+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| ![](media/image1                  |                                   |
| .png){width="7.527777777777778in" |                                   |
| height="0.9416666666666667in"}    |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **NOAA In Your State**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Minnesota**                     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| *NOAA\'s work touches the daily   |   -------------------             |
| lives of every person in the      | --------------------------------- |
| United States and in much of the  |   ![](media/image2.               |
| world. Our products and services  | png){width="2.6333333333333333in" |
| are the result of the hard work   |   height="1.6888888888888889in"}  |
| of NOAA's dedicated staff and     |                                   |
| partner organizations located in  |   -------------------             |
| program and research offices      | --------------------------------- |
| throughout the country. The       |                                   |
| following is a summary of NOAA    |                                   |
| programs based in, and focused    |                                   |
| on, your state. The entries are   |                                   |
| listed by statewide, region, and  |                                   |
| then by congressional districts   |                                   |
| and cities or towns.*             |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| ***MN***                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Alberville, Apple Valley,      |                                   |
| Center City, Cologne, Golden      |                                   |
| Valley, Grand Marais, Hollywood,  |                                   |
| Le Sueur, Oakdale, Pine River,    |                                   |
| Red Wings, Wood Lake***           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Systems         |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Ground- Based GPS Meteorology** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Earth System Research         |                                   |
| Laboratory maintains the          |                                   |
| Ground-Based GPS Meteorology      |                                   |
| project, currently consisting of  |                                   |
| 400 GPS water vapor observing     |                                   |
| systems that provide near         |                                   |
| real-time integrated precipitable |                                   |
| water vapor (IPW) measurements    |                                   |
| for weather forecasting, climate  |                                   |
| modeling, calibration and         |                                   |
| validation of satellite and       |                                   |
| radiosonde water vapor            |                                   |
| measurements, and research. This  |                                   |
| project provides water vapor data |                                   |
| available to all users.           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.gpsmet.n              |                                   |
| oaa.gov/jsp/raob.jsp]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Great Lakes***                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Integrated Ocean Observing      |                                   |
| System (IOOS) Program**           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **IOOS Regional Association**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Great Lakes Observing System  |                                   |
| (GLOS) provides public access to  |                                   |
| critical, real-time and           |                                   |
| historical information about the  |                                   |
| Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River   |                                   |
| and interconnecting waterways for |                                   |
| use in managing, safeguarding and |                                   |
| understanding these immensely     |                                   |
| valuable freshwater resources.    |                                   |
| GLOS is intended to gather and    |                                   |
| integrate chemical, biologic and  |                                   |
| hydrologic data, and monitor lake |                                   |
| conditions and trends over time.  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.glos.us/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Statewide***                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service (NWS)  |                                   |
| and Office of Oceanic and         |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Incident Meteorologist Program  |                                   |
| and Earth Systems Research        |                                   |
| Laboratory**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Fire Weather Services and       |                                   |
| Support**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The National Weather Service      |                                   |
| (NWS) fire weather forecasters    |                                   |
| are called Incident               |                                   |
| Meteorologists (IMETS). When a    |                                   |
| fire reaches a large enough size  |                                   |
| the IMETS are called out to the   |                                   |
| fire to provide constant weather  |                                   |
| updates and forecast briefings to |                                   |
| the fire incident commanders at   |                                   |
| the fire. The IMETS are very      |                                   |
| important members of the fire     |                                   |
| fighting team, as changes in the  |                                   |
| fires are largely due to changes  |                                   |
| in the weather. To improve NWS    |                                   |
| fire weather services to the      |                                   |
| public, NOAA's Earth System       |                                   |
| Research Laboratory (ESRL)        |                                   |
| conducts modeling,                |                                   |
| instrumentation and data services |                                   |
| research. ESRL data dissemination |                                   |
| and display systems are designed  |                                   |
| to be used by trained             |                                   |
| meteorologists, the US Forest     |                                   |
| Service, and the Bureau of Land   |                                   |
| Management. For example, the      |                                   |
| FX-Net thin client system and the |                                   |
| Gridded FX-Net full function      |                                   |
| system are ESRL-developed         |                                   |
| software systems that are a       |                                   |
| critical part of the equipment    |                                   |
| the IMETS bring with them to the  |                                   |
| fire. NWS forecasters at fires in |                                   |
| all 50 states use these mobile    |                                   |
| PC--based client software         |                                   |
| packages. Computer servers that   |                                   |
| communicate with the mobile PC    |                                   |
| clients are located in Hawaii,    |                                   |
| Alaska, Utah, Colorado, Texas and |                                   |
| New York. State emergency         |                                   |
| managers in many of the NWS       |                                   |
| regional areas also use the       |                                   |
| PC-base clients. Other            |                                   |
| collaborators who work to improve |                                   |
| NWS fire weather services include |                                   |
| the University of Colorado in     |                                   |
| Boulder (CU), NCAR and private    |                                   |
| sector instrumentation companies. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Program Office**        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Minnesota Grants**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA is a leading provider of     |                                   |
| climate, weather, and water       |                                   |
| information and services to the   |                                   |
| nation and the world. NOAA's      |                                   |
| Climate Program Office was        |                                   |
| established in October 2005. The  |                                   |
| Office manages the competitive    |                                   |
| research program by which NOAA    |                                   |
| funds high-priority climate       |                                   |
| science to advance understanding  |                                   |
| of atmospheric, oceanic,          |                                   |
| land-based, and snow and ice      |                                   |
| processes, and how they affect    |                                   |
| climate. It focuses on developing |                                   |
| a broader user community for      |                                   |
| climate products and services,    |                                   |
| provides NOAA a focal point for   |                                   |
| climate activities within NOAA,   |                                   |
| leads NOAA climate education and  |                                   |
| outreach activities, and          |                                   |
| coordinates international climate |                                   |
| activities. It supports projects  |                                   |
| across the nation conducted by    |                                   |
| investigators outside the federal |                                   |
| government, such as the through   |                                   |
| the academic and private sectors, |                                   |
| within the federal government,    |                                   |
| and in NOAA Cooperative           |                                   |
| Institutes. The Climate Program   |                                   |
| Office provides climate funding   |                                   |
| in this state.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http                             |                                   |
| ://www.cpo.noaa.gov/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Sea Grant College      |                                   |
| Program**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Minnesota Sea Grant College     |                                   |
| Program**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s National Sea Grant        |                                   |
| College Program is a              |                                   |
| federal-university partnership    |                                   |
| that integrates research,         |                                   |
| education, and outreach           |                                   |
| (extension and communications).   |                                   |
| Sea Grant forms a network of 32   |                                   |
| programs in all U.S. coastal and  |                                   |
| Great Lakes states, Puerto Rico   |                                   |
| and Guam. The Minnesota Sea Grant |                                   |
| Program, based at the University  |                                   |
| of Minnesota Duluth, provides the |                                   |
| people, tools, and the technology |                                   |
| to help maintain and enhance      |                                   |
| lakeshore and aquatic economies   |                                   |
| and resources. Minnesota Sea      |                                   |
| Grant is made up of researchers   |                                   |
| and educators who focus on        |                                   |
| discovering solutions to problems |                                   |
| facing Lake Superior and          |                                   |
| Minnesota\'s inland waters. The   |                                   |
| public, industry, and policy      |                                   |
| makers are kept informed on       |                                   |
| issues related to aquaculture,    |                                   |
| aquatic invasive species,         |                                   |
| fisheries, aquatic education,     |                                   |
| contaminants, and fisheries       |                                   |
| through a series of publications  |                                   |
| including Minnesota Sea Grant\'s  |                                   |
| newsletter, the \"Seiche".        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http:                           |                                   |
| //www.seagrant.umn.edu]{.underlin |                                   |
| e}](http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***MN-2***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Las Cruces***                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Las Cruces Station**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The U.S. Climate Reference        |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) is an operational |                                   |
| network of climate stations. Data |                                   |
| from the USCRN will be used in    |                                   |
| operational climate monitoring    |                                   |
| activities and for placing        |                                   |
| current climate anomalies into an |                                   |
| historical perspective. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| National Climatic Data Center     |                                   |
| (NCDC) manages and operates the   |                                   |
| USCRN. The USCRN will also        |                                   |
| provide the United States with a  |                                   |
| reference network that            |                                   |
| contributes to an International   |                                   |
| network under the auspices of the |                                   |
| Global Climate Observing System   |                                   |
| (GCOS). NOAA's National           |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Information Service and       |                                   |
| NOAA's Office of Oceanic and      |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research jointly      |                                   |
| manage USCRN.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.ncdc.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov/crn/hourly]{.underline}](htt |                                   |
| p://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/hourly) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Minneapolis at Farmington***   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center Weather Service Unit**   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Minneapolis Air Route Traffic   |                                   |
| Control Center**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Housed in the Federal Aviation    |                                   |
| Administration\'s Minneapolis Air |                                   |
| Route Traffic Control Center      |                                   |
| (ARTCC), the Center Weather       |                                   |
| Service Unit (CWSU) at Farmington |                                   |
| provides forecasts and other      |                                   |
| weather information to ARTCC      |                                   |
| personnel for use in directing    |                                   |
| the safe, smooth flow of aviation |                                   |
| traffic in Minnesota, North       |                                   |
| Dakota, South Dakota, and parts   |                                   |
| of Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan, and  |                                   |
| Wisconsin.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://aviationweather.gov/pro  |                                   |
| ducts/cwsu]{.underline}](http://a |                                   |
| viationweather.gov/products/cwsu) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Twin Cities at Chanhassen***   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **North Central River Forecast    |                                   |
| Center/ National Operational      |                                   |
| Hydrologic Remote Sensing         |                                   |
| Center**                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Located in Chanhassen, the        |                                   |
| Minneapolis National Weather      |                                   |
| Service Forecast Office provides  |                                   |
| weather and flood warnings, daily |                                   |
| forecasts and meteorologic and    |                                   |
| hydrologic data for 42 counties   |                                   |
| in south-central Minnesota and    |                                   |
| nine counties in west central     |                                   |
| Wisconsin; serving a population   |                                   |
| of more than 4,147,000. The       |                                   |
| co-located River Forecast Center  |                                   |
| provides forecasts of river       |                                   |
| levels and flooding potential for |                                   |
| the Northern Mississippi River    |                                   |
| basin and its tributaries.        |                                   |
| NOAA\'s National Operational      |                                   |
| Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center  |                                   |
| conducts aerial snow surveys of   |                                   |
| the Continental United States and |                                   |
| collects other data used by       |                                   |
| forecast offices and river        |                                   |
| forecast centers in issuing river |                                   |
| and flood forecasts to support    |                                   |
| the nation\'s water resources     |                                   |
| managers.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mpx> and |                                   |
| <http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ncrfc>   |                                   |
| and                               |                                   |
| [http://www.nohrsc.nws            |                                   |
| .gov](http://www.nohrsc.nws.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Marine and Aviation   |                                   |
| Operations (OMAO)**               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Aircraft Operations Center**    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Shrike and Jet Prop Commander   |                                   |
| Aircraft**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Four NOAA pilots measure          |                                   |
| snow-water-equivalent in selected |                                   |
| basins covering virtually the     |                                   |
| entire snow belt of the           |                                   |
| continental United States,        |                                   |
| Alaska, and southern Canada. They |                                   |
| operate the NOAA Jet Prop         |                                   |
| Commander and Shrike Commander    |                                   |
| out of Eden Prairie. The          |                                   |
| information is provided to NOAA's |                                   |
| National Operational Hydrologic   |                                   |
| Remote Sensing Center in          |                                   |
| Chanhassen for use in issuing     |                                   |
| river flood and water supply      |                                   |
| forecasts for the nation and in   |                                   |
| providing hydrometeorological     |                                   |
| data and products to support the  |                                   |
| nation\'s water resource          |                                   |
| managers.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.nohrsc.noaa.          |                                   |
| gov](http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
| and                               |                                   |
| [http://www.aoc.no                |                                   |
| aa.gov](http://www.aoc.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***MN-2, 3***                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Twin Cities at Chanhassen and  |                                   |
| Eden Prairie/Minneapolis***       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Marine and Aviation   |                                   |
| Operations (OMAO)**               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Aircraft Operations Center**    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Shrike and Jet Prop Commander   |                                   |
| Aircraft**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Four NOAA pilots based in         |                                   |
| Chanhassen, measure               |                                   |
| snow-water-equivalent in selected |                                   |
| basins covering virtually the     |                                   |
| entire snow belt of the           |                                   |
| continental United States,        |                                   |
| Alaska, and southern Canada. They |                                   |
| operate the NOAA Jet Prop         |                                   |
| Commander and Shrike Commander    |                                   |
| aircraft out of Eden Prairie. The |                                   |
| information is provided to NOAA's |                                   |
| National Operational Hydrologic   |                                   |
| Remote Sensing Center in          |                                   |
| Chanhassen for use in issuing     |                                   |
| river flood and water supply      |                                   |
| forecasts for the nation and in   |                                   |
| providing hydrometeorological     |                                   |
| data and products to support the  |                                   |
| nation\'s water resource          |                                   |
| managers.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.nohrsc.noaa.          |                                   |
| gov](http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
| and                               |                                   |
| [http://www.aoc.no                |                                   |
| aa.gov](http://www.aoc.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***MN-4***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***St. Paul***                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Seafood Inspection Program**    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Federal Inspection Office**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The National Seafood Inspection   |                                   |
| Program conducts a voluntary      |                                   |
| inspection program for fishery    |                                   |
| products on a fee-for-service     |                                   |
| basis. The office offers a wide   |                                   |
| range of services to the area\'s  |                                   |
| fishermen and fish processors     |                                   |
| including process and product     |                                   |
| inspection, product grading, lot  |                                   |
| inspection, laboratory analysis,  |                                   |
| and training. All edible          |                                   |
| foodstuffs, ranging from whole    |                                   |
| fish to formulated products, as   |                                   |
| well as fishmeal used for animal  |                                   |
| foods, are eligible for           |                                   |
| inspection and certification.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://s                        |                                   |
| eafood.nmfs.noaa.gov/]{.underline |                                   |
| }](http://seafood.nmfs.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Geodetic Survey**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Geodetic Advisor**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Geodetic Advisor is a jointly |                                   |
| funded National Ocean Service     |                                   |
| employee that resides in the      |                                   |
| state to provide liaison between  |                                   |
| NOS and the host state. The       |                                   |
| Geodetic Advisor guides and       |                                   |
| assists the state\'s charting,    |                                   |
| geodetic and surveying programs   |                                   |
| through technical expertise. This |                                   |
| program is designed to fill a     |                                   |
| need for more accurate geodetic   |                                   |
| surveys, and is in response to    |                                   |
| the desire of states to improve   |                                   |
| their surveying techniques to     |                                   |
| meet Federal Geodetic Control     |                                   |
| Subcommittee standards and        |                                   |
| specifications. The surveys       |                                   |
| provide the basis for all forms   |                                   |
| of mapping and engineering        |                                   |
| projects, and monitoring of the   |                                   |
| dynamic Earth. This program also  |                                   |
| provides technical assistance in  |                                   |
| planning and implementing         |                                   |
| Geographic/Land Information       |                                   |
| System: (GIS/LIS) projects.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/ADVISORS |                                   |
| /AdvisorsIndex.shtml]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Systems         |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Science On a Sphere®**          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Science On a Sphere (SOS) is a    |                                   |
| room-sized global display system  |                                   |
| that uses computers and video     |                                   |
| projectors to display planetary   |                                   |
| data onto a six-foot diameter     |                                   |
| sphere, analogous to a giant      |                                   |
| animated globe. Researchers at    |                                   |
| NOAA developed Science On a       |                                   |
| Sphere® as an educational tool to |                                   |
| help illustrate Earth System      |                                   |
| science to people of all ages.    |                                   |
| Animated images of atmospheric    |                                   |
| storms, climate change, and ocean |                                   |
| temperature can be shown on the   |                                   |
| sphere, which is used to explain  |                                   |
| what are sometimes complex        |                                   |
| environmental processes, in a way |                                   |
| that is simultaneously intuitive  |                                   |
| and captivating.                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.sos.noaa.gov/ and     |                                   |
| http://sos.noaa.gov               |                                   |
| /news/sos_sites.html]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***MN-5***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Twin Cities***                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Cooperative Institute**         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Cooperative Institute for       |                                   |
| Limnology and Ecosystems Research |                                   |
| (CILER), University of            |                                   |
| Minnesota**                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Established in 2007, CILER        |                                   |
| conducts collaborative research   |                                   |
| through a ten-member consortium   |                                   |
| of academic institutions in the   |                                   |
| Great Lakes region. CILER's       |                                   |
| primary NOAA research partner is  |                                   |
| the Great Lakes Environmental     |                                   |
| Research Laboratory; CILER also   |                                   |
| collaborates with NOAA's Office   |                                   |
| of Oceanic and Atmospheric        |                                   |
| Research, National Ocean Service, |                                   |
| National Weather Service, and     |                                   |
| National Environment Satellite,   |                                   |
| Data, and Information Service.    |                                   |
| CILER is administratively housed  |                                   |
| at the University of Michigan,    |                                   |
| and is comprised of Grand Valley  |                                   |
| State University, Michigan State  |                                   |
| University, Ohio State            |                                   |
| University, Penn State            |                                   |
| University, State University of   |                                   |
| New York-Stony Brook, University  |                                   |
| of Illinois of Urbana-Champaign,  |                                   |
| University of Michigan,           |                                   |
| [University of                    |                                   |
| Minnesota]{.underline},           |                                   |
| University of Toledo, and         |                                   |
| University of Wisconsin. CILER    |                                   |
| conducts research across six      |                                   |
| scientific themes: (1) Great      |                                   |
| Lakes forecasting; (2) invasive   |                                   |
| species; (3) observing systems;   |                                   |
| (4) protection and restoration of |                                   |
| resources; (5) integrated         |                                   |
| assessment; and (6) education and |                                   |
| outreach.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http:                           |                                   |
| //ciler.snre.umich.edu]{.underlin |                                   |
| e}](http://ciler.snre.umich.edu/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***MN-7***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Goodridge***                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Goodridge Station**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The U.S. Climate Reference        |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) is an operational |                                   |
| network of climate stations. Data |                                   |
| from the USCRN will be used in    |                                   |
| operational climate monitoring    |                                   |
| activities and for placing        |                                   |
| current climate anomalies into an |                                   |
| historical perspective. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| National Climatic Data Center     |                                   |
| (NCDC) manages and operates the   |                                   |
| USCRN. The USCRN will also        |                                   |
| provide the United States with a  |                                   |
| reference network that            |                                   |
| contributes to an International   |                                   |
| network under the auspices of the |                                   |
| Global Climate Observing System   |                                   |
| (GCOS). NOAA's National           |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Information Service and       |                                   |
| NOAA's Office of Oceanic and      |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research jointly      |                                   |
| manage USCRN.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.ncdc.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov/crn/hourly]{.underline}](htt |                                   |
| p://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/hourly) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***MN-7,8***                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Lake Superior***               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Ocean Exploration and |                                   |
| Research**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center for the North Atlantic   |                                   |
| and Great Lakes**                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Office of Ocean           |                                   |
| Exploration and Research focuses  |                                   |
| on exploration, advanced undersea |                                   |
| technology development, research  |                                   |
| of extreme and unique             |                                   |
| environments, continental shelf   |                                   |
| ecosystems, new ocean resources,  |                                   |
| and ocean dynamics, and the       |                                   |
| communication of results to       |                                   |
| various audiences through         |                                   |
| education and outreach. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| Undersea Research Center for the  |                                   |
| North Atlantic and Great Lakes    |                                   |
| (NAGL), one of the six NURP       |                                   |
| regional centers, is housed at    |                                   |
| the University of Connecticut.    |                                   |
| The NALG Center supports undersea |                                   |
| research off the U.S.'s           |                                   |
| northeastern coast (i.e., Gulf of |                                   |
| Maine, Georges Bank and the       |                                   |
| Southern New England Coast        |                                   |
| including Long Island Sound) and  |                                   |
| in the Laurentian Great Lakes.    |                                   |
| The center's research focuses on  |                                   |
| ecosystem response to human       |                                   |
| induced stress such as fishing    |                                   |
| and pollution and the role of     |                                   |
| habitat in sustaining fisheries   |                                   |
| and biological diversity.         |                                   |
| Underwater diving technologies    |                                   |
| available through NAGL include    |                                   |
| occupied submersibles, remotely   |                                   |
| operated vehicles (ROV\'s), and   |                                   |
| Nitrox scuba.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.nurp.noaa.gov and    |                                   |
| http://www.oceane                 |                                   |
| xplorer.noaa.gov]{.underline}](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***MN-8***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Duluth, Grand Marais***        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center for Operational          |                                   |
| Oceanographic Products and        |                                   |
| Services**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Water Level            |                                   |
| Observation Network**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The National Ocean Service (NOS)  |                                   |
| operates two long-term            |                                   |
| continuously operating water      |                                   |
| level stations in the state of    |                                   |
| Minnesota, which provide data and |                                   |
| information on Great Lakes and    |                                   |
| interconnecting waterways datum   |                                   |
| and lake level regulation and are |                                   |
| capable of producing real-time    |                                   |
| data for storm surge warning.     |                                   |
| These stations are located on     |                                   |
| Lake Superior at Duluth and at    |                                   |
| Grand Marais.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://tidesand                 |                                   |
| currents.noaa.gov]{.underline}](h |                                   |
| ttp://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Duluth/Northwest Wisconsin***  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Duluth WFO**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Located at Duluth International   |                                   |
| Airport, this National Weather    |                                   |
| Service Weather Forecast Office   |                                   |
| provides weather and flood        |                                   |
| warnings, daily forecasts and     |                                   |
| meteorologic and hydrologic data  |                                   |
| for 10 counties in northeast      |                                   |
| Minnesota and eight counties in   |                                   |
| northwest Wisconsin. This office  |                                   |
| also provides marine forecasts    |                                   |
| and warnings for near-shore       |                                   |
| waters of Lake Superior.          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http                            |                                   |
| ://www.crh.noaa.gov/dlh]{.underli |                                   |
| ne}](http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dlh) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Great Lakes***                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Great Lakes Environmental       |                                   |
| Research Laboratory**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **GLERL CoastWatch**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The CoastWatch node at GLERL      |                                   |
| provides clients including        |                                   |
| Federal, state, and local         |                                   |
| agencies, academic institutions,  |                                   |
| commercial/industries and the     |                                   |
| public, both within and outside   |                                   |
| of the Great Lakes region, with   |                                   |
| access to near real-time          |                                   |
| satellite observations and        |                                   |
| in-situ data for the Great Lakes. |                                   |
| CoastWatch data are used in a     |                                   |
| variety of ways, including near   |                                   |
| real-time observation and         |                                   |
| tracking of algal blooms, plumes, |                                   |
| ice cover, wind, water intake     |                                   |
| temperatures at fish hatcheries,  |                                   |
| two and three-dimensional         |                                   |
| modeling of Great Lakes physical  |                                   |
| parameters such as wave height    |                                   |
| and currents damage assessment    |                                   |
| modeling, research, and           |                                   |
| educational and recreational      |                                   |
| activities. In addition, through  |                                   |
| a cooperative project with        |                                   |
| Michigan Sea Grant, Great Lakes   |                                   |
| CoastWatch satellite-derived      |                                   |
| surface temperature imagery is    |                                   |
| contoured and made available via  |                                   |
| Michigan State Sea Grant's web    |                                   |
| site. Great Lakes CoastWatch data |                                   |
| and products benefit riparians as |                                   |
| well as commercial and            |                                   |
| recreational users.               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://coastw                    |                                   |
| atch.glerl.noaa.gov/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Great Lakes Environmental       |                                   |
| Research Laboratory**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Great Lakes Daily Water Level   |                                   |
| Plots**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Lake Superior Daily Water Level   |                                   |
| Plots: daily levels compared with |                                   |
| last year\'s level, daily levels  |                                   |
| compared with monthly Min, Max,   |                                   |
| and Mean levels.                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [h                                |                                   |
| ttp://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/now |                                   |
| /wlevels/levels.html]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Sandstone***                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Sandstone Station**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The U.S. Climate Reference        |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) is an operational |                                   |
| network of climate stations. Data |                                   |
| from the USCRN will be used in    |                                   |
| operational climate monitoring    |                                   |
| activities and for placing        |                                   |
| current climate anomalies into an |                                   |
| historical perspective. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| National Climatic Data Center     |                                   |
| (NCDC) manages and operates the   |                                   |
| USCRN. The USCRN will also        |                                   |
| provide the United States with a  |                                   |
| reference network that            |                                   |
| contributes to an International   |                                   |
| network under the auspices of the |                                   |
| Global Climate Observing System   |                                   |
| (GCOS). NOAA's National           |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Information Service and       |                                   |
| NOAA's Office of Oceanic and      |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research jointly      |                                   |
| manage USCRN.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.ncdc.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov/crn/hourly]{.underline}](htt |                                   |
| p://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/hourly) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Two Harbors***                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Ocean and Coastal     |                                   |
| Resource Management**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Minnesota Coastal Management    |                                   |
| Program/ Minnesota Department of  |                                   |
| Natural Resources**               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Minnesota Department of       |                                   |
| Natural Resources works in        |                                   |
| partnership with other state and  |                                   |
| local resource agencies including |                                   |
| the Board of Water and Soil       |                                   |
| Resources, the Pollution Control  |                                   |
| Agency, Soil and Water            |                                   |
| Conservation Districts, and       |                                   |
| others to implement the Coastal   |                                   |
| Program and ensure federal and    |                                   |
| state projects are consistent     |                                   |
| with state coastal policies.      |                                   |
| Minnesota\'s coastal zone         |                                   |
| boundary includes the area        |                                   |
| approximately six miles inland    |                                   |
| from Lake Superior following the  |                                   |
| nearest township boundaries along |                                   |
| the shore. The Coastal Program    |                                   |
| administers a competitive local   |                                   |
| community grants program to help  |                                   |
| implement the coastal program.    |                                   |
| Local issues addressed include    |                                   |
| coastal outreach and education;   |                                   |
| land use planning and             |                                   |
| development; public access and    |                                   |
| recreation; enhancement,          |                                   |
| protection, and management of     |                                   |
| natural and cultural coastal      |                                   |
| resources; and support for        |                                   |
| coastal economic activities and   |                                   |
| analyses.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://coastalm                 |                                   |
| anagement.noaa.gov/mystate/mn.htm |                                   |
| l]{.underline}](http://coastalman |                                   |
| agement.noaa.gov/mystate/mn.html) |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **NOAA's Office of Legislative    |                                   |
| Affairs**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Tel: 202-482-4981               |                                   |
| [ht                               |                                   |
| tp://www.legislative.noaa.gov](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.legislative.noaa.gov/)** |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+