Notice2023-14951
Finding of No Significant Impact and Final Environmental Assessment for the Funding, Procurement, and Operation of NOAA Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 14, 2023
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NOAA's Uncrewed Systems Research Transition Office (UxSRTO) in OAR announces the issuance and availability of a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) and a Final Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Funding, Procurement, and Operation of NOAA Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS). The environmental review process led us to conclude that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the human environment. Therefore, an environmental impact statement will not be prepared.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 134 (Friday, July 14, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 134 (Friday, July 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45148-45149]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14951]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Finding of No Significant Impact and Final Environmental
Assessment for the Funding, Procurement, and Operation of NOAA Small
Uncrewed Aircraft Systems
AGENCY: Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce
(DOC).
ACTION: Notice of issuance and availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NOAA's Uncrewed Systems Research Transition Office (UxSRTO) in
OAR announces the issuance and availability of a finding of no
significant impact (FONSI) and a Final Environmental Assessment (EA)
for the Funding, Procurement, and Operation of NOAA Small Uncrewed
Aircraft Systems (UAS). The environmental review process led us to
conclude that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on
the human environment. Therefore, an environmental impact statement
will not be prepared.
ADDRESSES: The Final EA and FONSI are available online at <a href="https://orta.research.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/PEA-for-NOAA-Small-UAS-and-FONSI-Signed-May-2023.pdf">https://orta.research.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/PEA-for-NOAA-Small-UAS-and-FONSI-Signed-May-2023.pdf</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bryan Cole, Director, NOAA Uncrewed
Systems Research Transition Office Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bcdecec5ddd292dfd3d0d9fcd2d3dddd92dbd3ca"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4d2f3f342c23632e2221280d23222c2c632a223b">[email protected]</span></a> or (831)
601-2107.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A draft of the EA was published in the
Federal Register (88 FR 9872) for a 30-day comment period, from
February 15, 2023 to March 17, 2023. No comments were received. The
proposed action analyzed in the EA is the funding, procurement, and
operation of small UAS platforms in any environment for which NOAA has
a mission and potential need for UAS resources to help meet related
mission objectives.
For purposes of the assessment, the use of the term ``small UAS''
follows suit with the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA)
definition of ``small unmanned aircraft'' (14 CFR 107.3), which weigh
``less than 55 pounds on takeoff, including everything that is on board
or otherwise attached to the aircraft''. The geographic scope of the
action area includes the airspace ranging from just above the surface
(for launch and recovery), extending upward to an operational altitude
of
[[Page 45149]]
approximately 400 ft above ground level (AGL) for a majority of
applications, but may also include operational altitudes up to as high
as 100,000 ft mean sea level (MSL) for a few others.
The analysis in the EA is at a programmatic level, and it evaluates
the potential environmental consequences from a broad perspective
(i.e., multiple types of small UAS platforms used to supplement,
enhance, or replace a variety of existing methods of data collection).
The EA specifies procedures for confirming that the impacts of site-
specific actions considered pursuant to the proposed action are
consistent with predictions for the proposed action.
In all applicable scenarios reviewed, the proposed action would
yield no more than negligible impacts to any specific resource, and
would not result in significant impacts overall.
The EA and FONSI were prepared in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.) and Council on Environmental Quality implementing regulations (40
CFR parts 1500-1508), as well as NOAA's procedures for compliance with
NEPA as specified in the Companion Manual to NOAA Administrative Order
216-6A.
David Holst,
Chief Financial Officer/Administrative Officer, Office of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-14951 Filed 7-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-KD-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on July 14, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.