U.S. Arctic Research Commission Commissioner Michele Longo Eder - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

U.S. Arctic Research Commission Commissioner Michele Longo Eder Consortium for Ocean Leadership Public Policy Forum March 10, 2010

Arctic Research and Policy Act (ARPA) • Provides a Federal program for basic & applied Arctic sci. research • Establishes US Arctic Research Commission (USARC) – promote Arctic research – recommend Arctic research policy • Designates NSF to lead implementation of Arctic research policy – established Interagency Arctic Research Policy Comm. (IARPC) – develop national Arctic research policy – develop 5 ‐ year plan to implement that policy

Arctic Research and Policy Act (ARPA) Federal agencies create annual budget requests specifically • calling out “Arctic research” activities • OSTP reviews Arctic budget requests & consults IARPC &USARC • OMB reviews Arctic budget requests (conducts “cross cut”) – considers budgets as an integrated and multiagency request – ascertains that request adheres to the 5 ‐ year plan – submits request as part of President’s annual budget • USARC reviews budget adherence to plan &reports to Congress

USARC: IARPC: White House: establishes adopts OMB/OSTP research goals, Congress: goals & sets creates Authorizers & research research Appropriators policy plan USARC comments on budget to Congress

US Arctic Research… …~$400M/yr across >15 federal agencies …cooperating with over a dozen nations …using research infrastructure worth billions

Trillion Dollar Issues • Arctic ownership, sovereignty Arctic ownership, sovereignty • • Arctic resources Arctic resources (fish, O&G, minerals) • (fish, O&G, minerals) • Global Global Trade (trans • Trade (trans- -arctic & destinational shipping) arctic & destinational shipping) • Climate change mitigation/adaptation Climate change mitigation/adaptation • • Protecting shared values Protecting shared values – – culture & conservation culture & conservation •

Goals Report Research Themes • Environmental Change of the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea • Arctic Human Health • Civil Infrastructure Research • Natural Resource Assessment & Earth Science • Indigenous Languages, Identities & Cultures

New US Arctic Policy (NSPD ‐ 66/HSPD ‐ 25) • National security/homeland security needs • Protect environment/conserve biological resources • Environmentally sustainable resource management and development • Strengthen institutions for international cooperation; ratify Law of the Sea • Involve indigenous communities in decisions • Enhance scientific monitoring and research into local, regional and global environmental issues

USARC Sponsorships Meetings, Workshops, Symposia… • Alaska Marine Science Symposium • American Geophysical Union Cryosphere Reception • Arctic Civil Infrastructure Workshop • Arctic Energy Summit • Arctic Science Summit Week • Behavioral and Mental Health Research in the Arctic • ICETECH • Impacts of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations • International Arctic Fisheries Symposium • International Conference on Permafrost • National Ocean Science Bowl • NRDA in Arctic Waters: The Dialogue Begins Workshop • Oil Spill Prevention and Response Workshop • Rural Alaska Native Science Workshop • State of the Arctic Conference • Trade is Transportation Seminar An Ocean Infrastructure Strategy for U.S. Ocean Research in 2030 Report, NRC

Challenges and Opportunities • Keeping the interagency (IARPC) effort engaged and effective. • Work with NSF, OMB and OSTP to enable better process, as called for in ARPA, for developing national Arctic research program and associated budget.

USARC/USCG Arctic Domain Awareness Flight September 15, 2009