65 



Questions Asked by Senator Inouye and Answers Thereto by Dr. Baker 



Question. I was disappointed to learn of the Administration's proposal to elimi- 

 nate funding for the National Undersea Research Program (NURP). Over the years, 

 this program has successfully enhanced scientific understanding of processes in our 

 oceans and large lakes through undersea research and technology development. 

 What was the basis for the Administration's recommendation to eliminate funding 

 for NURP in Fiscal Year 1995? 



Answer. While we believe that NURP is a good program, we had to make some 

 hard decisions, and NURP fell below our cutofT in a year of extremely tight budgets. 



Question. Does this recommendation reflect the Administration's position that the 

 goals of the NURP program no longer meet the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

 Administration's (NOAA) mission? if so, how could NURP be revised to better sup- 

 port NOAA's mission? 



Answer. NURP has strong potential to meet NOAA's mission. While it has con- 

 tributed to some degree in tne past, NURP is developing a strategic plan that will 

 be in consonance with NOAA's strategic plan. This may help to make NURP more 

 effective in meeting NOAA's mission. 



Question. Are there any other programs within NOAA which you feel will accom- 

 plish the same goals as NIJRP, therelore making NURP duplicative? 



Answer. NURP has unique features that are not found in any other NOAA pro- 

 gram, e.g., access to submersibles, robotic vehicles, underwater laboratories, in situ 

 observatories, and air and mixed-gas diving. There may be some areas of overlap 

 with more traditional research metnods, but these are not very significant. 



Question Asked by Senator Pressler and Answer Thereto by Dr. Baker 



Dr. Baker, at last year's hearing, we discussed the National Weather Service's 

 plans implementing its new NEXKAD weather service system. As you know, the 

 Weather Service Modernization Act prohibits closing any weather station unless the 

 Secretary of Commerce certifies that there will be no degradation of service as a re- 

 sult of the closure. The intent of the legislation is to ensure a safe modernization 

 program by examining on a case-by-case basis the effects of new technologies and 

 the effects of the deletion of manpower through automation. 



I am concerned that I continue to hear from weather service employees who say 

 the intent of the Act is not being followed. One of my constituents sent me a copy 

 of a recent report prepared by tne National Research Council entitled "Toward a 

 New National Weatner Service: National Weather Service Employee Feedback." The 

 report makes a number of findings and recommendations. For example, a majority 

 of respondents believe the user community is inadequately prepared for moderniza- 

 tion. In addition, field personnel are not yet convinced that the work designs and 

 the human resource plan developed by National Weather Service headquarters will 

 be adequate. 



Question. Do you agree with any of the recommendations put forth by the Na- 

 tional Research Council? Has the National Weather Service implemented any of the 

 recommendations or does it have plans to do so? 



Answer. The attached report on National Weather Service (NWS) Employee Feed- 

 back issued by the NWS Modernization Committee of the National Research Council 

 (NRC) in March 1994 was based upon a survey of a sample group of NWS employ- 

 ees conducted in August 1992. While many of the long-awaited findings and rec- 

 ommendations of the NRC Panel's report were pertinent and applicable at the time 

 the survey was conducted, extensive progress has been made in the transition proc- 

 ess throughout the NWS since the survey. 



The NWS generally agrees with all of the recommendations of the NRC report 

 and has, to a greater or lesser degree, implemented or initiated those recommended 

 actions. The report dealt with such matters as: employee job satisfaction; employee 

 perception of their involvement in planning for the modernization; sources of infor- 

 mation about the modernization; employee attitudes about NWS capability to man- 

 age the modernization; employee attitudes about the degree of user group prepara- 

 tion for modernization; employee concerns about NWS handling of tne moderniza- 

 tion; and, overall employee evaluation of the modernization program. 



Since August 1992, significant progress has been made in the field installation 

 and commissioning of^ NWS Doppler weather radar and automated surface weather 

 observing systems. Associated with those visible transitional changes have been sig- 

 nificant actions which have affected changes in NWS staffing and human resources 

 policy matters. In 1993, the NWS extensively negotiated human resources manage- 

 ment procedures with the National Weather Service Employees Organization 

 (NWSEO), the exclusive representative of NWS employees. 



