# Presentation: 238694

## Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S. Navy (Ret.)  |  NOAA Administrator
January 23, 2008

- Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S. Navy (Ret.)  |  NOAA Administrator
- January 23, 2008

## Where We Were:

- Organizational Structure
- State of the Agency
- Where We Are:
- Organizational Structure
- Budget Trends
- Requirements
- Major Accomplishments
- 2007 Nobel Prize

- Where We Are Going
- Leadership Changes
- Congressional Initiatives
- International Polar Year
- 2008 Highlights
- SES Summit
- Words of Wisdom
- Transition Period

## Slide 3

## Slide 4

**Notes:**
A few years ago, Andy Rosenberg, the former Deputy Director of NOAA Fisheries and a Member of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, remarked that “NOAA is one of the best-kept secrets in government.”  This is due, in large part, to the fact that throughout its existence, NOAA “remained a collection of somewhat separate agencies as opposed to a coherent whole.” Source: Government Executive, August 1, 2005, pg 59.
Up until the early part of this century, NOAA’s structure had not changed markedly since it came into existence in 1970.  NOAA looked like the picture on this slide – that is, like a bunch of “mom and pop” shops, each with its own idea as to how things should be done. 
No true corporate culture existed in NOAA; instead, stovepipes pervaded.  After I arrived at NOAA in 2001, we set out to change this. I think we can all agree now that elimination of the silos within which NOAA has traditionally operated remains essential to ensuring our success. 

## R E G I O N A L   C O L L A B O R A T I O N

**Notes:**
An important, and consistent, message coming out of all line offices in 2001-02 was that NOAA needed an integrated program management structure.  Accordingly, we created the Matrix Management System, which has provided us with the institutional structure necessary to manage cross-line challenges.
This system is complemented by the Councils, the Goal Team Leads, and the Regional Collaboration initiative. 

## Slide 7

**Notes:**
NOAA has also done very well when you compare it to the enacted budgets of our peer science institutions.  The changes we have made to our internal processes and institutional structure have resulted in a 30% increase in budget over the past 6 years!  This is a noteworthy accomplishment, especially given the tight national fiscal environment.  Only the National Science Foundation has fared better.   

## 30% Increase in Budget from  FY 01 to FY 07

- New / Revitalized Facilities
- NSOF
- Norman, Oklahoma
- NCEP moving to U Maryland
- 34 Total Since 2001
- Modernized Fleet
- IOOS Program

- Hurricane Forecast Improvements
- Additional Funding for Next Generation of Radar

- HENRY B. BIGELOW

- Phased Array Radar

- NSOF — Suitland, MD

**Notes:**
Facilities: NOAA has erected or renovated a number of facilities in the past few years; these facilities are a major accomplishment, especially considering the tight budgetary environment we have been operating in. Among our new or refurbished buildings are the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, MD; the Dr. Nancy Foster Florida Keys Environmental Complex; the David Skaggs Research Center in Boulder, CO; and the National Weather Center in Norman, OK. In addition, we broke ground last year on the new NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction at the University of Maryland.  Total facilities completed since VADM became NOAA Administrator:  34
Fleet Modernization: Henry B. Bigelow is the second of four 208-foot FSVs, with the third ship, Pisces, and the fourth ship, Bell M. Shimada, under construction.  
In 2007, NOAA’s IOOS program made significant progress towards achieving its long-term goals of improving the Nation’s understanding of climate change, safety and efficiency of marine operations, mitigation of natural hazards, and protection and restoration of marine ecosystems.  This progress included establishing an IOOS program office and hiring a full time senior director to advance data integration and support regional IOOS development. The IOOS program also created baselines for data flows and conditions for four thematic focus areas (hurricane intensity, coastal inundation, harmful algal blooms, and ecosystem assessment), completed five interoperability tests on five variables (temperature, salinity, sea level, surface currents, and ocean color), and identified a data standards process.

## Tsunami Warning System

- HWRF model
- Workforce Size Maintained
- Ocean Buoys added
- Seven day forecasts

- HWRF — Hurricane Katrina

- 39 DART Deployments by March 2008

- 3,050 Argo Floats deployed

**Notes:**
Facilities: NOAA has erected or renovated a number of facilities in the past few years; these facilities are a major accomplishment, especially considering the tight budgetary environment we have been operating in. Among our new or refurbished buildings are the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, MD; the Dr. Nancy Foster Florida Keys Environmental Complex; the David Skaggs Research Center in Boulder, CO; and the National Weather Center in Norman, OK. In addition, we broke ground last year on the new NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction at the University of Maryland.  Total facilities completed since VADM became NOAA Administrator:  34
Fleet Modernization: Henry B. Bigelow is the second of four 208-foot FSVs, with the third ship, Pisces, and the fourth ship, Bell M. Shimada, under construction.  
In 2007, NOAA’s IOOS program made significant progress towards achieving its long-term goals of improving the Nation’s understanding of climate change, safety and efficiency of marine operations, mitigation of natural hazards, and protection and restoration of marine ecosystems.  This progress included establishing an IOOS program office and hiring a full time senior director to advance data integration and support regional IOOS development. The IOOS program also created baselines for data flows and conditions for four thematic focus areas (hurricane intensity, coastal inundation, harmful algal blooms, and ecosystem assessment), completed five interoperability tests on five variables (temperature, salinity, sea level, surface currents, and ocean color), and identified a data standards process.

## California Wildfires

- Green Ships in the Great Lakes
- Ocean Acidification Buoy Launched
- International Whaling Commission
- National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON) Upgrade
- Houston-Galveston PORTS®

- Smoke Plume from California Wildfires

- Ocean Acidification Buoy

- Humpback Whale

**Notes:**
CA Wildfires: More than 1,800 homes and over 100 commercial structures destroyed; property damage more than $1B. Over 500,000 acres burned. Contributions of NOAA were numerous: the NOAA Storm Prediction Center provided fire weather outlooks; WFOs briefed fire managers and the media; and nine Incident Meteorologists were on-site.
In 2007, NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) converted a fleet of research vessels from petroleum-based to 100 percent bio-based fuel and lubricants, earning a White House Closing-the-Circle Award in the green purchasing category. GLERL operates research vessels throughout the Great Lakes. The conversion was a result of a call for “greening” of government agencies through waste reduction, recycling, and the use of environmentally friendly and sustainable products. 
NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, in collaboration with U.W. in Seattle, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Institute of Ocean Sciences in British Columbia, launched the first buoy specifically designed to monitor ocean acidification. This buoy measures the air-sea exchange of carbon dioxide, oxygen, and nitrogen gas, and the pH—a measure of ocean acidity—of the surface waters. The buoy is anchored in the Gulf of Alaska in water nearly 5,000 meters deep and transmits data via satellite.  Rising acidity in the ocean could have a detrimental effect on ocean organisms, with impacts on ocean life and the food chain. 
NOS completed a three-year effort to upgrade the technology of its National Water Level Observation Network that provides mariners, first responders, and the public with real-time tide and water-level information. The stations now transmit data every six minutes, instead of once an hour. 
In May 2007, an economics benefits study was released on the Houston Galveston Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®). The study showed that the NOAA program has helped achieve a 50 percent reduction in ship groundings. Additionally, as highlighted in a speech by Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, “NOAA’s PORTS® program is estimated to bring $14 to $15 million in direct benefits to the Houston-Galveston economy.” 
The United States hosted the 59th Annual International Whaling Commission meeting in Anchorage, Alaska and successfully negotiated 5-year bowhead and gray whale quotas for Alaska natives.

## NWS Issues “Storm Based Warnings”

- Enhanced Fujita
- New Local Temperature Outlooks
- New Community Hydrologic Prediction System
- NIDIS & Drought.gov
- UAS Flies into Hurricane Noel Remnants

- drought.gov

- UAS Flying into Hurricane (artist depiction)

**Notes:**
As part of the National Integrated Drought Information System, NOAA launched drought.gov, a portal that allows resource managers and the general public to monitor domestic drought conditions, view forecasts, and learn about how drought impacts their communities.NWS improved warning accuracy and quality by issuing "storm-based warnings" that pinpoint the areas where severe weather threats are highest, allowing emergency managers and other disaster response agents to focus their resources where most needed. Storm-based warnings are expected to save an estimated $100 million annually in response expenses.
NOAA opened a new chapter in the world of hurricane observation by making the first unmanned flight into Hurricane Noel. A UAS flew into the eye wall of the hurricane at altitudes as low as 300 feet. Using the small, remotely piloted aircraft, scientists were able to make detailed observations of areas of hurricanes that are too dangerous for manned aircraft closing an important gap in obtaining real-time near-surface meteorological and oceanographic data. The UAS was launched from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Friday, November 2. It flew in winds reaching 80 mph in the core of the storm for approximately 7.5 hours providing real-time detailed observations of the near surface, high wind environment to NOAA forecasters at the National Hurricane Center, Miami. 

**Notes:**
New Local Temperature Outlook Product • In January 2007, in response to customer demand for climate information at the local level, NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) launched a new Local 3-Month Temperature Outlook (L3MTO) product.  The national three-month temperature outlook map, available on national and local NWS Web sites under the heading “Climate,” shows areas with an enhanced chance for above normal temperatures for more than 1,000 locations nationwide, including Alaska and Hawaii.  The L3MTO augments current climate services by providing local-level outlooks.  The forecasts are produced monthly for 13 three-month forecast periods.  This new product will, for the first time, give the agricultural industry, local government officials, and the public the ability to plan for longer term temperature events. Socio-Economic Impact:  The Local 3-Month Temperature Outlooks are valuable tools to aid decision-makers in managing risks and opportunities at the regional and local level.  This product allows individuals and businesses to have reliable information to make important economic decisions. 
New Community Hydrologic Prediction NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) completed the first successful demonstrations of pilot components of the new Community Hydrologic Prediction System (CHPS) at the Northwest River Forecast Center (RFC) in Portland, Oregon, during April 2007 and at the California-Nevada RFC in Sacramento, California, during July 2007.  The CHPS is a new modern software infrastructure, built on standard software packages and protocols, as well as open data modeling standards, to provide the basis from which new and existing hydraulic and hydrologic models and data can be shared within a broader hydrologic community. Socio-Economic Impact:  Effective water management is critical to our society.  Failure to manage water events effectively can lead to devastating outcomes and major economic losses.  With CHPS, the NWS is creating an opportunity for government, commercial and academic organizations to collectively improve water forecasting.

## NOAA IPCC Members

- Thomas R. Karl
- Dr. David Easterling
- Dr. David Fahey
- Dr. Isaac Held
- Sydney Levitus
- Ron Stouffer
- Dr. Thomas Peterson
- Dr. Venkatachala Ramaswamy
- Dr. Susan Solomon

**Notes:**
Recently, the world learned that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), along with former Vice President Al Gore, was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. 
Many people in the NOAA family are intimately involved with the work of the IPCC, and this international recognition highlights the preeminent science conducted by our agency. 
NOAA’s contributions to the IPCC include numerous lead, review, and contributing authors, as well as support from staff in laboratories, line offices, public affairs, and policy. 
Additionally, Susan Solomon, a senior scientist at NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory, was co-chair of IPCC Working Group I.  
This is a great accomplishment for NOAA and for these scientists.  

## Slide 14

## Mary Glackin now Deputy Under Secretary

- Mary Glackin now Deputy Under Secretary
- RADM Jonathan W. Bailey now directing the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps and NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
- RMDL Philip M. Kenul assumed command as Director of Marine and Aviation Operations Centers
- Dr. Jack Hayes serving as NWS Assistant Administrator
- Vickie Nadolski now Acting NWS Deputy Assistant Administrator
- Abby Harper now NESDIS DAA for Systems
- Scott Smullen now Deputy Director of Office of Communications
- Bill Hogarth steps down as Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries

- Mary Glackin

- RADM Jon Bailey

- Dr. Jack Hayes

- RDML Phil Kenul

- Vickie Nadolski

- Abby Harper

- Dr. Bill Hogarth

- Scott Smullen

**Notes:**
Note:  per Eric Webster and Bill Brennan, we cannot put a photo of Bill Brennan on this slide.  You can talk about the nomination verbally. 

## Hurricane Research

- National Climate Service
- Integrated Ocean Observing System
- NOAA Corps Legislation
- NOAA Organic Act
- Aquaculture

- Ocean Exploration and Undersea Research
- Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection ActHarmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Act
- National Marine Sanctuaries Act

**Notes:**
Hurricane Research -Working with NOAA Science Advisory Board and with staff on Capitol Hill to bring about improvements in hurricane forecasting through legislation and the new Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project.  We support additional funding for hurricane research and believe NOAA and National Science Foundation have key roles in ensuring research is incorporated into operations to improve services to the people of this country. 
Climate Service—This past November, legislation was introduced by Sen. John Kerry establishing a National Climate Service within NOAA that would authorize us to carry out these activities, and we are tracking this legislation closely. 
IOOS—Bills have been introduced in the House and Senate. The Senate bill was reported out of the Senate Commerce Committee last fall. House Natural Resources Committee staff indicated moving IOOS language as a stand-alone bill or as an addition to other NOAA legislation. 
OE/NURP—Both the Senate and House versions of the bill are awaiting floor votes, and we are hopeful that a bill reflecting our vision for the Ocean Exploration and Research Program will pass and be sent to the President before the end of the year. CELCP—Bills have been introduced in the House and Senate. A House Natural Resources Committee hearing was held last fall and may be marked up by the end of February. The bill passed the Senate Commerce Committee last April.HABS—Rep. Connie Mack last year introduced legislation to reauthorize the act through 2010. The staffs of Sen. Bill Nelson and the Senate Commerce Committee are working on a comprehensive reauthorization which is expected to be introduced early in 2008.  NMSA—Administration bill is at OMB. The House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing in November and plan more hearings later this year. 

## National Ice Center

- Atmospheric Observatories
- Ocean Observatory in Bering and Chuckchi Seas
- Sea Ice
- Climate Change Detection and Analysis
- NOAA IPY Web Site

- NOAA IPY Web Site: www.ipy.noaa.gov

- Ice coring operation. R/V Thompson in background

**Notes:**
  The National Ice Center (NIC) produces operational hemispheric sea ice analyses for both Polar Regions using national and international satellite assets.  NIC participates in research and validation of radar altimetry observations over Arctic sea ice for the measurement of ice thickness.  In collaboration with NASA/JPL, NIC is also developing experimental sea ice coverage charts for the Polar Regions from QuikSCAT scatterometer backscatter data.  
  Atmospheric Observatories - NOAA supports a network of atmospheric climate observatories around the Arctic rim dedicated to improving knowledge of clouds, aerosols, and radiation and their impacts on climate variability and change.  We have established an observatory in Eureka Canada in close collaboration with Meteorological Services Canada and the University of Toronto.  We are working with Roshydromet of Russia to develop an observatory at Tiksi.  The ESRL laboratory is responsible for implementation of this work. 
  Ocean observatory in the Bering and Chukchi Seas - In collaboration with Russia, the Arctic Program has initiated the Russian-American Long-term Census of the Arctic (RUSALCA) Program.  Jointly we observe continuously the flow of mass, heat, salt, and nutrients through the Bering Strait and analyze these data in relation to atmospheric dynamics and climate.  Additionally, we conduct periodic campaigns over a broad area of the Northern Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea to evaluate changes in the physical "climate" of the ocean, including loss of sea ice, and impacts of physical change on the marine ecosystem. The NSF is a funding partner in this effort
  Sea ice - The Arctic Research Program supports the International Arctic Buoy Program (IABP), which provides the only real-time observations of air temperature and pressure over the Arctic Ocean for weather forecasting purposes. The IABP collects real-time data on sea ice drift that supports ship operations in the Arctic and modeling of sea ice extent and thickness.  It also suppors deployment of a network of ice buoys that provide detailed information on sea ice thickness and both atmospheric and ocean forcing of see ice melt.  Again, the NSF is a funding partner in this effort.  This work is conducted by scientists from the Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. 
  Climate change detection and analysis - The Arctic Research Program supports efforts to acquire and analyze Arctic climate data and model outputs to detect changes in Arctic climate, understand the role of various forcing factors, and to evaluate the utility of various climate models in describing observed changes in the Arctic.  This effort is conducted the NOAA PMEL and through various international groups such as the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program, and the International Arctic Science Committee. 
  The NOAA Central Library has established an internet site for the IPY and the International Year of the Reef that contain bibliographies, photographs and images, and hundreds of historic maps, charts, original manuscript maps

## National Weather Service
Next Generation of AWIPS
Radar Modernization (Super Resolution)
National Unified Operational Prediction Capability (NUOPC) (NOAA, Navy, Air Force partnership to improve numerical weather prediction capability)
NESDIS
Launch of GOES-O (8/08)
OMAO
Fleet Modernization
New Tail Doppler Radar System on Gulfstream-IV

- National Weather Service
- Next Generation of AWIPS
- Radar Modernization (Super Resolution)
- National Unified Operational Prediction Capability (NUOPC) (NOAA, Navy, Air Force partnership to improve numerical weather prediction capability)
- NESDIS
- Launch of GOES-O (8/08)
- OMAO
- Fleet Modernization
- New Tail Doppler Radar System on Gulfstream-IV

- GOES Satellite

- AWIPS workstation

- Next-Gen SWATH vessel

**Notes:**
OMAO will christen and launch two new ships in 2008. FERDINAND R. HASSLER, a SWATH (small waterplane area twin hull) coastal mapping vessel, is the first of its kind designed for NOAA. BELL M. SHIMADA is NOAA's fourth fisheries survey vessel of the same design.  Both vessels will be christened and launched at the VT Halter Marine, Inc., shipyard in Moss Point, Mississippi. NOAA expects to commission and put into service two additional ships:  PISCES, the third new fisheries survey vessel in the series of four of the same class and OKEANOS EXPLORER, a converted former Navy T-AGOS vessel.  When operational, the OKEANOS EXPLORER will be the Nation's first vessel solely dedicated to ocean exploration. 
OMAO is installing a new tail Doppler radar (TDR) system on NOAA's Gulfstream-IV hurricane surveillance jet, which is expected to help forecasters significantly improve their hurricane intensity forecasts beginning with the 2008 hurricane season. With the TDR system, the G-IV will be able to acquire three-dimensional hurricane wind field data. This data will go into the new Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting model being developed by the National Weather Service's environmental Modeling Center in Suitland, Maryland. The model will be used by forecasters at NOAA's National Hurricane Center. 

## OAR
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Climate Services
NOAA Fisheries
MSA Implementation
Marine Aquaculture
National Ocean Service 
National System of Marine Protected Areas

- OAR
- Unmanned Aircraft Systems
- Climate Services
- NOAA Fisheries
- MSA Implementation
- Marine Aquaculture
- National Ocean Service
- National System of Marine Protected Areas

- Aquaculture (Hawaii)

- Manta (UAS)

**Notes:**
Magnuson-Stevens Act: NMFS will be developing guidelines to implement annual catch limits and accountability measures in federally managed fisheries.  By statute, ACL are required by 2010 for all fisheries subject to overfishing and by 2011 for all other fisheries.  Due to the complexity and diversity of the nation’s fisheries, developing guidelines that have strong provisions so that overfishing will be ended, while providing flexibility for Councils to deal with the specifics of each fishery, is very challenging.  
Combating IUU Fishing: NOAA currently working to fully address the international IUU provisions authorized in the MSA.  NOAA is undertaking capacity building efforts, especially with regards to observer training and enforcement in Africa and in Central America, and is continuing its leadership role in Regional Fisheries Management Organizations.  NMFS is currently working on a proposed rule to further implement international provisions regarding identification and certification for countries engaging in IUU Fishing.
Aquaculture: NOAA is focused on creating domestic seafood supply to: meet the growing demand for all seafood products; reduce dependence on seafood imports; provide jobs for economically depressed coastal communities; and increase regional food supply and security. In 2008, NOAA will sponsor a symposium on the effects of shellfish on the environment and host an expert consultation to document and highlight the advances being made in alternative feeds for aquaculture. On the regulatory front, NOAA will improve its processes for reviewing aquaculture permit applications under existing laws and regulations. And, we will continue to support the Administration’s efforts to enact national offshore aquaculture legislation that would authorize the agency to set up a regulatory framework and issue permits for aquaculture in federal waters. 
NOS:  NOS is helping to plan the establishment of the first National System of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) for the U.S., combining the assets of state and federal programs.  We will be publishing the second draft of the National MPA System Framework this quarter (already reviewed in concept by DOI and the other federal agencies) and plan to publish the final Framework by mid-year.  This means the U.S's initial National System of MPAs, based on existing MPAs, will be established in 2008.  This is the culmination of seven years of work by the MPA Center and its partners and will result in the first formal mechanism to support the addressing of priority marine conservation goals for natural and cultural resources across levels of government and programs.

## National Climate Service 

- National Climate Service
- Definition / Vision
- Why do we need a Climate Service?
- Organizational Structure
- Centralized Governance and Execution
- Principles of Operation
- Regular Outputs to Society
- Partnership Model
- Time is short!

- Carbon Tracker

- Bottom Line: there is general scientific agreement that anthropogenic activities are increasing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and driving climate change.

**Notes:**
Now, I would like to discuss with you what your leadership is talking about.  The next few slides highlight some of the issues discussed at the recent SES Summit. 
In the last several years, climate has been brought into the national and global spotlight.   While scientific uncertainties remain, our understanding of the climate system is growing every day.  What we know now is that the bottom line is that the climate system is warming as a result of human activities. 
In light of this fact, there is an evolving and growing societal demand for accurate, reliable, and timely climate information. 
How NOAA should respond to this demand?
Should we push for the creation of a National Climate Service, akin to the National Weather Service?  Is a national repository of climate information and services desirable?
NOAA can’t do it all, but it can provide leadership.  A partnership approach to climate services is the way of the future.

## Water: A NOAA Priority

- Water: A NOAA Priority
- Water Cuts Across All Parts of NOAA
- Partnership with other Agencies
- Water Cycle Forecasting
- Earth System Framework
- The Future?

- “The worst drought in over a century has farmers averting their gaze from a future that looks as bleak as their fields.”
- July 4, 2007 U.S. News, NYT

**Notes:**
Water is a part of everything NOAA does as an agency.  This includes our efforts to implement ecosystem-based approaches to management, strategies for addressing and forecasting drought, and fisheries. 
Drought (quote is referring to drought in Southeast):
In the U.S., drought is estimated to result in average annual losses to all sectors of the economy of between $6-8 billion. 
Drought is an enormous problem for this Nation, and NOAA must participate in crafting strategies for addressing it.  
NOAA needs to continue support for the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), which was established in 2006 at the Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, CO.  NIDIS is the future of drought research and monitoring, and is designed to provide: an early warning system for drought; drought impact and causation education; resources for drought mitigation; and improved observational capabilities 

## Goals of Regional Collaboration

- Improved services for the benefit of NOAA’s customers
- Increased value and productivity of partnerships
- Improved stakeholder relations and support
- Improved internal communications and efficiency across line offices and programs
- A more visible and valued NOAA

- 2007 Evaluation
- Teams have demonstrated progress in each goal
- Regional activities have informed NOAA strategy in priority areas both at regional and national scale
- Regional Collaboration has been established and holds potential for substantial benefits for NOAA
- 2008 Regional Collaboration Workshop
- Regional Teams and Priority Area Task Teams will meet in Kansas City, MO
- Enhance communication and understanding of regional issues and approaches
- Enable a critical review of NOAA’s current approach to Regional Collaboration to recommend future activities

**Notes:**
Based on Goals established by NOAA leadership, an Executive Oversight Group formed Regional Teams (see Regional Framework) and Priority Area Task Teams (see Priority Areas) that worked towards advancing NOAA’s response to regional needs.
2007 Evaluation - 2007 was a start-up year for the teams, and even without new resources, they were able to:
establish team infrastructure, 
support NOAA 200th events around the country, 
support coordinated outreach activities and stakeholder events, 
engage regional partnerships (e.g., Gulf of Mexico Alliance, West Coast Governor’s Agreement on Ocean Health), and
develop innovative approaches to regional priorities
The baseline evaluation of this first year’s effort has shown that Regional Collaboration has been established and holds potential for substantial benefits for NOAA
2008 Workshop – To build on the work of this first year, Regional Team members and Priority Area Task Team members will meet in Kansas City at the end of January to discuss, in person, this past year’s regional issues and approaches and to develop recommendations for NOAA’s direction for Regional Collaboration in 2008.

## Observations Basic to Science

- GEO Ministerial Summit— November 30, 2007, Cape Town
- 73 Members + 52 International Organizations
- GEO Continuity
- Large Umbrella for Earth Sciences
- NOAA Retain Intergovernmental Leadership
- Global Carbon Monitoring System
- Ecological Observing System

**Notes:**
NOAA devotes nearly 40% of its budget to observing systems!
I have just returned from the Cape Town, South Africa, where we held the GEO Ministerial Summit. There, the US presented 12 early achievements. 
NOAA should build on our successes through these priority areas:
Climate change and Sustainable Growth
Water Security for Society and the biosphere
Changing Landscapes, Ecosystem Health and Biodiversity
Full and Open Data Exchange
The challenge for you is to ensure that the wind filling the GEOSS sails continues to blow, both within NOAA and in broader federal and international contexts. 

## Ecosystems

- Aquaculture
- Coastal & Marine Resources
- Coral Reef Conservation
- Ecosystem Observation
- Ecosystem Research
- Habitat
- Climate
- Climate Observations and Monitoring
- Modeling and Observing Infrastructure
- IOOS
- Environmental Modeling

- Weather and Water
- Air Quality
- Coasts, Estuaries & Oceans
- Hydrology
- Local Forecasts & Warnings
- Space Weather
- Tsunami
- Science & Technology Infusion
- Commerce and Transportation
- Aviation Weather
- Geodesy
- Marine Transportation Systems
- Marine Weather & Surface Weather

**Notes:**
NOAA devotes nearly 40% of its budget to observing systems!
Note:  PA&E could not accurately determine how much of NOAA's budget goes into Earth Observing.  This data is not captured in any of the data systems we have.  The NOAA Observing Systems Council collects this data via a survey and has a low level of confidence that it is consistently reported by each group they gather information from.  So rather than a graph or display that implies a high degree of confidence, we included a bumper sticker showing a percentage of the budget expended on Earth Obs. 

## America COMPETES Act

- New Legislation = New Opportunities
- Strategic Approaches
- Internal Understanding
- Coherent and Consistent Message – NOAA is Indispensible

- Science on a Sphere

- The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall conduct, develop, support, promote, and coordinate formal and informal education activities at all levels to enhance public awareness and understanding of ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, and atmospheric science and stewardship by the general public and other coastal stakeholders, including underrepresented groups in ocean  and atmospheric science and policy careers. In conducting those activities, the Administrator shall build upon the educational programs and activities of the agency.

**Notes:**
Another topic discussed at the Summit was Education, Outreach and Extension.  I am a firm believer in improving the environmental literacy of the Nation.  This begins at an elementary level, and continues through to adulthood.  We must fuel what is called the “Science Education Continuum: 
In elementary school, science is taught by one teacher who covers a large range of issues.  By the time a student gets to graduate school, the approach to studying science is specialized and is often disaggregated.  
For NOAA to be successful in its mission and for society to address complex problems related to the Earth System, we need to have an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to our solutions, and get back to big-picture understanding. 
In the end we need to have a society that can approach solutions with the whole Earth system in mind, not just a piece of it, connecting our individual actions to the health of collective living ecosystems. 
For the first time, we have legislation that authorizes us to conduct educational activities (but provides no authorization level). 

## What is the Message?

- One Band, One Sound
- Elevator Speeches
- Web Site

- * Survey participants were allowed to vote on more than one priority

- Priority Issues for the Public

**Notes:**
NOAA’s products and services are indispensable.  However, we do not do a particularly good job of communicating the value of NOAA to the public, as this chart shows.  
Two critical points: (1) we need to improve our ability to communicate the value of our products/services such that "Environment" climbs up the list of issues, and (2) NOAA's work touches most of the other issues (health, energy, etc).  
Please see following pages for explanation of chart.
Also, this from the Financial Times (December 2007):
“Recent research by the polling organization Globe­Scan found that the US public rated the environment as the third-highest “national problem” and more than half now view climate change as a serious problem. Nearly 60 per cent said it would be “necessary to take major steps very soon”. However, four in 10 Americans think that tackling greenhouse gas emissions will damage the economy. Most also tend to see it as an issue that can be tackled by businesses, rather than consumers: 77 per cent were in favor of limiting the amount of greenhouse gas produced by companies but fewer than half wanted to raise taxes to cut consumption of fossil fuels, while three-quarters of people surveyed said less wealthy countries should limit their greenhouse gas output.” 

## Slide 27

## An Insider’s Perspective

- Opportunities
- Programs
- Budgets
- Timing
- Preparation

**Notes:**
I have been around Washington for many years.  I have seen many Presidents come and go, both Republican and Democrat.  Here are some things I have learned about the transition process that I want to share with you...

## Attracting and Cultivating Talented People

- Achieving High Level Goals
- Shared Ideals
- Organic Act
- NOAA Organization
- Flexible
- Relevant

## Theodore Roosevelt: “Citizenship in a Republic”

- Theodore Roosevelt: “Citizenship in a Republic”
- Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910