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A Public-Private Partnerships and the Federal Arctic MTS, November 18, 2015 (Webinar). The goal of this webinar is to seek input from Arctic stakeholders engaged in or planning to engage in public-private partnerships (P3) to understand current types of partners and partnerships, planned activities, as well as success stories from previous partnerships. This information will be used to inform the recommendations for P3 partnerships in support of Arctic maritime infrastructure activities, as well as highlight examples of successful infrastructure initiatives achieved through P3 that may serve as examples for future initiatives in the U.S. Arctic.
Arctic Observing Open Science Meeting, November 17-19, 2015 (Seattle, Washington). The Arctic Observing Open Science Meeting will be 2.5 days and held at the Hyatt at Olive 8 in Seattle, Washington. The conference will bring together individuals and teams involved in the collection, processing, analysis, and use of observations in the Arctic - from academia, agencies, industry, and other organizations. The meeting will be convened as a combination of plenary talks, parallel science sessions, and a poster session. The deadline for the Meeting Registration is Tuesday, 20 October. The agenda and registered attendees can be found on the meeting website.
Today's Congressional Action:
The Senate is expected to consider Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding. The House is not expected to consider Arctic legislation.
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Statoil Will Exit Alaska, Following Shell. Norwegian oil company Statoil said Tuesday (Nov. 17) that it will end exploration efforts in the Chukchi Sea and close its Anchorage office. The decision comes just two months after Shell ended its quest to drill in the Arctic Ocean, citing disappointing results at its first well. Statoil Spokesman Peter Symons said the Chukchi just didn't stack up against the company's other options worldwide: "Based on a number of different criteria, the leases in the Chukchi were considered not competitive within the global context." Alaska Public Radio
 Maine in the Arctic: Global Arctic Conference. In October of 2016, Maine will host a global Arctic conference. It will be the first time a meeting
like this has happened in the United States outside of Alaska. It's a chance for Maine to showcase itself as an important player in the Arctic. Leading up that meeting, Maine sent a delegation of nearly fifty people to the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik, Iceland last month. The conference brought together scientists, policy makers, educators and businesses with an interest in the region. WCSH6
US Coast Guard Restates Need for More Ice Breakers. U.S. Coast Guard Vice Commandant Vice Admiral Charles Michel testified on Arctic operations before a joint subcommittee hearing held on Tuesday highlighting a lack of infrastructure in the region and reaffirming the Coast Guard's desire for two new icebreakers. "The ability to operate year round, safely and reliably means having heavy icebreakers. Year round access is vital to our nation's security and economic interests," he stated. "The Coast Guard needs at least two heavy icebreakers to provide year-round, assured access and self-rescue in the Polar regions. The Coast Guard is moving forward at best speed to meet the President's intent of recapitalizing our icebreaker fleet, and we look forward to working with Congress on this important effort." Maritime Executive
 Panel: DHS and DoD Arctic Resources Fall Behind Russia. The United States continues to fall behind Russia in terms of resource allotment in the Arctic, said a panel of experts on the region during a Nov. 17 congressional hearing. The U.S. Coast Guard is the lead federal agency for ensuring maritime safety and security in the Arctic, working closely with the Department of Defense and other federal agencies in the process. The country does not have full-time presence in the region and the lack of heavy icebreakers - two, compared with more than 40 operated by Russia - has been a point of contention with lawmakers over the last several years. Sea Power Magazine
Scientists Pair Drones and Submarine Robots in Ice Research. It is the first time the devices have been used together and the researchers hope the new technology will be used to map sea ice in the Antarctic. Senior researcher with the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies Guy Williams said the US-led research voyage revealed changes in the Arctic. "Although it's in the Arctic, at the other end of the Earth, the processes occurring with the sea ice are very similar to the Antarctic," he said. ABC News
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Legislative Action
No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.
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Future Events
The Arctic Council at Twenty: Permanent Participants, Arctic Policy in Canada and the United States, and Stewardship. November 20, 2015, Seattle, WA (Workshop). This workshop - supported by the Korea Maritime Institute, and hosted by the Canadian Studies Center/Arctic and International Relations in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies - will reflect on the almost 20-year history of the Arctic Council, its influence on Arctic policy in North America, and future options concerning its role. Participants will present and discuss their reflections on the Arctic Council including its influence on Canadian and U.S. Arctic policy, and the role of four of the six Permanent Participant organizations who are represented in the Pacific Northwest. UW
In the Spirit of the Rovaniemi Process 2015, November 24-26, 2015 (Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland).When the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy, the so-called Rovaniemi Process, was adopted in 1991, it aimed at overcoming divisions and turning the zone of Cold War military tensions into a region of peace and co-operation. In this joint effort focusing on the protection of environment, and later, sustainable development, the Arctic states supported by indigenous organizations laid grounds for institutionalized collaboration and the emergence of Arctic regional identity. The second international conference will bring together decision-makers, scholars, artists, designers and students to address these questions and discuss the Arctic in global, regional and local perspectives.
Arctic Council and Beyond, December 4, 2015 (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada). This one-day conference hosted by The Northern Institute will focus on the role of the Arctic Council as a forum for Arctic cooperation, the place of the Arctic in Canada's foreign policy and approach to the circumpolar world, the role of the Arctic in global relations in light of the increasing interest in the region by European and Asian states, and the voice of Indigenous Peoples within the Arctic Council and in shaping circumpolar countries' Arctic policies.
Paris Arctic Climate Research Strategy Meeting, December 4, 2015 (Paris, France). The purpose of this facilitated discussion is to discuss future regional, national, and international funding opportunities for interdisciplinary Arctic climate research and develop concrete ideas for such research. All disciplines across humanities, social and natural sciences, art, health, technology and others as well as representatives of research, government, civil society, business and others are encouraged to attend.
Arctic Encounter Paris (AEP 2015), December 11-12, 2015 (Paris, France) (During the UN Convention on Climate Change - COP21). The Arctic Encounter Paris (AEP) will take place at the French Senate at Luxembourg Palace and the  French Military College, École Militaire, in Paris, France, on the final days of the monumental United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP21) where thousands of global citizens and government delegates will be gathered to deliberate the world's response to our changing planet in Paris. The AEP is the only Arctic policy and economics side event currently planned to take place during the UN Convention. A reception will take place following the closing panel.
 Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 14-18, 2015 (San Francisco, California). The 48th meeting of the union brings together nearly 24,000attendees, and lots of Arctic research results. The scientific program is here. There will be several Arctic-related "Town Hall" meetings, including those sponsored by NASA, DOE, NSF, ISAC, IARPC, and SEARCH.
This symposium is part of an ongoing initiative of the National Academies of Science Polar Research Board to expand public understanding of why the dramatic changes affecting the Arctic region ultimately matter to us all. The agenda features engaging presentations and discussions with top Arctic science and policy experts, and displays and interactive exhibits that illustrate Arctic change and its global impacts. The event is free and open to the public. There are sponsorship opportunities, and a call for exhibitor applications (by Oct.31, 2015). Audience space is limited, so register today; and please encourage your friends, neighbors, and colleagues to participate-as our goal is to reach well beyond the small circle of specialists who typically attend Arctic-themed events in the DC area. The U.S. Arctic Research Commission is helping to sponsor this event.
 Building upon the preceding Arctic Encounter event in Paris, the third annual Arctic Encounter Symposium (AES) in Seattle, Washington will convene policymakers, industry leaders, and leading experts to confront the leading issues in Arctic policy, innovation, and development. As the largest annual Arctic policy event in the United States, the AES mission is to raise awareness, engage challenges, and develop solutions for the future of a region and a people. The two-day program includes two keynote luncheons, expert plenary sessions, break out sessions, a networking cocktail reception and seated dinner. A closing reception will take place at the conclusion of the program.
16th Alaska Marine Science Symposium, January 25-29, 2016 (Anchorage, AK, USA). No detailed info yet (common guys...), but a valuable meeting, focusing on research results from the Gulf of Alaska, the Bering Sea, and the Arctic Ocean. Good, in-depth, research from Alaska's marine regions.AMSS.
 Inuit traditions are a repository of Inuit culture and a primary expression of Inuit identity. The theme for the 2016 Inuit Studies Conference invites Elders, knowledge-bearers, researchers, artists, policy-makers, students and others to engage in conversations about the many ways in which traditions shape understanding, while registering social and cultural change. The institutional hosts of "Inuit Traditions," Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Nunatsiavut Government, invite you to contribute to an exchange of knowledge to be held in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, October 7-10, 2016. Presentations on all aspects of Inuit studies will be welcome.
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External links in this publication, and on the USARC's World Wide Web site ( www.arctic.gov) do not constitute endorsement by the US Arctic Research Commission of external Web sites or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities, the USARC does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. These links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this newsletter and the USARC Web site.
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2016 (Fairbanks, AK, USA).