[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 168 (Thursday, August 29, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70171-70172]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19417]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Request for Comment; Strategic Priorities for Ocean Exploration 
and Characterization in the Pacific Islands Within the United States 
Exclusive Economic Zone and Outer Continental Shelf (Pacific Islands 
Priorities Report)

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

ACTION: Notice of public comment.

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SUMMARY: On behalf of the Ocean Science and Technology Subcommittee of 
the Ocean Policy Committee co-chaired by the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Council on Environmental Quality 
(CEQ), the National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization 
(NOMEC) Council and the Interagency Working Group on Ocean Exploration 
and Characterization (IWG-OEC) request public input from all interested 
parties on the development of the ``Strategic Priorities for Ocean 
Exploration and Characterization in the Pacific Islands within the 
United States Exclusive Economic Zone and Outer Continental Shelf'' 
(Pacific Islands Priorities Report). The public input provided in 
response to this notice will inform the IWG-OEC and federal subject 
matter experts in identifying strategic priorities and data needs for 
ocean exploration and characterization in the U.S. Pacific Islands 
(State of Hawai'i and the U.S. Pacific Territories and Possessions) as 
they develop the Pacific Islands Priorities Report and ensure that this 
report is informed by and responsive to all sectors through sustained 
engagement and effective partnerships.

DATES: Comments must be received by November 4, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Responses should be submitted via email to 
[email protected].
    Instructions: Response to this notice is voluntary. Include 
``Public Comment on Pacific Islands Priorities Report'' in the subject 
line of the message. All submissions must be in English. Email 
attachments will only be accepted in plain text, Microsoft Word, or 
Adobe PDF formats. Each individual or institution is requested to 
submit only one response.
    Responses to this notice may be posted without change on a Federal 
website. All personal identifying information (e.g., name, address, 
etc.),

[[Page 70172]]

confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive information 
submitted voluntarily by the sender will become publicly accessible. 
NOAA, therefore, requests that no business proprietary information, 
copyrighted information, or personally identifiable information be 
submitted in response to this notice. Anonymous comments will be 
accepted. Please note that the U.S. Government will not pay for 
response preparation or the use of any information contained in the 
response.
    Documents referenced:
    A copy of the previous Strategic Priorities for Ocean Exploration 
and Characterization of the United States Exclusive Economic Zone 
published in October 2022 may be downloaded or viewed at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/NOMEC_OEC_Priorities_Report.pdf.
    A copy of the Report on the Workshop to Identify National Ocean 
Exploration Priorities in the Pacific may be downloaded or viewed at: 
https://col.ucar.edu/sites/default/files/2022-09/OceanExploration_PacificPriorities_WorkshopReport_NOV2020.pdf.
    A copy of the NOMEC National Strategy may be downloaded or viewed 
at: https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-07/NOMECStrategy.pdf.
    A copy of the current NOMEC Implementation Plan may be downloaded 
or viewed at: https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-11/210107-FINALNOMECImplementationPlan-Clean.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: IWG-OEC Co-chairs: Rachel Medley, 
NOAA, [email protected], 301-789-3075; Dr. Amanda Demopoulos, U.S. 
Geological Survey, [email protected], 352-264-3490; Mark Mueller, 
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, [email protected], 703-787-1089.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NOMEC Council and IWG-OEC issue this 
notice on behalf of the Ocean Science and Technology Subcommittee of 
the Ocean Policy Committee co-chaired by the OSTP and the CEQ and in 
coordination with the Administrator of NOAA. Public input in response 
to this notice will inform development of the Pacific Islands 
Priorities Report, which aims to expand on the prior national-scale 
U.S. interagency Strategic Priorities for Ocean Exploration and 
Characterization of the United States Exclusive Economic Zone 
(Priorities Report) released in October 2022 (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/NOMEC_OEC_Priorities_Report.pdf) along with a non-federal Consortium 
for Ocean Leadership Report on the Workshop to Identify National Ocean 
Exploration Priorities in the Pacific released in 2020 (https://col.ucar.edu/sites/default/files/2022-09/OceanExploration_PacificPriorities_WorkshopReport_NOV2020.pdf). 
Information gathered in the interagency Priorities Report was generated 
from public response to a Federal Register notice (87 FR 16169; March 
22, 2022) and from federal subject matter experts working across five 
thematic groups. The geographic and thematic priorities identified in 
the 2022 Priorities Report have directly guided interagency projects 
collecting information in identified priority areas including 
expeditions in the Aleutian Arc, Blake Plateau, and Hawai'i, and this 
new information-gathering effort in the Pacific Islands will do the 
same.
    The IWG-OEC sees value in re-initiating the ad hoc thematic federal 
working groups and seeking public comments to further refine thematic 
priorities and data needs specific to the Pacific Islands (State of 
Hawai'i and the U.S. Pacific Territories and Possessions) within the 
United States Exclusive Economic Zone (U.S. EEZ) and Outer Continental 
Shelf (OCS) since there have been changes to relevant federal statutes 
and an expansion of federal interests in Western and Central Pacific 
Islands and Nations following the compilation and release of the prior 
Priorities Report. Additionally, a new federally led regional campaign, 
``Beyond the Blue: Illuminating the Pacific,'' was recently launched. 
This new prioritization exercise builds upon the prior Priorities 
Report and supports the objectives of the Beyond the Blue campaign, the 
NOMEC Strategy and other national strategies.
    This notice solicits comments from Native Hawaiians, Pacific 
Islanders, and stakeholders, including academia, private industry, and 
other relevant institutions, to inform the development and finalization 
of the Pacific Islands Priorities Report. Specifically, the IWG-OEC is 
looking for information addressing the following aspects relevant to 
ocean exploration and characterization within the Pacific Islands 
(State of Hawai'i and the U.S. Pacific Territories and Possessions). 
The IWG-OEC will consider relevant priorities and data needs outside 
U.S. waters if the connection and relevance to U.S. federal interests 
is explicitly made.
     Provide a description of high-priority interests, 
disciplines, topics, and/or themes in the region.
     What types of additional data need to be acquired related 
to these priorities?
     What types of data standards, protocols, and best
     practices are best suited for data collection related to 
these priorities?
     What types of products or analyses need to be produced 
related to these priorities?
     Can you provide information about data sovereignty best 
practices and principles that can enhance the incorporation of cultural 
and indigenous knowledge?
     What challenges exist when gathering or accessing data? 
Can you propose specific solutions to these challenges?
     What technologies or methods (e.g., instrumentation or 
sensors) exist to address these priorities?
     What specific technology gaps or limitations need to be 
developed or improved to better advance data collection, planning, and 
processing techniques?

David Holst,
Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, Office of Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-19417 Filed 8-28-24; 8:45 am]
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