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I would like to take this opportunity to share our vision for 

 NOAA programs under the Committee's jurisdiction. These are 

 programs which will take us well into the first decade of the 

 21st century. 



On July 15, 1993, NOAA released its Strategic Plan (Plan) for 

 1995-2005. From the start, we wanted the Strategic Plan to 

 represent the direction that NOAA wants to pursue. To accomplish 

 this end, we involved our top managers and their staffs in 

 developing the plan. In all, fifteen teams with representation 

 across NOAA were established to develop the Plan. 



Team members continue to meet to refine implementation strategies 

 and to improve the Plan. Because we view the Plan as dynamic and 

 believe that it must adapt to real world conditions, we invite 

 comment from all constituents — including Congress, our Federal 

 and state partners, academia, industry, conservation groups, and 

 the general public. We intend to review and revise the Strategic 

 Plan as needed, at least on an annual basis. We are using the 

 Plan to guide our budget development. 



I have briefed many of you already about the general outline of 

 the Plan. NOAA's mission includes two equally- important 

 components: environmental stewardship to conserve and wisely 

 manage the Nation's marine and coastal resources, and 

 environmental assessment and prediction to safeguard life and 



