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economic development in U.S. coastal ecosystems is managed in ways that maintain 

 biodiversity ana long term productivity for sustained use. To achieve this goal: 

 NOAA will integrate operations for coastal ecosystem management by creating part- 

 nerships with states and other federal agencies; NOAA will enhance cross-discipli- 

 nary ecosystem assessment of coastal resources; NOAA will develop a comprehen- 

 sive national monitoring program for coastal ecosystems, working together with 

 coastal states and the EPA to implement the National Coastal Monitoring Act; 

 NOAA will increase scientific understanding of the importance of ecosystem func- 

 tioning and develop a means for valuing ecological resources; and NOAA will pro- 

 vide a strong information base for informed public policy decision making based on 

 sound science. 



A total of $167.8 million (including $7.8 million from the Coastal Zone Manage- 

 ment Fund) is requested for FY 1995. NOAA's new Center for Coastal Ecosystem 

 Health, now being established, is an important element in this equation. Full fund- 

 ing for CZMA grants is included in our request. In FY 1995, we have requested in- 

 creases of $3.0 million for improved management of the Nation's marine sanc- 

 tuaries, and $2.4 million for habitat conservation. 



Modernize Navigation and Positioning Services 



In FY 1995, proposed funding for Modernization of Navigation and Positioning 

 Services is $76.4 million. NOAA's traditional mission of preparing nautical and 

 aeronautical charts and information for navigation safety can be traced back nearly 

 two centuries to the Nation's oldest scientific agency. Today NOAA is working to 

 modernize its navigation and positioning services to provide accurate and timely 

 marine, coastal and aeronautical data in conventional map and chart formats, as 

 well as providing digital products in near real time. Revolutionary technologies, spe- 

 cifically powerful, low-cost computers and the Global Positioning System (GPS) are 

 forcing cnanges in these services that are unprecedented. These efforts will lead to 

 an increase in the efficiency and safety of marine and air transportation for pur- 

 poses of offshore engineering, coastal zone management, military operations, and 

 recreational activities. 



ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND PREDICTION 



The second major part of the NOAA strategic plan is Environmental Assessment 

 and Prediction — describing, monitoring and predicting changes in the Earth's envi- 

 ronment in order to ensure and enhance sustainable economic opportunities now 

 and for the future. This includes improved short-term weather forecast and warning 

 products, reliable seasonal to interannual climate forecasts, science-based policy ad- 

 vice on decadal to centennial environmental changes, and leveraging of available re- 

 sources to accomplish more by converging government programs and avoiding dupli- 

 cation. 



Advance Short-Term Warning and Forecast Services 



By early in the next century, NOAA will have significantly improved short-term 

 warning and forecast products and services for a broad spectrum of environmental 

 events — such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, tsunamis and geomagnetic storms. 

 This will be accomplished by completing the weather service modernization, apply- 

 ing thee lessons learned from the modernization effort, and conducting research and 

 development activities to better understand and predict the environment. Achieving 

 these goals will improve public safety and the economic productivity of the Nation. 



In FY 1995, $1,091 billion is requested to maintain ongoing forecast and warning 

 operations, continue the weather service modernization, maintain satellite continu- 

 ity, strengthen NOAA's environmental observing, research, and prediction systems 

 in all areas of the environment, and improve dissemination of products and services. 

 Weaknesses in any of these components will decrease the quality of all forecasts and 

 warnings and hence the long-term benefits to the Nation. 



Completion of the weather service modernization is a high priority of the Adminis- 

 tration. Modernization has already saved lives and averted damage. The moderniza- 

 tion has demonstrated its success through the dramatic increase in storm warning 

 time as well as the significant decrease in false alarms. For example, accurate pre- 

 dictions of the tracks of hurricanes Andrew, Hugo and Iniki reduced thee potential 

 loss of human life and saved money by better constraining evacuation areas. 



Implement Seasonal to Interannual Climate Forecasts 



Changes in the seasons are the most obvious natural climate cycle. Winters are 

 cold; summers are hot. But the degree to which each winter and each summer dif- 

 fers from the norm creates opportunities and problems for society. To benefit from 

 the opportunities and mitigate the problems, society requires routine, operational 



