Arctic Daily Update: February 16, 2011

US Arctic Research Commission

February 16, 2011

The Senate will continue consideration of legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. The House is expected to continue consideration of legislation to fund government operations through the end of the fiscal year.

Fiscal 2012 Budget: Energy Department, February 16. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on the fiscal 2012 budget request for the Department of Energy.

Media Review

House Science Chairman Seeks to Block Funding for New 'Climate Service.' Rep. Ralph Hall (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, is seeking to block funding for the overhaul of major federal climate change research and monitoring programs. Hall - who questions climate science - wants to amend House spending legislation to prevent the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from proceeding with creation of a new "Climate Service." Hall's plan would amend the continuing resolution that's on the House floor this week - it's the bill to fund the federal government through the end of fiscal year 2011. His amendment would prevent any of the money from being used to "implement, establish, or create" the Climate Service. NOAA is seeking to better integrate its various climate-related functions. The Hill

White House Threatens to Veto 2011 Funding Measure. The threat of a government shutdown looms a little larger in Washington Tuesday afternoon after President Obama officially threatened to veto legislation currently being considered by the House that would fund the government for remainder of the 2011 fiscal year. House Republicans want to cut about $60 billion from current discretionary spending levels. "If the president is presented with a bill that undermines critical priorities or national security through funding levels or restrictions, contains earmarks, or curtails the drivers of long-term economic growth and job creation while continuing to burden future generations with deficits, the president will veto the bill," the White House said in a statement of administration policy. The House GOP proposal is designed to replace the current continuing resolution, which expires on March 4. But because the measure is the first spending bill of the year, Republicans are using it to make good on a campaign promise to cut $100 billion in discretionary spending compared with President Obama's fiscal 2011 budget request. Government Executive

CR Causes Headaches for GOP. House Republican leaders may have to make an unexpected course correction on the continuing resolution to head off defections from unhappy moderates. The discontent surfaced Tuesday as the House began debate on the stopgap spending measure, which is being considered under an open process that could result in hundreds of amendments. Moderates have stopped short of threatening to vote no on final passage but are complaining that leaders have been too arbitrary about the spending cuts contained in the CR. Roll Call

Northern Sea Route Shipping to Multiply Fivefold in 2011. The several successful shipping operations in 2010 are now making shipping companies look at the Northern Sea Route with increasing interest. According to Nord News, at least 150,000 tons of oil are planned to be shipped from Murmansk to China. In addition, there are plans for about 400,000 tons of gas condensate and 600,000 tons of iron ore to be sent along the same route. The first shipment of gas condensate will be made in May this year from the port of Vitino, Nord News reports. Most likely, Sovcomflot's 70,000 ton ice-protected tankers "Kirill Lavrov" and "Vasilii Dinkov" will conduct the operations. Another two such operations are planned later in summer. Arctic Progress

Sweden Makes Arctic Strategy. Carl Bildt, Sweden's foreign minister, presented a Statement on Government Policy that noted that Sweden will chair the Arctic Council beginning in May, and in the spring of 2011, Sweden will present a Arctic strategy. A link to Bildt's statement is here.

Northern Energy Development Leaders Gather in Calgary at North America's Premier Arctic Gas Event. Each year, this event gathers leading industry players, community leaders and government regulators involved in northern projects. The Arctic Gas Symposium provides delegates with cutting edge updates on the latest policies, projects, challenges and opportunities impacting Canadian and U.S. arctic gas development. The Mackenzie Gas Project received its 'green light' from the National Energy Board on December 16, 2010 and a cabinet approval is anticipated any day now. Come March, there will be much to talk about! Join us at the 11th Annual Arctic Gas Symposium on March 2 & 3 and be part of the discussions at this integral time for the future of Arctic gas. PR Log

Alaska's National Parks Show Effects of Climate Change. Thawing permafrost is triggering mudslides onto a key road traveled by busloads of sightseers. Tall bushes newly sprouted on the tundra are blocking panoramic views. And glaciers are receding from convenient viewing areas, while their rapid summer melt poses new flood risks. These are just a few of the ways that a rapidly warming climate is reshaping Denali, Kenai Fjords and other national parks comprising the crown jewels of Alaska's heritage as America's last frontier. The Huffington Post

Oil Companies Defend Using Coast Guard Ship: Oil Industry Money Covers 1/3 of Budget for Arctic Research Consortium. [Canada] BP and Imperial Oil executives appeared before a parliamentary committee Tuesday to defend the companies' use of a coast guard ship for research that could help them drill in the Arctic. The data on ocean currents, ice thickness and other topics collected for industry by the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Amundsen will benefit Canadians, said Michael Peacock, the Imperial Oil Ltd. exploration manager. Because the information is gathered as part of a public-private partnership, it isn't proprietary, he told the committee on fisheries and oceans, CBC News

White House Budget Trims Funds for Alaska Land Transfers, Denali Commission. The Obama administration proposed several Alaska-specific budget cuts today. The most prominent are plans to end Denali Commission funding for health care construction projects not requested by federal agencies, a $10 million cut from 2010, and a plan to reduce the BLM budget for Alaska land transfers from $34 million to $17 million. Regarding the Denali Commission health care construction projects, the White House says, "Meritorious projects should be able to receive funding under a competitive process." The commission was created by Congress to deal with a host of issues in Alaska, health care just one of them. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Alaska Native and Native American Programs Receive Increased Funding. As states and agencies wade through the budget President Obama proposed Monday, the White House is promoting its funding plans for Alaska Native and American Indian tribes. The President's adviser on Native American issues, Kim Teehee, said considering the cuts to the budget, Indian Country programs did OK. Teehee said next fiscal year's total proposed funding for Alaska Native and Native American programs is more than $19 billion, an increase of 4 percent over the last cycle's funding. That's nearly a billion dollars more than two years ago. The President's plan calls for increases to the Indian Health Service, the Department of Justice and Department of Transportation tribal programs. There's also a boost to Department of Agriculture's rural development programs. APRN

The "Witness the Arctic" Winter Edition Now Available. Articles include information on the State of the Arctic Conference Resolution, Science Steering Committee meetings on the future of SEARCH, and SEARCH's fall meeting.

Legislative Action

H.R. 1, full-year continuing appropriations. (Rogers- considered on the House floor)

Future Events

Murkowski Alaska State Legislature Address, February 24. Senator Murkowski will deliver her annual address to the Alaska State Legislature.

Canada's Arctic Policy, February 24-25. The Institute of the North will host a policy discussion on Canada's Arctic Policy with Consul Jennifer Loten. The policy forum will consider infrastructure deficit, circumpolar environmental response capacity, and Arctic marine traffic systems.

Fiscal 2012 Budget: Interior Department, March 2. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on the fiscal 2012 budget request for the Department of Interior.

Fiscal 2012 Budget: Forest Service, March 3. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on the fiscal 2012 budget request for the U.S. Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture.

International Conference on Arctic Marine Science, International Law and Climate Protection, March 17-18. The German Federal Foreign Office is hosting an event that will take place on the Berlin premises of the Federal Office. The event is co-hosted by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, with additional support from prominent research institutes. The Conference will discuss the legal framework for marine scientific research in the Arctic Ocean at present and in the future. Scholars, scientists and diplomats with an interest in the Arctic Ocean are invited to attend. For more information, please contact 504-s@diplo.de.

Arctic Dialogue & Study Tour, March 22-24, 2011. For the past four years Norway's Bodø University Graduate School of Business, the High North Centre for Business and Governance (affiliated with the University), the International Institute of Energy Politics and Diplomacy (MIEP) at MGIMO University in Moscow, Russia, and HBW Resources have hosted an annual Arctic Dialogue and Study Tour. The tour brings together stakeholders from all Arctic nations (government, industries, academic, native and local peoples) to discuss issues involving resource development in the Arctic, and share common experiences, best practices and solutions. For more information contact Andrew Browning.

Arctic Science Summit Week, Seoul, March 28-April 1, 2011. The purpose of Korean Flag the Arctic Science Summit Week is to provide opportunities for international coordination, collaboration, and cooperation in all fields of Arctic science. The Arctic Science Week 2011 is supported by the Korean government, the Korean Research Council of Fundamental Science & Technology, and the Seoul Tourism Organization, among other groups.

The Arctic as a Messenger for Global Processes- Climate Change and Pollution, May 4-6, 2011. The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), the University of Copenhagen, and Aarhus University. The conference will include talks by invited keynote speakers, oral presentations selected on the basis of submitted abstracts, poster presentations, and short oral presentations of selected posters. A panel discussion will develop messages to be communicated to the Arctic Council Ministerial meeting that will take place in Greenland one week after the conference.

Sixth International Conference on Arctic Margins, May 31-June 2, 2011 at the University of Alaska - Fairbanks. The International Conference on Arctic Margins (ICAM) will examine current geological and geophysical research on the Arctic. Topics include: hydrocarbon potential and gas hydrates; science issues relating to UNCLOS Article 76; geodynamic significance of Arctic magmatism; vertical motions in the Arctic, tectonic, and glacial; geology and palaeogeography of the Arctic continental margins; evolution of the Arctic Ocean basins, including plate reconstructions, magmatism, and sedimentology; modern Arctic environments, including geological, climatic, and oceanographic processes; recent advances in Arctic research technology. More information email.

7th Congress of the International Arctic Social Sciences, June 22-26, 2011. The 7th Congress, "Circumpolar Perspectives in Global Dialogue: Social Sciences Beyond the IPY," will be held in Akureyri, Iceland. The International Congress of the Arctic Social Sciences is held every three years.

Holocene Glacier Variability from the Tropics to the Poles, July 20-27, 2011. Glaciers respond sensitively to climate change. Recent (Holocene) glacier fluctuations are a valuable proxy for terrestrial interglacial paleoclimate conditions. A main challenge for interpreting paleoclimate from past mountain glacier extents is distinguishing local and regional patterns from global signals. Reconstructing Holocene glacier extents involves many disciplines including terrestrial and marine geology, geochronology and glaciology. Organizers hope to facilitate an inter-hemispheric comparison of glacier records including locations in the Tropics, European Alps, American Cordillera, Southern Alps of New Zealand, Himalaya and Polar Regions and to identify future research questions and directions. For additional information contact: Meredith Kelly.

13th Arctic Ungulates Conference (AUC), August 22-26, 2011. The theme of the conference will be "Challenges of Managing Northern Ungulates." The theme Muskok addresses the difficulties of managing ungulate populations that are faced with the unpredictable effects of climate change and an ever-increasing human presence on the land. The conference will also focus on the challenges associated with developing recovery actions for declining caribou and reindeer populations that are an integral part of Aboriginal cultures and ways of life.

9th International Symposium on Permafrost Engineering, September 3-7, 2011. The Melnikov Permafrost Institute (Yakutsk, Russia), the Institute of Northern Mining (Yakutsk, Russia), the Cold and Arid Regions Engineering and Environmental Research Institute (Lanzhou, China), and the Heilongjiang Institute of Cold Region Engineering (Harbin, China) will host the Ninth International Symposium on Permafrost Engineering to be held in Mirny, Yakutia. The aim of the Symposium i s to provide a forum for discussion of permafrost engineering issues, as well as for exchange of practical experience in construction and maintenance of engineering structures on frozen ground. For additional information, please contact Lilia Prokopieva.

4th International Sea Duck Conference, September 12-16. The conference is held to provide researchers and managers with opportunities to share information, research, and conduct workshops.

Lowell Wakefield International Fisheries Symposium, September 14-17, 2011. The 27th Lowell Wakefield International Fisheries Symposium, entitled "Fishing People of the North: Cultures, Economies, and Management Responding to Change," will be held in Anchorage, Alaska. This international symposium will provide a forum for scholars, fishery managers, fishing families, and others to explore the human dimensions of fishery systems and growing need to include social science research in policy processes. The conference is part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Sea Grant program.

Operating in the Arctic: Supporting the US Coast Guard Challenges Through Research, Sept. 21-23, 2010. This workshop, held on at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and co-sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security and the US Arctic Research Commission, explored and identified ways in which scientific research and development can improve the ability of the U.S. Coast Guard to operate and carry out its statutory missions in the Arctic region. Participation in this event included state, local and international stakeholders, academics and researchers, and USCG and other federal agency officials. A funding opportunity associated with this activity is described here.

The Tenth International Conference on Permafrost, June 2012. The conference will be held in Tyumen, Russia, and is organized and hosted by Russia. The last conference was held in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 2008. More details to follow.

American Meteorological Society Summer Policy Colloquium, June 5-14. This policy colloquium brings together a group to consider atmospheric policy. The colloquium will cover policy creation basics, interactions with congressional staff, and information on the current atmospheric policy issues.

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