NOAA Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking System Reports

    New Integrated Services Plan

    Recent Activities

    Alaska Regional Collaboration Team Leader Briefs the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council

  • New Integrated Services Plan
    The NOAA Alaska Regional Collaboration Team (ARCTic) completed another milestone in the development of an Integrated Services Plan (ISP) for NOAA in Alaska with the completion of the second Integrated Services Assessment (ISA) meeting. The meeting, held in Anchorage, October 30-31, focused on the third goal of the ISP: Develop an approach for strategic product and service enhancements in concert with key partners and stakeholders. Participants included representatives from the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association, Alaska DOT, University of Alaska Anchorage and Fairbanks, North Pacific Fishery Management Council, US Army Corps of Engineers, North Slope Science Initiative, Geographic Information Network of Alaska, Eskimo Walrus Commission, The Nature Conservancy, Alaska Ocean Observing System, Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, Alaska Climate Impact Assessment Commission, US Arctic Research Commission, and representatives from all Line Offices. The outcome of the meeting was a revised set of vision papers describing shared NOAA-customer desired end-states in 2015 across eight strategic focus areas. These papers will be further polished by the NOAA team and incorporated into the ISP. NOAA-customer interactions will continue past this meeting through the ARCTic’s focus area working groups.

  • Recent Activities
    During the month of November, 2007, the NOAA OR&R Emergency Response Division’s (aka NOAA Hazmat) Scientific Support Coordinator in Alaska assisted the Coast Guard in responding to two potential oil and hazardous material releases. In each of these two cases knowing the current and forecast weather conditions was an important ingredient. The incidents involved 1) the grounding of a large barge vessel in an isolated fiord east of Ketchikan (George Inlet) and 2) the exposure of potential hazardous chemicals and oil products from a rapidly eroding bank at Port Heiden on the Alaskan Peninsula. Both the WFO’s in Juneau and Anchorage responded immediately when asked to provide SPOT weather forecasts for these two locations for several days. In the case of George Inlet knowing the current and predicted winds was essential to allow NOAA Hazmat to determine the trajectory of a possible oil release, and regarding Port Heiden the Coast Guard assessment flight in a small charter plane was dependent on having a good weather window. The NWS made this information available via both fax and on their website. This kind of collaboration has existed for several years and has been honed to a high level of support and confidence, including the possibility of locating an Incident Meterologist (IMET) on-scene.


  • Alaska Regional Collaboration Team Leader Briefs the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council
    Laura Furgione, NOAA’s Alaska Regional Team (ARCTic) Lead and National Weather Service Regional Director briefed the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council December 11, 2007 on NOAA’s Regional Collaboration Initiative and ARCTic activities. The focus of the presentation was the FY08 activities of the Ecosystem Assessment working group and the status of the ARCTic’s Integrated Services Assessment and Plan (ISA/P). The ISA/P is the ARCTic’s marquee effort to increase collaboration within NOAA, increase NOAA collaboration with customers, and develop an approach for strategic product and service enhancements in concert with key partners and stakeholders. Through two workshops with customers and external participation on 8 working groups, the effort has produced a set of visions what Alaska will or hopefully will look like in the 2015 timeframe. Laura shared the visions drafted by the Ecosystem Assessment working group, took questions from Council members, and encouraged additional feedback from the council and its committees. Questions from the Council members included inquiries on what the visions were targeting, how the climate change working group related to the Ecosystems Assessment Working Group, the status of the NOAA Organic Act, and whether the vision papers would be available on a website. The ARCTic will provide website information to the council prior to their next meeting. Working Group leader Steve Davis (NMFS, 907-271- 3523) and ARCTic Coordinator, Amy Holman (NOS, 907-271-5334) accompanied Laura and can be contacted for more information.