
    not believe this, but there may be a bit of silo-ism between
    local governments.
        The Chairman. We do not have any of that in the Federal
    Government.
        [Laughter.]
        Mr. Barnes. These workshops do provide that forum and we
    all get together and say, ``We all have this same experience.''
        And so, what I love about that, though, is we have a lot of
    resources in the County to manage these difficulties and
    challenges. Our smaller cities, and I can think of three of
    them in my County, do not have the same resources.
        I am able, through those training opportunities and
    workshops, to make those connections and communicate with the
    people who make those decisions in code offices in the smaller
    cities that would not normally reach out to us for help.
        Building those relationships has probably been the greatest
    value to me and my County in the use of Digital Coast.
        The Chairman. Great, thank you. Let me ask one final
    question.
        Now, as Senator Baldwin mentioned, we have a wide array of
    witnesses here: Federal Government officials, private sector
    officials, state and local representation. Ms. LeBoeuf, I am
    going to ask you a bit of a tricky question.
        Mr. Millar from his private sector vantage point provided
    some, what I thought, were constructive recommendations on how
    we could do a better job here on this program.
        Do you agree with his recommendations?
        Ms. LeBoeuf. I would have to look into that further. I
    thought they were very interesting as some of those were ones
    that we have not yet considered. So I would love to take those
    back.
        The Chairman. Well, why don't we take that back for the
    record to have you just take another hard look, and if you have
    questions for Mr. Millar on exactly what he meant? If you can
    get back to this Committee, I think it would be useful to have
    your view on what he was talking about.
        Ms. LeBoeuf. Absolutely.
        The Chairman. Great.
        Senator Baldwin.
        Senator Baldwin. Thank you.
        In 2010, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was
    launched. GLRI is intended to coordinate and accelerate Federal
    efforts to protect and restore the largest system of fresh
    surface water in the world.
        We want to ensure that water is safe for drinking, swimming
    in, and boating on. That fish are safe to catch and eat. That
    we control nuisance species and avoid new invasions, and that
    native plants and animals are thriving and protected in
    restored habitats.
        Digital Coast is important to this Initiative. One of the
    Digital Coast success stories is a tool that helps planners
    determine where priority restoration areas are.
        Just last month, the EPA published a new interactive
    mapping application for GLRI projects. With 16 Federal agencies
    working to restore the Great Lakes across seven states, and in
    partnership with our Canadian neighbors, having a central
    repository is important for measuring progress and keeping
    everyone, quite literally, on the same page.
        Ms. LeBoeuf, I am a strong advocate, if you are not already
    aware, for full funding of the Great Lakes Restoration
    Initiative because of the work that it is doing to invest in
    the future of our communities and protection of our resources.
        I have been very concerned with recent efforts to scale
    back this investment. I believe it would severely hinder the
    progress that we are making and leave our communities to
    grapple with these serious challenges on their own.
        Further compounding this issue with GLRI funding, the
    Administration has proposed additional cuts to several coastal
    programs that support Digital Coast like the Coastal Zone
    Management Grants.
        How would the proposed 90 percent cut to the Great Lakes
    Restoration Initiative funding, and the proposed zeroing out of
    the Coastal Zone Management Grants, impact NOAA's ability to
    help communities respond to, say, bluff collapse, coastal
    erosion, algae blooms, and water quality challenges?
        Just a light question to end our hearing with.
        Ms. LeBoeuf. Thank you, Senator Baldwin. And thank you for
    your appreciation of the work we are doing in the Great Lakes
    with the EPA and others.
        As you may know, the primary budget line for that program
    does come to EPA, so I would be reticent to comment on EPA's
    Budget status.
        I will say that the President's Fiscal Year 2019 budget had
    to address a number of competing resources and NOAA was able to
    continue to fund its core projects including nautical charting,
    which is nearly level funded, as well as some of our other NOAA
    priorities such as weather forecasting and fisheries
    management.
        So with that I will close my comment on the Fiscal Year
    2019 budget. Thank you.
        The Chairman. Well, I want to thank the witnesses, again.
    Very, very informative and enlightening testimony.
        The hearing record will remain open for two weeks. During
    this time, Senators may submit additional questions for the
    record. Upon receipt, the witnesses are requested to submit
    their written answers to this Committee as soon as possible.
        Again, I want to thank everybody for appearing today. Very
    informative.
        This hearing is now adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 11:09 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.]

                                A P P E N D I X

      Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Roger F. Wicker to
                                 Nicole LeBoeuf
        Question 1. Your written testimony states that the current return-
    on-investment for the Digital Coast program is 3:1 and projected to
    grow over the next 15 years. How could that ROI be improved further
    with a fully authorized program?
        Answer. With a fully authorized Digital Coast program, NOAA would
    continue to grow partnerships, leverage resources, and encourage
    broader awareness of the program. Authorization would codify a high-
    value program used by states, local authorities, and others. NOAA
    expects that use generally will increase over time, leading to an
    improved return on investment, which is measured through the cost-
    savings realized by Digital Coast users. Continued investments in the
    Digital Coast infrastructure (e.g., adding new tools) will make
    existing economic and other data accessible to new users and further
    reduce the cost to users of accessing data.

        Question 2. Does the Digital Coast program include region-specific
    data on parameters such as construction, equipment, and labor costs,
    and, if not, how can the program be improved for incorporating this
    type of data?
        Answer. The Digital Coast program does not, at this time, include
    region-specific data on parameters such as construction, equipment, and
    labor costs. However, Economics: National Ocean Watch (ENOW) is a data
    set on the Digital Coast that includes labor information (employment
    and annual wages) for six economic sectors that depend on the oceans
    and Great Lakes. ENOW's annual time-series data are produced by NOAA
    for about 400 coastal counties, 30 coastal states, eight regions, and
    the Nation from 2005 and onward using data from the Bureau of Labor
    Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. ENOW does not include
    region-specific data on construction and equipment costs.
        Regionally-specific data on construction and labor costs are
    available from public and private sources. The same is true for some
    types of construction equipment.

        Question 3. What type of interaction does NOAA have with the
    professional surveying community as part of the surveying, mapping, and
    geospatial efforts in this project?
        Answer. NOAA has constant interaction with the professional
    surveying community through open contracts and professional association
    engagement. NOAA's Coastal Geospatial Services Contract has five
    surveying and mapping prime contractors actively supporting the data
    and tool development made accessible via the Digital Coast. In
    addition, NOAA has access to over 100 other firms as subcontractors to
    the prime contracts. NOAA has awarded approximately $44 million in FY18
    to these private firms for hydrographic surveying, shoreline surveying,
    and other data collection and analysis, in addition to tool
    development. NOAA also regularly attends meetings and conferences of
    the only professional association whose membership is comprised of
    private surveying and mapping firms--MAPPS (Management Association for
    Private Photogrammetric Surveyors).
                                     ______

         Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Jim Inhofe to
                                  David Millar
        While Oklahoma is located in the South Central region of the United
    States we hold the same concerns as many Coastal states especially in
    mitigating flood risk. Right now my home state of Oklahoma leads the
    Nation with over 2,000 upstream flood control dams that have provided
    $81 million in annual estimated benefits to both businesses and
    residents in my state.
        Oklahoma is also home to the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, the furthest
    inland, warm water port in the Nation. The Tulsa Port of Catoosa is
    connected to McClellan--Kerr Arkansas River Navigation (MKARNS) which
    provides inland water navigation through the Arkansas and Mississippi
    River. The state of Oklahoma has seen the benefits of inland water
    navigation through the Port of Catoosa, however I am concerned that the
    levee system protecting the Port of Catoosa from the Arkansas river is
    at risk due to aging infrastructure and design limitations.
        Fugro has a strong background working with the National Oceanic and
    Atmosphere Administration (NOAA), the United States Geological Survey
    and the United States Army Corps of Engineers to provide mapping
    information and other technical data to support the design and
    construction of projects to mitigate flooding and the impact of similar
    natural disasters. In your testimony, you highlight the value of the
    Digital Coastal Partnership program provides to local planners and
    emergency managers to mitigate the impact of coastal flooding from
    natural disasters.
        Question 1. Do you believe the communities along our Nation's
    inland waterways would benefit from a similar public private data
    sharing partnership?
        Answer. Failed to Respond.

        Question 2. What best practices can you share regarding your
    experiences working with NOAA and the Digital Coastal Partnership
    Program that could extend to other agencies like the United States
    Geological Survey and the Army Corps of Engineers involved in flood
    control efforts and emergency response and planning efforts along our
    Nation's inland waterways?
        Answer. Failed to Respond.

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