Liaison Committee Meeting — NOAA

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Meeting Notes

March 2006
NOAA Liaison Committee Meeting Notes

October 2005
NOAA Liaison Committee Meeting Notes

November 2004
NOAA Liaison Committee Meeting Notes

October 2004
NOAA Liaison Committee Meeting Notes

March 2003
NOAA Liaison Committee Meeting Notes

C. Coastal Services Center

i. Outsourcing Plans ¡V Approximately $1.5 million will be contracted out to the private sector for land cover, topography, and benthic mapping. This FY03 work includes land cover and topography services in support of NOAA¡¦s Broad Area Announcement (BAA) for Coastal Management and additional procurements for remote sensing data to support the Digital Coast Initiative pilot in the Louisiana/ Mississippi area and for digital airborne multispectral imagery to support Oyster Recovery Initiatives along the South Carolina coast.

ii. Broad Area Announcement (BAA) for Coastal Management for FY04 ¡V CSC is looking for coastal management issues that are amenable to remote sensing technology. The BAA is for the Coastal Management Community (state, local and academia) in the form of a small dollar grant ($25 K) to identify pressing coastal issues. CSC will then handle (and contract out) all needs for remotely sensed data (estimated at as much as $1 million) to support the issues identified through the BAA. The BAA will be published in June 2003 with BAA proposal due in October 2003 for FY04 award.

iii. Water Quality RFI ¡V NOAA has recently released an announcement through FedBizOps to determine industry capabilities with respect to remote sensing technologies to determine estuarine water quality. The RFI asks for capabilities, methodologies, and general cost estimates. Areas of focus include the determination of Chlorophyll concentration, turbidity, temperature, and salinity. NOAA is interested in existing operational capability and quick turn-around solutions.

2. Status on Law of the Sea

Discussed possible hydrographic surveying task orders (for existing contracts) that may be awarded in FY03 valued at $3 million to support claims by the United States under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone).

3. Port Security/Homeland Security

NOAA resources were shifted to port surveying during FY02. This data will be used to update the Nautical Charts. The Navy will also use this data as a baseline for mine detection. What was discovered by the original surveys has led to the need for lot of new survey requirements in support this new requirement. Funding is also needed for this requirement. This could be a major contracting opportunity, and if funding becomes available, NOAA plans to utilize existing NOAA hydrographic services contract vehicles. A wording change on Congressional Appropriations for Hydrographic Services is desired to increase flexibility in these contract vehicles so that task orders can be allocated for this type of service. The current language is specific to ¡§reducing the survey backlog.¡¨

4. Review of October Action Items

Old Business item from October meeting was the ongoing concern about NOAA¡¦s procurement process. MAPPS-NOAA committee members agreed that the NOAA procurement process was vastly improved but that the legal review process continues to be a major challenge.

5. Current Action Items

A. Draft a letter from MAPPS to the Admiral commenting on the improvements made in the procurement process but also describe the continuing problems dealing with legal review.

B. MAPPS should start coordinating with FAA with respect to that agency¡¦s use of the Airport Improvement Program to contract out mapping and surveying services in support of airports.

C. MAPPS should invite the National Marine Fisheries Service to the next liaison committee meeting as part of NOAA to discuss their needs for surveying and remote sensing. MAPPS believes that this work is being completed in-house.

D. MAPPS should continue to press for increased education for NOAA for contracting out for professional services. A NOAA/MAPPS Brooks Act Workshop was discussed as a good idea.

MAPPS NOAA Agency Liaison Committee Meeting
Hyatt Regency, Capitol Hill
October 28, 2002

SUMMARY REPORT

Attendees:
Kurt Allen, Chair, Greenhorne & O¡¦Mara
Mike Gibson, OCS/NOAA
Joe Senftle, Advanced Power Technologies, Inc.
Capt. Jon Bailey, NGS/NOAA
Tony Follett, AeroMap U.S. Inc.
Tim Batista, NCCOS/NOAA
Robert Hickey, MAE Systems ADR
Steve Raber, CSC/NOAA
Chris Barnard, EarthData International Inc.
Charles Challstrom, NGS/NOAA
Marc Wride, Intermap Technologies Inc.
Gary Magnuson, NOS/NOAA
John Oswald, LCMF Inc.
Bill Daniel, Lowe Engineers, Inc.
Bill Gutelieus, Optech Inc.
Gene Colabatistto, Space Imaging
Jeff Donze, Technology Planning and Mgt. Corp.
Michael Janus, Tenix LADS, Inc.
Bob Richards, Thales GeoSolutions, Inc.
Monty Deel, 3Di Technologies, Inc.
Tim Dayhuff, Western Air Maps, Inc.

SUMMARY REPORT

Agenda Item:

1. Contracting Status

A. Office of Coast Survey

• Hydrographic surveying contracts totaled $18.6 million for four contracts in FY02. All contracts were with MAPPS members.
• In August, a new contracting opportunity became available using shallow water multibeam and side scan sonar technologies.
• With NOAA operating for the foreseeable future under a Continuing Resolution and without a specific FY03 appropriations being enacted into law, therefore it is estimated that $18.5 million in work orders against existing contracts.
• NOAA plans to award a new small business set aside in FY02 for hydrographic surveying services in Alaska.
• Fairweather will be on-line late FY05.

i. Electronic Navigational Charts

• NOAA has recently awarded several contracts to support the building of the ENC databases, which were non-A&E contracts. However, future contracts for maintenance of ENCs will be A&E contracts.

• NOAA is looking at developing a certification or licensing procedure in which companies can become ¡§certified NOAA ENC¡¨ distributors. Under this arrangement, if these companies want to sell ENC data, or provide it to end users, they will be allowed to do so.

• The private sector is free to take ENC data, reformat it into a company¡¦s own proprietary data, and sell it as a value added product. NOAA would not certify this process.

• With respect to non-ENC data, NOAA is seeking the development of an ISO standard that will recognize electronic charting data sets that not derived from NOAA standards.

• NOAA's CRADA with Maptech will expire in three years. Alternative means to provide raster data to the public will be examined at that time.

ii. Status on Vessel Leasing

For FY02 Congress included language in NOAA¡¦s appropriations bill urging NOAA to enter into a long-term lease or charter for a survey vessel. NOAA is working with the Military Sealift Command to implement this lease/charter. NOAA has split out the requirement for survey equipment and equipment operators, and will solicit these as separate contracts using A&E procedures.

Action: The MAPPS-NOAA Liaison Committee appointed a subcommittee of Bob/John/Larry to monitor NOAA Vessel Time/Lease and report back to full committee on status and progress of initiative.

iii. Digital Coast Concept ¡V Is the NOAA contribution to the National Map proposal. Proposal is an integrated database for the coast. An area of contract opportunity.

B. National Geodetic Survey

i. Height Modernization Program ¡V National Geodetic Survey Director Charles Challstrom gave a status report on pending contacts under the national height modernization program. 80 percent of all new appropriations for national height modernization program work to be contracted. Task orders being issued for four pending contracts. It is anticipated that $3.8 million in FY02 and $2.8 million in FY03 will be available in contracted services for Program work.

Note: Challstrom also reported to meeting participants that nine contracts for obtaining shoreline mapping and height modernization survey support. Now that these contracts are in place, efforts will commence to streamline the issuance of orders. All orders for the contracts are to be completed by November 4. To address an ongoing concern regarding procurement delays, Challstrom said that subsequent orders based on this experience should be issued and made final in a substantially more streamlined fashion.

ii. Shoreline Mapping Program ¡V Capt. Jon Bailey gave a status report on pending contacts under the NOAA shoreline-mapping program. $3 million in contracted services for FY02 and $5.2 million in FY03 are anticipated.

iii. LIDAR ¡V In August, 2002, NOAA announced a new contracting opportunity involving hydrographic surveying services using LIDAR technology.

Action: MAPPS members requested that NGS/NOAA to assist in obtaining uniformity regarding LiDAR specifications within the Federal Government. Moreover, to have LiDAR industry leaders involved in determining what standards and specifications are needed.

iv. Aeronautical Survey Program ¡V Funding of this program is from the FAA to the NGS. Has a funding history of fluctuating with events affecting funding availability. Incremental allocation of funding becoming available in FY03 during Continuing Resolution. Based on funding history, $1 million is anticipated for contracted services for the Program.

D. Coastal Services Center

i. Benthic Habitat – Steve Raber, Program Manager for NOAA’s Coastal Remote Sensing program, gave a presentation on existing benthic habitat contracts, and the letting of a new small contract for SAV mapping in New York.

ii. Remote Sensing – Raber also reported on contracts awarded for LiDAR data for Willapa Bay, Washington, and IfSAR data for five southern California counties. He also reported on various land cover mapping contracts.

Note: There was considerable discussion by meeting participants regarding NOAA’s Coastal Services Center contractual relationship with public entities, including state governments, and broad area announcements. The announcement process was explained to meeting participants, regarding the manner in which the CSC participates with the states in determining what data is needed, and working with the private sector via contract to provide the data the state requires. All this is in alignment with the CSC’s mission of helping support the growth of state coastal management capabilities and competencies.

Action: NOAA was asked to provide more specifics on the matter and report to MAPPS on its status.

2. Status on Law of the Sea

Discussed pending $3.2 million FY03 appropriation to provide a possible A&E contract opportunity for hydrographic surveying of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone to support claims by the United States under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

3. Port Security/Homeland Security - Status report given by Capt. Jon Bailey on Boston, Massachusetts pilot project regarding the 133-city initiative.

NOAA is expected to receive $2 million to address critical mapping and charting backlog requirements under the FY02 supplemental appropriation legislation. When received, NOAA plans to use these funds to award additional survey work orders under existing contracts.

Action: With respect to pending Seaport Security legislation, Gary Magnuson of NOAA was to check with the American Association of Port Authorities and other appropriate groups as to geospatial data contracting opportunities should this legislation become law.

4. Review of March Action Items

Old Business item from March meeting was the ongoing concern about NOAA’s procurement process. MAPPS-NOAA committee members agreed to keep the pressure on for NOAA procurement process improvements. NOAA is to report to MAPPS NOAA Liaison Committee Chair Allen on status.

C. National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

Coral Mapping - Tim Battista gave a presentation on coral mapping contracting opportunities, including a 24 months effort to conduct a new data acquisition and mapping of the Main Hawaiian Islands using hyperspectral imaging system on an airborne platform and spectral-based classification methodologies. NOAA is also planning on an 18 month effort to conduct coral mapping of the several Pacific islands from multispectral IKONOS imagery. In addition, NOAA is pursuing the use of remote sensing technologies to map vast remaining coral reef ecosystem areas of the Pacific.