7 USC 5856 - Improvements to United States Drought Monitor

U.S Code last checked for updates: Nov 24, 2024

§ 5856.

Improvements to United States Drought Monitor

(a)

In general

(b)

Utilization

(c)

Review

Not later than 1 year after December 20, 2018, the Secretary shall conduct a review of—

(1)

the types of data currently utilized by the United States Drought Monitor;

(2)

the geographic coverage and density of existing data collection sites; and

(3)

other meteorological or climatological data that is being collected by other Federal agencies, State and local governments, and non-Federal entities that could be utilized by the United States Drought Monitor.

(d)

Improvements

(1)

In general

Upon the completion of the review prescribed in subsection (c), the Secretary shall—

(A)

seek to expand the collection of relevant data in States or geographic areas where coverage is currently lacking as compared to other States or geographic areas; and

(B)

to the maximum extent practicable, develop standards to allow the integration of meteorological or climatological data into the United States Drought Monitor derived from—

(i)

in-situ soil moisture profile measuring devices;

(ii)

citizen science (as defined in the Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Act (15 U.S.C. 3724)), including data from the Cooperative Observer Program of the National Weather Service; and

(iii)

other Federal agencies, State and local governments, and non-Federal entities.

(2)

Authorization of appropriations

(Pub. L. 115–334, title XII, § 12512, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4995.)

cite as: 7 USC 5856