Geological Survey – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this IC. After public review, we will submit an information request to the Office of Management and Budget for review and consideration for approval. Please note that we may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) an information collection request (ICR) for a new collection of information: National Gap Analysis Program Evaluation. This notice provides the public and other Federal agencies an opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of this information collection request.

The National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) will meet on June 8-9, 2011 at the American Institute of Architects Building, 1735 New York Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20006. The meeting will be held in the Gallery Room. The NGAC, which is composed of representatives from governmental, private sector, non-profit, and academic organizations, was established to advise the Federal Geographic Data Committee on management of Federal geospatial programs, the development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, and the implementation of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-16. Topics to be addressed at the meeting include:

The National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) will meet on March 17-18, 2011 at the American Institute of Architects Building, 1735 New York Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20006. The meeting will be held in the Gallery Room. The NGAC, which is composed of representatives from governmental, private sector, non-profit, and academic organizations, was established to advise the Federal Geographic Data Committee on management of Federal geospatial programs, the development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, and the implementation of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-16. Topics to be addressed at the meeting include:

Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the ACWI, to be held March 1, 2011, via teleconference and web-based presentations. This ACWI meeting will serve a dual purpose: (1) During the morning, the Federal water agencies will have an opportunity to brief ACWI about the proposed 2012 budget. Each organization will have no more than five minutes to report, so we can ensure adequate time for discussion and for feedback from the non- Federal ACWI member organizations. (2) During the afternoon, some or all of the seven USGS science strategic planning teams (SSPTs) will present information about their activities and solicit ACWI feedback. The USGS SSPTs are part of a new science planning effort that Dr. Marcia McNutt, Director of the USGS, started within the bureau. The USGS 10-year strategic science plan (https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2007/1309/), which was released in 2007, identified six thematic areas upon which the USGS would concentrate. USGS has received much positive feedback on this plan and the efforts to move it forward. Director McNutt has commissioned seven SSPTs, one for each of the areas identified in the 2007 plan plus one additional team for Core Science Systems. These teams will work from the present through October 2011 to develop a more targeted 10-year science plan for each of their respective areas: Core Science Systems Ecosystems Energy and Minerals Environmental Health Global Change Natural Hazards Water These teams will work over the next 10 months to develop a strategic plan for each area and to carefully examine how efforts need to be integrated across all seven areas. It is also of the utmost importance to everyone at the USGS to have your input into this process, and that process will begin at the ACWI WebEx meeting on March 1. The ACWI was established under the authority of the Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-92-01 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the ACWI is to provide a forum for water information users and professionals to advise the Federal Government on activities and plans that may improve the effectiveness of meeting the Nation's water information needs. Member organizations help to foster communications between the Federal and non-Federal sectors on sharing water information. Membership, limited to 35 organizations, represents a wide range of water resources interests and functions. Representation on the ACWI includes all levels of government, academia, private industry, and professional and technical societies. For more information on the ACWI, its membership, subgroups, meetings and activities, please see the Web site at: https://ACWI.gov.

We (U.S. Geological Survey) have sent an Information Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. The ICR, which is summarized below, describes the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost. To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on this ICR. We may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

Pursuant to Public Law 106-148, the NCGMP Advisory Committee will hold an audio conference call on Wednesday, January 26, 2011, from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The Committee will hear updates on progress of the NCGMP toward fulfilling the purposes of the National Geological Mapping Act of 1992; the Federal, State, and education components of the NCGMP; and the National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program.

Pursuant to Public Law 106-503, the Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee (SESAC) will hold its next meeting at the campus of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), President's Board Room, Pasadena, California 91126. The Committee is comprised of members from academia, industry, and State government. The Committee shall advise the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on matters relating to the USGS's participation in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. The focus of the meeting will be a review of the USGS Earthquake Hazard Program's activities in southern California, including the multi-hazards demonstration project and earthquake early warning prototype development. The committee will also discuss USGS monitoring activities, international work, and USGS role within the four-agency National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. Although meetings of the Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee are open to the public, seating may be limited due to room capacity.

Pursuant to Public Law 96-472, the National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council (NEPEC) will hold a 2-day meeting on November 3 and 4, 2010. The meeting will be held on the campus of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91106. The Council is comprised of members from academia and the Federal Government. The Council shall advise the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on proposed earthquake predictions, on the completeness and scientific validity of the available data related to earthquake predictions, and on related matters as assigned by the Director. Additional information about the Council may be found at: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/aboutus/nepec/. At the meeting, the Council will review plans and progress related to understanding, forecasting and communicating about earthquake occurrence in California, the Pacific Northwest, and the Central United States. The Council will ratify the charges to NEPEC subcommittees that will focus on: (1) Methods for rapidly estimating the probability of a large earthquake following a possible foreshock or during a swarm of seismicity, procedures by which Council findings are to be transmitted to the USGS, and the format and content of earthquake advisory statements that may be composed and delivered at times of heightened concern; (2) earthquake occurrence and forecasting in the Pacific Northwest; (3) earthquake occurrence and forecasting in the Central and Eastern U.S.; and (4) review procedures for the project intended to deliver an updated Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF3) in summer 2012. Workshops and meetings of the National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council are open to the public. A draft workshop agenda is available on request (contact information below). In order to ensure sufficient seating and hand-outs, it is requested that visitors pre- register by November 1. Members of the public wishing to make a statement to the Committee should provide notice of that intention by November 1 so that time may be allotted in the agenda.

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) have sent an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR, which is summarized below, describes the nature of the collection and the estimated burden on the public.

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) have sent an Information Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. The ICR, which is summarized below, describes the nature of the collection and the estimated burden on the public.

The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) is conducting a public review of the draft Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS). CMECS provides a means of classifying ecological and habitat units using a common terminology. It provides a uniform protocol for identifying, characterizing and naming ecological units in support of monitoring, protection, and restoration of unique biotic assemblages, protected species, critical habitat, and important ecosystem components. The FGDC Coastal and Marine Spatial Data Subcommittee, chaired by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), developed this draft standard. The FGDC Coordination Group, comprised of representatives of Federal agencies, approved releasing this draft standard for public review at its July 20, 2010 meeting. The FGDC invites all stakeholders in coastal and marine ecology and management to comment on this standard to ensure that the standard meets their needs.

We (U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMS) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), and as a part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this IC. As a federal agency, we may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

In 2007, the Energy Independence and Security Act (Pub. L. 110-140) directed the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct a national assessment of potential geologic storage resources for carbon dioxide (CO2). The first requirement stipulated in the legislation was to develop a methodology to estimate storage potential that could be applied uniformly to geologic formations across the United States, and then to announce the publication of the methodology in the Federal Register. The methodology, ``A Probabilistic Assessment Methodology for the Evaluation of Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage,'' was published as an Open-File Report by the USGS and can be downloaded from: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2010/1127. This new methodology incorporates comments from the public, the heads of affected Federal and State agencies, and technical experts from Federal agencies, institutions of higher education, nongovernmental organizations, State organizations, industry, and international geoscience organizations, as required by the legislation. The new methodology will allow the USGS to assess the geologic CO2 storage resource potential for the United States. The results of the USGS national assessment will provide important information to evaluate the potential for CO2 storage as a mitigation option for global climate change.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is contemplating awarding an exclusive license to: Ozone Technologies Group, Inc., 253 Portman Lane, Suite 107, Bridgeville, PA 15017 on U.S. Patent No. 6,485,696 B1, entitled ``Recovery/Removal of Metallic Elements from Waste Water Using Ozone.''

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has prepared a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) of a Marine Geophysical Survey by the U.S. Geological Survey in the Arctic Ocean, August-September 2010 and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) an information collection request (ICR). This notice provides the public an opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of this collection. We may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

We (U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and a part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on this IC. We may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Pursuant to Public Law 106-148, the NCGMP Advisory Committee will meet on May 18th, 2010, in Room 1-475 of the Ziggurat building, 3rd Street West, Building 707, Sacramento, California 95605, and on May 19th, 2010, in Room 1200 of the California Geological Survey Headquarters Building, 801 K Street, Sacramento, California 95814. The Advisory Committee, comprising representatives from Federal agencies, State agencies, academic institutions, and private companies, shall advise the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey on planning and implementation of the geologic mapping and data preservation programs.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has prepared a Final Environmental Assessment for the Solar Roof Project and by this notice is announcing its availability.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we will submit to OMB a new information collection request (ICR) for review and approval. This notice provides the public an opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of this collection.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) an information collection request (ICR) for the extension of the currently approved paperwork requirements for the USGS Mine, Development, and Mineral Exploration Supplement. This collection consists of one form and this notice provides the public an opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of this form. We may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the ACWI. This meeting is to discuss broad policy-related topics relating to national water initiatives, and the development and dissemination of water information, through reports from ACWI subgroups. The agenda will include results of the Department of Agriculture's Conservation Effects Assessment Program for the Upper Mississippi; an update by the Subcommittee on Ground Water regarding their National Framework for Ground Water Monitoring; a briefing on the Reservoir Sedimentation Database; status of the National Monitoring Network for U.S. Coastal Waters and their Tributaries; an update on Federal agency interactions with the regional water quality monitoring organizations of the Integrated Ocean Observing Systems; and updates on recent activities of the Methods and Data Comparability Board.

We (U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OBM) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and as a part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on this IC. We may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to an information collection unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a new information collection request (ICR) for approval of the paperwork requirements for the National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR)-USGS competitive grant program conducted in conjunction with the State Water Resources Research Institutes.