[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 134 (Tuesday, July 14, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 41013]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-17243]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Release of the Draft 2015 Edition of the U.S. Arctic Nautical 
Charting Plan

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

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The NOAA Office of Coast Survey has released a draft of the 
2015 edition of the U.S. Arctic Nautical Charting Plan. The plan 
provides information about three topics: NOAA electronic navigational 
chart (NOAA ENC[supreg]) coverage in U.S. Arctic waters, progress on 
publishing new Arctic charts, and specifications for eleven proposed 
new charts. The primary purpose of the plan is to propose new chart 
coverage in the U.S. Arctic and to encourage feedback from stakeholders 
on the extent, scale, and other aspects of the proposed new coverage. 
Coast Survey invites written comments about this latest edition which 
is available from http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/arcticplan.

DATES: Comments are due by midnight, October 1, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Mail written comments to National Ocean Service, NOAA (N/
CS2), Attention: U.S. Arctic Nautical Charting Plan, 1315 East-West 
Highway Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section for how to comment electronically.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colby Harmon, telephone 301-713-2737, 
ext.187; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: You are invited to comment on the U.S. 
Arctic Nautical Charting Plan through NOAA's Nautical Discrepancy 
Report System at http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/idrs/discrepancy.aspx. In 
the ``OTHER PRODUCTS'' box, enter ``U.S. Arctic Nautical Charting 
Plan.'' Enter your comments, suggestions, or questions in the 
``DESCRIPTION OF DISCREPANCY'' box.
    For the first time, the U.S. Arctic Nautical Charting Plan provides 
information about existing, recently added, and proposed new electronic 
navigational chart (ENC) coverage in U.S. Arctic waters. A series of 
graphics depicts the existing extent of different usage (or scale) 
bands of ENC coverage. Recently added and proposed new ENC coverage is 
based on existing or proposed raster (traditional paper) chart 
footprints, although the final extent and display scale of the ENCs may 
vary slightly from their corresponding raster chart counterparts. NOAA 
will soon close a significant gap in small-scale ENC coverage and is 
adding new large-scale Arctic ENC cells.
    Coast Survey released the first edition of the U.S. Arctic Nautical 
Charting Plan in 2011. Three of the raster charts identified in the 
original plan have now been published. Two of these have large-scale 
insets. The ``Progress Report'' section of the plan details these 
charts and provides links to an online viewer for these charts.
    Coast Survey's plan recommends making 11 new charts in the Arctic 
to complement existing chart coverage. Seven of the charts will fill 
gaps in medium-scale chart coverage from the Alaska Peninsula to Cape 
Lisburne at the edge of the North Slope. Other larger scale charts will 
provide for safer passage though the Etolin and Bering Straits and for 
entry into harbors such as Barrow, the northernmost town in the United 
States. The ``Proposed New Raster Charts'' section of the plan provides 
detailed specifications for each of the proposed new charts. The 
specifications include scale, geographic extent, an image of the chart 
footprint, and other information.

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. Chapter 17, Coast and Geodetic Survey Act 
of 1947.

    Dated: June 22, 2015.
Rear Admiral Gerd Glang,
Director, Office of Coast Survey, National Ocean Service, National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2015-17243 Filed 7-13-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P