II 112th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2147 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 1, 2012 Mr. Begich introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To provide for research, monitoring, and observation of the Arctic Ocean and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Arctic Ocean Research, Monitoring, and Observing Act of 2012.

2.

Findings and purpose

(a)

Findings

Congress makes the following findings: (1)The United States is an Arctic Nation with— (A)an approximately 700-mile border with the Arctic Ocean; (B)more than 100,000,000 acres of land above the Arctic Circle; and (C)an even broader area defined as Arctic by temperature, which includes the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. (2)The Arctic region of the United States is home to an indigenous population that has subsisted for millennia on the abundance in marine mammals, fish, and wildlife, many of which are unique to the region. (3)Temperatures in the United States Arctic region have warmed by 3 to 4 degrees Celsius over the past half-century, a rate of increase that is twice the global average. (4)The Arctic ice pack is rapidly diminishing and thinning, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates the Arctic Ocean may be ice free during summer months in as few as 30 years. (5)Such changes to the Arctic region are having a significant impact on the indigenous people of the Arctic, their communities and ecosystems, as well as the marine mammals, fish, and wildlife upon which they depend. (6)Such changes are opening new portions of the United States Arctic continental shelf to possible development for offshore oil and gas, commercial fishing, marine shipping, and tourism. (7)Existing Federal research and science advisory programs focused on the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of a changing Arctic Ocean lack a cohesive, coordinated, and integrated approach and are not adequately coordinated with State, local, academic, and private-sector Arctic Ocean research programs. (8)The lack of research integration and synthesis of findings of Arctic Ocean research has impeded the progress of the United States and international community in understanding climate change impacts and feedback mechanisms in the Arctic Ocean. (9)An improved scientific understanding of the changing Arctic Ocean is critical to the development of appropriate and effective regional, national, and global climate change adaptation strategies. (b)

Purpose

The purpose of this Act is to establish a permanent environmental sentinel program to conduct research, monitoring, and observation activities in the Arctic Ocean— (1)to promote and sustain a productive and resilient marine, coastal, and estuarine ecosystem in the Arctic and the human uses of its natural resources through greater understanding of how the ecosystem works and monitoring and observation of its vital signs; and (2)to track and evaluate the effectiveness of natural resource management in the Arctic in order to facilitate improved performance and adaptive management.

3.

Definitions

In this Act: (1)

Board

The term Board means the North Pacific Research Board established under section 401(e) of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998 (Public Law 105–1608). (2)

Commission

The term Commission means the Arctic Research Commission established under the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 (Public Law 98–373; 15 U.S.C. 4102). (3)

Program

The term Program means the Arctic Ocean Research, Monitoring, and Observation Program established by section 4(a).

4.

Arctic Ocean Research, Monitoring, and Observation Program

(a)

Establishment

There is established an Arctic Ocean Research, Monitoring, and Observation Program to be administered by the Board with input and assistance from the Commission. (b)

Research, monitoring, and observation activities

The Program shall be an integrated, long-term scientific research, monitoring, and observation program consisting of— (1)marine, coastal, and estuarine research, including— (A)fisheries research; (B)research on the structure and function of the ecosystem and its food webs; and (C)research on the spatial distributions and status of fish, wildlife, and other populations in the Arctic; (2)marine, coastal, and estuarine ecosystem monitoring and observation, including expansion of the Alaska Ocean Observing System in the Arctic; and (3)marine, coastal, and estuarine research, monitoring, observation, and modeling that supports planning, environmental review, decisionmaking, evaluation, impact and natural resources damage assessment, and adaptive management with respect to industrial and other human activities, such as shipping, in the Arctic, environmental change, and their interactive and cumulative effects in the Arctic. (c)

Initial projects

In initiating the Program, the Board shall make grants under subsection (e)— (1)to support research and monitoring of Arctic fisheries, including on the distributions and ecology of Arctic cod and other forage fishes, for a period of not less than 3 years; (2)to support research and monitoring of Arctic marine mammals, including their responses to loss of sea ice habitats and reactions to disturbance, for a period of not less than 3 years; and (3)to establish the Alaska Ocean Observing System in the Arctic Ocean such that it has sufficient capacity to provide comprehensive data, nowcasts and forecasts, and information products in real time and near real time on physical, chemical, and biological conditions and environmental change. (d)

Arctic Ocean science plan

(1)

Requirement

The Board and the Commission shall jointly prepare a comprehensive, integrated Arctic Ocean science plan. (2)

Recognition and coordination with other science

The content of the plan required by paragraph (1) shall be developed with recognition of and in coordination with other science plans and activities in the Arctic. (3)

Informed by synthesis of existing knowledge

Development of the plan required by paragraph (1) shall be informed by a synthesis of existing knowledge about the Arctic ecosystem, including information about how the ecosystem functions, individual and cumulative sources of ecosystem stress, how the ecosystem is changing, and other relevant information. (4)

Review

(A)

Initial review by National Research Council

The Board shall submit the initial plan required by paragraph (1) to the National Research Council for review. (B)

Periodic review and updates

Not less frequently than once every 5 years thereafter, the Board and the Commission shall, in consultation with the National Research Council, review the plan required by paragraph (1) and update it as the Board and the Commission consider necessary. (5)

Use

The Board shall use the plan required by paragraph (1) as a basis for setting priorities and awarding grants under subsection (e). (e)

Grants

(1)

Authority

Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Board shall, under the Program, award grants to carry out research, monitoring, and observation activities described in subsections (b) and (c). (2)

Limitation

The North Pacific Research Board may not award any grants under paragraph (1) until the Board has prepared the plan required by subsection (d)(1). (3)

Conditions, considerations, and priorities

When making grants to carry out the research, monitoring, and observation activities described in subsections (b) and (c), the Board shall— (A)consider institutions located in the Arctic and subarctic; (B)place a priority on cooperative, integrated long-term projects, designed to address current or anticipated marine ecosystem or fishery or wildlife management information needs; (C)give priority to fully establishing and operating the Alaska Ocean Observing System in the Arctic Ocean, which may include future support for cabled ocean observatories; (D)recognize the value of local and traditional ecological knowledge, and, where appropriate, place a priority on research, monitoring, and observation projects that incorporate local and traditional ecological knowledge; (E)ensure that research, monitoring, and observation data collected by grantees of the Program are made available to the public in a timely fashion, pursuant to national and international protocols; and (F)give due consideration to the annual recommendations and review of the Commission carried out under subsection (f). (f)

Annual recommendations and review by Arctic Research Commission

Each year, the Commission shall— (1)recommend ongoing and future research, monitoring, and observation priorities and strategies to be carried out pursuant to subsections (b) and (c); (2)undertake a written review of ongoing and recently concluded research, monitoring, and observation activities undertaken pursuant to such subsections; and (3)submit to the Board the recommendations required by paragraph (1) and the review required by paragraph (2).