[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 1, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18281-18282]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07225]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Notice of Availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment for U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS[supreg]) 
Projects

AGENCY: National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System (ICOOS) 
Act of 2009 mandated the establishment of the U.S. Integrated Ocean 
Observing System with NOAA as lead Federal agency. NOAA's U.S. IOOS 
program seeks comment on a draft programmatic environmental assessment 
(PEA) of the observing activities regularly occurring in the 
environment as a direct result of cooperative agreements funded by this 
program. Technologies proposed for deployment and observational 
activities under U.S. IOOS are categorized into the following groups: 
sensors and instrumentation; vessels (including personal watercraft) 
and sampling; AUVs, gliders, and drifters; moorings, marine stations, 
buoys, and fixed arrays; HF radar; and sound navigation and ranging 
(sonar) and light detection and ranging (lidar). These observing 
activities support the core mission of U.S. IOOS: systematic provision 
of readily accessible marine environmental data and data products in an 
interoperable, reliable, timely, and user-specified manner to end-
users/customers to serve seven critical and expanding societal needs:
    1. Improve predictions of climate change and weather and their 
effects on coastal communities and the nation;
    2. Improve the safety and efficiency of maritime operations;

[[Page 18282]]

    3. More effectively mitigate the effects of natural hazards;
    4. Improve national and homeland security;
    5. Reduce public health risks;
    6. More effectively protect and restore healthy coastal ecosystems; 
and
    7. Enable the sustained use of ocean and coastal resources.

DATE AND TIME: The draft PEA is available for public review and comment 
through April 30, 2014.

ADDRESSES: If you wish to comment on the draft PEA, you may email 
comments to Regina Evans at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Regina Evans, U.S. IOOS, Regions 
Budget & Policy Division, 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1225, Silver Spring, 
MD 20910; Phone 301-427-2422; Fax 301-427-2073; Email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The draft PEA for U.S. IOOS is available 
online at http://ioos.noaa.gov/about/governance/environmental_compliance.html.

    Authority: Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act 
of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3601-3610).

    Dated: March 18, 2014.
Zdenka S. Willis,
Director, U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System.
[FR Doc. 2014-07225 Filed 3-31-14; 8:45 am]
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