[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 5, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43613-43615]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-15886]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

[DOT-OST-2015-0105]


Nationwide Differential Global Positioning System (NDGPS)

AGENCY:  DHS--Coast Guard, DOT--Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Research and Technology (OST-R), and DOD--U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
Office of Engineering and Construction.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The United States Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Department of 
Transportation (DOT), and United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 
published a notice on August 18, 2015 seeking public comments on the 
proposed shutdown and decommissioning of 62 the then-existing 84 
Nationwide Differential Global Positioning System (NDGPS) sites. After 
a review of the comments received, we have reduced to 37 the number of 
NDGPS sites to be shutdown, 9 of which are USCG Maritime sites and 28 
of which are DOT inland sites. As a result of this action, the NDGPS 
system will remain operational with a total of 46 USCG and USACE sites 
available to users in the maritime and coastal regions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice, 
contact CAPT Scott Smith, Coast Guard, telephone (202) 372-1545 or 
email [email protected]; or James Arnold, U.S. DOT OST-R, NDGPS 
Program Manager, telephone (202) 366-8422 or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Purpose

    The USCG began development of the Maritime Differential Global 
Positioning System (MDGPS) in the late 1980s. In 1994, the USCG 
published a Federal Register notice (59 FR 13757; March 23, 1994) 
discussing the accuracy limitations in the GPS system, and informing 
the public that the USCG's Differential GPS Service would be 
implemented for harbor and harbor approach areas by 1996. The USCG's 
Maritime DGPS system used land-based reference stations to enhance the 
accuracy of GPS to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) harbor 
approach standard for near-coastal maritime navigation. Through 
Presidential Decision Directive NSTC-6, U.S. Global Positioning System 
Policy, (March 28, 1996) the President designated the U.S. Department 
of Transportation as the Nation's ``lead agency for all Federal civil 
GPS matters.'' The Directive further required the USDOT to ``develop 
and implement U.S. Government augmentation to the basic GPS for 
transportation applications.'' The USCG's Maritime DGPS Service was 
established as an augmentation to GPS to aid maritime navigation in 
certain harbors and harbor approach areas. Enacted on October 27, 1997, 
Section 346 of the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act of 1998, Public Law 105-66, 111 Stat. 1425, 
authorized the USDOT to establish, operate and manage the NDGPS system. 
Furthermore, section 346 authorized the Secretary to integrate the 
USCG's existing Maritime DGPS reference stations with the NDGPS, and to 
ensure System compatibility with the Continuously Operating Reference 
Stations (CORS) network, which had been independently established by 
the National Geodetic Survey.
    Pursuant to this statutory authority, the Secretary established 29 
inland DGPS sites, which along with the USCG's Maritime DGPS sites, and 
seven sites established by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), 
collectively comprised the Nationwide DGPS (NDGPS) system. Pursuant to 
a 1999 delegation of authority from the Secretary of Transportation (64 
FR 7813; February 17, 1999), the Commandant of the USCG was designated 
as lead for implementation, operation, and maintenance of the NDGPS 
service. The Secretary retained authority for System requirements and 
associated responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), and assumed the role of NDGPS sponsor and chair of the multi-
agency NDGPS Policy and Implementation Team (PIT), which directs the 
overall management of the NDGPS system.
    Since its establishment in the late 1990s, several factors have 
contributed to the stagnation of transportation-related use of NDGPS, 
including lack of a regulatory requirement for vessels to carry DGPS 
equipment within U.S. territorial waters, technological advances in GPS 
that have increased its accuracy, increased reliability of other GPS 
augmentation systems that do not require a second receiver, limited 
availability of consumer-grade DGPS radio beacon receivers, and the 
discontinuance of GPS Selective Availability.

[[Page 43614]]

    On August 18, 2015, USCG, DOT, and USACE published a notice in the 
Federal Register seeking public comments on the proposed shutdown and 
decommissioning of 62 NDGPS sites on January 15, 2016 (see 80 FR 
50018). The DHS, DOT, and USACE received 168 comments in response to 
the notice, several of which were duplicate entries. Due to the number 
and nature of comments received, the USCG, DOT, and USACE decided to 
postpone the proposed closing of the sites until the comments were 
thoroughly reviewed. As a result of our analysis of these comments, 
which is discussed below, we determined that only 37 of the 62 sites 
proposed will be shut down and decommissioned, leaving a total of 46 
USCG and USACE sites that will continue to provide single-site coverage 
for the maritime areas currently covered by the USCG and USACE. 
Termination of the NDGPS broadcast at the sites listed below is planned 
to occur 30 days after the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register.

Discussion of Comments

Inland Coverage

    Several comments were received that addressed the inland portion on 
NDGPS but none identified a Federal transportation requirement. The 
determination to shut down 28 inland NDGPS sites reflects the lack of a 
federal transportation requirement to maintain a DGPS signal at these 
sites in response to the August 2015 Federal Register Notice and 
limited availability of consumer-grade NDGPS radiobeacon receivers.

Continuously Operating Reference Station Comments

    Almost half of the received comments requested that particular 
sites remain open as a data source to support surveying, science, and 
natural resource management. Each of the NDGPS sites announced for 
closure in the August 2015 Notice also serves as a Continuously 
Operating Reference Station (CORS) data source. The CORS network 
contains approximately 2000 individual sites owned and operated by 
almost 200 different public and private entities. The CORS data is 
principally used by scientists, surveyors and engineers to improve the 
precision of GPS data. Additionally, natural resource agencies also 
rely on the CORS sites in the management and oversight of national 
parks, forestry and agriculture. Each CORS site provides data via the 
Internet to the National Geodetic Survey, which analyzes the data and 
then distributes it to the public free of charge. The science, land 
surveying and engineering professionals who utilize the CORS system to 
refine three-dimensional position data do not use the DGPS radio 
broadcast signal developed and operated for surface and maritime 
transportation purposes.
    The USCG will consider the transfer of ownership and or operational 
control of the below-listed NDGPS sites to private entities or other 
Federal, State, and/or local agencies interested in continuing to 
operate them as CORS sites. Questions about potential transfer of 
specific CORS sites should be directed to the individual(s) referenced 
in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section above.

Maritime Coverage

    Approximately one third of the comments received came from maritime 
users of the NDGPS system, including marine pilots, dredging companies 
and marine surveyors or hydrographers, who urged the USCG and USACE to 
retain the existing maritime sites. 58 of these maritime comments 
addressed specific maritime DGPS uses and advocated for retaining DGPS 
sites. 44 of the 58 comments expressed a need for enhanced precision 
for navigation provided by DGPS (e.g. piloting) and 14 of the 58 
comments expressed a need for enhanced precision for positioning to 
support marine surveying and dredging. Commenting parties included 
regional and national associations of maritime pilots and professionals 
as well as both U.S. (USACE, NPA, NOAA) and foreign government agencies 
(Canada and United Kingdom). Based upon these comments, USACE elected 
to not close any of its DGPS sites. For similar reasons, the USCG 
determined that it will retain all but nine of its existing sites and 
will only close sites where another site already provides coverage or 
where no maritime users expressed a need to keep the site open. As a 
result, the USCG's maritime DGPS system will remain largely intact. 
However, certain locations will no longer have DGPS coverage from 
multiple sites. With the exception of Puerto Rico and Cold Bay, Alaska, 
where the USCG will no longer provide DGPS coverage due to a lack of 
expressed need, the remaining USCG system will provide single-site DGPS 
coverage for port and harbor approaches in all areas currently covered 
by single or multiple-site coverage.

General Comments

    An additional 16 comments expressed a general interest in retaining 
the system without specifying a discrete use or application requiring 
the service to remain intact. Another 6 comments were provided on 
behalf of standards bodies and advocacy organizations regarding 
potential application of NDGPS infrastructure for future complementary 
positioning, navigation and timing systems (e.g. eLoran and R-Mode).
    After evaluating the feedback received, USCG and USACE will retain 
more sites than were originally proposed for retention in the August 
2015 Federal Register Notice to continue providing DGPS coverage to 
maritime users, while reducing coverage redundancies and coverage to 
areas where no maritime interests expressed a need for continued 
operation. The reduced system will continue to provide DGPS services 
for precision maritime navigation, marine surveying, and dredging as we 
continue to research and assess DGPS use and alternatives based upon 
advances in GPS precision and augmentation technology.

Sites To Be Disestablished

    Termination of the NDGPS broadcast at the following sites is 
planned to occur 30 days after the publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register.

List of Maritime Sites To Be Disestablished

 Brunswick, ME
 Cold Bay, AK
 Eglin, FL
 Isabela, PR
 Lompoc, CA
 Pickford, MI
 Saginaw Bay, MI
 Sturgeon Bay, WI
 Key West, FL

List of Inland Sites To Be Disestablished

 Albuquerque, NM
 Austin, NV
 Bakersfield, CA
 Billings, MT
 Chico, CA
 Clark, SD
 Dandridge, TN
 Essex, CA
 Flagstaff, AZ
 Greensboro, NC
 Hackleburg, AL
 Hagerstown, MD
 Hartsville, TN
 Hawk Run, PA
 Klamath Falls, OR
 Macon, GA
 Medora, ND
 Myton, UT
 Pine River, MN
 Polson, MT
 Pueblo, CO
 Savannah, GA
 Seneca, OR
 Spokane, WA

[[Page 43615]]

 St. Marys, WV
 Summerfield, TX
 Topeka, KS
 Whitney, NE

    Graphics depicting the proposed changes to NDGPS coverage are 
available at the USCG's NDGPS General Information Web site at: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=dgpsMain.
    For more information on the NDGPS Service, visit the USCG's Web 
site at http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=dgpsMain.
    Additional information on GPS, NDGPS, and other GPS augmentation 
systems is also available in the 2014 Federal Radionavigation Plan, 
published by the Department of Defense, DHS, and DOT, which is also 
available at the USCG's Web site at http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=pubsMain.

Authority

    This notice is issued under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a), 14 
U.S.C. 81, and 49 U.S.C. 301 (Pub. L. 105-66, section 346).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 21, 2016.
CAPT David C. Barata,
Director of Marine Transportation Systems, Acting U.S. Coast Guard.
Mr. Gregory D. Winfree,
Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, U.S. Department of 
Transportation.
James C. Dalton,
Chief, Engineering and Construction, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
[FR Doc. 2016-15886 Filed 7-1-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P