Automate (or automation) means to replace employees performing surface observations at a field office with automated weather service observation equipment. For the purposes of this definition, an employee performing surface observations at a field office is replaced when that office, after installing such equipment, reduces or eliminates its responsibility for taking surface observations and removes the employee from that field office, or formally requests the employee to cease performing all observational responsibilities at that office. Automate does not include temporarily reducing the hours of operation during which a field office is responsible for surface observations or augmenting/backing up an ASOS when such reduction results from an unplanned decrease in staff.

Category 1 radar means an existing NWS radar which is to be replaced by a NEX-RAD on the same site or on an adjacent site from which the two radars cannot operate concurrently. A Category 1 radar must be dismantled when the existing tower prevents building a replacement NEX-RAD on the same site or operationally demonstrating and commissioning a replacement NEX-RAD on an adjacent site by physically blocking its beam. A Category 1 radar must be turned off when it prevents operationally demonstrating and commissioning a replacement NEX-RAD on an adjacent site by creating substantial electromagnetic interference.

Change operations at a field office means to transfer service responsibility, commission weather observation systems, decommission a NWS radar, move an entire field office to a new location inside the local commuting and service area, or significantly change the staffing level of a field office except where the staffing change constitutes a consolidation or automation or where there is an unplanned decrease in staff.

Close (or closure) means to remove all weather services, equipment, and personnel from a filed office. It does not include a consolidation, automation, or relocation or a move of a field office to another location within the current local commuting and service area.

Commission means to officially charge a new observational technology (e.g, NEXRAD and ASOS) with responsibility for providing weather data within a defined service area or to charge a new weather office support system (e.g, AWIPS) with responsibility for supporting office operations.

Committee means the Modernization Transition Committee established by sec. 707 of Pub. L. 102-567.

Consolidate (or consolidation) means to remove some positions from a field office (without closing that office) after those responsibilities have been reduced or eliminated by the commissioning of one or more NEXRADS, the decommissioning of the radar operated by that office, if any, and the combination of that office's responsibilities with those of another field office. Consolidate does not include temporarily reducing the hours during which a field office is responsible for operating a radar when such reduction results from an unplanned decrease in staff.

Decommission (or permanently decommission) means to permanently withdraw existing official responsibility for providing weather data or weather office support from an existing technology which includes turning off the technology. It does not include temporarily withdrawing responsibility for providing radar data where this action results from:

(1) System failure;

(2) The need to dismantle a Category 1 radar to allow the construction of or the operational demonstration and commissioning of a replacement NEX-RAD; or

(3) The need to turn off a Category 1 radar to allow the operational demonstration and commissioning of a replacement NEX-RAD.

Field office means a National Weather Service Office (WSO) or a National Weather Service Forecast Office (WSFO).

Inventory of services means all of those weather services from those listed on the menu of services that are provided to the public by a field office in its service area prior to a transition action.

Local Commuting Area means the population center (or two or more neighboring ones) served by an existing field office and includes those surrounding localities that can reasonably be considered part of this single area for transportation purposes. The Local Commuting Area for any field office located in a Metropolitan Area defined by the Office of Management and Budget for statistical purposes shall be the Metropolitan Statistical Area or Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Menu of services means the basic weather services provided by NWS field offices as listed in §946.4.

National Implementation Plan means the plan submitted to Congress as part of the budget justification documents for Fiscal Year 1994 and for each subsequent fiscal year until the modernization is complete.

Regional Director means the Director of one of the six geographical regions of the NWS.

Relocate (or relocation) means to move an entire field office, including all personnel positions, equipment and service responsibility to a location outside the current local commuting or service area of that field office.

Responsible Meteorologist means an employee of the NWS in charge of the office that will be responsible for providing weather services to the area affected by a closure, consolidation, automation, or relocation of a field office.

Restructure means to close, consolidate, automate, or relocate a field office.

Secretary means the Secretary of Commerce or his or her delegate.

Service area means the geographical area for which an existing field office provides weather services or conducts observations.

Strategic Plan means the 10 year strategic plan for the modernization of NWS which was submitted to the Congress by the Secretary on March 10, 1989.

Unplanned decrease in staff means a temporary reduction in the number of employees available for duty at a field office resulting from employee retirement, resignation, extended sick leave or emergency leave, or voluntary acceptance of training or of a position outside that field office.

Weather service means a service or product provided to a service area by a field office.

[58 FR 64091, Dec. 3, 1993, as amended at 59 FR 44314, Aug. 29, 1994]