Office of Science and Technology Policy July 5, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

With this notice, The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) seeks public comment on the proposed content and scope of the Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4) as indicated by the draft outline presented here. A Request for Information in 2015 sought public input on the sustained National Climate Assessment (NCA) process more generally (80 FR 26105, https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-10352). The outline for NCA4 is informed by that previously received public input. General topics on which public comment is requested, in addition to the proposed outline, include: (1) Ways to make the assessment information accessible and useful to multiple audiences; (2) the specific types of detailed information at regional scales that would be most useful; (3) suggestions for how to best describe risks and impacts, as well as potential opportunities to reduce those risks and impacts on sectors of the economy as well as natural and social systems; (4) suggestions for new approaches to topics addressed in previous assessments; and (5) suggestions regarding overarching themes that NCA4 should consider addressing. A call for author nominations and technical inputs may soon be posted in one or more subsequent Federal Register Notices. A draft of NCA4 will also be released for public comment prior to its final release. Background information, additional details, and instructions for submitting comments can be found at www.globalchange.gov/ notices. For more information about the NCA and access to previous NCA reports and activities, please see https://assessment.globalchange.gov. Responses to the questions below can be entered via the Web site noted above.