[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 217 (Wednesday, November 10, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 65193]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-25148]


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OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY


Notice of Release of Appendix 3 To Draft Strategic Plan for U.S. 
Integrated Earth Observation System and Extension of Public Comment 
Period

ACTION: Notice of release and extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the release of the Appendix 3 to the 
Draft Strategic Plan for the U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System 
and extension of the public comment period by the National Science and 
Technology Council's (NSTC) Committee on Environment and Natural 
Resources (CENR) Interagency Working Group on Earth Observations 
(IWGEO). This draft plan was prepared to address the effective use of 
Earth observation systems to benefit humankind, and Appendix 3 provides 
a summary of the state of the current observation systems addressed in 
the plan.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: The Draft Strategic Plan was made available for 
public review on Wednesday, September 8, 2004, and can be accessed 
electronically at http://iwgeo.ssc.nasa.gov/draftstrategicplan. 
Appendix 3 to this document, along with the associated Technical 
Reference Documents will be available at http://iwgeo.ssc.nasa.gov on 
Wednesday, November 10, 2004. In order to provide time to review 
Appendix 3, the comment period has been extended to no later that the 
close of business on Tuesday, November 30, 2004. Comments on the 
Technical Reference Documents do not have a close date, as they are 
continually being updated. Only electronic (e-mail) comments will be 
accepted, and should be sent to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information regarding this Notice, 
please contact Carla Sullivan, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration. Telephone: (202) 482-5921. E-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: The Interagency Working Group on 
Earth Observations (IWGEO) of the NSTC Committee on Environment and 
Natural Resources was established after the Earth Observation Summit 
for a two-fold purpose:
    (1) To develop and begin implementation of the U.S. framework and 
ten-year plan for an integrated, comprehensive Earth observation system 
to answer environmental and societal needs, including a U.S. assessment 
of current observational capabilities, evaluation of requirements to 
sustain and evolve these capabilities considering both remote and in 
situ instruments, assessment of how to integrate current observational 
capabilities across scales, and evaluation and addressing of data gaps; 
and
    (2) To formulate the U.S. position and input to the international 
ad hoc Group on Earth Observations (GEO) as formed at the Earth 
Observation Summit on July 31, 2003.
    In response the first goal, the IWGEO has prepared a Draft 
Strategic Plan for the U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System. The 
draft was prepared after a year of coordination among the appropriate 
Federal agencies. In addition, a public workshop was held on June 16-
17, 2004, for the purpose of allowing representatives of the 
communities-of-practice to contribute information and facts on the nine 
societal benefits areas, which provide the focus of the plan. These 
strategic social/economic areas include:
    1. Improve weather forecasting.
    2. Reducing loss of life and property from disasters.
    3. Protecting and monitoring ocean resources.
    4. Understanding climate, and assessing, mitigating, and adapting 
to climate change impacts.
    5. Supporting sustainable agriculture and forestry, and combating 
land degradation.
    6. Understanding the effect of environmental factors on human 
health and well being.
    7. Developing the capacity to make ecological forecasts.
    8. Protecting and monitoring water resources.
    9. Monitoring and managing energy resources.
    Public Participation. Appendix 3 of the Draft Strategic Plan for 
the U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System provide a summary of the 
Technical Reference Documents on each of the nine societal benefits 
areas. These documents have been updated based on comments received at 
the June IWGEO public meeting and may be found on the IWGEO Web site at 
http://iwgeo.ssc.nasa.gov, or by contacting the IWGEO Secretariat 
office: Carla Sullivan, Interagency Working Group on Earth Observations 
(IWGEO), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 1401 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230. Telephone: (202) 482-
5921, telefax: (202) 408-9674. E-mail: [email protected]. 
Subject: Draft Strategic Plan for U.S. Integrated Earth Observation 
System.
    The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) was established 
by Executive Order 12881. The Committee on Environment and Natural 
Resources (CENR) was chartered as one of four standing committees of 
the NSTC for the purpose of advising and assisting the Council on those 
federally supported efforts that develop new knowledge related to 
improving our understanding of the environment and natural resources.

Ann F. Mazur,
Assistant Director for Budget and Administration.
[FR Doc. 04-25148 Filed 11-9-04; 8:45 am]
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