Contracting Policy for Hydrographic Services, 17837-17838 [06-3340]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 67 / Friday, April 7, 2006 / Notices
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upon documentary evidence provided
by the government of the harvesting
nation, the IATTC, or the Department of
State.
The affirmative finding process
requires that the harvesting nation is
meeting its obligations under the IDCP
and obligations of membership in the
IATTC. Every 5 years, the government of
the harvesting nation must request an
affirmative finding and submit the
required documentary evidence directly
to the Assistant Administrator. On an
annual basis, NMFS will review the
affirmative finding and determine
whether the harvesting nation continues
to meet the requirements. A nation may
provide information related to
compliance with IDCP and IATTC
measures directly to NMFS on an
annual basis or may authorize the
IATTC to release the information to
NMFS to annually renew an affirmative
finding determination without an
application from the harvesting nation.
An affirmative finding will be
terminated, in consultation with the
Secretary of State, if the Assistant
Administrator determines that the
requirements of 50 CFR 216.24(f) are no
longer being met or that a nation is
consistently failing to take enforcement
actions on violations, thereby
diminishing the effectiveness of the
IDCP.
As a part of the affirmative finding
process set forth in 50 CFR 216.24(f), the
Assistant Administrator considered
documentary evidence submitted by the
Government of Mexico or obtained from
the IATTC and the Department of State
and has determined that Mexico has met
the MMPA’s requirements to receive an
annual affirmative finding renewal.
After consultation with the
Department of State, the Assistant
Administrator issued the Government of
Mexico’s annual affirmative finding
renewal, allowing the continued
importation into the United States of
yellowfin tuna and products derived
from yellowfin tuna harvested in the
ETP by Mexican-flag purse seine vessels
or purse seine vessels operating under
Mexican jurisdiction. Mexico’s
affirmative finding will remain valid
through March 31, 2010, subject to
subsequent annual reviews by NMFS.
Dated: April 3, 2006.
James W. Balsiger,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6–5121 Filed 4–6–06; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Contracting Policy for Hydrographic
Services
National Ocean Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice and Request for
Comment.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The NOAA National Ocean
Service (NOS) has drafted an updated
contracting policy for hydrographic
services. NOAA seeks public comment
on this policy in accordance with the
Congressional request made during the
FY 2005 appropriation process to
develop a strategy for expanding
mapping and charting contracting with
private entities. NOAA will consider
comments from the public before
finalizing its contracting policy. The
final policy will be published in May
2006.
DATES: Comments must be submitted
within 30 days of the date of this notice.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be submitted to Ashley Chappell, Office
of Coast Survey, National Ocean
Service, NOAA (N/CS), 1315 East West
Highway, Station 6113, Silver Spring,
MD 20910. Written comments may be
faxed to (301) 713–4019, Attention:
Ashley Chappell. Comments by e-mail
should be submitted to
ashley.chappell@noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ashley Chappell, Office of Coast
Survey, National Ocean Service, NOAA
(N/CS), 1315 East West Highway,
Station 6110 Silver Spring, Maryland
20910; Telephone: 301–713–2770 ext.
148.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
following documentation is the draft
contracting policy for hydrographic
services within the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS).
Appendices referenced in the
background statement are available at
https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/ocs/
hsrp/archive/library.htm.
NOAA National Ocean Service
Contracting Policy for Hydrographic
Services
Background
In House Report 108–576, which
accompanied the FY 2005 Consolidated
Appropriations Act, Congress
recommended that NOAA’s National
Ocean Service ‘‘work with the private
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Frm 00033
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
17837
mapping community to develop a
strategy for expanding contracting with
private entities to minimize duplication
and take maximum advantage of private
sector capabilities in fulfillment of
NOAA’s mapping and charting
responsibilities.’’ To satisfy this
requests, NOAA issued a Federal
Register notice for comments on the
existing 1996 contracting policy
(Appendix A) for surveying and
mapping services. Comments received
were generally supportive of the
existing policy and NOAA’s proactive
implementation of it, with some
suggestions for improvement. NOAA
also consulted at public meetings with
the Hydrographic Services Review Panel
(HSRP), a Federal Advisory Committee
established by Congress in the
Hydrographic Services Improvement
Act as amended, 33 U.S.C. 892c, to
review the process by which NOAA’s
National Ocean Service procures
hydrographic services and to provide
recommendations for improving the
process. NOAA reviewed the HSRP
recommendations (Appendix B) and
public comments (Appendix C) and
incorporated many of the suggestions in
the draft revision to the current
contracting policy. This policy revision
is being published to the Federal
Register to allow for further public
comment.
NOAA Hydrographic Services
Contracting Policy
NOAA recognizes that qualified
commercial sources can provide
competent, professional, cost-effective
hydrographic services to NOAA in
support of its mapping and charting
mission for enhancing navigation safety.
NOAA also recognizes that the
provision of hydrographic services,
including the acquisition and
dissemination of hydrographic and
shoreline data, is a core mission
requirement of NOAA under the Act of
1947 (known as the Coast and Geodetic
Survey Act), 33 U.S.C. 883a et seq., and
the 1998 Hydrographic Services
Improvement Act (HSIA), as amended
in 2002, 33 U.S.C. 892 et seq. In the
interest of public and environmental
safety, the Federal government’s
responsibility for executing its
hydrographic services missions is
manifest and non-delegable. Therefore,
it is incumbent upon NOAA, as
recommended by the HSRP, to maintain
its operational hydrographic services
core capability, and contract for the
remainder of its hydrographic services
to the extent of available funding.
In general, it is the intent of NOAA to
contract for hydrographic services when
qualified commerical sources exist, and
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07APN1
17838
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 67 / Friday, April 7, 2006 / Notices
when such contracts are the most cost
effective method of conducting these
functions. This policy documents the
framework and conditions under which
contracting will be employed to ensure
an open and consistent approach. To
support this policy, NOAA will
maintain a dialogue with private sector
organizations and constituent groups.
For the purposes of this policy, the term
‘‘hydrographic services’’ is defined in
the HSIA to include ‘‘the management,
maintenance, interpretation,
certification, and dissemination of
bathymetric, hydrographic, geodetic,
geospatial, geomagnetic, and tide and
current information, including the
production of nautical charts, nautical
information databases, and other
products derived from hydrographic
data.’’
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
Policy
NOAA will acquire hydrographic
services from qualified sources in
accordance with applicable Federal
Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and as
authorized and directed under the Act
of 1947 and the HSIA, including use of
the Federal Property and Administrative
Services Act of 1949, 40 U.S.C. 1101–
1104, when appropriate. Commonly
known as the ‘‘Brooks Act,’’ these
contracting procedures are used in
certain situations where the professional
nature of the services to be procured
requires that potential contractors have
specialized technical expertise.
NOAA may determine that a
particular surveying or mapping activity
is inherently governmental. NOAA
surveying and mapping activities
considered inherently governmental in
nature may include services necessary
to: (1) Monitor the quality of NOAA
products; (2) promulgate and promote
national and international technical
standards and specifications; (3)
conduct basic research and
development and ensure the rapid
transfer to the private sector of the
derived technology; (4) maintain the
Federal geodetic and navigational
databases necessary to support safe and
efficient marine operations; (5) support
coastal stewardship ecosystem
applications; and (6) support Maritime
Domain Awareness and Homeland
Security preparation and response,
including maintaining a response
capability to provide emergency
services and support in response to
natural and manmade disasters and
other unforeseen requirements. To carry
out the above activities, and to
adequately monitor contracted services,
NOAA will maintain a core capability of
field and office expertise.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
19:13 Apr 06, 2006
Jkt 208001
The government’s interests and
responsibilities for surveying and
mapping vary broadly, and experience
has shown that maintaining flexibility is
essential in responding to the Nation’s
changing needs for updated surveying
and mapping data. Therefore, NOAA
may task qualified commercial sources
to conduct surveying and mapping
services in any part of the U.S.
Exclusive Economic Zone for any
NOAA mission-related purpose,
irrespective of pre-defined priority
categories such as those documented in
the NOAA Hydrographic Surveying
Priorities.
Ancillary Statements and Actions
As recommended by the HSRP,
NOAA will continue to utilize a mix of
in-house and private-sector resources to
accomplish its hydrographic services
missions. Costs and productivity will be
closely monitored within each category
(i.e., public and private) to ensure best
use of hydrographic services resources.
NOAA will also seek to determine the
optimal resource allocation between inhouse and private-sector resources
based on the strength of the
governmental interest, the total
requirement for mapping and charting
services, and the particular operational
capabilities of either government or
private-sector resources that may make
one more suitable.
NOAA will continue to examine ways
to improve its contracting process, such
as methods of minimizing the turnover
frequency of contracting personnel and
for reducing the length of time required
to award contracts and task orders.
NOAA will maintain its offer of
debriefings to successful and
unsuccessful hydrographic services
contractors after final selection has
taken place. The purpose of these
debriefings is to assist contractors with
identifying significant weaknesses or
deficiencies in their submissions.
NOAA is also exploring the
establishment an Ocean and Coastal
Mapping Training Center. The Training
Center was initially conceived as a
curriculum to support NOAA’s in-house
hydrographic surveying training
requirements. But NOAA now
recognizes value in broadening the
Center’s scope to include training for
NOAA and private sector contractors in
techniques, standards, and technologies
that support NOAA’s many shoreline,
coastal, and ocean mapping activities.
This concept builds an NOAA’s annual
Hydrographic Training and Field
Procedures Workshops currently held
for NOAA personnel and its
hydrographic services contractors to
train and trade valuable lessons learned
PO 00000
Frm 00034
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
from surveying experience. Such
training would be beneficial to current
or prospective NOAA contractors
seeking to strengthen their proposal
submissions. To view Appendix A, B, or
C; the 1996 National Ocean Service
Contracting Policy; the Brooks Act, or
the Acts authorizing NOAA Navigation
Services programs, visit https://nautical
charts.noaa.gov/ocs/hsrp/archive/
library.htm.
Dated: March 28, 2006.
Roger L. Parsons,
Director, Office of Coast Survey, National
Ocean Service, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 06–3340 Filed 4–6–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–JE–M
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
NOAA Coral Ecosystem Research Plan
Part II: Regional Priorities Draft
Coral Reef Conservation
Program, NOAA, Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice and request for public
comment.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
publishes this notice to announce the
availability of the Draft NOAA Coral
Ecosystem Research Plan Part II:
Regional Priorities for public comment.
The Draft NOAA Coral Ecosystem
Research Plan is being developed by the
NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
to set priorities and guide NOAAsupported coral ecosystem research for
fiscal years 2006 to 2010, including
research conducted through extramural
partners, grants, and contracts. The
Draft NOAA Coral Ecosystem Research
Plan covers all coral reef ecosystems
under the jurisdiction of the United
States and the Pacific Freely Associated
States; and is written for a broad
audience, including resource managers,
scientists, policy makers, and the
public.
DATES: Comments on this draft
document must be submitted by May 8,
2006.
ADDRESSES: The Draft NOAA Coral
Ecosystem Research Plan Part II:
Regional Priorities will be available at
the following location https://www.
nurp.noaa.gov/Docs/NOAA_
CoralResearchPlanPartII_FRN.pdf
The public is encouraged to submit
comments on the Draft NOAA Coral
Ecosystem Research Plan Part II:
Regional Priorities electronically to
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 67 (Friday, April 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17837-17838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-3340]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Contracting Policy for Hydrographic Services
AGENCY: National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice and Request for Comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS) has drafted an updated
contracting policy for hydrographic services. NOAA seeks public comment
on this policy in accordance with the Congressional request made during
the FY 2005 appropriation process to develop a strategy for expanding
mapping and charting contracting with private entities. NOAA will
consider comments from the public before finalizing its contracting
policy. The final policy will be published in May 2006.
DATES: Comments must be submitted within 30 days of the date of this
notice.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to Ashley Chappell,
Office of Coast Survey, National Ocean Service, NOAA (N/CS), 1315 East
West Highway, Station 6113, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Written comments
may be faxed to (301) 713-4019, Attention: Ashley Chappell. Comments by
e-mail should be submitted to ashley.chappell@noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ashley Chappell, Office of Coast
Survey, National Ocean Service, NOAA (N/CS), 1315 East West Highway,
Station 6110 Silver Spring, Maryland 20910; Telephone: 301-713-2770
ext. 148.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following documentation is the draft
contracting policy for hydrographic services within the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service
(NOS). Appendices referenced in the background statement are available
at https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/ocs/hsrp/archive/library.htm.
NOAA National Ocean Service Contracting Policy for Hydrographic
Services
Background
In House Report 108-576, which accompanied the FY 2005 Consolidated
Appropriations Act, Congress recommended that NOAA's National Ocean
Service ``work with the private mapping community to develop a strategy
for expanding contracting with private entities to minimize duplication
and take maximum advantage of private sector capabilities in
fulfillment of NOAA's mapping and charting responsibilities.'' To
satisfy this requests, NOAA issued a Federal Register notice for
comments on the existing 1996 contracting policy (Appendix A) for
surveying and mapping services. Comments received were generally
supportive of the existing policy and NOAA's proactive implementation
of it, with some suggestions for improvement. NOAA also consulted at
public meetings with the Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP), a
Federal Advisory Committee established by Congress in the Hydrographic
Services Improvement Act as amended, 33 U.S.C. 892c, to review the
process by which NOAA's National Ocean Service procures hydrographic
services and to provide recommendations for improving the process. NOAA
reviewed the HSRP recommendations (Appendix B) and public comments
(Appendix C) and incorporated many of the suggestions in the draft
revision to the current contracting policy. This policy revision is
being published to the Federal Register to allow for further public
comment.
NOAA Hydrographic Services Contracting Policy
NOAA recognizes that qualified commercial sources can provide
competent, professional, cost-effective hydrographic services to NOAA
in support of its mapping and charting mission for enhancing navigation
safety. NOAA also recognizes that the provision of hydrographic
services, including the acquisition and dissemination of hydrographic
and shoreline data, is a core mission requirement of NOAA under the Act
of 1947 (known as the Coast and Geodetic Survey Act), 33 U.S.C. 883a et
seq., and the 1998 Hydrographic Services Improvement Act (HSIA), as
amended in 2002, 33 U.S.C. 892 et seq. In the interest of public and
environmental safety, the Federal government's responsibility for
executing its hydrographic services missions is manifest and non-
delegable. Therefore, it is incumbent upon NOAA, as recommended by the
HSRP, to maintain its operational hydrographic services core
capability, and contract for the remainder of its hydrographic services
to the extent of available funding.
In general, it is the intent of NOAA to contract for hydrographic
services when qualified commerical sources exist, and
[[Page 17838]]
when such contracts are the most cost effective method of conducting
these functions. This policy documents the framework and conditions
under which contracting will be employed to ensure an open and
consistent approach. To support this policy, NOAA will maintain a
dialogue with private sector organizations and constituent groups. For
the purposes of this policy, the term ``hydrographic services'' is
defined in the HSIA to include ``the management, maintenance,
interpretation, certification, and dissemination of bathymetric,
hydrographic, geodetic, geospatial, geomagnetic, and tide and current
information, including the production of nautical charts, nautical
information databases, and other products derived from hydrographic
data.''
Policy
NOAA will acquire hydrographic services from qualified sources in
accordance with applicable Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and as
authorized and directed under the Act of 1947 and the HSIA, including
use of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, 40
U.S.C. 1101-1104, when appropriate. Commonly known as the ``Brooks
Act,'' these contracting procedures are used in certain situations
where the professional nature of the services to be procured requires
that potential contractors have specialized technical expertise.
NOAA may determine that a particular surveying or mapping activity
is inherently governmental. NOAA surveying and mapping activities
considered inherently governmental in nature may include services
necessary to: (1) Monitor the quality of NOAA products; (2) promulgate
and promote national and international technical standards and
specifications; (3) conduct basic research and development and ensure
the rapid transfer to the private sector of the derived technology; (4)
maintain the Federal geodetic and navigational databases necessary to
support safe and efficient marine operations; (5) support coastal
stewardship ecosystem applications; and (6) support Maritime Domain
Awareness and Homeland Security preparation and response, including
maintaining a response capability to provide emergency services and
support in response to natural and manmade disasters and other
unforeseen requirements. To carry out the above activities, and to
adequately monitor contracted services, NOAA will maintain a core
capability of field and office expertise.
The government's interests and responsibilities for surveying and
mapping vary broadly, and experience has shown that maintaining
flexibility is essential in responding to the Nation's changing needs
for updated surveying and mapping data. Therefore, NOAA may task
qualified commercial sources to conduct surveying and mapping services
in any part of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone for any NOAA mission-
related purpose, irrespective of pre-defined priority categories such
as those documented in the NOAA Hydrographic Surveying Priorities.
Ancillary Statements and Actions
As recommended by the HSRP, NOAA will continue to utilize a mix of
in-house and private-sector resources to accomplish its hydrographic
services missions. Costs and productivity will be closely monitored
within each category (i.e., public and private) to ensure best use of
hydrographic services resources. NOAA will also seek to determine the
optimal resource allocation between in-house and private-sector
resources based on the strength of the governmental interest, the total
requirement for mapping and charting services, and the particular
operational capabilities of either government or private-sector
resources that may make one more suitable.
NOAA will continue to examine ways to improve its contracting
process, such as methods of minimizing the turnover frequency of
contracting personnel and for reducing the length of time required to
award contracts and task orders. NOAA will maintain its offer of
debriefings to successful and unsuccessful hydrographic services
contractors after final selection has taken place. The purpose of these
debriefings is to assist contractors with identifying significant
weaknesses or deficiencies in their submissions. NOAA is also exploring
the establishment an Ocean and Coastal Mapping Training Center. The
Training Center was initially conceived as a curriculum to support
NOAA's in-house hydrographic surveying training requirements. But NOAA
now recognizes value in broadening the Center's scope to include
training for NOAA and private sector contractors in techniques,
standards, and technologies that support NOAA's many shoreline,
coastal, and ocean mapping activities. This concept builds an NOAA's
annual Hydrographic Training and Field Procedures Workshops currently
held for NOAA personnel and its hydrographic services contractors to
train and trade valuable lessons learned from surveying experience.
Such training would be beneficial to current or prospective NOAA
contractors seeking to strengthen their proposal submissions. To view
Appendix A, B, or C; the 1996 National Ocean Service Contracting
Policy; the Brooks Act, or the Acts authorizing NOAA Navigation
Services programs, visit https:// nautical charts.noaa. gov/ocs/ hsrp/
archive/ library.htm.
Dated: March 28, 2006.
Roger L. Parsons,
Director, Office of Coast Survey, National Ocean Service, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 06-3340 Filed 4-6-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JE-M
