[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 43 (Monday, March 4, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8259-8260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-4902]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Weather Service To Discontinue the Issuance of All
Routine Agricultural Forecasts and Fruit Frost Forecasts
AGENCY: National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice updates the National Weather Services (NWS) plans
to transfer Agricultural Weather Services to the private sector, notice
of which was published on July 5, 1995; see National Weather Service
Transfer of Specific Products and Services to the Private Sector, 60
Fed. Reg. 34969.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This action becomes effective April 1, 1996, for
routine agricultural forecasts and April 20, 1996, for fruit frost
forecasts.
ADDRESSES: National Weather Service, Industrial Meteorology Staff, 1325
East-West Highway, #18462, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Edward Gross, 301-713-0258.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 5, 1995, the National Weather
Service (NWS) announced that it planned to transfer specific products
and services to the private sector effective October 1, 1995.
Subsequently, concerns were raised about the disruption of critical
forecasts to regions of the United States dependent on receiving NWS
agricultural weather services and the Conference Report for the
Department of Commerce Fiscal Year 1996.
Appropriations Bill to accompany H.R. 2076 noted that, ``it may be
necessary within funds available to provide Agricultural Weather
Services for a limited time.''
Accordingly, NWS has continued and will continue routine
agricultural forecasts until April 1, 1996, and will continue those
Fruit Frost Forecasts that it has already commenced providing until
April 20, 1996. At that time, funds available for Agricultural Weather
Services will be exhausted. However, if a freeze or very cold weather
is in progress on April 20, 1996, fruit frost products will continue
until the episode ends.
The NWS has been notifying customers of changes to its Agricultural
Weather Services program since July 1995. The provision of these
services has been extended from October 1, 1995 until April 20, 1996
for the purpose of minimizing the disruption of critical forecasts to
certain regions and to allow customers an opportunity to find
alternative sources of agricultural weather information from the
private sector. This action complies with the conference language of
maintaining a goal of smoothly transferring services to those private
sector vendors capable and willing to assume them.
The following NWS agricultural products will no longer be
available:
Agricultural Weather Forecast
Fruit Frost Forecast
Special Agricultural Weather Advisory
Weather Advisory for Ag Operations
30-day Agricultural Weather Outlook
National Agricultural Weather Highlights
Cranberry Bog Forecasts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Joint Agricultural Weather
Facility will continue producing the International Weather and Crop
Bulletin.
[[Page 8260]]
Dated: February 27, 1996.
Susan F. Zevin,
Deputy Administrator for Operations.
[FR Doc. 96-4902 Filed 3-1-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-M
