[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 209 (Tuesday, November 2, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 60446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-23878]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Request for Public Comment on the Alaska Coastal Mapping Strategy 
Implementation Plan

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

ACTION: Notice of public comment.

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SUMMARY: On behalf of the Alaska Mapping Executive Committee (AMEC), a 
Federal-state partnership to coordinate the modernization of critical 
Alaska map layers, NOAA requests review of the draft Alaska Coastal 
Mapping Strategy (ACMS) Implementation Plan from all interested 
parties. Through this request for information (RFI), AMEC's Coastal 
Subcommittee seeks input from the public on the Implementation Plan and 
its milestones targeted at improving the coordination and collection of 
coastal mapping in Alaska. AMEC seeks to ensure that program 
implementation is informed by and responsive to all sectors through 
sustained engagement and effective partnerships.

DATES: Comments must be received via email by 5 p.m. ET on January 31, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: Comments can be submitted by email to [email protected] 
by the January 31, 2022, deadline.
    Instructions: The draft ACMS Implementation Plan can be found at 
https://iocm.noaa.gov/about/strategic-plans.html. Response to this RFI 
is voluntary. Respondents need not reply to all questions listed. For 
all submissions, clearly indicate which questions are being answered. 
Email attachments will be accepted in plain text, Microsoft Word, or 
Adobe PDF formats only. Each individual or institution is requested to 
submit only one response. NOAA requests that no business proprietary 
information, copyrighted information, or personally identifiable 
information be submitted in response to this RFI. Please note that the 
U.S. Government will not pay for response preparation, or for the use 
of any information contained in the response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Ashley Chappell, NOAA Integrated Ocean and 
Coastal Mapping Coordinator, 240-429-0293, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The ACMS was completed in June 2020, in conjunction with the 
National Ocean Mapping, Exploration and Characterization Strategy 
(NOMEC). The ACMS envisions an Alaska that in 2030 possesses seamless 
coastal mapping data. This vision translates into near-term goals for 
action, including acquiring priority coastal mapping datasets over the 
next 5 years, and the remainder of Alaskan shoreline datasets by 2030. 
Primarily focused on airborne and satellite technologies, the four ACMS 
goals are to:
    (1) Build on existing mapping partnerships to meet Alaska's coastal 
mapping needs.
    (2) Expand coastal data collection to deliver the priority 
geospatial products stakeholders require.
    (3) Leverage innovation in mapping technology development.
    (4) Conduct strategic communications to promote widespread 
stakeholder engagement.
    The draft ACMS Implementation Plan, now available for review, adds 
detail to the goals and objectives in the strategy. The NOMEC 
implementation plan, published January 2021, describes milestones and 
objectives aimed at the completion of mapping Alaska's waters deeper 
than 40m by 2030 and those shallower than 40m by 2040. While the 
boundary line between the ACMS and NOMEC is not exact due to varying 
extinction depths of airborne technologies, the two strategies combined 
are intended to fill the mapping gaps in Alaskan coastal and ocean 
waters.

Request for Comment

    This notice requests comment on the draft ACMS Implementation Plan 
at https://iocm.noaa.gov/about/strategic-plans.html. Reviewer comments 
are not limited, but questions that might be considered while reviewing 
the plan include:
    (1) What does successful implementation look like to your 
organization, sector, or interest group? How do you anticipate your 
organization or sector will participate in the ACMS implementation?
    (2) What specific implementation actions would be of value to your 
organization/sector?
    (3) How should the AMEC Coastal Subcommittee appropriately engage 
your organization to get ongoing feedback throughout implementation?
    (4) What activities is your organization currently undertaking, has 
recently undertaken, or is planning that may support or benefit from 
ACMS implementation? What processes and connections would be required 
to realize those opportunities?
    (5) What publicly accessible databases and archives does your 
organization offer that may house data relevant to ACMS?
    (6) Who are the additional partners that are needed to effectively 
plan and execute a successful ACMS program in the future, as well as 
those that can help disseminate information from this work to various 
audiences? How could Federal agencies more effectively engage these 
partners? If there are barriers to this cooperation, please describe. 
Please do not only limit your responses to organizations that are 
traditionally involved in this work, but also think how we can engage 
other groups that can make important contributions.
    (7) How can ACMS and NOMEC implementation plan activities and 
milestones be aligned to most efficiently advance the goals of both 
strategies?
    The Coast and Geodetic Survey Act of 1947, 33 U.S.C. 883e.

Kathryn Ries,
Performing the Duties of Director, Office of Coast Survey, National 
Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021-23878 Filed 11-1-21; 8:45 am]
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