NOAA SEC Dear Colleague Letter: National Space Weather Program Decadal Review

Dear Colleague:

I am writing to you concerning the National Space Weather Program (NSWP) that began ten years ago as a collaborative enterprise between the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Department of Defense (DoD). These four agencies co-chair the Program. Other participating agencies include the Department of Energy (DoE), the Department of the Interior (DoI), and the Department of Transportation (DoT). The NSWP has operated under the auspices of the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology (OFCM http://www.ofc.gov) and is based upon a Strategic Plan and an Implementation Plan that can be found at the following website: http://www.nswp.gov/nswo_docs.htm.

The OFCM, in conjunction with its Committee for Space Weather, is now supporting a decadal review of the NSWP to quantify and document the progress toward meeting program goals. An assessment committee is gathering input from the broad space weather research and applications communities in the United States, including operations and users, and will perform a comprehensive review of the program. This can best be achieved with very strong community participation. Therefore, all those interested in the NSWP are encouraged to complete the questionnaire (please comment on successes, shortfalls, and possible future directions) at http://www.nswp.gov/nswp_userinput.php.

Thank you,

Joe Kunches
Chief, Forecast and Analysis Branch
Space Environment Center