[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 27, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43929-43930]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-18383]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No.: 100706289-0289-01]


National Weather Service (NWS) Strategic Plan, 2011-2020

AGENCY: National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: The National Weather Service's (NWS) Strategic Plan (the Plan) 
for 2011-2020 sets the course for the agency's mission, a vision of the 
future, the societal outcomes that NWS aims to realize, and the actions 
the agency must take. The Plan establishes the framework to better meet 
the needs of Americans and to respond to some of the Nation's most 
urgent challenges. The Plan derives from NOAA's Next Generation 
Strategic Plan and is the result of a collaborative endeavor among 
employees, NOAA and NWS management, and private sector, research and 
operations partners. NWS invites comments on the contents of Plan, 
including mission statement, vision of the future, goals, objectives, 
and strategies.

DATES: The public comment period is open from July 27, 2010 through 
September 6, 2010. All comments must be submitted by the close of 
business on September 7, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments via the following methods:
     NWS Web site: (http://www.weather.gov/com/stratplan).
     Mail: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
National Weather Service, Strategic Planning and Policy (W/SP), 1325 
East-West Highway, Room 18234, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.
     E-mail comments to [email protected].
    NWS prefers that reviewers submit comments online via the NWS Web 
site, http://www.weather.gov/com/stratplan, where reviewers may post 
general comments on the plan, comment on a particular section, as well 
as vote on the comments posted by others. This method will help NWS 
understand which aspects of the plan deserve the most attention in 
developing a final version.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marie Lovern, NWS Office of the 
Assistant Administrator, at [email protected] or (301) 713-0611 
x170.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: You may view the Plan in its entirety at: 
http://www.weather.gov/com/stratplan.
    Summary of the Plan:
    The NWS has played a key role in protecting American lives and 
properties for over a century. The timely provision of reliable 
weather, water, climate, and environmental information has supported 
the Nation's social and economic development. NWS offices in 
communities across the U.S. and its territories, supported by regional 
and national centers, provide the authoritative information needed by 
Americans, including national, regional, state, tribal and local 
authorities, to plan, prepare, mitigate, and respond to natural and 
human-caused events. NWS views a diverse and growing environmental 
information services industry-the companies, media outlets, and others 
that create weather programming, provide consulting services, and 
deliver information to American society-as a strategic partner.
    The NWS is part of the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an agency with a diverse mission 
to understand and communicate changing conditions in the weather, 
climate, oceans, and coasts, and use that understanding to manage 
natural resources, including managing the Nation's fisheries and 
supporting healthy coastal habitats and species. NWS expertise in 
weather, water, and climate prediction, contributes to NOAA-wide 
initiatives such as air and water quality forecasts and ecological 
prediction and monitoring. NOAA's commitment to science, service, and 
stewardship informs society to respond and adapt to environmental 
conditions within a changing and uncertain world. New and evolving 
needs from society call for a shift in the way NWS forecasts and warns 
to provide impact-based decision support services. This means NWS must 
place an increasing emphasis on weather-related events, which 
significantly affect people, their livelihoods and the economy. NWS 
must go beyond producing accurate

[[Page 43930]]

forecasts and timely warnings to better understand and anticipate the 
likely human and economic impacts of such events. NWS must enable users 
to better exploit NWS information to plan and take preventive actions 
so people remain safe, reduce damage to their communities, businesses, 
and the environment, and maximize their economic productivity.
    Scientific and technical advancements are essential enablers for 
providing impact-based decision support. Most notably, NWS is planning 
a four-dimensional environmental database, or 4D Cube, and associated 
forecaster tools that will transform operations by integrating weather, 
water, climate, and environmental observations, forecasts, and 
decision-making into a network-enabled, continuously updated 
``virtual'' repository. The result will be a common, nationally-
consistent, real-time weather picture, allowing forecasters to easily 
analyze forecast challenges, monitor uncertainty, and make prognoses. 
The forecast team will be at the center of the information system 
producing and delivering information to enable decisions that affect 
societal outcomes. Linking social and physical sciences to produce and 
communicate information will be critical to NWS success. Next 
generation observations, Earth system models at all possible spatial 
and temporal scales, and advanced technologies will be enablers, 
extending capabilities to increasingly warn-on-forecast and to quantify 
forecast uncertainty. These measures will extend the window America has 
to prepare for weather-related events that impact society.
    The NWS and NOAA employees and partners across the public, private, 
and academic communities are vital to the success of impact-based 
decision support. NWS will develop strategies and commit resources to 
train the workforce beyond weather, water, and climate sciences to be 
better communicators and interpreters of NWS information, and to 
understand the risks and impacts of forecasts. NWS must recruit world-
class physical scientists, meteorologists, and hydrologists who have 
communication, social science, and information technology skills, and 
also recruit and partner with experts in other disciplines: economists, 
behavioral scientists, ecologists, oceanographers, engineers, health 
experts, and the like. NWS intends to better leverage expertise and 
resources of partners in the public and private sectors.
    The NWS Strategic Plan for 2011-2010 describes the following long-
term, mutually supportive goals which contribute to outcomes for 
society:
    [cir] Improve weather decision services for events that threaten 
safety, health, the environment, economic productivity, or homeland 
security;
    [cir] Deliver a broader suite of improved water services to support 
management of the Nation's water supply;
    [cir] Enhance climate services to help communities, businesses, and 
governments understand and adapt to climate-related risks;
    [cir] Improve sector-relevant information in support of economic 
productivity;
    [cir] Enable integrated environmental services supporting healthy 
communities and ecosystems; and
    [cir] Sustain a highly-skilled, professional workforce equipped 
with the training, tools, and infrastructure to meet the mission.
    In order to help NWS develop its Strategic Plan, the NWS invites 
comments from the public on the contents of Plan, including mission 
statement, vision of the future, goals, objectives, and strategies.

    Dated: July 22, 2010.
David Murray,
Director, Management and Organization Division, Office of the Chief 
Financial Officer, NWS.
[FR Doc. 2010-18383 Filed 7-26-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-KE-P