[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 234 (Friday, December 5, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68035-68036]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-29888]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


NOAA Research Draft Report; Request for Public Comment

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), will 
post the NOAA Research Draft Report for public comment on December 15, 
2003. The complete draft document will be posted on the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Science Advisory Board 
(SAB) Web site at http://www.sab.noaa.gov/reports/review_draft.pdf">http://www.sab.noaa.gov/reports/review_draft.pdf. The 
panel is seeking public comment from all interested parties. This draft 
is being issued for comment only and is not intended for interim use. 
The Review Team will review the public comments received on the draft 
document. Suggested changes will be incorporated, where appropriate, in 
the final draft report.
    The 2003 House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Reports have 
language pertaining to the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. 
The report accompanying the House Commerce, Justice State (CJS) 
Appropriations Subcommittee mark states: ``In recognition of current 
resource limitations the Committee is forced to operate within, the 
Committee directs NOAA to review the continued requirements for twelve 
separate laboratories, six of which are located in Boulder, Colorado. 
The Committee directs NOAA to submit a laboratory consolidation plan to 
the Committee by March 15, 2004.'' The Senate report language states: 
``NOAA is directed to report to the Committee on Appropriations on the 
costs and benefits of breaking OAR up into its constituent parts and 
distributing those parts as desirable to the other line offices. The 
report should specifically address how the newly configured research 
sector will directly assist line offices in developing timely solutions 
to problems confronting NOAA now and in the next 5 years.''
    In response to the Congressional report language NOAA appointed an 
``Ad Hoc Review Team'' (here called the NOAA Research Review Team), 
under the auspices of the Science Advisory Board (SAB) consisting of 
five members. The Review team will be disbanded once the review is 
completed and a final report issued. This panel is tasked with: (1) 
Conducting a review of OAR for the purpose of improving the 
effectiveness and efficiency of its research enterprise, (2) 
establishing if OAR is adequately linked to NOAA's service 
organizations (i.e., National Weather Service (NWS), National 
Environmental Satellite Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), 
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the National Ocean 
Service (NOS)), (3) assessing if the research programs are relevant to 
the needs of these organizations. The team's recommendations will 
assist NOAA in responding to the language in the 2004 House and Senate 
CJS appropriation reports.
    The NOAA Research Review Team will present its findings to the 
Science Advisory Board in two (2) reports. The draft of the first 
report will be posted on the Science Advisory Board Web site at: http://www.sab.noaa.gov/reports/review_draft.pdf">http://www.sab.noaa.gov/reports/review_draft.pdf, on December 15, 2003, for 
public comment. Public comments may be submitted from December 15, 
2003, to January 14, 2004.
    NOAA welcomes all comments on the content of the report. We also 
ask that you comment on any inconsistencies within the report, and 
omissions of important topics or issues. For any shortcoming that you 
note in the draft, please propose specific remedies.
    Please follow these instructions for preparing and submitting your 
review. Using the format guidance described below will facilitate the 
processing of reviewer comments and assure that your comments are 
appropriately considered. Please provide background information about 
yourself on the first page of your comments: your name(s), 
organization(s), area(s) of expertise, mailing address(es), telephone 
and fax numbers, email address(es). Overview comments on the section 
should follow your background information and should be numbered. 
Comments that are specific to particular pages, paragraphs or lines of 
the section should follow your overview comments and should identify 
the page numbers to which they apply. Please number all your pages (on 
the upper right hand of each page), and have your identifying 
information at the top of each page.

DATES: Comments on this draft document must be submitted by January 14, 
2004.

ADDRESSES: The NOAA Research Review Team Report will be available on 
the SAB Web site at http://www.sab.noaa.gov/reports/review_draft.pdf">http://www.sab.noaa.gov/reports/review_draft.pdf on 
December 15, 2003.
    All comments should be sent electronically to 
[email protected], or to NOAA Research, Science Advisory Board, 
c/o Ms. M. Whitcomb, Silver Spring Metro

[[Page 68036]]

Center, Bldg. 3, Room 11558, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, 
Maryland 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. M. Whitcomb, Silver Spring Metro 
Center, Bldg. 3, Room 11558, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, 
Maryland 20910 (phone 301-713-2454 x 173), during normal business hours 
of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday, or visit the 
SAB Web site at: http://www.sab.noaa.gov/reports/review_draft.pdf.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: None.

Louisa Koch,
Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Research.
[FR Doc. 03-29888 Filed 12-4-03; 8:45 am]
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