U.s. Geological Survey 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) will meet on January 12, 2012, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST. The meeting will be held via Web conference and teleconference. The NGAC, which is composed of representatives from governmental, private sector, non-profit, and academic organizations, has been established to advise the Chair of 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:

Pursuant to Public Law 96-472, the National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council (NEPEC) will hold a 1\1/2\-day meeting on November 14 and 15, 2011, on the campus of the University of Washington. The Council is comprised of members from academia and the Federal Government. The Council shall advise the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey 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://www.earthquake.usgs.gov/aboutus/nepec/. At the meeting, the Council will receive briefings on lessons learned from the 2010 Chile and 2011 Japan subduction earthquakes, monitoring and research efforts relating to earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest, research and development relating to earthquake early warning and short-term aftershock forecasting, and recent findings from the study of episodic tremor and slip and from the analysis of various seismic hazards in and around the State of Washington. The Council will also receive brief updates on the project intended to deliver an updated Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF3) in summer 2012, and on other topics. 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 8, 2011. Members of the public wishing to make a statement to the Council should provide notice of that intention by November 8 so that time may be allotted in the agenda.

Pursuant to Public Law 106-503, the Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee (SESAC) will hold its next meeting at the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology, 1200 New York Avenue, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005. 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 Committee will receive updates and provide guidance on Earthquake Hazards Program activities and the status of teams supported by the Program. Meetings of the Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee are open to the public.

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection request (ICR) for the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP). As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) 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 ICR. This ICR is scheduled to expire on July 31, 2011.

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 revision of the currently approved paperwork requirements for the Ferrous Metals Surveys. This collection consists of 17 forms. This notice provides the public and other Federal agencies an opportunity to comment on the nature of this collection which is scheduled to expire on May 31, 2011.

Pursuant to Public Law 96-472, the National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council (NEPEC) will hold a 1-day meeting on April 16, 2011. The meeting will be held at the Crowne Plaza Memphis Downtown, 300 North Second Street, Memphis, Tennessee 38105. The Council is comprised of members from academia and the Federal Government. The Council shall advise the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey 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 receive a report from the Independent Expert Panel on New Madrid Seismic Zone Earthquake Hazards, a subcommittee charged with commenting on the level of hazard posed by future large earthquakes in the region and on priorities for future research to better constrain that hazard. The Council may also receive briefings on other topics relating to earthquakes in the Central U.S., on earthquake swarms recently active in Arkansas, on communication of seismic hazard in the Pacific Northwest, on the project intended to deliver an updated Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF3) in summer 2012, on the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and on other topics. Workshops and meetings of the NEPEC 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 April 13. Members of the public wishing to make a statement to the Council should provide notice of that intention by April 13 so that time may be allotted in the agenda.

An interagency team of Federal agencies with freshwater resource management responsibilities is seeking public review and comment on a draft report to Congress titled ``Strengthening the Scientific Understanding of Climate Change Impacts on Freshwater Resources of the United States.'' The draft report reviews key issues related to freshwater resource data and climate change and identifies next steps to improve the Nation's capacity to detect and predict changes in freshwater resources that are likely to result from a changing climate. It was prepared in response to Section 9506 of Public Law 111-11 by an interagency team of water data program managers and scientists. The interagency team cooperated with the Subcommittee on Water Availability and Quality (SWAQ), an interagency subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Committee on Environment Natural Resources, and Sustainability (CENRS) and the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force and its Water Resources Workgroup. The interagency team also collaborated with a range of interested parties including the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI). This draft report was prepared for public review and comment and is available on the Internet at https://www.acwi.climate/freshwater/report along with a link for providing comments.

The U.S. Geological Survey is creating 10-year strategies for each of its Mission Areas: Climate and Land Use Change, Core Science Systems, Ecosystems, Energy and Minerals, Environmental Health, Natural Hazards, and Water. This process involves gathering input from the public on draft strategy documents and questions that will inform the creation of these documents. Feedback can be offered at https:// www.usgs.gov/startwithscience.