- COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009

[Senate Hearing 110-]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2009

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U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
[The following testimonies were received by the
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related
Agencies for inclusion in the record. The submitted materials
relate to the fiscal year 2009 budget request for programs
within the subcommittee's jurisdiction.]

DEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Prepared Statement of Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr. (U.S. Navy,
Ret.), Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and
Administrator

Madam Chairwoman and members of the Committee, before I begin my
testimony I would like to thank you for your leadership and the
generous support you have shown the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA). Your continued support for our programs is
appreciated as we work to improve our products and services for the
American people. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on the
President's fiscal year 2009 budget request for NOAA.
The fiscal year 2009 President's budget supports NOAA's priority to
advance mission-critical services. The fiscal year 2009 request is $4.1
billion, which represents a $202 million or 5.2 percent increase over
the fiscal year 2008 enacted level. This request includes the level of
resources necessary to carry out NOAA's mission, which is to understand
and predict changes in the Earth's environment, and conserve and manage
coastal and marine resources to meet our nation's economic, social and
environmental needs. At NOAA we work to protect the lives and
livelihoods of Americans, and provide products and services that
benefit the economy, environment, and public safety of the nation.
Before I discuss the details of our fiscal year 2009 budget request, I
would like to briefly highlight some of NOAA's notable successes from
the past fiscal year (2007).

FISCAL YEAR 2007 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

NOAA is Major Contributor to Nobel Prize-Winning Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change Reports
Scientists from NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory were among
those sharing in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. The scientists were
recognized for their contributions to the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC was created in 1988 by the World
Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Program
to provide regular assessments for policymakers of the scientific,
technical and socio-economic aspects of climate change. IPCC has
produced its major assessments every five to six years since 1990.
NOAA scientists served as contributors to and government reviewers
of the Fourth IPCC Assessment Report. NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
Laboratory provided model runs that enhanced the projections used in
the IPCC report.

Magnuson-Stevens Act Implementation
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Reauthorization Act of 2007 was signed into law on January 12, 2007.
The reauthorized Act contains significant new provisions to end
overfishing, promote market-based approaches to fisheries management,
improve the science used in fisheries management, improve recreational
data collection, enhance international cooperation in fisheries
management, and address illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing,
as well as bycatch of protected living marine resources. Especially
notable is the requirement to establish an annual catch limit for each
fishery, which for the first time creates a mandate with a timetable to
end overfishing.

Progress on Next Generation Geostationary Satellite Program
Geostationary satellites remain the weather sentinels for NOAA. The
next-generation geostationary satellite series, GOES-R, will provide
new and improved atmospheric, climatic, solar, and space data. In 2007,
NOAA revised the management and acquisition strategy for the GOES-R
program, partnering more closely with NASA to take advantage of each
agency's technical expertise. In February 2007, the Advanced Baseline
Imager, the main instrument on GOES-R, completed a key milestone,
enabling the contractor to begin building the first instrument.
Throughout 2007, NOAA awarded the three remaining instrument contracts
for the Solar Ultraviolet Imager, Extreme Ultra Violet and X-Ray
Irradiance Sensors, and Geostationary Lightning Mapper. These
instruments will help us to understand and forecast solar disturbances
as well as track lightning strikes from space.

NOAA's National Weather Service Provides More Specific Warning
Information for Severe Weather
NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) began issuing more
geographically specific warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms,
floods, and marine hazards on October 1, 2007. The new ``storm-based
warnings'' allow forecasters to pinpoint the specific area where severe
weather threats are highest, thereby reducing the area warned by as
much as 70 percent when compared to the previously used county-by-
county warning system. Storm-based warnings are displayed graphically
and are extremely adaptable to cell phones, PDAs, and the Internet. The
Emergency Alert System (EAS) is geared toward counties and NOAA Weather
Radio (NWR) All Hazards will still sound an alarm if there is a warning
anywhere in a county. However, text and audio messages will provide
more specific information about the location of the storm in the
county, and the direction in which it is moving. Storm-based warnings
will reference landmarks such as highways, shopping centers, and parks,
and will use directional delimiters to indicate county location.

Fleet Modernization Moves Ahead
In June 2007, NOAA celebrated the keel laying of NOAA ships BELL M.
SHIMADA and FERDINAND R. HASSLER in Moss Point, Mississippi. This
marked the first time NOAA has celebrated this important construction
milestone for two ships simultaneously. HENRY B. BIGELOW, second of the
four fisheries survey vessels of the same class being built by VT
Halter Marine, was commissioned into the fleet in July before beginning
operations in New England. In September, Phase I of conversion of NOAA
Ship OKEANOS EXPLORER (formerly USNS CAPABLE) to an ocean exploration
ship was completed. NOAA ship PISCES was christened in December and
subsequently launched in Moss Point, Mississippi.
New State-of-the-Art Satellite Operations Facility Officially Opened
In June 2007, NOAA and the General Services Administration
officially opened the new state-of-the-art NOAA Satellite Operations
Facility (NSOF). NSOF is the new home for NOAA's around-the-clock
environmental satellite operations, which provides data critical for
weather and climate prediction. NSOF supports more than $50 million of
high technology equipment, including 16 antennas monitoring the
operations of 16 on-orbit satellites.

National Water Level Observation Network Upgraded to Real-time Status
The National Ocean Service (NOS) completed a three-year effort to
upgrade the technology of its National Water Level Observation Network
(NWLON). NWLON stations provide mariners, first responders, and the
public with real-time tide and water-level information. A major benefit
of the upgrade is that network stations normally equipped to transmit
water-level and other environmental data at hourly increments via NOAA
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites now transmit data
every six minutes, thus enabling users to access data more quickly.

NOAA Aids in the Recovery of Fisheries and Fishing Communities Damaged
by Hurricanes
NOAA funded and conducted a number of activities aimed at helping
Gulf Coast fisheries recover from the devastating impacts of Hurricanes
Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, which struck the Gulf Coast in 2005. The
states are using these funds to restore and rehabilitate oyster,
shrimp, and other marine fishery habitats damaged or destroyed by
hurricane events, and to conduct cooperative research and monitoring
and other activities designed to recover and rebuild Gulf of Mexico
fisheries and fishing communities.

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards Activities: Meeting the Expectations of
the Nation for Weather and All Hazard Warning Information
NOAA's National Weather Service added 16 broadcast stations to the
NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) All Hazards network in 2007. In addition to
achieving 100 percent coverage of high-risk areas, NOAA refurbished 62
broadcast stations with technology upgrades that significantly improved
reliability and availability, while decreasing maintenance costs. This
allows the network to meet expectations of availability as the nation's
weather and all hazard warning system.
NWR is a reliable and inexpensive means of communicating weather,
hazard, and emergency information directly to the public. The network
infrastructure consists of 986 broadcast stations covering 98 percent
of the nation's population and has the ability to deliver messages to
individuals monitoring their own receivers as well as the ability to
reach millions of listeners and viewers through the Emergency Alert
System, which is monitored by television and radio license holders. The
network is required to broadcast to all areas of the United States
identified as being at high risk of experiencing severe weather and to
sustain a high level of reliability and maintainability in those areas.

Marine Reserves Established in Channel Island National Marine Sanctuary
In 2007, NOS established the Federal portion of the marine reserves
and conservation area network within the Channel Islands National
Marine Sanctuary. This is the largest network of marine reserves in
Federal waters in the continental United States. This action
complements the State of California's established network of marine
reserves and conservation areas within the State waters of the
sanctuary in 2003.

Expanding U.S. Tsunami Preparedness
NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) is responsible for the
expansion of the U.S. network of tsunami detection sensors. During
2007, 14 Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis
(DART^TM) buoys were established: four in the Western Pacific
Ocean, three off the Pacific Coast of Central America, five in the
northwestern Pacific Ocean, and two in the North Atlantic Ocean,
bringing the total number of U.S. DART^TM stations to 34. The
United States, with NOAA as lead agency, is currently working with
approximately 70 countries, the European Commission, and over 50 non-
governmental agencies in planning and implementing the Global Earth
Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), which includes a global tsunami
warning system. In addition, NWS works with communities to prepare for
tsunamis through the TsunamiReady^TM Program. As of December
12, 2007, there are 47 TsunamiReady^TM sites in 10 states,
Puerto Rico, and Guam. The National Weather Service reached its goal of
recognizing 10 new TsunamiReady^TM communities in fiscal year
2007.

First Buoy to Measure Acidification Launched
The first buoy to directly monitor ocean acidification was launched
in the Gulf of Alaska. Ocean acidification is a result of carbon
dioxide absorbed by the ocean. The new buoy, part of a National Science
Foundation project awarded to PMEL and the University of Washington in
Seattle, in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the
Institute of Ocean Sciences in British Columbia, measures the air-sea
exchange of carbon dioxide, oxygen, and nitrogen gas, in addition to
the pH (a measure of ocean acidity) of the surface waters. The buoy is
anchored in water nearly 5,000 meters deep and transmits data via
satellite. Rising acidity in the ocean could have a detrimental effect
on ocean organisms, with resulting impacts on ocean life and the food
chain.

NOAA Ships Arrive at New Home Port in Hawaii
NOAA ships OSCAR ELTON SETTE, HI'IALAKAI, and KA'IMIMOANA relocated
to their new home port at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, heralding
the permanent presence of NOAA on Ford Island. This was a major
milestone in the multi-year, multi-phase construction of the NOAA
Pacific Regional Center, a project to consolidate NOAA programs and
operations on the island of Oahu into a single facility on Ford Island.

NOAA's Open Rivers Initiative Completes First Projects
In its first year, NOAA's Open Rivers Initiative completed three
projects that restored over 30 miles of spawning and rearing habitat
for migratory fish. The obsolete Brownsville Dam, located on the
Calapooia River in Oregon, was removed in August 2007, effectively
eliminating an obstruction to migratory fish and a safety hazard to the
local human community. In California, two failing and undersized
culverts were removed, allowing endangered salmon to reach their
historic spawning and rearing grounds. In collaboration with local
communities, NOAA's Open Rivers Initiative will continue to restore
free fish passage to historic habitat by removing obsolete dams and
barriers that dot the rivers of coastal states.

Delivering Real-Time Data to Help Shellfish Growers
Shellfish growers in the Pacific Northwest can now get near real-
time water quality data from the System-wide Monitoring Program
operating at National Estuarine Research Reserves in Alaska,
Washington, and Oregon. The data are available through telemetering
capabilities, which measure, receive, and transmit data automatically
from distant sources. Water quality data can be viewed on a Web site
jointly sponsored by NOS and the Northwest Association of Networked
Ocean Observing Systems (http://www.nanoos-shellfish.org/). Water
quality and weather data are transmitted every 30 minutes via satellite
from monitoring stations at all 27 National Estuarine Research
Reserves, providing information to the growing Integrated Ocean
Observing System (IOOS).

Great Lakes Lab Recognized for ``Green'' Research Vessels
NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL)
converted a fleet of research vessels from petroleum-based to 100
percent bio-based fuel and lubricants, earning a White House Closing-
the-Circle Award in the green purchasing category. GLERL operates
research vessels throughout the Great Lakes region as scientific
platforms for ecosystems research and other NOAA interests in the area.
The conversion was a result of a call for ``greening'' of Government
agencies through waste reduction, recycling, and the use of
environmentally friendly and sustainable products including bio-
products.

FISCAL YEAR 2009 BUDGET REQUEST HIGHLIGHTS

Supporting the President's Ocean Initiative
Building on last year's investment in Ocean Initiative related
activities, the fiscal year 2009 President's request includes new
increases of $49.1 million for NOAA over the fiscal year 2008
President's request to support the President's Ocean Initiative. This
ocean initiative includes more funding to advance ocean science and
research; protect and restore marine and coastal areas; and ensure
sustainable use of ocean resources.
New investments in ocean science are aimed at monitoring and better
understanding marine ecosystems. Increased funding of $7.0 million is
included for the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) to support
Data Management and Communications, Regional Observations, and the Data
Assembly Center (DAC), which delivers real-time, quality controlled
data from NOAA and regional observing systems. An increase of $1
million is requested to manage the escalating size and quantity of
hydrographic datasets collected by NOAA and other providers. This
increase in funding will help NOAA update the nautical charts provided
to mariners navigating on U.S. waters in a more timely fashion. In
addition, NOAA is requesting $2 million in increased funding for the
PORTS program, to improve and expand the delivery of real-time and
forecasted navigation information. A recent economic benefits study of
the Houston/Galveston PORTS program, released in May 2007, showed that
the program brought the Houston/Galveston area significant economic
benefits and has helped to achieve a 50 percent reduction in
groundings.
Projects to protect and restore valuable marine and coastal areas
include funding of $4 million to implement the newly enacted Marine
Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act. This funding will allow
NOAA to provide competitive grants and to develop the first Federal
clearinghouse on marine debris. NOAA also requests increased funding of
$5.4 million for the Open Rivers program to restore stream miles of
fish habitat through watershed-level projects with multiple fish
passage opportunities.
Finally, the budget provides support to ensure sustainable access
to seafood through the development of offshore aquaculture and better
management of fish harvests. In direct support of new provisions of the
MSRA, and to provide better management of fish harvests, NOAA requests
increased funding of $31.8 million over the fiscal year 2008 enacted
level. Of this amount, $5.1 million is requested to enhance the
independent peer-review process for scientific data required to
appropriately set the annual catch limits for all managed fisheries;
$8.5 million will initiate and expand existing sampling programs and
management procedures in order to end overfishing by 2011, as mandated
by the MSRA; and $3.0 million will complete the final implementation
phase of a new registry system for recreational fishermen and for-hire
fishing vehicles. An additional $1.5 million increase is requested in
support of deep sea coral research, allowing NOAA to begin identifying,
understanding, and providing the information needed in order to protect
deep coral habitats.

Sustaining Critical Operations
As always, I support NOAA's employees by requesting adequate
funding for our people, infrastructure, and facilities. NOAA's core
values are people, integrity, excellence, teamwork, ingenuity, science,
service, and stewardship. Our ability to serve the nation and
accomplish the missions outlined below is determined by the quality of
our people and the tools they employ. Our facilities, ships, aircraft,
environmental satellites, data-processing systems, computing and
communications systems, and our approach to management provide the
foundation of support for all of our programs. Approximately $42.0
million in net increases will support our workforce inflation factors,
including $37.5 million for salaries and benefits and $4.5 million for
non-labor-related adjustments, such as fuel costs.
This year we have focused our increases on satellite continuity and
operations and maintenance support for our aircraft and NOAA vessels. A
funding increase of $242.2 million is requested to continue support of
the Geostationary Operational Satellites (GOES) program. GOES
satellites provide critical atmospheric, oceanic, climatic, and solar
products supporting weather forecasting and warnings, climatologic
analysis and prediction, ecosystems management, and safe and efficient
public and private transportation. This increase will be used for
continued systems engineering, development of satellite instruments,
risk reduction activities, and transition to the systems-level
acquisition and operations phase of the program.
Funding of $6.1 million is also requested in support of a Major
Repair Period for the RAINIER, NOAA's most productive hydrographic
vessel. At 39 years old, the RAINIER requires a major capital
investment in its mechanical and electrical systems in order to
maintain its current operational tempo and reduce risks to personnel,
property, and mission capability.
Finally, NOAA requests an increase of $4.0 million in support of
additional flight hours and operations and maintenance for our
aircraft. The requested funds will provide an additional 1,295 flight
hours for hurricane research, surveillance, and reconnaissance, as well
as for other research and forecasting requirements. NOAA also asks this
year for restoration to several of our base programs, most notably in
the National Weather Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service.
These requested increases in our base accounts will allow NOAA to
sustain on-going programs and projects at the levels recommended in the
fiscal year 2008 President's budget.

Improving Weather Warnings & Forecasts
Severe weather events cause $11 billion in damages and
approximately 7,000 weather-related fatalities yearly in the United
States. Nearly one-third of the U.S. economy is sensitive to weather
and climate. Realizing this, NOAA seeks to provide decision makers with
key observations, analyses, predictions, and warnings for a variety of
weather and water conditions to help protect the health, life, and
property of the United States and its economy. Landfalling hurricanes
are one of the most physically destructive and economically disruptive
extreme events that impact the United States, often causing billions of
dollars of damage in their wake. In fiscal year 2009, NOAA will
continue to improve our hurricane research and modeling capabilities
with a requested increase of $4.0 million for operational support and
maintenance of the next-generation Hurricane Weather Research and
Forecasting model and storm surge prediction system, as well as
accelerated improvements to that system. Increased funding of $3.0
million will support the operations and maintenance of 15 hurricane
data buoys in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean,
enhancing our real-time hurricane storm monitoring and observations.
NOAA also continues to improve and maintain our weather warning
infrastructure, with requested funding of $6.6 million to upgrade the
Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System, the nation's weather
and flood warning system. Increased funding of $4.8 million will be
used to upgrade twelve NOAA Wind Profilers and to perform a tech-
refresh on this twenty-year-old radar system. Finally, NOAA is
requesting $2.9 million in increased funding for modernization of the
NOAA Weather Radio network.

Climate Monitoring & Research
Society exists in a highly variable climate system, and major
climatic events can impose serious consequences on society. Preliminary
estimates of the impact of the severe drought which affected the Great
Plains and the Eastern United States throughout 2007 are in the range
of $5 billion, with major reductions in crop yields and low stream and
lake levels. Continued drought and high winds in the Western United
States in 2007 resulted in numerous wildfires, with 3,000 homes and
over 8.9 million acres burned, and at least 12 deaths. The fiscal year
2009 budget request contains investments in several programs aimed at
increasing our predictive capability, enabling NOAA to provide our
customers (farmers, utilities, land managers, weather risk industry,
fisheries resource managers and decision makers) with assessments of
current and future impacts of climate events such as droughts, floods,
and trends in extreme climate events. NOAA continues to build a suite
of information, products, and services that will enable society to
respond to changing climate conditions. In fiscal year 2009, NOAA will
support the critical National Integrated Drought Information System
with increases of $2 million to develop and bring into operation by
fiscal year 2010 the next-generation Climate Forecast System, leading
to improved climate forecasting products. An increase of $74 million
will be used to develop Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System
(CERES) and Total Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS) climate sensors to
preserve decades long climate data records. The CERES sensor will
measure the Earth's radiation budget, an essential measurement for
determining the causes of climate variability and change. The TSIS
sensor measures the total energy of the sun falling on the Earth, a
measurement used to identify and isolate natural solar variations that
impact climate in contrast to other factors, such as human influences
on climate.

Critical Facilities Investments
The fiscal year 2009 President's budget request also includes
important increases for critical facilities, necessary to provide a
safe and effective working environment for NOAA's employees.
For fiscal year 2009, NOAA will concentrate their modernization
efforts on three main projects. NOAA requests an increase of $40.2
million for the continued construction of the new Pacific Region Center
on Ford Island in Honolulu, Hawaii. This increase in funding will
support the continued construction and renovation of two buildings,
enabling NOAA to reduce expenditures for rent and relocate operations
from their current location in the deteriorating Kewalo Basin and Dole
Street Lab Facilities. An increase of $12.1 million will complete the
design and initial preparations for a replacement facility for the
Southwest Fisheries Science Center. Finally, $11.7 million is requested
to support the installation of a semi-permanent replacement structure
for the at-risk Operations Complex at the NESDIS Command and Data
Acquisition Station in Fairbanks, Alaska. The current facility is at
risk to experience a major structural failure in the next five years.
The requested funding will ensure that NOAA maintains crucial mission
operations support for the polar-orbiting satellites, as well as backup
support for others.

CONCLUSION

NOAA's fiscal year 2009 budget request provides essential new
investments in our priority areas while maintaining critical services,
reflecting NOAA's vision, mission, and core values. The work NOAA
accomplished in 2007 impacted every U.S. citizen. We will build on our
successes from last year, and stand ready to meet the challenges that
will surface in fiscal year 2009 and beyond. NOAA is dedicated to
enhancing economic security and national safety through research and
accurate prediction of weather and climate-related events, and to
providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine
resources. That concludes my statement, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for the
opportunity to present NOAA's fiscal year 2009 budget request. I am
happy to respond to any questions the Committee may have.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Barbara A. Mikulski

NPOESS: CERES AND TSIS SENSORS

Question. Although the budget includes funding for the restoration
of the CERES and TSIS climate sensors, it has not been decided whether
TSIS would fly on NPOESS or another satellite.
When will a decision be made regarding which satellite TSIS will
fly on?
Answer. NOAA is completing a study with NASA to recommend whether
TSIS would fly on NPOESS or another satellite. The results will be
briefed at the next NPOESS Executive Committee (EXCOM) meeting,
currently planned for May 2008. A decision on the platform for TSIS
will be made shortly thereafter.
If TSIS is placed back on NPOESS doesn't it just add more
complexity and risk to NPOESS which was the very reason it was removed?
Answer. The NPOESS Integrated Program Office (IPO) has concluded a
study which determined that integrating TSIS on the first NPOESS
satellite (C1) would not pose an appreciably higher risk to the overall
NPOESS program should the EXCOM decide to manifest TSIS on C1.
It is important to note that the 2006 decision to remove several
sensors from NPOESS was made not only to reduce overall program risk,
but also to address significant cost over-runs. The latter is not an
issue since funding for building and adding TSIS would be coming from
outside the NPOESS program. This helps make adding TSIS to (C1) a
feasible option.
The study also determined that the data requirements to command the
TSIS instrument, and to transport the data to the appropriate ground
processing location, are well-understood and would not add risk to the
NPOESS command and control and data handling systems. However, since
the priority for C1 is operational weather data continuity, there is a
clear understanding that if a decision is made to fly TSIS on C1, the
TSIS instrument would have to be delivered with an adequate lead time
for integration onto the C1 spacecraft to avoid jeopardizing the 2013
launch date. If TSIS were not delivered within this timeframe, C1 could
potentially launch without TSIS in order to maintain operational
weather continuity.

VIIRS CONTRACTOR DEFICIENCIES

Question. In discussing the recent delays caused by the VIIRS
issues Admiral Lautenbacher stated that he was ``extremely disappointed
with the pace of the contractor in analyzing and closing potential
quality, workmanship, and testing issues in the VIIRS program.''
Could you provide specific examples of what he meant by those
comments?
Answer. Vice Admiral Lautenbacher's comments were based on poor
performance of the NPOESS contractors in resolving workmanship and
design problems that arose during the initial phases of the test
program, current technical issues, and independent assessments of
future work required. A summary of the key issues is provided below:
--Insufficient time had been scheduled for test preparations;
--Insufficient time had been scheduled to review the data generated
from the test program;
--Insufficient time had been scheduled to resolve problems
highlighted by the test program;
--Excessive use of jumper (White) wires;
--Excessive number of Engineering Failure Reports (EFRs) remained
open after completion of ambient phase; and
--Inability to determine the root cause of the power supply anomaly.
Question. What is NOAA doing to address these contractor
deficiencies?
Answer. In addition to addressing potential quality and or
workmanship deficiencies on a case by case basis, the NPOESS Program
Executive Officer, a NOAA Senior Executive, is conducting bi-monthly
senior executive level reviews with the prime contractor and the sub-
contractor. These executives monitor progress and ensure corporate best
practices and resources are being applied to the program. The NPOESS
Executive Committee (EXCOM) directed the NPOESS contractors to increase
management oversight at the VIIRS facility. In addition to the above
actions that were given at the January 16, 2008 EXCOM meeting, the
following steps are being taken by the Government team:
--In-plant oversight has been increased.
--Independent review of the test schedule for VIIRS has continued.
--Weekly reviews of all open/unresolved issues are being conducted.

OCEAN SURFACE VECTOR WINDS DATA

Question. I recently read in Space News that NOAA was in
discussions with the Chinese and Indian government's to gain access to
their satellite data for ocean surface winds.
Answer. That is correct. NOAA has enjoyed a longstanding working
relationship with the Indian and Chinese space agencies. NOAA is
working though our respective Embassies in Beijing and New Delhi to
seek timely access to surface vector wind (both speed and direction)
data from satellite scatterometers that the Chinese State Oceanic
Administration and the Indian Space Research Organization plan to
launch within the next two years.
Question. Why do we have to go overseas for our weather data?
Answer. NOAA leverages data from international partners wherever
possible so that we can meet our higher priority needs for
environmental observations within our budget constraints. Currently,
there is no funded U.S. satellite in development that would carry a
scatterometer capable of providing similar observations in the post-
QuikSCAT era, so we are seeking access to any available observations
from all sources.
Question. By relying on another government's satellite will we not
have reliability and data quality concerns?
Answer. Our international partnership agreements include provisions
to work with our foreign partners to achieve the greatest reliability
and data quality possible. For example, NOAA is working with European
Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites
(EUMETSAT) and has been processing and evaluating vector winds from
EUMETSAT's MetOp mission since its launch in late 2006. MetOp is
nearing the end of its post launch testing and will be providing wind
data for operational use shortly. However, while the reliability and
quality of the MetOp Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) data are not a
concern, it only provides 60 percent of the coverage that QuikSCAT
currently offers.
Additionally, QuikSCAT is approaching 10 years of operations. In
light of these factors, NOAA is seeking other sources of ocean vector
winds data. NOAA is in discussions with China and India seeking access
to ocean vector winds data once the scheduled Chinese and Indian
satellites have been launched. While neither China nor India have flown
a scatterometer instrument in the past, we can anticipate a lengthy
test and evaluation phase, during which there could be reliability and
data quality concerns. However, since there are no funded U.S.
satellites that would carry a scatterometer capable of providing
observations similar to QuikSCAT in the post-QuikSCAT era, NOAA is
seeking access to similar observations from all sources to help meet
the need for these data.
Question. What would we do if after signing an agreement, the
Chinese or Indians decide to renege and not provide the data? Can we
afford this risk?
Answer. NOAA has had longstanding working relationships with China
and India with full and open exchange of satellite data. NOAA will
ensure that the agreements are directly related to protecting lives and
property or advancing our understanding of science. NOAA will work
closely with the U.S. Department of State to ensure that the necessary
provisions are included in the agreements to ensure uninterrupted
access to these data.
Since there are no funded U.S. satellites in development that would
carry a scatterometer capable of providing observations similar to
QuikSCAT in the post-QuikSCAT era, NOAA is seeking access to similar
observations from all sources. Given this situation, NOAA will have to
assume some risk associated with a dependence on foreign sources to
help meet the requirement for these data.
Question. The fiscal year 2009 request includes $3 million to study
this issue but this seems like a critical component that deserves more
than a study that once completed will likely tell us we need another
satellite.
Answer. Within the President's fiscal year 2009 budget request for
NOAA there is $3 million to explore space and non space-based
alternatives for these data and to conduct a comprehensive cost-benefit
analysis on all of the alternatives. Results from the fiscal year 2009
studies will help us more clearly define the follow-on capabilities
that we should invest in and the specific benefits of those
investments.
Question. What are the current cost estimates for replacement
Quikscat type satellite that relies on the same technologies (i.e. the
exact same as we have)? What would a replacement cost that has newer
technology (i.e. an Advanced Quikscat)?
Answer. The NOAA Office of Systems Development is conducting an
analysis of alternatives for acquiring ocean surface wind vector
measurements. This analysis is still being developed and will include
an evaluation of cost, schedule, and performance trades for a number of
options. NOAA expects this analysis to be completed by this summer.

VACANCY RATES AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

Question. What is the vacancy rate at the National Weather Service?
Answer. At the halfway mark through fiscal year 2008 (though March
31, 2008), the FTE lapse rate (job vacancy rate) for the NWS is 5.1
percent. However, the lapse rate for the Continental United States
(CONUS) field positions, which includes Regional Headquarters (HQ),
River Forecast Centers, and Weather Forecast Offices, is only 2.9
percent.
Question. What percentage of positions is being held vacant due to
lack of funds?
Answer. For fiscal year 2008, approximately 113 additional
positions are projected to be held due to a lack of labor funding,
primarily by holding NWS HQ positions vacant.
Background: ``Labor lapse rates'' are a function of the time from
when a field or HQ vacancy occurs to the time that position is filled.
They can fluctuate based on job location, job requirements/duties, NOAA
Workforce Management staffing workload and general job market
conditions. Due to the current housing slump, the lapse rate for CONUS
field positions is projected to be higher in fiscal year 2008.
Question. Is the fiscal year 2009 request sufficient to eliminate
these vacancies and fill all operational positions in a timely manner?
Answer. Yes. The fiscal year 2009 requested restoration of $5.8
million in Local Warnings & Forecasts (LWF) funding and $233,000 in
Central Forecast Guidance (CFG), combined with full funding of our
adjustments to base (ATBs) including the federal pay raise, will be
sufficient to address these needs.
Question. How much additional funding would be necessary to
accomplish that?
Answer. Please see response to the previous question; no additional
funding is required.

COORDINATION OF OCEAN RESEARCH

Question. As the lead federal agency on oceans, how does NOAA
coordinate its efforts with NSF's research program? With other federal
agencies?
Answer. As evidenced by the President's establishment of the
cabinet-level Committee on Ocean Policy (COP, created through Executive
Order 13366 EO), the United States has an interagency approach to
advancing ocean research. The COP provides a framework to coordinate
the ocean and coastal related activities (including research) of over
20 federal agencies that administer 140 laws. In addition, the EO
mandated coordination among federal agencies with coordination and
consultation with state, tribal and local governments; the private
sector; foreign governments; and international organizations. NOAA
believes that this structure has demonstrated progress on ocean
leadership and coordination. As directed by the Oceans Act of 2000, the
U.S. Ocean Action Plan is the President's response to the Final Report
of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. The implementation of the Ocean
Action Plan through the coordinated interagency structure has begun to
improve federal capacity to integrate research across jurisdictions at
the federal, state, and non-governmental level. This new governance
structure is still young but the Administration is committed to its
success.
NOAA continues to lead national ocean-related activities within the
new, coordinated ocean governance structure outlined above.
Specifically, NOAA has taken an active leadership role within the COP,
the Interagency Committee on Ocean Science and Resource Management
Integration (ICOSRMI), the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and
Technology (JSOST), and the Subcommittee on Integrated Management of
Ocean Resources (SIMOR). NOAA serves as co-chair on both the JSOST and
SIMOR. The National Science Foundation (NSF) also serves as a co-chair
with NOAA on the JSOST, thereby increasing interagency coordination.
NOAA and NSF leadership are engaged in numerous task teams under JSOST
and SIMOR bodies to guide the successful execution of activities and to
build strong collaboration with our sister agencies.
Together, as co-chairs of the JSOST, NOAA and NSF led the
development of Charting the Course for Ocean Science and the Ocean
Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy (Charting the
Course for Ocean Science), a major milestone in federal coordination of
ocean research. Charting the Course for Ocean Science describes the
first ever national ocean research priorities that focus on the most
compelling issues in key areas of interaction between society and the
ocean. After extensive public participation, including public workshops
and public comments, Charting the Course for Ocean Science provides
guidance on how the various ocean science sectors (government,
academia, industry, and non-government entities) can and should be
engaged, individually or through partnerships, to address the areas of
greatest research priority and opportunity. Charting the Course for
Ocean Science identifies 21 recommendations for science and research
needed to support six overarching societal objectives, and puts forward
four near-term priorities.
The Administration is now actively engaged in implementing Charting
the Course for Ocean Science. The fiscal year 2008 President's budget
requested $40 million ($20 million for NOAA, $17 million for NSF, and
$3 million for USGS) to begin implementation of the four near-term
priorities identified in Charting the course for Ocean Science
(Assessing Meridional Overturning Current Variability: Implications for
Rapid Climate Change (AMOC); Comparative Analysis of Marine Ecosystem
Organization (CAMEO); Sensors for Marine Ecosystems; and Forecasting
the Response of Coastal Ecosystems to Persistent Forcing and Extreme
Events). The fiscal year 2008 appropriations provided NOAA and other
agencies a portion of the $40 million ($11.25 million). For NOAA in
fiscal year 2008, the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research has
committed $3 million to AMOC. NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) issued a call for CAMEO proposals which will be completed at the
end of the fiscal year 2008 and will result in projects available for
funding by NMFS and NSF in fiscal year 2009. The administration
believes that all four priorities are important and as such NOAA is
taking steps to address the Sensors for Marine Ecosystems and
Forecasting the Response of Coastal Ecosystems to Persistent Forcing
and Extreme Events priority areas. Activities planned for the near-term
priorities are consistent with the NOAA Five-Year Research Plan, and
all of the near-term priorities are areas in which NOAA has significant
programmatic responsibilities.
In the President's fiscal year 2009 budget, NOAA requests $20
million to implement the four near-term priorities identified in
Charting the Course for Ocean Science ($5 million for each near-term
priority). NOAA is committed to working with the NSF, other agencies,
and our partners to implement the priorities in Charting the Course for
Ocean Science.
Finally, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere
and the Director of the National Science Foundation jointly submit a
comprehensive annual report to the House Committee on Resources and
Science and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and
Transportation on how the oceans and coastal research activities of
NOAA and NSF will be coordinated (in compliance with Section 9 of
Public Law 107-299). The report describes in detail any overlapping
ocean and coastal research interests between the agencies and specifies
how such research interests will be pursued by the programs in a
complementary manner. This year's annual report is currently under
administrative review.

FUEL COSTS

Question. NOAA operates a fleet of 21 ships with the price of oil
above $100 a barrel. How has this increase in fuel costs impacted the
amount of science that can be conducted? When you prepared your budgets
what was your assumption for fuel costs?
Answer. Answer. At the time of our fiscal year 2009 budget
development, NOAA projected fuel to cost $2.47 per gallon. Today, fuel
costs are averaging nearly $3.17 a gallon. As an example of the
challenges we are facing, in January 2008, one ship paid over $4 per
gallon to refuel at a foreign port under a DOD contract. Half way
through fiscal year 2008, with diesel fuel reaching record highs and
averaging over $3 a gallon, our projection for fiscal year 2009 fuel
prices shows a full-year average cost of $3.66 per gallon.
At $2.47 per gallon, we expected to perform 3,390 days of science
in fiscal year 2009; at $3.66, we can only perform 2,600 days of
science--a reduction of 790 days or a 23 percent decrease.
Rising fuel prices have also impacted NOAA's ability to charter
days at sea. The day rate to charter both UNOLS and commercial ships
has increased due to the rise in fuel costs. For example, UNOLS' RV
REVELLE's fiscal year 2007 day rate was $26,200/day. As of March, 2008,
this rate is now $32,000/day, a 22 percent increase. Other UNOLS
vessels of the same class have also correspondingly increased in their
day rates.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Ted Stevens

``JOHN C. COBB'' DECOMMISSIONING

Question. I have been told that NOAA plans to decommission the NOAA
fishery survey vessel JOHN C. COBB this year.
What are NOAA's plans to replace this vessel?
Answer. NOAA Fisheries Service is currently undertaking a
comprehensive analysis of Southeast Alaska mission requirements that
will address present and future MSRA mandated responsibilities.
Potential procurement and/or long-term lease of suitable charter
vessels to support NOAA's mission will be considered.
Question. If this vessel is decommissioned does the fiscal year
2009 budget request contain enough funding to contract out all of the
surveys currently undertaken by the COBB in Alaska?
Answer. NOAA's base funding contains $500,000 in fiscal year 2009
to charter vessels to meet survey requirements in Southeast Alaska.
This funding would be used to charter a vessel (or vessels) with
capabilities similar to the COBB for work primarily in Southeast
Alaska.

PACIFIC COASTAL SALMON RECOVERY FUND

Question. The President's fiscal year 2009 budget calls for a
drastic reduction in funding for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery
Fund.
This program has been valuable in my State to ensure the health of
salmon populations, and to mitigate the impacts of harvest reductions
imposed by the Pacific Salmon Treaty on Alaska fisheries and coastal
communities.
How will the reduction in funding impact these efforts?
Answer. The President's fiscal year 2009 budget requests $35
million for Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund activities. The funds
will be distributed under a competitive process between the eligible
States of Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Alaska and Coastal
and Columbia River Tribes.
The funds will be distributed based on Congressional authorization
direction for the funds--salmon habitat conservation and restoration,
salmon stock enhancement, and salmon research and related activities--
and the following three program priorities: (1) Recovery and
conservation of salmon and steelhead that are listed as threatened or
endangered, or identified by a state as at-risk or to be so-listed, (2)
Maintenance of salmon and steelhead populations necessary for exercise
of tribal treaty fishing rights or native subsistence fishing, and (3)
Habitat protection and restoration for salmon and steelhead. All funds
distributed to State entities will require a 33 percent match of non-
federal funds. Under the competitive process in fiscal year 2009 the
State of Alaska will be eligible to receive funds. The amount Alaska
will receive will depend on how the above listed criteria are addressed
in grant applications.
______

Question Submitted by Senator Judd Gregg

CICEET

Question. VADM Lautenbacher, as you know, the Cooperative Institute
for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET) is a
partnership of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) and the University of New Hampshire (UNH). CICEET is a valuable
national resource that is making a difference in many coastal
jurisdictions through its close coordination with the National
Estuarine Research Reserve System.
With my support, CICEET was established in 1997 to develop tools
for clean water and healthy coasts nationwide. Through its nationally
competitive, peer reviewed program, CICEET has funded development and
demonstration of dozens of field ready technologies--with many more in
the pipeline--that address coastal resource problems in three ways:
tools to detect pollution, tools to enhance recovery, and tools to
prevent pollution impacts.
This year, the Office of Management and Budget elected to take
CICEET out of the President's budget. Given the over ten years of
Congressional support, an opportunity now exists for NOAA to make
explicitly clear that CICEET is a core NOAA activity, and fund it
directly out of its budget.
Could you please provide a plan for how CICEET will be funded in
fiscal year 2009 and beyond?
Answer. The Administration has proposed a $5.2 million competitive
research program to develop new technology to monitor coastal and
estuarine environments and address coastal management challenges
through the National Estuarine Research Reserves System. CICEET/UNH as
well as previous CICEET grant recipients will be eligible to compete
for funding through the NERRS competitive research program.
______

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Prepared Statement of Dr. Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director

Chairwoman Mikulski, Ranking Member Shelby, and Members of the
Subcommittee, I am pleased to present the National Science Foundation's
budget for the 2009 fiscal year.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) proposes a fiscal year 2009
investment of $6.85 billion to advance the frontiers of research and
education in science and engineering. Our budget request includes an
increase of $789 million--or 13 percent--over the current fiscal year
2008 amount. This increase is necessary to put NSF back on the course
that was charted by the President's American Competitiveness Initiative
(ACI) and by the America COMPETES Act. This year's budget reflects the
Administration's continued resolve to double overall funding for the
ACI research agencies within 10 years.
An investment in the National Science Foundation is a direct
investment in America's economic security. In fact, without a solid
basic research foundation for our high-tech economy, no economic
security is possible. Basic research underpins all of the technology
that constitutes the lifeblood of today's global market. America's
sustained economic prosperity is based in part on technological
innovation resulting from previous fundamental science and engineering
research. Innovation and technology are engines of the American
economy, and advances in science and engineering provide the fuel.
While the United States still leads the world in its level of
public and private R&D investment, our counterparts around the globe
are well aware of the importance of funding R&D. A string of recent
reports have found evidence that China is rapidly accruing global
technological standing, including an OECD finding that China was set to
become the second-highest investor in R&D among world nations in 2006,
behind only the United States.\1\ \2\ \3\ Over the last two decades,
U.S. federal support of research in the physical sciences, mathematics,
and engineering has been stagnant when adjusted for inflation. As a
percentage of GDP, the U.S. federal government has halved its
investment in physical science and engineering research since 1970.
Conversely, the Chinese government has more than doubled its GDP
percentage expenditure in R&D since 1995.\3\
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\1\ http://www.oecd.org/document/26/
0,2340,en_2649_201185_37770522_1_1_1_1,00.html.
\2\ http://www.tpac.gatech.edu/hti2007/HTI2007ReportNSF_012208.pdf.
\3\ http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07319/pdf/nsf07319.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
More than a dozen major studies have now concluded that a
substantial increase in federal funding for basic scientific research
is critical to ensure the preeminence of America's scientific and
technological enterprise.
Just recently, Norman Augustine, former CEO of Lockheed Martin,
released a follow-up to ``The Gathering Storm'' report entitled, ``Is
America Falling Off the Flat Earth?'' His message is clear: ``Unless
substantial investments are made to the engine of innovation--basic
scientific research and development--the current generation may be the
first in our country's history to leave their children and
grandchildren a lower sustained standard of living.'' \4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Augustine, Norman. Is America Falling off the Flat Earth?
National Academies Press.
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For over fifty years, NSF has been a steward of the nation's
science and engineering enterprise. NSF investments in discovery,
learning, and innovation have been important to increasing America's
economic strength, global competitiveness, national security and
overall quality of life.
With its relatively small size, NSF delivers an enormous ``bang for
the buck'' of federal government research and development (R&D)
investment. NSF represents just four percent of the total federal
budget for research and development, but accounts for a full fifty
percent of non-life science basic research at academic institutions.
NSF is the research funding lifeline for many fields and emerging
interdisciplines at the frontiers of discovery. In fact, NSF is the
only federal agency that supports all fields of basic science and
engineering research.
NSF relies on a merit-based, competitive process that is critical
to fostering the highest standards of excellence and accountability--
standards that have been emulated at other funding agencies around the
world.

NSF SUPPORTS AMERICAN INNOVATION

The Foundation of Innovation
NSF often funds a technology in its earliest stages, frequently
before other agencies or industries get involved. NSF funding was
involved in the developmental phase of the technology used in magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) now ubiquitous in diagnostic medicine, the
research that led to the development of silicon-coated glass used in
flat panel displays, and the early investigations that led to green and
blue light-emitting diodes used in cell phone displays and traffic
lights. In 1952, Caltech professor Max Delbruck used one of NSF's first
grants to invent molecular biology techniques that enabled one of his
students, James Watson, to discover the molecular structure of DNA, and
another Nobel laureate, David Baltimore, to unravel some of its
mysteries.
In a more recent example, NSF CAREER awardee Jay Keasling, now the
head of the NSF-sponsored Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center
at the University of California-Berkeley, and two postdoctoral
researchers from his lab founded Amyris, a company that is taking a
revolutionary approach to chemical manufacturing by harnessing
metabolic processes in microorganisms. Through genetic engineering, the
researchers ``program'' the microbes to churn out useful chemicals,
bypassing traditional, more expensive methods. Amyris has engineered a
strain of yeast that can produce large quantities of artemisinic acid,
a precursor to a compound found naturally in a plant that fights
malaria but is currently in short supply. Amyris is also developing a
fermentation process to deliver a biofuel gasoline substitute. NSF
funding of the early research conducted at Berkeley enabled the
discoveries that led to this promising new company, named 2007
``Business Leader of the Year'' by Scientific American magazine.
NSF as an agency is itself the origin of transformative practices.
One new NSF innovation is Research.gov, which is fulfilling our vision
of a seamless interface between government funding agencies and the
investigators we support. Research.gov is a one-stop shop, where
researchers can go to manage their existing portfolio of grants and
explore new opportunities. Research.gov is a tool that streamlines the
process of applying for federal grants, making it easier and more cost-
effective for the federal government to serve its customers.

Educating Tomorrow's Workforce
Beyond all of our efforts to advance the frontiers of knowledge and
spur innovation, NSF is dedicated to educating and training the
nation's skilled labor force. NSF plays a role in science, technology,
engineering, and math (STEM) education at every educational level. Our
contribution to education may ultimately be NSF's most profound and
meaningful legacy.
The scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians
trained through NSF's integration of research and education transfer
the latest scientific and engineering concepts from universities
directly to the entrepreneurial sector when they enter the workforce.
Our graduate research fellowship (GRF) program has supported
several notable technologists and scientists early in their
professional training. Prominent economist Steven Levitt, co-author of
the popular book Freakonomics, was an NSF GRF recipient from 1992 to
1994. Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, was an NSF graduate research
fellow in the mid-1990s when he began thinking about how to create an
internet search engine. NSF's GRF program is as old as the foundation
itself, and gives young scientists an early career charge, allowing
them to go on to greatness. At least three Physics Nobel Prize winners
are former NSF GRF recipients. We are extremely pleased with the
proposed $29 million increase in the GRF program's funding for fiscal
year 2009 which will enable us to fund an additional 700 promising
young American investigators. A recent article from the National Bureau
of Economic Research suggests that an increase in the number of GRF
awards would help to supply an increased demand for talented
individuals in the American science and technology workforce that will
result from an increase in R&D spending.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ Freeman, Richard. The Market for Scientists and Engineers. NBER
Reporter, 2007 No. 3, pp. 6-8.
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At some point in their careers, nearly 200 Nobel Prize-winning
scientists received NSF funding for research in chemistry, physics,
medicine, and economics. And scores of NSF-supported scientists shared
a measure of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize as members of the United
Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
To strengthen the educational institutions that benefit from NSF
awards, the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR)
program, Innovation through Institutional Integration (I3), challenges
institutions to think strategically about the creative integration of
NSF-funded awards. This provides the opportunity for NSF-grantees at
particular institutions to cooperate and share a common vision for
improved educational excellence at their institution.

AMERICA COMPETES ACT COMPLIANCE

The America COMPETES Act contains several requirements for NSF. We
are actively processing those directives and devising plans to
implement them in a timely manner. In the fiscal year 2009 request,
activities that overlap with the President's American Competitiveness
Initiative receive top priority. These priority areas do include strong
links to other fields, and our request includes across-the-board
increases for all directorates.
We are currently evaluating how to best ramp up the Robert Noyce
Teacher Scholarship Program to bring an infusion of talented teachers
into the nation's K-12 education system. To launch such a large-scale
program, we will carefully evaluate what we need to do to maximize its
societal impact and success. We will apply what we have learned from
our other successful scholarship programs to ensure the program is
administered in the best possible way.
We are also working how best to evaluate grant applicants' plans
for training undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs in
responsible and ethical conduct of research. A number of our programs
including our Centers and the Integrative Graduate Education and
Research Traineeship (IGERT) program already contain ethics components.
We will add a new certification requirement for institutions, which
will require the institution to have a plan in place to provide
appropriate training and oversight in the responsible and ethical
conduct of research for all undergraduates, graduate students, and
postdocs participating in the NSF-funded research project.
Open access to research results is an essential component of a
strong and healthy scientific enterprise. We currently make available
the citations of NSF-funded research on both the NSF website and on
Research.gov. To further the goal of disseminating the results of NSF-
funded research, we will develop revised reporting guidelines for NSF
principle investigators (PIs). These guidelines will enable the PIs to
summarize the key accomplishments of their NSF-funded work, including
scientific findings, student training, and professional development
activities. This information will be made available on the NSF website.

2009 BUDGET REQUEST HIGHLIGHTS

At NSF, we understand that new discoveries are the main driving
force behind societal progress. As the nation's premier funding agency
for basic research, our mission is to advance the frontiers of
knowledge, where high-risk, high-reward research can lay the foundation
for revolutionary technologies and tackle complex societal problems.
The NSF budget for 2009 reflects this vital agenda, and I'm pleased to
present it to you today.
Let me begin with the big picture. As noted earlier, the President
is requesting $6.85 billion for the NSF in fiscal year 2009. That's an
increase of almost $789 million, or 13 percent above the current 2008
appropriated amount. While it seems like a large increase, this level
is necessary to fulfill the President's vision for physical science and
basic research set forth in the American Competitiveness Initiative.
The fiscal year 2009 request is squarely in line with the goal of
doubling of ACI research agency budgets over 10 years. This increased
investment will reinforce NSF's leadership in basic science and
engineering and allow us to preserve America's preeminence in the
global technology economy.
In this year's proposed budget, funding levels increase for every
major NSF appropriations account. Research and Related Activities
investments increase by 16 percent, and our Education and Human
Resources account is increased by 8.9 percent. We need rapid progress
in these areas to stimulate the discoveries in research we need to
maintain our standing in the global marketplace, and to keep our
students engaged and ready to perform in the global workforce. Our
budget includes increases for every Directorate and Office within NSF.
Here are highlights of some of the key investments we are
emphasizing in our 2009 budget.

Cyber-enabled Discovery and Innovation
Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Innovation (CDI) is expected to create
revolutionary science and engineering research results using
``computational thinking''--thinking that encompasses all possible
computational concepts, methods, models, algorithms, and tools.
Computational thinking is relevant to all fields of science,
engineering and education, and promises to have a profound impact on
our nation's ability to generate and apply new knowledge. We expect CDI
research to produce paradigm shifts in our understanding of a wide
range of science and engineering phenomena, and we anticipate socio-
technical innovations to create new wealth and enhance the national
quality of life. By investing in CDI, NSF continues its leadership in
enabling the United States to preserve its role as the world leader in
information technology.
Requested Funding Level: $100 million.

Science and Engineering Beyond Moore's Law
``Moore's Law'' refers to the empirical observation made in 1965 by
Intel co-founder Gordon Moore that the speed of computer processing
based on semiconductor integrated circuits doubles about every 18
months. With current silicon technology, we expect to reach the
physical and conceptual limits of Moore's Law within 20 years. If we
are ever to solve the computational challenges inherent in today's
great scientific questions, we must find a way to take computing power
and communications beyond Moore's Law. To get there, we'll need
entirely new scientific, engineering, and conceptual frameworks.
Fundamental research across many disciplines will be called upon to
deliver the new hardware, architectures, algorithms, and software of
the computers of tomorrow.
Requested Funding Level: $20 million.

Adaptive Systems Technology
Recent progress in probing the secrets of biological systems has
been explosive. We are only just beginning to see the application of
these new and transformational discoveries to the development of
engineered systems, especially at the interface between human and
machines. We call our new interdisciplinary endeavor--research at the
convergence of human and mechanical systems--Adaptive Systems
Technology (AST). New applications and technologies resulting from AST
have already demonstrated substantial economic potential. Artificial
retinas and cochlea, electronic language translators, and smart hand-
held electronics are just a handful of the products that have already
come to market at the human-machine interface. NSF's broad portfolio
encompasses the diverse research areas involved in this new
interdisciplinary effort. Biologists uncover nature's progression from
simple to complex nervous systems; physicists and chemists explain the
fundamental processes underlying complex neural organization and
communication pathways; mathematicians, computer scientists and
cognitive scientists explore how systems compute; learning and
behavioral scientists provide insights into how organisms learn and
adapt to their environment; while engineers allow the design, analysis
and construction of systems that mimic living nervous system networks.
By working together, these scientists and engineers can benefit from
the knowledge and experience of experts in other fields, developing new
concepts through collaboration and idea-sharing.
Requested Funding Level: $15 million.

Dynamics of Water Processes in the Environment
This activity will build upon NSF's considerable track record on
fundamental water research, while utilizing our unique ability to cross
disciplinary boundaries to bring together the separate communities of
researchers working on the varying aspects of water science. Water is
fundamental to every economic activity in the country, and yet, we do
not have a full understanding of the effects of human interventions and
changing environmental conditions on the availability and quality of
fresh water. The economic driving forces for understanding water
processes are compelling: droughts alone cause average damages of $6 to
$8 billion annually in the United States. Understanding water dynamics
is also essential to understanding climate and environmental change.
NSF's investment in Dynamics of Water Processes in the Environment will
enhance our ability to understand complex freshwater systems at
regional and local levels, taking advantage of advanced observation
networks, cyberinfrastructure, and integrated databases.
Requested Funding Level: $10 million.

National Nanotechnology Initiative
NSF leads the U.S. nanotechnology research effort, and we remain
strongly committed to supporting this vital emerging industry. Our goal
is to support fundamental research and catalyze synergistic science and
engineering research and education in emerging areas of nanoscale
science and technology. We are also committed to research directed at
the environmental, health, and safety impacts of nanotechnology. Novel
materials, devices, and systems--with their building blocks designed on
the scale of nanometers--open up new directions in science,
engineering, and technology with potentially profound implications for
society. With the capacity to control and manipulate matter at this
scale, science, engineering, and technology are realizing revolutionary
advances in areas such as individualized pharmaceuticals, new drug
delivery systems, more resilient materials and fabrics, catalysts for
industry, and order-of-magnitude faster computer chips.
Requested Funding Level: $397 million.

Climate Change Science Program
Scientists predict that the climate of the earth is changing
rapidly, and we have much to learn about how climate affects human
activities, how human activities affect climate, and what we can do to
protect human life and health in the face of disruptive climate events.
The Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) was established in 2002 in
response to the challenge of understanding climate and climate
variability. Science-based knowledge is absolutely essential to our
ability to predict the changes that are likely to take place, and
devise informed plans to mitigate the negative impacts of climate
change on humanity. The CCSP engages thirteen U.S. agencies in a
concerted interagency program of basic research, comprehensive
observations, integrative modeling, and development of products for
decision-makers. Consistent with the fiscal year 2009 Interagency
Implementation Priorities memo, NSF provides support for the broad
range of fundamental research activities that form a sound basis for
other mission-oriented agencies in the CCSP, and the nation at large.
Building on our agency's particular strengths, NSF encourages
interdisciplinary activities and focuses particularly on Earth system
processes and the consequences of change. Our priorities include the
management of enormous amount of data necessary for accurate global
change modeling and research, the refinement and improvement of
computational models, and the development of new, innovative earth
observing instruments and platforms.
Requested Funding Level: $221 million.

International Science and Engineering
International collaboration is essential to the health of the
nation's research enterprise. The importance of international
partnership continues to increase as globalization ``shrinks'' our
world. Consequently, our funding request for the Office of
International Science and Engineering is increased by nearly 15 percent
to $47.4 million. A major focus in our budget is the Partnerships for
International Research and Education (PIRE) program, which increases by
$3.0 million to $15.0 million. This program funds innovative,
international collaborative research projects that link U.S.
institutions and researchers at all career levels with premier
international collaborators to work at the most promising frontiers of
new knowledge.

Broadening Participation
NSF remains a leader in efforts to broaden participation in science
and engineering, so that America's science and engineering enterprise
is as diverse as the nation from which it draws its workforce. Our 2009
request for the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
(EPSCoR) program increases to $113.5 million. We are also increasing
our request for several programs designed to reach out to
underrepresented groups, including Alliances for Graduate Education and
Professoriate (AGEP), the Historically Black Colleges and Universities-
Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP), the Louis Stokes Alliances for
Minority Participation (LSAMP), and Centers of Research Excellence in
Science and Technology (CREST).

Enhancing Opportunities for Beginning Researchers (CAREER)
The 2009 request provides an increase of approximately $14 million
for funding of the CAREER program. This increase will allow us to award
some 34 more CAREER awards than in fiscal year 2008. CAREER awards
support exceptionally promising college and university junior faculty
who are committed to the integration of research and education. Our
experience with previous CAREER awardees has proven that these faculty
become the research leaders of their respective fields, and this
program is vital to fostering the success of emerging science and
technology leaders.
Requested Funding Level: $182 million.

Stewardship
NSF's Stewardship goal, to support excellence in science and
engineering research and education through a capable and responsive
organization, remains a priority in the 2009 budget, with a 13 percent
increase to $404.3 million. Our request increases the NSF workforce by
50 staff to enable us to manage our growing and increasingly complex
workload. Investments in information technology (IT) increase by 32
percent to $82.0 million, with an emphasis on increasing the
efficiency, productivity, and transparency of NSF's business processes.
In this request, NSF's IT portfolio is realigned to tie funding for
mission-related activities more directly to NSF's programs.
Requested Funding Level: $404 million.

Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) account
NSF will continue to support a portfolio of ongoing projects in the
Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction account (MREFC),
including the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, Ice Cube, and Advanced
LIGO.
The Foundation continues to be committed to the Alaska Regional
Research Vessel (ARRV), the National Ecological Observatory Network
(NEON), and the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI). However, in
keeping with new NSF policies, Administration and Congressional
mandates, and guidance from the National Science Board, NSF has adopted
more stringent budget and schedule controls to improve our stewardship
of taxpayer dollars. We are postponing requests for additional funding
for those projects until they have undergone a final design review,
completed a risk management plan, and developed a rigorous baseline
budget, including carefully considered contingencies.
NSF's MREFC portfolio includes late-stage design-phase funding for
the proposed Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST), which if
carried into the construction phase would be the first large U.S. solar
telescope built in the past 30 years. ATST would reveal critical
information needed to explore crucial mysteries such as: What are the
mechanisms responsible for solar flares, coronal mass ejections and
space weather, with their associated impact on satellites,
communications networks, and power grids? What are the processes that
cause solar variability and its impact on the Earth's climate and
evolution? The ATST project is managed by the National Solar
Observatory, which administers the world's leading collection of solar
telescopes.
Requested Funding Level: $2.5 million.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

Madam Chairwoman, I've touched on just a handful of programs found
in NSF's diverse and vibrant portfolio. NSF's research and education
activities support the nation's innovation enterprise. America's
present and future strength, prosperity and global preeminence depend
directly on fundamental research. This is not merely rhetoric; the
scientific and economic record of the past 30 years is proof that an
investment in R&D is an investment in a secure future.
NSF may not be the largest agency that funds science and
engineering research, but our size serves to keep us nimble. Our
portfolio is continually evolving as we identify and pursue new
research at the frontiers of knowledge. An essential part of our
mission is to constantly re-think old categories and traditional
perspectives. This ability is more important than ever, as conventional
boundaries constantly shift and disappear--boundaries between nations,
between disciplines, between science and engineering, and between what
is basic and what is applied. NSF, with its mandate to support all
fields of science and engineering, is uniquely positioned to meet the
needs of researchers exploring human knowledge at these interfaces,
whether we're organizing interdisciplinary conferences, enabling cyber-
sharing of data and information, or encouraging new collaborations and
partnerships across disciplinary and national borders. No other
government agency comes close to our flexibility in STEM education and
basic research.
In today's high-tech economy, the supply of new jobs is
inextricably linked to the health of the nation's innovation endeavor.
NSF is involved in all aspects of innovation; NSF not only funds the
discoveries that directly become the innovations of tomorrow, we also
fund discoveries that lead to still more discoveries that lead to the
innovations of tomorrow, and, perhaps most critically, we train the
technologists who dream up the discoveries that lead to the discoveries
and innovations of tomorrow.
Industry increasingly relies on government support for high-risk,
high-reward basic research. If we fail to provide adequate support of
the technological sector now, we may well reduce our own economic
security. It is no accident that our country's most productive and
competitive industries are those that benefited the most from sustained
federal investments in R&D--including computers and communications,
semiconductors, biotechnology, and aerospace.
As we look to the century ahead of us, we face the reality that the
other nations in this world are eager to create jobs and robust
economies for their citizens. In this context, ``globalization'' is
shorthand for a complex, permanent, and challenging environment that
calls for sustainable, long-term responses, not just short-term fixes.
Regardless of our action or inaction as a nation, the world is full of
highly motivated and increasingly skilled workers who are working hard
to improve their economic standing and well-being. We can either
innovate, and keep our economic prosperity, or stagnate, and suffer the
consequences of inaction.
Despite some of the more pessimistic forecasts of some observers, I
believe that America can continue to be on the leading edge of ideas
and research. Through strong federal leadership, we can maintain the
standing of our businesses and universities. We must not only maintain
our position, we must actively seek to increase our strengths:
leadership in fundamental discovery, including high-risk, high-reward
transformational research, state-of-the-art facilities and
infrastructure, and a world-class S&E workforce. With a firm commitment
to these fundamental building blocks of our high-tech economy, we can
solidify America's role as the world leader in innovation.
Madam Chairwoman and members of the Committee, I hope that this
brief overview has given you a taste of just how very important the
National Science Foundation and its activities are to the future
prosperity of the United States. I look forward to working with you in
months ahead, and I am happy to answer any questions you may have.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Barbara A. Mikulski

STEM EDUCATION

Question. Statistics show that women earn half of the bachelors
degrees in science and engineering, yet continue to be significantly
underrepresented in academic science and engineering careers
(constituting 29 percent of doctoral science and engineering faculty in
four-year colleges and universities and only 18 percent of full
professors).
Why was ADVANCE the one program at NSF designed specifically to
increase the participation and advancement of women in academic science
and engineering careers cut in the fiscal year 2009 request?
Answer. The ADVANCE Program is an integral part of NSF's
multifaceted strategy to broaden participation to help realize a
diverse science and engineering (S&E) workforce. The program supports
the critical role of the Foundation in advancing the status of women in
academic S&E. ADVANCE is an NSF-wide activity and its success depends
upon the cooperation, dedication, and coordinated action of
directorates and offices from across the Foundation. EHR, where the
ADVANCE Program now resides, supports several of the Foundation's
flagship broadening participation programs and is well positioned to
undertake this coordination. EHR's increased investment in fiscal year
2009 in ADVANCE serves to offset slightly the reduction from the
Research and Related Activities account.
Question. NSF requests an overall increase in its fiscal year 2009
budget of 13 percent, yet the six primary programs that it utilizes to
advance the goal of increasing diversity in the science and engineering
workforce are only increased a combined 7 percent.
Why isn't NSF prioritizing the advancement of women and minorities
in the fields of science and engineering as much as research grants?
Answer. A seven percent increase--far higher than the average
increase for discretionary programs--shows NSF's strong support for
these programs. NSF remains committed to broadening participation in
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
While the following six programs are flagship efforts within the HRD
Division in support of diversity, there are other programs at NSF that
support this goal. Alliances for Graduate Education & the Professoriate
(AGEP); Centers for Research Excellence in Science and Technology
(CREST); Historically Black Colleges and Universities-Undergraduate
Program (HBCU-UP); Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation
(LSAMP); Research on Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE); and
Tribal Colleges & Universities Program (TCUP).
Other programs located in the EHR Directorate that focus on
diversity entirely or include it as a key component. They are: Research
in Disabilities Education (RDE); Presidential Awards for Excellence in
Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM); Scholarships
in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM); Graduate
Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12); Robert Noyce Teacher
Scholarship Program (NOYCE); and Math and Science Partnerships (MSP)
Program.
Finally, several NSF programs focus on diversity as key components
of workforce development: ADVANCE; Opportunities for Enhancement of
Diversity in the Geosciences; Integrative Graduate Education Research
Traineeship Program (IGERT); Graduate Research Fellowships (GRFs);
EPSCoR (which focuses on broadened geographic diversity); Broadening
Participation in Computing; and Broadening Participation in the
Biological Sciences.
In addition, many NSF-supported centers conduct education and
outreach efforts to increase interest in STEM. Some of these are aimed
specifically at groups underrepresented in science and engineering.
Given the scope and complexity of Foundation-wide programs, NSF is
currently developing a plan to coordinate ongoing STEM efforts to
increase the participation of underrepresented groups as a core
practice.
Question. The fiscal year 2008 omnibus urged NSF to begin focus on
broadening Hispanic participation rates in science and engineering.
What is NSF doing to increase Hispanic participation?
Answer. NSF appreciates the omnibus conference language encouraging
the agency to broaden Hispanic participation throughout STEM
disciplines. In response to the America COMPETES Act, NSF established
an internal study group to determine the most effective ways to serve
Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) through our existing programs and
to consider the creation of a designated HSI program. We are in the
process of gathering best practices from existing programs and
scholarly research to complement current NSF program investments and to
inform future programmatic directions regarding HSIs.

STEWARDSHIP

Question. How does the new ``no-cost over run'' policy impact the
Alaska Research Vessel, NEON, and the ocean observatory initiative?
Answer. NSF expects the lead organizations for these projects to
develop firm plans, budgets, risk assessments, and schedules for
accomplishing the proposed activities prior to making any further
request to Congress for construction funding. NSF will conduct Final
Design Reviews (FDR) for all three projects, utilizing experts in all
of the major technical, management, and administrative areas, to assure
that these plans, budgets, risk assessments, and schedules are
credible. Only after successful completion of these reviews will NSF
make a request for further construction funding. The impact to these
projects is that there will be confidence that they will accomplish
what they propose within the envelope of requested construction
funding, recognizing that required funding and schedules will be
different than was previously presented in NSF budget requests.
Question. Will NSF submit a revised budget if the University of
Alaska presents an acceptable schedule and budget for the Alaska
Research Vessel under the new policy?
Answer. As is noted above, all future funding requests for the ARRV
construction depend on the project successfully completing the final
design review. Now that the FDR is a requirement, the current ARRV
project plan is to complete the FDR process in time for consideration
by the next Administration in the fiscal year 2010 budget request.
Question. Congress provided total appropriations of $115 million
between fiscal year 2005 and fiscal year 2007 for the Scientific Ocean
Drilling ship. The ship is currently under construction in Singapore as
no U.S. shipyard bid on the project.
What special steps has NSF done to maintain oversight of this
project given that it is on the other side of the world?
Answer. NSF has taken a number of specific steps to maintain
oversight of the SODV project. These steps are intended to ensure
ongoing communication with the project team in Singapore and to address
the rapidly changing climate in the shipbuilding industry.
NSF has overseen the installation in Singapore of an experienced
on-site project team, skilled in all aspects of ship construction and
outfitting, to oversee, facilitate, and monitor progress. The on-site
personnel are in daily communication with their stateside counterparts,
and report regularly to NSF.
NSF staff members have made many visits to Singapore to confer with
those directly involved in the refit of the ship, and to see first-hand
the activity and progress that have occurred. Except for the greater
travel distances involved, these oversight activities are similar to
what would be done if the work were done at a closer location.
In addition to issues related to the location of the SODV refit,
other issues relate to difficulties in managing the rapidly changing
business climate in the shipbuilding industry. With a budget profile
that allowed the SODV to enter the shipyard in 2007, rapid cost
escalations meant that the original plan to extend the SODV was not
financially feasible. The project team, led by the Joint Oceanographic
lnstitutions' (JOI) Division of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership
(COL) did not have ready a robust design for a refit within the
existing hull, and time was needed to prepare one. In response to NSF
concerns, COL has ensured involvement of, and buy-in from, the
scientific ocean drilling community in the rescoped plans for the SODV
refit; overseen augmentation of, and changes to, the senior on-site
project management team; and led planning for the final stages of
construction and outfitting. NSF has requested and received from COL a
Corrective Action Plan to ensure maximum efficiency and benefit to NSF
in these final stages of the project.
Question. Has the weakness in the U.S. dollar adversely impacted
the completion of the ship?
Answer. The effect of the weak U.S. dollar has been relatively
small compared to the overall project budget of $115 million. The
shipyard work is being done under a fixed price contract in U.S.
dollars, and much of the ancillary science equipment is of U.S. origin.
There have been negative impacts, however, due to the roughly 9 percent
decline in the United States vs. the Singapore dollar, which has made
it somewhat more expensive to maintain the necessary U.S. oversight
team in Singapore during the refit activity.
Question. In the latest Semiannual Repot to Congress, the NSF
Inspector General notes that the Large Facilities Office is not
adequately staffed to handle it increasing responsibilities for
oversight.
Do you plan to hire additional staff for this office?
Answer. NSF was able to add one additional person to the Large
Facilities Office (LFO) in the last year, which has been very helpful.
With a large number of ongoing and upcoming MREFC projects, we
recognize the need to have the necessary internal resources available.
The fiscal year 2009 budget includes funding for at least one
additional FTE for the LFO, and we will allocate additional FTEs and
financial resources as needed. We also engage outside project
management expertise on a contract basis as needed.
Directorates involved in detailed planning or implementation for
MREFC projects are also expected to provide the more specialized
technical expertise that is closely matched to the needs of individual
MREFC projects. This complements the capabilities of the LFO.
Question. If not, what other methods will you use to provide the
additional oversight that is needed?
Answer. NSF continues to provide training opportunities to Program
Officers to inform them of project management issues, and NSF and NSB
are also examining ways that earlier NSB review and analysis of
potential future large projects could strengthen NSF's oversight.

CLIMATE RESEARCH

Question. A recent GAO study of federal climate research at DOE,
NASA, NSF, and NOAA examined how to make research data more widely
available to research community. While some of the data generated by
this research are stored in online achieves most remains in a less
accessible format with individual researchers. GAO recommended that
agencies develop additional archiving strategies.
What is the current policy with regard to the sharing of data at
NOAA and NSF?
Answer. Data-sharing plans are an important consideration during
both the peer review of proposals and subsequently in the award
decision process. The NSF has a standing agency-wide data policy
requiring free (other than duplication costs) and open access to data
collected with NSF support. Most directorates have more detailed
guidelines and terms designed specifically for the types of data
normally collected in the research disciplines they support and may
include specific requirements as part of their formal proposal
solicitations.
Question. What are NSF and NOAA doing to address these GAO
recommendations?
Answer. A large portion of the data collected routinely that is
relevant to the Climate Change Science Program is obtained by various
mission agencies (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration--
National Oceanographic Data Center and National Climate Data Center,
U.S. Geological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, etc.), which support
national archives, and much of the data collected as part of NSF's
research efforts is ultimately stored in such archives. For example,
much of the paleoclimate data are stored in the World Data Center for
Paleoclimatology run by NOAA in Boulder, CO, although some resides in
the National Lacustrine Core Repository at the University of Minnesota.
Data from process studies may be stored at agency archives or at
facilities serving the broader community such as the National Center
for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). In addition, data are stored in
personal archives maintained by NSF Principal Investigators at their
home institutions.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Ted Stevens

POLAR ICEBREAKERS

Question. Does the funding arrangement for the polar icebreakers
allow for adequate maintenance of the polar ice breaking fleet and the
training/proficiency of Coast Guard crews?
Answer. Yes, assuming that our budget requests are fully
appropriated. Under the terms of the USCG-NSF Memorandum of Agreement,
the USCG provides budget estimates for inclusion in the President's
budget request. NSF and USCG develop the annual program plan that
supports operation and maintenance of the icebreakers.
Question. Did the National Science Foundation request funding this
year to keep the Polar Star in care-taker status? Why did NSF opt to
lease a foreign icebreaker rather than use the Polar Sea for this
year's Antarctic mission?
Answer. NSF did not request funding to keep the Polar Star in
caretaker status.
The Swedish icebreaker Oden was used instead of Polar Sea for
several reasons. The Oden offers far superior capabilities for
scientific research and the deployment enabled U.S. scientists to
conduct research in the Southern Ocean that would otherwise have been
impossible. In addition, using the Polar Sea for the Antarctic mission
would have mandated subsequent dry dock maintenance and repair costs of
approximately $5 million. Under our agreement for the Oden, our costs
were strictly limited to those for operations. Finally, using Oden in
Antarctica enabled us to keep Polar Sea in reserve in the North for any
emergency Arctic duty. We should note also that the arrangement for use
of the Oden was a government-to-government agreement and not an
arrangement between NSF and a foreign firm.
Question. Do you see a strategic national interest in the Arctic
beyond your science mission?
Answer. Other federal agencies are more qualified than NSF to
address needs beyond those required to support scientific research.
With decreasing ice cover in the Arctic there would seem to be a strong
potential for an increased range of activities in the Arctic Ocean,
including shipping and resource exploration, but a better understanding
of why climate change is affecting different parts of the Arctic
differently, and differently in different seasons, will be needed
before these activities can proceed with confidence.
Question. Does the National Science Foundation intend to fund a
Polar Sea Arctic mission this year in order to allow the Coast Guard
icebreaking crew to maintain its competency?
Answer. Yes. The Polar Sea is currently underway in the Arctic,
conducting crew training, USCG missions (including community liaison
and law enforcement), and science of opportunity.

ALASKA REGION RESEARCH VESSEL

Question. I understand construction funding for the Alaska Region
Research Vessel was not included in the President's fiscal year 2009
budget.
This vessel will replace NSF's recently de-commissioned R/V Alpha
Helix and offer great opportunities to study the coastal and open ocean
waters of the Alaska region.
What are your goals for completing construction of the vessel and
what can we do to assist you in expediting the process?
Answer. NSF's goals for completing construction are:
--NSF will conduct a Final Design Review (FDR) this fall to validate
the technical design, budget, and proposed schedule for the
ship. The FDR's validated cost and schedule will be used to
formulate the fiscal year 2010 budget request under the next
Administration.
--The shipyard evaluation and bidding process will commence following
FDR.
--We expect shipyard construction to require 30 months or more,
followed by 6-12 months of sea trials and commissioning,
overlapping with the first scientific activities.
We appreciate your offer of assistance and you and your colleagues'
continued support for the Foundation's programs. In particular, your
efforts to date with the University of Alaska to convey NSF's policies
and the need for a rigorous pre-construction planning process have been
especially valuable. We look forward to continuing to work with you as
the fiscal year 2009 and subsequent budgets are considered.
______

NONDEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES

Prepared Statement of the Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS)
Program

The Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) Program
respectfully requests that Congress appropriate $52.7 million for
fiscal year 2009 to continue RISS's support in combating violent crime,
criminal gangs, terrorist activity, illegal drug trafficking, organized
criminal activity, human trafficking, identity theft, and other
regional criminal priorities and promoting officer safety.
RISS has been at the forefront in paving the way so that law
enforcement, public safety, and private sector partners can share
information and receive critical investigative and technical
assistance. The fiscal year 2008 budget request to Congress stated that
RISS has emerged as one of the Nation's most important law enforcement
intelligence sharing networks and continues to support efforts to
expand and improve information sharing.
RISS, which dates back to the 1970s, not only offers secure
communications, access to intelligence databases, and investigative
resources to law enforcement and public/private partners but also
provides services to enhance and improve the ability to detect crime,
apprehend offenders, and successfully prosecute individuals. These
services include information sharing, analytical support, equipment
loans, confidential funds, field staff support, technical support,
training, research, publications, and officer safety. In many cases,
these are services that criminal justice agencies would not have access
to without the support of RISS.
RISS is a federally funded, nationwide program supporting local,
State, Federal, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution efforts with
membership in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, United States
territories, Australia, Canada, and England. RISS operates on a
national basis but provides support regionally through its six
intelligence centers, which support and serve the unique needs of their
regions. The six RISS centers and the areas that they serve are:
--Middle Atlantic-Great Lakes Organized Crime Law Enforcement Network
(MAGLOCLEN).--Delaware, District of Columbia, Indiana,
Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and
Pennsylvania, as well as Australia, Canada, and England.
--Mid-States Organized Crime Information Center (MOCIC).--Illinois,
Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota,
South Dakota, and Wisconsin, as well as Canada.
--New England State Police Information Network (NESPIN).--
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island,
and Vermont, as well as Canada.
--Regional Organized Crime Information Center (ROCIC).--Alabama,
Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,
North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as Puerto Rico and the
United States Virgin Islands.
--Rocky Mountain Information Network (RMIN).--Arizona, Colorado,
Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, as well
as Canada.
--Western States Information Network (WSIN).--Alaska, California,
Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington, as well as Canada and Guam.
RISS acts as a force multiplier, enhancing the ability of criminal
justice agencies to identify, target, and remove criminal conspiracies
and activities spanning multijurisdictional, multistate and, sometimes,
international boundaries. RISS facilitates the seamless exchange of
information among agencies pertaining to known suspected criminals or
criminal activity and enhances the coordination and communication among
agencies that are in pursuit of criminal conspiracies determined to be
interjurisdictional in nature.
There is an increasing communications sophistication by criminal
networks and a rising presence of organized and mobile narcotics crime
as well as a resurgence of gang activity occurring across the nation.
Interagency cooperation in sharing information has proven to be the
best method to combat this increasing criminal activity. The RISS
centers fill law enforcement's need for rapid, but controlled, sharing
of information and intelligence through their unique structure,
versatility, flexibility, and diverse services. Congress funded the
RISS Program to address this need, as evidenced by its authorization in
the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) administers RISS and has
established guidelines for the delivery of RISS services. RISS is
subject to oversight, monitoring, and auditing by the United States
Congress; the United States Government Accountability Office; the
United States Department of Justice (DOJ), BJA; and local and State
governmental units. BJA also monitors RISS for 28 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) Part 23 compliance. The 28 CFR Part 23 regulation
emphasizes adherence to individual constitutional and privacy rights
and places stricter controls on the RISS intelligence databases than
those placed on most local, State, or Federal agencies. Evaluation of
RISS continues to be positive. RISS supports and has fully operated in
compliance with 28 CFR Part 23 since its inception. RISS firmly
recognizes the need to ensure that individuals' constitutional rights,
civil liberties, civil rights, and privacy interests are protected
throughout the intelligence process. In this regard, RISS officials
adopted a Privacy Policy to further strengthen their commitment and
support of 28 CFR Part 23 and protection of individual privacy rights.
In 1997, well before the attacks of September 11, 2001, RISS began
building a national system, a secure intranet known as RISSNET. Through
funding from Congress, RISS was able to develop RISSNET, thereby
creating a gateway for disparate systems to connect while providing
users with the ability to quickly query, analyze, and research data.
Today, RISSNET is used as the system of choice for numerous law
enforcement entities. RISSNET links thousands of law enforcement,
criminal justice, and public safety agencies and uses state-of-the-art
technology, such as DOJ's Global Justice Extensible Markup Language
(XML) Data Model, to connect existing systems and networks. RISSNET
provides the communications backbone and infrastructure for
bidirectional sharing of investigative and intelligence information,
offers secure sensitive but unclassified electronic communications, and
provides controlled access to a variety of sensitive information
resources. Over 80,000 access officers, representing hundreds of
thousands of law enforcement officers from around the globe, are able
to access RISSNET resources.
Currently, more than 80 agencies are connected or pending
connection to RISSNET. Examples include the El Paso Intelligence
Center; the National White Collar Crime Center; Nlets--The
International Justice and Public Safety Network; DOJ Criminal Division;
information/intelligence networks from California, Colorado, Oregon,
Utah, and Wyoming; and numerous other local, State, and Federal
systems. In addition, the Executive Office for United States Attorneys
has connected staff to RISSNET, and RISS continues to expand its
partnership with the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA).
Currently, 18 HIDTAs are electronically connected to RISSNET.
In this world of changing technology and with the increased need to
provide timely, accurate, and complete information to law enforcement
and public safety professionals, the ability to connect systems and
streamline the capacity to house, share, inquire, and disseminate
information and intelligence is paramount. Through RISSNET, RISS
provides valuable collaboration with others who have experienced
similar crime problems or who are investigating the same or similar
crimes. In addition, RISS offers resources and tools to additional
users beyond the typical bounds of the law enforcement realm, which
vastly enhances the information exchange. After 9/11, RISS recognized
the need to expand communications to public safety entities and
developed the Automated Trusted Information Exchange (ATIX). ATIX is a
communications system that provides first responders, critical
infrastructure personnel, and other public safety personnel involved in
prevention and response efforts with the ability to share terrorism and
homeland security information in a secure, real-time environment. In
2007, ATIX was expanded to serve as a communications resource for both
State sex offender registries and fusion centers.
In 2007, RISS expanded its RISS National Gang Program, known
collectively as RISSGang, to include a criminal intelligence database,
a Web site, a bulletin board, secure e-mail, and gang-specific
resources. The RISSGang database provides law enforcement agencies with
access to gang suspects, organizations, weapons, locations, and
vehicles, as well as visual imagery of gang members, gang symbols, and
gang graffiti. The Web site contains valuable information, research,
tools, and other resources, including an anonymizing filter that is
automatically applied when a user clicks on one of the links to
published criminal gang Web sites. This tool removes the ability of the
target Web sites to identify officers.
RISS is currently in the process of developing RISSafe, an officer
safety event deconfliction system. RISSafe will store, maintain, and
monitor information on planned law enforcement events--such as raids,
controlled buys, and surveillances--with the goal of identifying and
alerting affected agencies of potential conflicts. Over 18,000 law
enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty; RISSafe will
make a significant contribution towards enhancing officer safety and
supporting criminal investigations.
RISS partners with a number of criminal justice organizations and
fosters a collaborative information sharing environment. RISS partnered
with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and HIDTAs to
create the National Virtual Pointer System (NVPS). NVPS is an automated
system that connects existing deconfliction pointer databases into one
virtual pointer system. RISS also partnered with Project Safe
Neighborhoods, which submits data to the RISS intelligence databases
for the purpose of reducing gun violence. The Operation Respond
Institute electronically connected its Operation Respond Emergency
Information System, which provides critical information on railroads
and other transportation industries, to RISSNET.
RISS is working with DOJ and the United States Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) on the Counterterrorism Collaboration
Interoperability Project (CCIP), which provides participating systems
with the ability to publish documents for access by authorized users of
other participating systems via Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds.
This project has been recognized as a model for agencies to share
information, as required by Presidential Executive Order 13388,
Strengthening the Sharing of Terrorism Information to Protect
Americans.
Throughout 2007, RISS continued to support a number of initiatives
to enhance information sharing, including the Dru Sjodin National Sex
Offender Public Website and the National Criminal Intelligence Resource
Center. RISS represents the core of collaboration and constantly seeks
out and fosters new and existing partnerships in order to maximize the
Nation's information sharing environment.
RISS's partnerships and efforts have resulted in an unprecedented
level of information and intelligence sharing. As a result, it is
critical to ensure that the information is secure and available only to
authorized users. RISSNET protects information through encryption,
Internet protocol security standards, and firewalls to prevent
unauthorized access. In addition, the criminal intelligence information
accessed through RISSNET is controlled by its local, State, Federal,
and tribal law enforcement member agency owners. RISS continues to
evolve and expand, utilizing the latest technology to meet the needs of
law enforcement member agencies.
In 2006, RISS embarked on the RISSNET 2007 initiative to streamline
RISS users' access to RISSNET resources. This project enhances the
security and accessibility of RISSNET and allows for compatibility and
interoperability of existing systems' infrastructures to leverage and
expand information and intelligence sharing systems. RISSNET 2007
consists of three main components--the RISSNET Portal, Secure Sockets
Layer (SSL) authentication technology, and the Trusted Credential
Project (TCP). The RISSNET Portal was launched in 2007 and provides
authenticated users with one entry point for RISSNET, providing access
to all RISSNET resources from one location. In addition, the Portal
creates additional security layers that protect RISSNET resources and
provides ease of access by RISS members to permitted resources. SSL is
a widely implemented Internet browser-based technology used to transmit
encrypted data between a Web server and a Web browser by creating a
secure virtual connection between the browser and the server. SSL
technology is supported by all major Internet browsers and is a
maturely developed standard for the secure transmission of sensitive
information. Finally, TCP seeks to identify industry-leading
technologies for user authentication and access control and will
develop, test, and demonstrate methods to recognize and accept
credentials in addition to those currently used on RISSNET. These three
projects work in unison and represent the natural next steps for
enhancing RISS technology and service to its members.
The RISSNET architecture is referenced and recommended in the
General Counterdrug Intelligence Plan (GCIP) and is endorsed by the
National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan (NCISP). RISS has embraced
and integrated the recommendations contained in the NCISP and continues
to foster similar integration among its member agencies. In addition,
RISS has embraced the Fusion Center Guidelines developed by DOJ and DHS
and continues to build relationships with fusion centers. RISS
developed a Fusion Center Partnership Strategy that integrates RISS
services and tools into fusion center operations and has signed a
Resolution in support of fusion centers. RISS has provided analysts to
fusion centers, participated on fusion center advisory boards, provided
RISSNET connectivity to fusion centers, and continues to work with
fusion center leadership to tailor RISS services to their needs.
RISS is one of three systems promoted by DOJ's Law Enforcement
Information Sharing Program (LEISP) Strategy and is the only nonfederal
entity participating in the LEISP process. RISS has also begun
exploring opportunities to meet the needs of the recently published
National Information Sharing Strategy.
RISS's services and tools directly benefit detectives and
investigative units within local, State, regional, Federal, and tribal
criminal justice entities, making RISS a comprehensive and universal
program. RISS delivers more that 20,000 analytical products annually
and trains more than 68,000 officers each year. RISS's field staffs
conducted over 27,000 on-site visits to member agencies last year to
train, support, and help integrate RISS services. This one-on-one
support has resulted in trusted relationships and a network prized
among its members. These services are what make RISS a unique and
valued program.
The success of RISS has been acknowledged and vigorously endorsed
by the International Association of Chiefs of Police as well as other
national law enforcement groups, such as the National Sheriffs'
Association and the National Fraternal Order of Police.
In view of today's increasing demands on local, State, Federal, and
tribal law enforcement budgets, requests for RISS services have risen.
RISS's support has had a dramatic impact on the success of numerous
investigations. By providing timely and accurate intelligence
information, the RISS centers have greatly enhanced law enforcement's
ability to more effectively dismantle criminal organizations. The
results of these successes can be measured in the number of violent
career criminals that are removed from our communities and the
reduction of illicit drugs that are available to our young people.
During the 3-year period of 2005-2007, RISS generated a return by
member agencies resulting in 15,000 arrests, narcotics seizures valued
over $113 million, and seizures of over $51 million in currency and/or
recovered or seized property.
It is respectfully requested that Congress appropriate $52.7
million for fiscal year 2009 to continue RISS's efforts in combating
crime and terrorism. Local and State law enforcement depend on RISS for
information sharing, investigative support, and technical assistance
and are increasingly competing for decreasing budget resources. It
would be counterproductive to require local and State RISS members to
self-fund match requirements, as well as to reduce the amount of BJA
discretionary funding. Local and State agencies require more, not less,
funding to fight the Nation's crime problem. RISS cannot make up the
decrease in funding that a match would cause, and it has no revenue
source of its own. Cutting the RISS appropriation by requiring a match
should not be imposed on the program.
Funding is requested to support the increased needs of law
enforcement and public safety entities, to maintain RISSNET, and to
meet the demand for RISS services and resources. These funds will
enable RISS to continue services to law enforcement agencies to
identify, target, prosecute, and remove criminal conspirators involved
in terrorism and other crimes that span multijurisdictional boundaries.
In addition, RISS will utilize increased funds to:
--Deploy RISSafe on a nationwide scale and integrate RISSafe with
intelligence systems and other deconfliction systems.
--Expand the existing RISSGang Program by developing and implementing
online gang-related training programs and minimum standards for
such training programs.
--Develop and implement a gang deconfliction system.
--Coordinate and host a regional/and or national gang conference.
--Expand fusion center partnerships by connecting fusion centers,
providing bidirectional sharing, and offering technical on-site
assistance.
--Expand RISS ATIX to accommodate the growing number of public and
private sector entities requiring secure communications.
--Upgrade and maintain the RISSNET infrastructure. Upgrade hardware,
operating systems, and portal framework software for the
RISSNET Portal.
--Implement the Trusted Credential Project.
RISS is grateful for this opportunity to provide the committee with
this testimony and appreciate the support this committee has
continuously provided to the RISS Program. (See Attachment A)

ATTACHMENT A.--THE REGIONAL INFORMATION SHARING SYSTEMS

Each RISS center offers basic services to member agencies.
Traditional services include information sharing, analysis,
investigative support, equipment loans, confidential funds, training,
and technical assistance.
Information Sharing.--The operation of RISSNET and its various
applications enhances information sharing and communications among RISS
members by providing various secure databases and investigative tools.
Each RISS center develops and provides access to specialized
information sharing systems for use by its member agencies.
Analysis.--RISS center personnel create analytical products for
investigative and prosecutorial use. These products include highly
complex and specialized flowcharts, link-analysis charts, crime scene
diagrams, telephone toll analysis reports, and financial analysis
reports and provide computer forensics analysis. Staff members also
provide video and audio enhancement services.
Investigative Support.--Each center maintains a staff of
intelligence technicians that support member agencies with a variety of
investigative assistance. Staff members conduct database searches,
utilize all RISS applications, and process batch uploads. Intelligence
technicians respond to thousands of requests and questions.
Equipment Loans.--Pools of specialized and surveillance equipment
are available for loan to member agencies for use in support of
multijurisdictional investigations.
Confidential Funds.--Member agencies may apply for funds to
purchase information, contraband, stolen property, and other items of
an evidentiary nature or to provide for other investigative expenses
related to multijurisdictional investigations. The availability and use
of confidential funds are strictly controlled by Federal guidelines,
and internal policies and procedures are developed by each center.
Training and Publications.--RISS centers sponsor or cosponsor
meetings and conferences that build investigative expertise for member
agency personnel. Subject areas include anti-terrorism, crime-specific
investigative and surveillance techniques, specialized equipment,
officer safety, and analytical techniques. In addition, each center
researches, develops, and distributes numerous publications, such as
bulletins, flyers, and criminal intelligence publications.
Technical Assistance.--RISS field service coordinators provide
technical assistance to member agencies to facilitate delivery of RISS
services. This personal interaction with member agencies significantly
improves information sharing and ensures that member agencies are
provided with quality and timely service.
Centers also offer additional services based on regional and member
agency needs.
______

Prepared Statement of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

Thank you for the opportunity to submit our testimony to this
Committee to provide our funding requests on the Department of Commerce
fiscal year 2009 appropriations. My name is Billy Frank, and I am the
Chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC). The
NWIFC is made up of the twenty Tribes party to the United States vs.
Washington litigation. The NWIFC supports an increase in funding over
that proposed by the Administration for both the NOAA Fisheries and the
NOAA-National Ocean Service (NOS) budgets. These budgets should, at a
minimum, be that of the fiscal year 2006 enacted levels, with
additional monies as described below that support key Federal and State
partnerships with the twenty (20) Treaty Indian Tribes in Western
Washington.

SUMMARY OF FISCAL YEAR 2009 APPROPRIATIONS REQUEST
NWIFC SPECIFIC REQUESTS

$110 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund with a $9
million allocation for the twenty affected Treaty Tribes and the
Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission in Western Washington for their
management responsibilities (NOAA/National Marine Fisheries).
$3.17 million for the Tribal Ocean Ecosystem Initiative (NOAA/
National Ocean Service).

JUSTIFICATION OF REQUESTS

$110 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund with a $9
million allocation for the twenty affected Treaty Tribes in
Western Washington and the Northwest Indian Fisheries
Commission
The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) is a multi-state,
multi-tribe program established by Congress in fiscal year 2000 with a
primary goal to help recover wild salmon throughout the Pacific
Northwest and Alaska. The PCSRF seeks to aid the conservation,
restoration and sustainability of Pacific salmon and their habitats by
financially supporting and leveraging local and regional efforts.
Recognizing the need for flexibility among Tribes and the States to
respond to salmon recovery priorities in their watersheds, Congress
earmarked the funds for salmon habitat restoration, salmon stock
enhancement, salmon research, and implementation of the 1999 Pacific
Salmon Treaty Agreement, as well as related agreements. PCSRF is making
a significant contribution to the recovery of wild salmon throughout
the region.
The Tribes' objectives for use of the PCSRF is to restore and
protect essential habitat that promotes the recovery of ESA listed
Puget Sound Chinook, Hood Canal Summer chum, Puget Sound steelhead,
Lake Ozette sockeye, and other salmon populations in the Puget Sound
and Washington Coast. These species are essential for Western
Washington Tribes to exercise their treaty-reserved fishing rights
consistent with U.S. vs. Washington and Hoh vs. Baldrige. These funds
will support policy and technical capacities within Tribal resource
management departments to plan, implement, and monitor recovery
activities.
Since the program's inception, Pacific Coastal Tribes, including
the 20 Treaty Tribes in Western Washington, have used PCSRF monies to
remove 79 fish passage barriers--open access to 47 stream miles;
restore 282 miles of instream habitat; restore 747 acres and 113 stream
miles of riparian habitat; restore 129 acres of wetland habitat and
protect 288 acres of habitat through land acquisition, easement or
lease. The Tribes are also using these funds to implement the recovery
plan for ESA-listed Puget Sound Chinook recently approved by NOAA.
Unfortunately, the PCSRF monies have decreased over the past few
years from the original amount of $110 million that was appropriated in
2000 to $67 million in 2008. In the fiscal year 2009 budget proposal
the Administration seeks to further decrease funding to $35 million for
this very important program. The Tribes originally were slated to
receive 10 percent of the overall amount, but with the declining base,
the Tribal amount has dwindled precipitously. Restoration of these
monies to the $110 million level will support the original intent of
Congress and enable the Federal government to fill its obligations to
salmon recovery and the Tribes.

$3.17 million for Tribal Ocean Ecosystem Initiative from the National
Ocean Service
The Hoh River Tribe, Makah Tribe, Quileute Tribe, and the Quinault
Indian Nation have deep connections to the marine resources off the
coast of Washington. They have pioneered cooperative partnerships with
the State of Washington and the Federal government in an effort to
advance the management practices in the coastal waters. However, to be
an effective partnership, the Tribes and their partners need additional
funding. These requests are as follows:

Intergovernmental Policy Council (IPC) $1.10 million
The four Tribes, the State of Washington and NOAA National Ocean
Service, through the Marine Sanctuary Program, have formed the
Intergovernmental Policy Council (IPC). The IPC is intended to
strengthen management partnerships through coordination and focus of
work efforts. Through this partnership, the entities hope to maximize
resource protection and management, while respecting existing
jurisdictional and management authorities. While the IPC has received
some funding from the Marine Sanctuary Program, the current funding
does not provide for full participation in activities that will build
the partnerships necessary to coordinate management and research
activities within the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.
For the IPC to continue to expand its capacity for program
operations, technical staff participation and development of
collaborative research efforts, long-term program funding is needed.
The four coastal treaty Indian Tribes, the State of Washington and the
Olympic Marine Sanctuary needs $1.10 million in fiscal year 2009 to
support their IPC efforts to transition into an ocean ecosystem-based
management system.
As existing marine resource management transitions to an ecosystem-
based management approach a forum and coordinating body such as the IPC
will need the capacity to collect and organize information that will
propel discussions and recommendations into decisions and actions.

Rockfish Assessment and Habitat Mapping $2.07 million
The Hoh River Tribe, Makah Tribe, Quileute Tribe, Quinault Indian
Nation and the state hope to conduct a five-year ocean monitoring and
research initiative to support and transition into an ecosystem-based
management of rockfish. The proposal would augment the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration existing Northwest Science Center trawl
survey data with additional State and Tribal survey data from areas
currently not sampled on the continental shelf and slope. It would also
expand the existing groundfish port sampling program for the region.
Both of these data sources are essential to evaluate stock status and
abundance. Finally, it would accomplish a comprehensive assessment of
the coastal ecosystem and its associated species groups.
Effective management of the ocean ecosystem and its associated
resources requires the development of baseline information against
which changes can be measured. This initiative will expand on and
complement existing physical and biological databases to enhance
ecosystem-based management capabilities. In turn, this will support
ongoing efforts by the State and Tribes to become more actively engaged
in the management of offshore fishery resources. Transition to
ecosystem-based management requires expansion of the current resource
assessment surveys and ocean monitoring systems off the Olympic coast.
Effective conservation actions for rockfish and other groundfish
species will depend on accurate knowledge and distribution of sea-floor
habitat types and species found within the region. The establishment of
this finer-scale biological database is an essential step toward
improving the region's forecasting capability of stock status and
abundance.
The partners hope to:
--Conduct a comprehensive stock assessment of rockfish resources
found along the continental shelf and slope off the Olympic
coast and enhance the existing groundfish port sampling
efforts.
--Convene a State, Tribal and Federal technical workgroup to develop
the sampling protocols and assessment methodologies necessary
to incorporate this additional survey information into the
annual Federal stock assessment and forecasting process.
--Increase biological sampling through the expansion of State and
Tribal port sampling in Westport, La Push and Neah Bay to
ensure complete coverage of all groundfish fisheries (such as
sablefish, flatfish and lingcod), of which rockfish are a
component of the catch.
--Complete multi-beam side-scan sonar mapping and surveying of the
seabed off the Olympic coast in cooperation and partnership
with the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.
--Collaborate on a research plan with the Olympic Coast National
Marine Sanctuary and assist in completing the sonar mapping of
seafloor relief and substrate.
--Develop a State and Tribal collaborative effort to address emerging
ecosystem management concerns such as the status and abundance
of deep-water coral and sponge communities that benefit the
entire region.
The economic value associated with effective marine resource
protection is huge. Not only are marine areas crucial for our natural
resources and those that use them; they are bridges of commerce between
nations and continents. Healthy oceans are essential if we value stable
climates that will sustain our economies and our lives. Tribes must be
partners in the efforts to research, clean up and restore the environs
necessary to deal with identified problems.

BACKGROUND

When our ancestors signed treaties, ceding millions of acres of
land to the United States government, they reserved fishing, hunting
and gathering rights in all traditional areas. These Constitutionally-
protected treaties, the Federal Trust Responsibility and extensive case
law, including the U.S. vs. Washington Decision of 1974, all
consistently support the role of Tribes as natural resource managers,
on and off reservation. In Washington State, these provisions have
developed into a generally successful co-management process between the
Federal, State and Tribal governments. The co-management route is the
one and only path that leads to true sustainability in our region, and
is the tool that must be used to meet the many environmental challenges
we face, such as polluted and over-appropriated waters, species decline
and climate change. Treaties are nation-to-nation accords, and Tribes
have always been outstanding natural resource managers and stewards of
the land.
However, the Federal government has chosen to cut funding to
natural resource management programs over the past six years. There is
no question that this jeopardizes the bond of trust between our
governments. It also jeopardizes management programs and infrastructure
critically important to co-management and to the health and vitality of
natural resources, and the Tribal and non-tribal people they sustain.
The timing of funding cuts could not have been worse. We are facing
many environmental and natural resource management challenges in the
Pacific Northwest, caused by human population expansion and urban
sprawl, increased pollution problems ranging from storm water runoff to
de-oxygenated or ``dead'' areas in the Hood Canal, parts of Puget Sound
and in the Pacific Ocean. The pathway to the future is clear to us. The
Federal, State and Tribal governments must strengthen our bond and move
forward, together, with the determination and vigor it will take to
preserve our heritage. Together, we must focus on the needs of our
children, with an eye on the lessons of the past.

OUR MESSAGE

Our message to you now is that achieving such objectives requires
adequate funding. The Tribes strive to implement their co-management
authority and responsibility through cooperative and collaborative
relationships with the State and local communities. We constantly seek
ways to restore and manage these precious natural resources in a manner
that can be supported by all who live in this area. The work the Tribes
do benefits all the citizens of the State of Washington, the region and
the nation. But the increasing challenges I have described and the
growing demand for our participation in natural resource/environmental
management requires increased investments of time, energy and funding.
Restoring and protecting these natural resources is essential to the
economy and the quality of life that is so valued by those who live in
the Northwest.
We are sensitive to the budget challenges that Congress faces. We
recognize that this Administration has greatly reduced the allocation
to discretionary domestic spending during the last several years, which
makes it increasingly difficult to address the many requests you
receive. Still, we urge you to maintain and increase the allocation and
appropriations for priority ecosystem management initiatives. The need
for an ecosystem-based management approach for Washington's marine
waters have come into sharp focus in recent years with major studies by
the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Charitable Trust. In
its report, ``An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century,'' the Ocean
Commission essentially concluded that the oceans are sick, and
estimated the costs for reversing declines and restoring coasts and
oceans nationwide at about $4 billion annually. Follow through on that
report has obviously not approached that level of investment--and it
might not for some time. But, for the sake of sustainable health,
economies and the natural heritage of this resource, it is critically
important for Congress to do more than it has, and to direct Federal
agencies to do even more to coordinate their efforts with State and
Tribal governments.
As frequently attributed to Chief Seattle (Sealth), Tribes believe
all things are connected. That is why we believe only through a
holistic ecosystem management approach can we find success in achieving
a healthy environment and robust natural resources. However, all of
this requires adequate funding.

CONCLUSION

Clearly, Western Washington Tribes are leaders in the Northwest
salmon recovery effort. The Tribes possess the legal authority,
technical and policy expertise, and effective programs to address
impacts on wild salmon from harvest and hatcheries.
The Tribes are strategically located in each of the major
watersheds, and no other group of people is more knowledgeable about
the natural resources than the Tribes. No one else so deeply depends on
the resource for their cultural, spiritual and economic survival.
Tribes seize every opportunity to coordinate with other governments,
and non-governmental entities, to avoid duplication, maximize positive
impacts and emphasize the application of holistic ecosystem management.
We continue to participate in resource recovery and habitat restoration
on an equal level with the State of Washington and the Federal
government because we understand the great value of such cooperation.
We ask that the Senate help us in our efforts to protect and
restore our great natural heritage and support our funding requests.
Thank you.
______

Prepared Statement of the United States Section of the Pacific Salmon
Commission

Mr. Chairman, my name is W. Ron Allen and I serve as an Alternate
Commissioner on the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) and as the Chair of
the Budget Committee for the U.S. Section of the Commission. The
Pacific Salmon Treaty (Treaty) between the United States and Canada was
established in 1985. An Agreement was concluded in June of 1999 (1999
Agreement) that established new abundance-based fishing regimes under
the Treaty and made other improvements in the Treaty's structure.
During fiscal year 2009, the PSC will implement new Treaty fishing
regimes that are currently being renegotiated. The U.S. Section
recommends that Congress:
--fund the Pacific Salmon Treaty Line Item of the National Marine
Fisheries Service at $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, restoring
$1,000,000 previously provided by Congress in fiscal year 2005.
This funding provides the technical support for the states of
Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Idaho and the National Marine
Fisheries Service to implement the salmon stock assessment and
fishery management programs required to implement the Treaty
fishing regimes. Included within the total amount of $8,000,000
is $400,000 to continue a joint Transboundary River Enhancement
Program as required by the Treaty.
--fund the Pacific Salmon Treaty Chinook Salmon Agreement line item
of the National Marine Fisheries Service for fiscal year 2009
at $1,844,000, level funding from what was provided by Congress
for fiscal year 2008. This funding continues to be necessary to
acquire the technical information to implement abundance-based
Chinook salmon management program provided for under the
Treaty.
The base Treaty implementation projects include a wide range of
stock assessment, fishery monitoring, and technical support activities
for all five species of Pacific salmon in the fisheries and rivers from
Southeast Alaska to those of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The states
of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, and the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), are charged with carrying out a major portion
of the salmon fishery stock assessment and harvest management actions
required under the Treaty. Federal funding for these activities is
provided through NMFS on an annual basis. The agency projects carried
out under PSC funding are directed toward acquiring, analyzing, and
sharing the information required to implement the salmon conservation
and sharing principles of the Treaty. A wide range of programs for
salmon stock size assessments, escapement enumeration, stock
distribution, and catch and effort information from fisheries, are
represented. The information from many of these programs is used
directly to establish fishing seasons and harvest levels.
Congress increased this funding in fiscal year 2005 to a total of
$8,000,000 to provide for programs needed to implement the new
abundance-based fishing regimes established under the 1999 Agreement,
but the level was reduced in subsequent years. The U.S. Section
recommends that $8,000,000 be restored in fiscal year 2009 to allow
full implementation of Treaty provisions. The 1999 Agreement and the
fishery regimes currently being renegotiated, include fishing
arrangements and abundance-based management approaches for Chinook,
southern coho, Northern Boundary and Transboundary River fisheries. The
$400,000 that has been provided since 1988 for a joint Transboundary
River enhancement program with Canada is included in this amount.
In 1996, the United States adopted an abundance-based approach to
managing Chinook salmon fisheries in Southeast Alaska. Under this
approach, Chinook harvest levels are based on annual estimates of
Chinook abundance. This system replaced fixed harvest ceilings agreed
to in 1985, which did not respond to annual fluctuations in Chinook
salmon populations. Under the 1999 Agreement, this abundance-based
management approach was expanded to all Chinook fisheries subject to
the Treaty. Beginning in fiscal year 1998, Congress provided $1,844,000
to allow for the collection of necessary stock assessment and fishery
management information to implement the new approach. Through a
rigorous competitive technical review process, the states of Alaska,
Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, and the twenty-four treaty tribes are
using the funding to support research and data collection needed to
implement abundance-based Chinook salmon management coast-wide under
the new Agreement. The U.S. Section recommends level funding of
$1,844,000 for fiscal year 2009 to support the implementation of
abundance-based Chinook salmon management.
The United States and Canada agreed in 1988 to a joint salmon
enhancement program on the Transboundary Rivers, which rise in Canada
and flow to the sea through Southeast Alaska. Since 1989, Congress has
provided $400,000 annually for this effort through the National Marine
Fisheries Service International Fisheries Commission line item under
the Conservation and Management Operations activity. Canada provides an
equal amount of funding and support for this bilateral program. This
funding is included in the $8,000,000 the U.S. Section is recommending
for the fiscal year 2009 NMFS Pacific Salmon Treaty line item.
This concludes the statement of the U.S. Section of the PSC
submitted for consideration by your Committee. We wish to thank the
Committee for the support that it has given us in the past.

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM FUNDING FOR THE U.S.-CANADA PACIFIC SALMON TREATY
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Department of Commerce: Pacific Salmon Treaty Line
Item:
Fiscal year 2007 appropriation.................... $7,000,000
Fiscal year 2008 appropriation \1\................ 5,592,000
Fiscal year 2009 administration request........... 5,616,000
Fiscal year 2009 U.S. Section recommendation...... 8,000,000
Pacific Salmon Treaty--Chinook Salmon Agreement Line
Item:
Fiscal year 2007 appropriation.................... 1,844,000
Fiscal year 2008 appropriation.................... 1,844,000
Fiscal year 2009 administration request........... 1,844,000
Fiscal year 2009 U.S. Section recommendation...... 1,844,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The recommended fiscal year 2008 amount includes $400,000 provided
for the Joint Transboundary River Enhancement Program previously
funded under the NMFS International Fisheries Commission account.

______

Prepared Statement of the Independent Tribal Courts Review Team

Thank you and I am honored for the opportunity to submit this
testimony on behalf of the Independent Tribal Court Review Team. I
would like to address the serious funding needs of Tribal Courts and
our requests and recommendations for the fiscal year 2009 budget for
the Office of Tribal Justice in the Department of Justice.
For the past two years, our Independent Review Team, under a
commercial contract by the BIA, has been traveling throughout Indian
Country reviewing 25 Tribal and CFR Courts. The scope of our research
project, the first of its kind, was to: (1) Provide assistance to
Tribes by performing an assessment of their Tribal Courts; and (2)
provide information to the BIA and Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) regarding the status of Tribal Courts.
We are confident that this is the most comprehensive information
compilation effort ever undertaken, and completed, regarding Tribal
Courts and it is the strong recommendation of the Independent Tribal
Courts Review Team that the Federal Tribal Courts budget be
substantially increased in the fiscal year 2009 budget. Our Team has
been to 25 Tribal Courts and we feel safe in saying that there is no
one with more awareness of the current needs of Tribal Courts than our
Review Team.

Budget Priorities, Request and Recommendations--$70.0 Million
+$58.4 million authorized under the Indian Tribal Justice Act of
1993, Public Law 103-176, 25 USC 3601 and re-authorized in year 2000
Public Law 106-559 (no funds to date).
+$11.6 million above the fiscal year 2008 enacted level for Tribal
Courts.
Support the continuance of set-asides in the Office of Tribal
Justice Programs.

Justification
There are approximately 299 tribal judicial systems in Indian
country and 156 of these tribal and BIA Courts of Indian Offenses,
commonly referred to as CFR Courts (Code of Federal Regulations), are
BIA funded. All Tribal Court operational costs are funded under
contracts, which provide less than 74 percent of need.
The President's fiscal year 2008 enacted levels are inadequate to
support the operations and utility of the Tribal Justice Systems. We
respectfully request Congress to take a close look at these funding
levels. Our research did not identify any area that could withstand a
decrease without causing harm to Tribal Court systems and Indian
people. Specifically, we request the following funding in the fiscal
year 2009 budget above the fiscal year 2008 enacted levels:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year 2008 Fiscal Year 2009
Line Items Enacted Tribal Requests
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tribal Courts....................... $8.630 million +$11.6 million
Tribal Grants:
Youth Programs.................. 14.1 million +10 million
Indian Alcohol & Substance Abuse 5.180 million +10 million
Construction.................... 8.630 million +10 million
Sex Offender.................... 940,000 +5 million
Indian Country Detention Centers.... 8.630 million +10 million
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Justice Department has developed grants for a variety of
current Tribal Courts programs. Unfortunately, those grants will
eventually run out and it is doubtful that most Tribes will have the
funds to continue to provide those services. Some Tribes,
unfortunately, do not place a priority on seeking grant funds for
exactly this reason. In addition, some of those grants fund what are
generally considered to be permanent Court needs, such as Judge or
clerk. As Examiners, we mention to Tribes that they should not rely on
grant funds as permanent funding. However, most Tribes have few other
means to fund permanent positions. Federal resources used for temporary
grant-funded Tribe Court initiatives too often turn out to be temporary
programs. (We also note that the Tribes who need the most assistance
tend to be the Tribes least able to acquire grant funds.) We wonder if
it would be better if such funding were placed into a permanent Tribal
Court funding account.
It is a positive thing if a Tribe has recognized some Court needs
and used its grant writers to find grant money to address those needs.
To decrease the potential for harm when those funds are discontinued,
those programs should contain or require the Tribe to develop formal
plans for when the funds no longer exist. This would include, for
example, redistribution of a caseload, records transfer and seeking new
continuation funding. We general recommend the Court develop formal
plans to address what will happen to projects in planning for the
eventual loss of grant funds, particularly for those projects and
positions, which would otherwise be considered permanent.
It is to the credit of many Tribes that they do seek and have had
success in obtaining grant funds for the Courts. Grant funds enable the
Court to supplement staff or develop programs needed by the Tribe.
Several areas, funded through grants, have proven to be successful,
regardless of how brief the grant is and regardless of the relative
size and wealth of the Tribe. This includes Computerization, Staff
Development and Training, Code Development and grants curbing
Methamphetamine Abuse.
Tribes are expected to make do with money from the Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA). The elimination of these funds will be catastrophic to
the Tribal Courts and Judicial Systems. The remaining funds will only
assist a small number of Tribes, hardly the intent of the Indian Tribal
Justice Act. It was the intent of all involved to examine and determine
the adequacy of the current Federal funding levels for Tribal Courts.
Our research indicates that Tribal Courts are at a critical stage in
terms of need. Tribal Court systems have Trial and Appellate Courts,
conduct jury trials, within Courthouses that need improvements, and
Tribal Bar listings and fees. Nationwide, there are 156 Tribes with
Courts that receive Federal Funding. These Tribes divide a mere $11.4
million in Federal funds. Tribal Courts must deal with the very same
issues state and Federal Courts confront in the criminal context,
including, child sexual abuse, alcohol and substance abuse, (namely
Methamphetamine), gang violence and violence against women just to name
a few. Tribal Courts, however, must address these complex issues with
far less financial resources than their Federal and state counterparts.
It is clear that Tribal Courts and justice systems are vital and
important to the communities where they are located. Tribes value and
want to be proud of their Court systems. There are many positive
aspects about Tribal Courts. After decades of existence, many Tribal
Courts, despite minimal funding, have achieved a level of experience
and sophistication approaching, and in some cases surpassing, local
non-Indian Courts. Tribal Courts, through the Indian Child Welfare Act,
have mostly stopped the wholesale removal of Indian children from their
families. Indian and Non-Indian Courts have developed formal and
informal agreements regarding jurisdiction. Tribal governments have
recognized the benefit of having law-trained Judges, without doing away
with Judges who have cultural/traditional experience. Judicial training
that addresses the existing problems in Indian Country, while also
being culturally sensitive, is essential if our efforts are to be
effective in deterring and solving crime in Indian communities.
With the passage of the Indian Tribal Justice Act, Public Law 103-
176, 25 U.S.C. 3601 et seq. (the ``Act''), Congress found that
``[T]ribal justice systems are an essential part of tribal governments
and serve as important forums for ensuring public health, safety and
the political integrity of tribal governments.'' 25 U.S.C. 3601(5).
Congress found that ``tribal justice systems are inadequately funded,
and the lack of adequate funding impairs their operation.'' 25 U.S.C.
3601(8). In order to remedy this lack of funding, the Act authorized
appropriation of base funding support for tribal justice systems in the
amount of $50 million for each of the fiscal years 1994 through 2000.
25 U.S.C. 3621(b). An additional $500,000 for each of the same fiscal
years was authorized to be appropriated for the administration of
Tribal Judicial Conferences for the ``development, enhancement and
continuing operation of tribal justice systems . . .'' 25 U.S.C.
3614.
Our research also indicates that grant programs at Justice were
only moderately effective. Tribes often did not have funding to
maintain grant funded programs after the conclusion of the grant. These
programs were often eliminated after the conclusion of the grant. We
did, however, identify several areas where grants were, or could be
effective. These are grants providing for:
--Computer Upgrade, Training and Court Management Software.--Tribes
generally do not have available funds to upgrade their use of
computer technology. Increased use of computer technology
improves the function of the Court and even may result in Court
staff savings due to the decreased staff time needs.
--Digitizing of Tribal Codes.--Tribes most often collect their Codes
in very large three ring binders. Everyone does not always
receive new law. It is difficult to obtain a copy of the Code.
If Codes are digitized, they can be easily distributed on CD
and even be placed on the Tribal website. The result is a more
efficient system
--Development of MOU/MOAs with Local Non-Indian Jurisdictions.--There
is a large and growing problem resulting from the Oliphant
Case. Tribal jurisdictions have no control over unlawful acts
committed by non-Indian offenders. This has specifically
resulted in drug dealers and methamphetamine labs moving on to
Indian lands. Many Tribes and non-Indian jurisdictions have
developed MOU/MOAs that provide for jurisdictional compromise
between Law Enforcement and Courts. More of these agreements
should be encouraged.
--Administration of Tribal Courts.--Tribal legislatures and
Administration generally have several areas of relationship;
including hiring, payroll, and financial administration of the
Court. Often, Tribal governments are confused and very
concerned about where to draw the line regarding the
relationship with the Court. They do not want to violate the
Courts independence. Tribes need help to formally develop the
relationship between the Courts and other governmental
entities. This may include such things as development of an
over-site committee and a judicial employment contract.

Independent Tribal Court Review Team Report Findings
The Independent Tribal Court Review Team completed the Tribal & CFR
Court Reviews Project Fiscal Year 2006 Final Report. The Report
contains 132 findings regarding all areas involving Tribal Courts. Many
of the findings support the recommendations made above, including
several indicating that Tribal Courts are under-funded. We list some of
these below:
--Finding #38.--The Federal Funds are inadequate to fund most Court
needs. Other Court needs such as technology, supplies, travel
and training, are usually assumed by the Tribe. These needs are
often provided by decreasing available funds for Tribal
Programs. Or, the needs are simply not provided and the Courts
must make due without these services.
--Finding #32.--Almost all Courts are under-funded. Court budgets
vary widely. When you get beyond the few Tribes with very
successful economic development ventures, a substantial number
of the Courts, approximately 90 percent, are under-funded. They
are missing staff positions and common items such as a safe, a
Court recording system, telephone systems, or security systems.
Almost every Court that is under-funded is still mostly
functional.
--Finding #33.--Many are under-funded at a critical level. Some
contracted Courts are very poor. There are Courts with only a
part-time Judge and a Clerk. They must rely on Administration
for simple items, such as printer ink. There is no training.
Salaries are below the poverty level. We have seen Courts that
operate on less than $25,000 per year. We have seen groups of
Tribes with low Federal funding numbers joined into a single
overworked Court system that can only provide limited service.
--Finding #6.--A very small number of Tribes have large amounts of
available economic development funds. These Tribes (about 10
percent) are those few with very successful economic
development ventures. These Tribes contribute 90 percent or
more of the funding to their Courts. These Tribes pay well,
they have several Attorneys on staff, including on the Court
staff and have fully funded law enforcement. These Tribes are
better trained and experientially and financially able to deal
with Court matters, including criminal matters, than local
city, county and state governments.
--Finding #5.--Most Tribal economic development funds provide jobs
and pay for a modest amount of other governmental services. The
biggest fallacy about Indian Nations is that gaming has made
all Tribes rich. (This fallacy isn't always bad. It often
encourages non-Indian governments and law enforcement to work
with the Tribe.) The vast majority of Tribes has limited
economic development that (1) funds itself and (2) can modestly
assist Tribal programs and the Court budgets. A portion of
Tribes has no economic development or economic development that
only funds itself.
Finally, the Indian Civil Rights Act: A Report of the United States
Civil Rights Commission, June 1991 found that ``the failure of the
United States Government to provide proper funding for the operation of
tribal judicial systems . . . has continued for more than 20 years.''
The Commission also noted that ``[f]unding for tribal judicial systems
may be further hampered in some instances by the pressures of competing
priorities within a tribe.'' Moreover, they opined that ``If the United
States Government is to live up to its trust obligations, it must
assist tribal governments in their development . . .'' More than
sixteen years ago, the Commission ``strongly support[ed] the pending
and proposed Congressional initiatives to authorize funding of Tribal
Courts in an amount equal to that of an equivalent State Court'' and
was ``hopeful that this increased funding [would] allow for much needed
increases in salaries for judges, the retention of law clerks for
tribal judges, the funding of public defenders/defense counsel and
increased access to legal authorities.''
We are still hopeful that these recommendations will come to
fruition!
On behalf of the Independent Tribal Court Review Team: Charles D.
Robertson Jr., Esquire, the Honorable Philip D. Lujan, Court Reporter
Myrna Rivera and the Honorable Elbridge Coochise, thank you again for
your consideration of these requests. Should you have any questions,
please feel free to contact Team Leader Elbridge Coochise at 602-418-
8937 or Charles D. Robertson, Jr. at 605-390-0061.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Chemical Society

The American Chemical Society (ACS) appreciates the opportunity to
submit public testimony to the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related
Agencies Subcommittee on the fiscal year 2009 budget for the National
Science Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
The ACS is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization,
chartered by Congress in 1937, with more than 160,000 chemical
scientists and engineers as members. The world's largest scientific
society, ACS advances the chemical enterprise, increases public
understanding of chemistry and science, and brings its expertise to
bear on state and national matters.
Investments in NIST advanced research, measurement methods, and
standards are vital to American industry as well as the nation's
economic competitiveness and security. Increased funding is necessary
to meet ongoing private sector needs for NIST measurements and
standards, as well as the growing needs in homeland security, advanced
manufacturing, climate, and nanotechnology. America's future
competitiveness will be enhanced through sustained, predictable federal
investments in science agencies like NIST.
Specifically, the ACS urges Congress to support the $634 million
funding level (5.5 percent increase over fiscal year 2008) for the NIST
core programs as outlined in the President's fiscal year 2009 budget
request. While this falls short of the level authorized to enhance U.S.
innovation and competitiveness in the America COMPETES Act passed last
summer with overwhelming bipartisan support, we hope that Congress will
strive to return to this funding blueprint over time. Additionally, the
ACS supports the $535 million request for NIST laboratories (21.3
percent increase over fiscal year 2008). However, we strongly dissent
from the proposed termination of the Technology Innovation Program
(TIP) and urge Congress to fund the program at its authorized level of
$131.5 million.

NIST Laboratories
NIST laboratories serve as the technological nerve center for
countless products and services across industries. By advancing
research and extremely accurate measurement technology, NIST enables
universal quality-control technologies that undergird industrial
productivity, efficiency improvements, and faster product development.
NIST also plays a critical role in advancing public health and safety,
environmental progress, and national security. For example, NIST's
calibration and related measurement methods are critical in areas such
as emission control, fuel-composition control, laser eye surgery,
smoke-detector sensitivity, electricity-meter readings, energy-
efficiency measurement, and the operation of fiber optics. The ACS
strongly supports the $535 million request for NIST laboratories.
However, we remain concerned that recent cuts in standards-related
programs have hampered NIST's ability to promote U.S. standards and to
facilitate global trade. Without NIST's consensus-based measurement
standards, companies would be less innovative, less efficient, and less
competitive. Independent studies show that every dollar invested in
NIST measurement and standards returns at least three dollars in
national economic benefit.
Additionally, the ACS supports the request for $99 million for NIST
facilities. These funds support facility improvements and acquisition
of cutting-edge equipment in Boulder, Colorado, and Gaithersburg,
Maryland. In previous years, in excess of $100 million was used
annually to support projects peripheral to the NIST mission. As a
result, NIST facilities are suffering to the point of becoming
ineffective for cutting-edge research.
Technology Innovation Program
The ACS continues to support NIST's Technology Innovation Program
(TIP), established to support, promote, and accelerate innovation in
the United States through high-risk, high-reward research in areas of
critical national need. This program enables small- and medium-sized
businesses to work in joint ventures and with universities to
commercialize high-risk technologies. Without this program, the United
States would continue to be at a global competitive disadvantage if
these businesses, the traditional incubators of innovation, could not
pursue high-risk opportunities. ACS strongly opposes the
administration's proposed termination of TIP. We urge Congress to fully
fund TIP (as was the practice to restore funding to the Advanced
Technology Program--TIP's predecessor) at the $131.5 million level
authorized by the America COMPETES Act (Public Law 110-69) for fiscal
year 2009.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Geological Institute

To the Chairwoman and Members of the Subcommittee: The American
Geological Institute (AGI) supports fundamental Earth science research
sustained by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA). Frontier research on Earth, energy and the
environment has fueled economic growth, mitigated losses and sustained
our quality of life. The Subcommittee's leadership in expanding the
federal investment in basic research is even more critical as our
nation competes with rapidly developing countries, such as China and
India, for energy, mineral, air and water resources. Our nation needs
skilled geoscientists to help explore, assess and develop Earth's
resources in a strategic, sustainable and environmentally-sound manner
and to help understand, evaluate and reduce our risks to hazards. AGI
supports a total budget of $7.32 billion for NSF (as authorized in the
America COMPETES Act of 2007--Public Law 110-69); $542 million for
Scientific and Technical Research and Services at NIST (as authorized
in America COMPETES Act); $4.5 billion for NOAA (an increase of $400
million over the request to maintain core programs and infrastructure),
and $4.869 billion for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA (an
increase of about $428 million over the request to maintain core
research and missions).
The President's American Competitiveness Initiative and the America
COMPETES Act of 2007 supports a doubling of physical science research
at NSF and NIST, while noting the importance of robust research and
science education programs at NASA and NOAA. AGI strongly supports both
initiatives and the inclusion of Earth science in such efforts.
AGI is a nonprofit federation of 44 geoscientific and professional
societies representing more than 100,000 geologists, geophysicists, and
other Earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information
services to geoscientists, serves as a voice for shared interests in
our profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience
education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role
the geosciences play in society's use of resources and interaction with
the environment.

NSF
We applaud the President's request for a 13 percent increase for an
overall budget of $6.854 billion for NSF and the Administration's
commitment to the American Competitiveness Initiative. We hope that the
Subcommittee can strengthen our research and science education
initiatives by funding NSF at an overall budget of $7.32 billion which
is consistent with the amount authorized in the America COMPETES Act of
2007. NSF remains under funded and would benefit from an increase of
about $466 million over the request in fiscal year 2009. AGI believes
that such a forward-looking investment in tight fiscal times will pay
important dividends in future development and innovation that drives
economic growth, especially in critical areas of sustainable and
economic natural resources and reduced risks from natural hazards.
NSF Geosciences Directorate.--The Geosciences Directorate is the
principal source of federal support for academic Earth scientists and
their students who are seeking to understand the processes that
ultimately sustain and transform life on this planet. The President's
budget proposal requests an increase of about 13 percent (about $96
million) for a total budget of about $849 million, which AGI strongly
supports.
The President's request for fiscal year 2009 asks for $260.58
million for Atmospheric Sciences, $177.73 million for Earth Sciences,
$353.5 million for Ocean Sciences and $56.82 million for Innovative and
Collaborative Education and Research (ICER) within the Geosciences
Directorate. Much of the geosciences research budget is for
understanding that is critical for current national needs, such as
climate change, water and mineral resources, energy resources,
environmental issues and mitigation of natural hazards. AGI asks the
Subcommittee to strongly support these essential investments and
requests that these investments be used for research.
A significant concern for NSF and GEO is the rising costs of
materials, infrastructure, and operations and maintenance. Costs for
drilling, ships, instrumentation and raw materials are sky-rocketing as
the supply and demand for these has increased in the public and private
sector. Unexpected shortages, increasing competition and growing demand
is significantly increasing the cost of basic research in GEO. This is
one reason for NSF's decision to defer the Alaska Region Research
Vessel (ARRV) and the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) which would
receive no funding from the Major Research Equipment and Facilities
Construction (MREFC) account, but would instead receive about $7.5
million from the GEO Research and Related Activities account for
planning.
Infrastructure and operation and maintenance costs for facilities
are coming directly from the research budget within GEO. Among the
major facilities, the Academic Research Fleet would receive $87.96
million, EarthScope Operation would receive $26.29 million,
Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) would receive
$12.2 million, Ocean Drilling Activities would receive $47.4 million,
Ocean Observatories would receive $10.5 million and the National Center
for Atmospheric Research would receive $95.42 million. These facilities
are essential for not only basic research but also for addressing
critical issues facing the nation, such as climate change, energy and
mineral resources, water resources and hazards mitigation. Funding for
these facilities, many of which have been operating for decades, must
remain robust and require an infusion of funds approaching $300
million. Therefore AGI strongly supports the congressionally mandated
budget of $7.32 billion for NSF in fiscal year 2009 and asks that a
significant fraction of the $466 million increase relative to the
President's request be used to support facilities, whose operating
funds are coming from the research budget of GEO.
We would encourage the general increase for GEO to focus on funding
research, which means providing essential support to the faculty,
staff, post-doctoral researchers, graduate students and undergraduate
students at universities and other educational/research institutions
across the nation. The outstanding facilities being maintained by GEO
require investments in outstanding human capital through competitive
research grants. Now is the time to boost Earth science research and
education to fill the draining pipeline of skilled geoscientists and
geo-engineers working in the energy industry; the construction
industry, particularly on levees and dams; the environmental industry;
the academic community, particularly on understanding natural hazards
and the sustainability of our natural resources; the primary federal
Earth science agencies, such as the United States Geological Survey;
and in all areas of education.
NSF Support for Earth Science Education.--Congress can improve the
nation's scientific literacy by supporting the full integration of
Earth science information into mainstream science education at the K-12
and college levels. AGI supports the Math and Science Partnership (MSP)
program, a competitive peer-reviewed grant program that funds only the
highest quality proposals at NSF. The NSF's MSP program focuses on
modeling, testing and identification of high-quality math and science
activities whereas the Department of Education MSP program does not.
The NSF and Department of Education MSP programs are complementary and
are both necessary to continue to reach the common goal of providing
world-class science and mathematics education to elementary and
secondary school students. AGI opposes the transfer of the MSP from NSF
to the Department of Education.

NOAA
AGI appreciates the President's request for increased funding for
NOAA for a total budget of $4.1 billion. Unfortunately, NOAA's funding
has remained flat, at $3.9 billion since fiscal year 2005 and based on
an annual inflation rate of 3 percent a budget of $4.4 billion in
fiscal year 2009 would leave the agency's budget level in constant
dollars. NOAA cannot support its core mission services including
weather and severe storm forecasting, spill response, ocean observing,
habitat restoration and conservation, and research on climate change,
fisheries, and coastal and marine ecosystems without a more robust
budget. We ask that the Subcommittee provide small increases (about 10
percent increases to their total budgets) rather than proposed cuts to
the National Ocean Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service and
the Office of Atmospheric Research following the recommendations of the
U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. AGI also supports the additional
increased funding for the National Weather Service for analysis,
modeling and upgrading of observing systems and additional increases
for the National Environment Satellite, Data and Information Service
for the development of the Geostationary Operational Environmental
Satellite (GOES-R) and the National Polar-Orbiting Operational
Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS). Both satellite systems will
maintain a global view of the planet to continuously watch for
atmospheric triggers of severe weather conditions such as tornadoes,
flash floods, hailstorms, and hurricanes.

NIST
We applaud the President's request for a 22 percent increase in
research and related funding for NIST in fiscal 2009. Basic research at
NIST is conducted by Earth scientists and geotechnical engineers and
used by Earth scientists, geotechnical engineers and many others on a
daily basis. In particular, we strongly support increases for
Measurements and Standards for the Climate Change Science Program ($5
million), Disaster Resilient Structures and Communities ($4 million)
and the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) ($3.3
million). The climate change research will improve the accuracy of
climate change measurements, may reduce satellite costs and may help to
guide climate change policy. The hazards research will help to reduce
the estimated average of $52 billion in annual losses caused by floods,
fires and earthquakes. NIST is the lead agency for NEHRP, but has
received only a small portion of authorized and essential funding in
the past. AGI strongly supports a doubling of the NIST budget over 5 to
7 years as authorized in the America COMPETES Act of 2007, so that core
research functions at NIST are maintained, while needed funding for
climate change and hazards are protected.

NASA
AGI supports the vital Earth observing programs within NASA.
Currently the topography of Mars has been measured at a more
comprehensive and higher resolution than Earth's surface. While AGI is
excited about space exploration and the President's Vision for
Exploration, we firmly believe that NASA's Earth observing program is
effective and essential to solving global to regional puzzles about
Earth systems, such as how much and at what rate is the climate
changing. AGI strongly supports the requested increase for Earth
Science and Planetary Science programs within the Science Mission
Directorate.
The Science Mission Directorate, which includes Earth Science,
Planetary Science, Astrophysics and Heliophysics, would receive $4.441
billion in the fiscal year 2009 proposal, a decline of 6 percent or
$265 million compared to fiscal year 2008 enacted levels. The
President's fiscal year 2009 budget request would provide $1.3675
billion for NASA's Earth Science program, a 6.8 percent increase over
the fiscal year 2008 appropriation to continue with current missions
and begin development of new missions. AGI is very grateful to see an
increase for Earth science. Unfortunately, about $570 million of the
increase created for the decadal survey missions is funded through the
transfer of funding from other science divisions, resulting in
reductions in the Mars Exploration Program, a delay to the Solar Probe
mission and other programmatic cuts. In addition the funding outlook
does not come close to meeting the $500 million annual increase
recommended by the National Academies decadal survey report to bring
the program back to its fiscal year 2000 funding level and enable the
decadal recommendations.
AGI asks for a budget of $4.869 billion for the Science Mission
Directorate at NASA or an increase of about $428 million over the
President's request. The increase would eliminate the $265 million
deficit compared to fiscal year 2008 enacted budget for the Science
Mission Directorate in the President's proposal and would include an
additional $163 million for the Earth Science program (for a total of
$1.530 billion in fiscal year 2009). This would bring the Earth Science
program up to an increase of $250 million about half of what is needed
to meet the priorities of the decadal survey, but enough to keep key
missions on track under tight fiscal constraints. We strongly urge the
Subcommittee to return spending levels for Earth science within NASA to
fiscal year 2000 levels (eliminating a 30 percent cut over the past 6
years) and implement the priorities of the National Academies Earth
Science and Applications from Space Decadal Survey.
I appreciate this opportunity to provide testimony to the
Subcommittee and would be pleased to answer any questions or to provide
additional information for the record. I can be reached at 703-379-2480
ext. 228 (voice), 703-379-7563 (fax), [email protected], or 4220 King
Street, Alexandria VA 22302-1502.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Museum of Natural History

Overview
Recognizing its potential to support NASA in its goals to pioneer
the future in space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics
research; to develop a balanced overall program of science,
exploration, and aeronautics; and to establish new and innovative
programs to enhance understanding of our Earth, other planets,
asteroids, and comets in our solar system, as well as the search for
life around other stars, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH)
seeks $3.5 million to advance its successful multi-year collaboration
with NASA to contribute its unique science, education, and
technological capacity to helping the Agency to meet these goals.
About the American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is one of the
nation's preeminent institutions for scientific research and public
education. Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has pursued its joint
mission of science and public education. It is renowned for its
exhibitions and collections of more than 32 million natural specimens
and cultural artifacts. With some 4 million annual on-site visitors--
approximately half of them children--it is one of the largest, fastest
growing, and most diverse museums in the country. Museum scientists
conduct groundbreaking research in fields ranging from all branches of
zoology, comparative genomics, and informatics to Earth science,
biodiversity conservation, and astrophysics. Their work forms the basis
for all the Museum's activities that seek to explain complex issues and
help people to understand the events and processes that created and
continue to shape the Earth, life and civilization on this planet, and
the universe beyond.

The American Museum--NASA Partnership
NASA and the AMNH for many years engaged in a partnership founded
on a joint commitment to cutting-edge research and the integration of
that research into unique educational tools and resources. The AMNH has
worked with the Agency to develop innovative technologies and resources
that provide an unparalleled platform for interpreting, displaying, and
distributing NASA content to audiences nationwide.
--The Museum has built a set of singular national resources that
bring cutting-edge science and integrated NASA content to total
audiences of more than 16 million in New York City, across the
country, and around the world. In the New York area alone, the
Museum reaches nearly four million annual visitors, including
more than 450,000 children in school groups and more than 5,000
teachers, with millions visiting online.
--We have created Science Bulletins--technologically innovative,
immersive multimedia science encounters, presenting space,
Earth, and life science news and discoveries in visually
stunning feature documentaries, data visualizations, and weekly
updates.
--We have launched a successful program to disseminate project
resources to informal learning venues nationally and
internationally, with Science Bulletins already on view in 40
locations across the country (including eight NASA visitor
centers), with more being added.
--The Museum has made numerous technological breakthroughs--it has
established leadership in science visualization and high
resolution renderings of massive data sets; it has converted
its Space Shows to digital format, making the AMNH the only
full planetarium dome content provider that crosses all major
platforms; it has pioneered a unique online distribution
network that each week streams new science content in HD MPEG2
encodes to partners across North America and most recently, has
simplified the technical requirements of the network, including
new server and/or lower bandwidth for downloading, so that
content is more accessible to more venues.
--AMNH routinely hosts major events celebrating NASA's mission
highlights and milestones. Recent events have included live,
large-scale events of broadcasts of the New Horizons launch,
Stardust sample return, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter arrival
at Mars.
--The Museum's educational mission is fueled by and reflects cutting-
edge science, including the work of our scientists in
collaboration with NASA centers and researchers.
Building on this foundation, the Museum seeks in fiscal year 2009
to advance the AMNH-NASA collaboration--with a particular focus on
scaling up to reach even larger audiences--with a program for
communicating current science content, and content about NASA science
and missions in particular, to diverse national audiences. The Museum's
activities will include the development of current NASA science
education resources, such as Science Bulletins, and continuing to scale
up their national distribution for presentation in public spaces and
for classroom use.
Science Bulletins (SB) is a nationally distributed, multimedia
science exhibition program targeted to informal learning settings. It
presents cutting-edge research and discoveries in visually compelling
feature documentaries and updates in flexible, large-screen, high-
definition video and interactive kiosk versions, as well as in a free
online version adapted for classroom use. Our SB program for the
following year includes expanding dissemination significantly,
developing new visualization methods for use in the development and
distribution of SB, and reaching out in diverse ways to the formal
education sector to maximize access to the Science Bulletins at the K-
12 level.
Museum activities for the next year also include R&D on new
techniques for visualizing massive space science data sets, creating
visualization tools for presenting NASA missions and other dynamic
science stories, and for advancing innovative solutions to technical
challenges in presenting digital planetarium shows. AMNH will conduct
extensive internal and external evaluation of this program's
activities.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Museum of Natural History

Overview
Recognizing its potential to support NOAA in its goals to
understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment; to conserve
and manage coastal and marine resources; and to protect, restore, and
manage the use of coastal and ocean resources to meet our Nation's
economic, social, and environmental needs, the American Museum of
Natural History (AMNH) seeks $2 million to advance a partnership with
the agency to promote the environmental education, outreach, and
research so pivotal to the health of our nation and our planet.

About the American Museum of Natural History
The AMNH is one of the nation's preeminent institutions for
scientific research and public education. Since its founding in 1869,
the Museum has pursued its mission to ``discover, interpret, and
disseminate--through scientific research and education--knowledge about
human cultures, the natural world, and the universe.'' It is renowned
for its exhibitions and collections of more than 32 million natural
specimens and cultural artifacts. With nearly four million annual
visitors, its audience is one of the largest, fastest growing, and most
diverse of any museum in the country. Museum scientists conduct
groundbreaking research in fields ranging from zoology, comparative
genomics, and informatics to Earth, space, and environmental sciences
and biodiversity conservation. Their work forms the basis for all the
Museum's activities that seek to explain complex issues and help people
to understand the events and processes that created and continue to
shape the Earth, life and civilization on this planet, and the universe
beyond.
The Museum's Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, founded in
1993, is dedicated to enhancing the use of scientific data to mitigate
threats to global biodiversity, and to integrating this information
into the conservation process and disseminating it widely. It conducts
conservation-related field projects around the world, trains
scientists, organizes scientific symposia, presents public programs,
and produces publications geared toward scientists, policy makers, and
the lay public. Each spring, the CBC hosts symposia that focus on
conservation issues. The 2007 symposium, Small Matters: Microbes and
Their Role in Conservation, brought together a diverse group of
microbiologists and conservation biologists to explore broad questions
of the planet's microbial diversity and how conservation practices take
microbial life into account. The 2008 symposium, Sustaining Cultural
and Biological Diversity in a Rapidly Changing World: Lessons for
Global Policy will seek to bridge gaps, address challenges and
opportunities, and help to forge a long-term multi-dimensional vision
for sustaining biological and cultural diversity.
The Museum's renovated Hall of Ocean Life, reopened in spring 2003,
is a major focal point for public education on marine science issues.
Drawing on the Museum's world-renowned expertise in Ichthyology as well
as other areas of Vertebrate as well as Invertebrate Zoology, the Hall
is pivotal in educating visitors about the oceans' key role in
sustaining life on our planet. The renovated Hall of Ocean Life,
together with the new Halls of Biodiversity, Planet Earth, and the
Universe and the rebuilt Hayden Planetarium (part of the new Rose
Center for Earth and Space) provide visitors with a seamless
educational journey from the universe's beginnings to the formation and
processes of Earth to the extraordinary diversity of life on our
planet.

Common Goals of NOAA and AMNH
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is
committed to understanding and predicting changes in the Earth's
environment and to conserving and managing coastal and marine resources
to meet the nation's needs. NOAA's Education Plan outlines a broad
vision for reaching various audiences to build awareness and knowledge
of issues related to the world's atmosphere, climate, oceans, and
coastal ecosystems. Addressing the needs of teachers, students, and
policy makers as well as the general public, the agency's goals include
enhancing environmental literacy and knowledge, application of NOAA
science, and development of a capable and diverse workforce for
environmental science.
The American Museum of Natural History shares NOAA's commitment to
these environmental goals and to the scientific research and public
education that support them. Since its founding in 1869, the American
Museum has pursued its mission of scientific investigation and public
education. Its exhibitions and collections serve as a field guide to
the entire planet and present a panorama of the world's cultures.
Museum collections of some 32 million specimens and cultural artifacts
provide an irreplaceable record of life. More than 200 Museum
scientists conduct groundbreaking research in fields as diverse as
systematic and conservation biology, astrophysics, and Earth and
biodiversity sciences. The work of scientific staff fuels exhibitions
and educational programming that reach annually an on-site audience of
nearly four million visitors--nearly half of them children.

Environmental Literacy Initiative
In fiscal year 2004, as a result of Congressional leadership, the
Museum entered into a partnership with NOAA that launched a multi-year
marine science and education initiative. Support for this initiative,
which encompassed a broad range of education and research activities
closely aligned with NOAA goals and purposes, was continued in fiscal
year 2005 (and recommended in the fiscal year 2007 Senate report), and
further leveraged by Museum scientists who successfully secured
competitive NOAA education and research funding.
Building upon this strong foundation, and in concert with the
strategic priorities of NOAA and the Museum, we seek $2 million in
fiscal year 2009 to join with NOAA in education, outreach, and research
activities that promote environmental literacy, particularly concerning
climate. Over a one-year period, the Museum will seek to advance the
nation's climate literacy by carrying out a rich agenda of public
education and outreach activities, many in conjunction with a major
national exhibition on climate change. These activities will include
presenting current climate-related issues and news in the Museum's
nationally distributed Science Bulletins program; developing advanced
visualization tools and techniques for presenting environmental data to
the public in varied formats; developing on-site and online
professional development offerings, exchanges, and resources for
teachers, children, families, and students; presenting programs for the
general public; and carrying out research that advances conservation of
marine ecosystems systems.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Physiological Society

The American Physiological Society (APS) thanks the Subcommittee
for its commitment to scientific research at the National Science
Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA). Scientific research plays an important role in technological
innovation and economic development and therefore is critical to the
future of our nation. The APS recognizes that the NSF has benefited
from recent budget increases, but is disappointed that the agency has
fallen behind the budget levels endorsed by Congress and the
Administration in the America COMPETES Act passed in 2007. The APS
recommends that the NSF be funded at the authorized level of $7.33
billion in fiscal year 2009, which will keep the agency on track to
double its budget over the next several years. While the overall budget
for NASA continues to grow, the APS remains concerned about the lack of
consistent funding for research into the effects of spaceflight on
humans. The APS recommends that funding for NASA's Human Research
Program (HRP) be reinvigorated with increased funds in fiscal year
2009.
The APS is a professional society dedicated to fostering research
and education as well as the dissemination of scientific knowledge
concerning how the organs and systems of the body work. The Society was
founded in 1887 and now has more than 10,000 members who do research
and teach at public and private research institutions across the
country, including colleges, universities, medical and veterinary
schools. Many of our members conduct physiology research that is
supported by funds allocated through the NSF and NASA. In this
testimony, the APS offers its recommendations for fiscal year 2009
funding for both agencies.

NSF
The basic science initiatives funded by the NSF are driven by the
most fundamental principles of scientific inquiry. Although at times
NSF-funded research may seem to be exploring questions that lack
immediate practical application, we have learned again and again that
the relevance of the knowledge gained becomes apparent over time. The
NSF provides support for approximately 20 percent of federally funded
basic science and is the major source of support for non-medical
biology research, including integrative, comparative, and evolutionary
biology, as well as interdisciplinary biological research.
The majority of the funding NSF provides is awarded through
competitive, merit-based peer review, which ensures that the best
possible projects are supported. NSF has an excellent record of
accomplishment in terms of funding research endeavors that have
produced results with far-reaching potential. Listed below are just a
few of NSF's most recent advances in biological research.\1\
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\1\ Research examples from http://www.nsf.gov, accessed March 18,
2008.
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--Scientists have developed computational methods to catalog genes
involved in memory and learning.
--Research into the molecular characteristics of degenerative
neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and the
human version of Mad Cow disease has revealed similar molecular
pathology underlying all three diseases.
--Novel imaging techniques have been developed that could aid in the
earlier diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, a disease that is
especially deadly due to delayed detection.
--Studies of abnormally developed frogs led to the discovery that
nutrient runoff from agriculture fuels parasitic infections
that lead to developmental deformities in amphibians.
--Researchers studying flatworms (planaria) found that the
connections between cells play a role in regulating how adult
stem cells contribute to injury repair.
In addition to funding innovative research in labs around the
country, the NSF also fosters the next generation of scientists through
education programs. The APS has benefited from this support which
allows us to provide training opportunities and career development
activities to enhance the participation of underrepresented minorities
in science. The APS was recognized for its efforts in 2003 with a
Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and
Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM), funding for which was provided by NSF
and was reinvested in our education programs. We believe that NSF is
uniquely suited to administer science education programs of the highest
quality, and we recommend that Congress continue to provide federal
funds for science education through the NSF.
Passage of the America COMPETES Act showed that Congress is
committed to fostering the NSF not only through increased
appropriations, but also through explicit support for the agency's
respected education programs. We thank Congress for the passage of the
America COMPETES Act and join the Federation of American Societies for
Experimental Biology (FASEB) in recommending that the NSF be funded at
the full authorized level of $7.33 billion in fiscal year 2009.

NASA
The Human Research Program (HRP) at NASA conducts research and
develops countermeasures with the goal of enabling safe and productive
human space exploration. During prolonged space flight, the
physiological changes that occur due to microgravity, increased
exposure to radiation, confined living quarters, and alterations in
eating and sleeping patterns can lead to health problems and reduced
ability to perform tasks. APS scientists are actively engaged in
research that explores the physiological basis of these problems, with
the goal of contributing to the development of countermeasures.
Given NASA's current focus on manned space exploration, it is
critical that resources be devoted to research into the health effects
of prolonged space flight. NASA is the only agency whose mission
includes addressing the biomedical challenges of manned space
exploration. Over the years, the amount of money available for
conducting this kind of research at NASA has dwindled, and this year
the budget request for the Human Research Program stands at only $151.9
million. The cuts are especially troubling given the Administration's
commitment to returning humans to space. NASA and the National
Institutes of Health signed a memorandum of understanding in 2007 that
provides a framework for the two agencies to work together and move
health research forward. While the agreement does not involve any
funding obligations, we are hopeful that the agencies will develop
plans to take advantage of the opportunities for collaboration. The APS
joins FASEB in applauding Congress' call in the fiscal year 2008
Omnibus bill for NASA to ``establish and ongoing relationship'' with
the National Academies for the purpose of ``independent project
review.'' Independent review will help ensure that resources are
appropriately directed towards critical research programs.
The APS urges Congress and NASA to increase support for peer-
reviewed research into the health risks of long-term space flight and
development of appropriate countermeasures at a rate that meets or
exceeds the biomedical research and development price index (BRDPI).
______

Prepared Statement of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science
Society of America, Soil Science Society of America

The American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America,
Soil Science Society of America (ASA-CSSA-SSSA) are pleased to submit
the following funding recommendations for fiscal year 2009. ASA/CSSA/
SSSA understand the challenges the Senate Commerce, Justice, Science,
and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee faces with the tight
agriculture budget for fiscal year 2009. We also recognize that the
Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill has many valuable
and necessary components, and we applaud the efforts of the
Subcommittee to fund mission-critical research through the National
Science Foundation.
With more than 25,000 members and practicing professionals, ASA-
CSSA-SSSA are the largest life science professional societies in the
United States dedicated to the agronomic, crop and soil sciences. ASA-
CSSA-SSSA play a major role in promoting progress in these sciences
through the publication of quality journals and books, convening
meetings and workshops, developing educational, training, and public
information programs, providing scientific advice to inform public
policy, and promoting ethical conduct among practitioners of agronomy
and crop and soil sciences.

Biological Sciences Directorate
Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB)
The Molecular and Cellular Biosciences division of NSF Biology
directorate provides funding for critical research that contributes to
the fundamental understanding of life processes at the molecular,
subcellular, and cellular levels. Programs such as the Microbial
Observatories increase the understanding of microbial distribution in a
variety of ecosystems--the first step in evaluating microbial impact on
ecosystem function. ASA-CSSA-SSSA support the proposed increase for MCB
to $126 million, yet, disagree with the proposed change in priorities.
Historically, the division focused on understanding living networks and
complex molecular and cellular systems, microbial biology, and
fundamental plant biology research. However, priorities for fiscal year
2009 focus on metagenomics, theoretical and mathematical modeling,
synthetic biology, small RNA biology, and the role of intracellular
environment on the dynamic structure and function of complex
biomolecules. We agree that considerable advances investigating
interactions between microbial communities and plants have been made,
however critical gaps do remain requiring additional study to
understand the complex, dynamic relationships existing between plant
and microbial communities.

Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS)
The emergence of a bioeconomy requires greater reliance on plants
and crops, further expanding their use into the energy sector. To meet
the increased demands and develop more robust crops, additional
fundamental understanding regarding the basic biology of these crops is
needed. The Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP) accomplishes these
objectives by supporting key NSF projects. The Developing Country
Collaborations in Plant Genome Research program links U.S. researchers
with partners from developing countries to solve problems of mutual
interest in agriculture and energy and the environment. Additionally,
in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, the Plant Genome Research Program has
financed the Maize Genome Sequencing Project--a sequencing project for
one of the most important crop grown globally. Finally, the
International Rice Genome Sequencing Project, published in 2005 the
finished DNA blueprint for rice, a crop fundamental to populations
worldwide. To continue the discovery of new innovative ways to enhance
crop production for a growing population, sustained funding is needed
for similar projects. It is therefore critical the fiscal year 2009
decision to transfer the Plant Genome Research Program to IOS does not
adversely impact PGRP. ASA-CSSA-SSSA are concerned that dedicated
funding for the Plant Genome Research Program may be directed towards
other programs, such as the Arabadopsis 2010 Program. ASA-CSSA-SSSA
recommend that the Plant Genome Research Program continue to receive
the funding intended for it. To ensure adequate funding for all of the
programs under IOS, we recommend that it receive an overall 10 percent
increase to $220.86 million.

Emerging Frontiers (EF)
The Emerging Frontiers division supports multidisciplinary research
opportunities and networking activities whereby new initiatives will be
fostered and subsequently integrated into core programs. The Plant
Science Cyberinfrastructure Collaborative is a critical program funded
under EF. Established in fiscal year 2008, this center establishes
multi-disciplinary teams of computational science experts and plant
science experts to address evolving critical questions in plant
science. ASA-CSSA-SSSA offer full support for the President's proposed
$2.48 million increase (37.4 percent) over fiscal year 2008 funding
levels for the Plant Science Cyberinfrastructure Collaborative.
Geological Sciences Directorate

Atmospheric Sciences (ATM)
Changes in terrestrial systems will have great impact on
biogeochemical cycling rates. The Atmospheric Sciences division funds
critical programs, such as Atmospheric Chemistry, that increase
understanding of biogeochemical cycles. Soils and plants make up one of
the largest sinks and sources for several environmentally important
elements. ASA-CSSA-SSSA support the President's proposed 13.6 percent
increase in funding for the Atmospheric Science division to $260.58
million.

Earth Sciences (EAR)
The Earth Sciences division supports research emphasizing improved
understanding of the structure, composition, and evolution of the
Earth, the life it supports, and the processes that govern the
formation behavior of the Earth's materials. Fiscal year 2009
priorities will support theoretical research, including the biological
geosciences, the hydrologic sciences, and the study of natural hazards.
Important programs funded within this division are the Critical Zone
Observatories, which focus on watershed scale studies that advance
understanding of the integration and coupling of Earth surface
processes as mediated by the presence and flux of fresh water. ASA-
CSSA-SSSA support the $750,000 increase to this project.

Engineering Directorate
Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport
Systems (CBET)
CBET supports research that enhances the protection of U.S.
national health, energy, environment, security, and wealth. CBET
supports programs, such as the Biotechnology, Biochemical, and Biomass
Engineering, which offer critical solutions to global environmental
problems associated with climate change. The continual funding of the
Biotechnology, Biochemical, and Biomass Engineering program is
essential if we are to develop genetically engineered biofuel
feedstocks that are more feasible for conversion into biofuels. ASA-
CSSA-SSSA agree with the President's recommend $42.34 million increase
for CBET to $173.34 million in fiscal year 2009.

Directorate for Education and Human Resources
Division of Graduate Education
ASA-CSSA-SSSA are dedicated to the enhancement of education, and
concerned about recent declines in enrollment for these sciences. To
remain competitive, scientific fields need to find new, innovative ways
to reach students. The programs offered in the Education and Human
Resource Directorate accomplish this goal. The Graduate Teaching
Fellows in K-12 Education offers graduate students interested in
teaching, an opportunity to get into the classroom and teach utilizing
new innovative ways of teaching the material. ASA-CSSA-SSSA support the
$2 million increase to $49 million in the President's budget for this
program, but request a 10 percent increase over fiscal year 2008
funding levels to $51.7 million. Graduate students are the next crop of
scientists, therefore opportunities for study must be increased with
increasing demands of science. Global problems rely on scientific
discovery for their amelioration; therefore it is critical that the
United States continue to be a leader in graduate education. The ASA-
CSSA-SSSA recommend an increase to the Integrative Graduate Education
and Research Traineeships (IGERT) from no change from fiscal year 2008
to an increased level of $30 million (20 percent increase) in fiscal
year 2009. Education is the key for our future competitiveness;
therefore it is essential increases in education funding remain on par
with goals set forth by ACI, so ASA-CSSA-SSSA recommend an overall
increase of 15 percent in fiscal year 2009 over fiscal year 2008 to
$832.44 million.

Division of Undergraduate Education
Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program focuses on the
education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our
nation's economy. We support continued funding for this program. ASA-
CSSA-SSSA recommend that this program receive a 20 percent increase
over fiscal year 2008 to $62 million in fiscal year 2009.
NSF-Wide Programs

Dynamics of Water Processes in the Environment
Providing an adequate supply and quantity of water for human use,
while maintaining the integrity of natural ecosystems, is one of the
greatest challenges facing the country. ASA-CSSA-SSSA support the
creation of the multi-disciplinary, multi-scale research program,
Dynamics of Water Processes in the Environment with $10 million in
fiscal year 2009.

Climate Change Science Program
The Climate Change Science Program, initiated in 2002, provides the
Nation and the world with the science-based knowledge to predict,
change, manage risk, and take advantage of opportunities resulting from
climate change and climate variability. Biological systems are critical
to mitigating the impacts and effects of climate change. Additional
research is needed to examine potential crop systems, plant traits,
wetland properties, and other ecosystem adaptations to help manage
climate change. The basic sciences of agro-ecosystems, plant
improvement, soils, and riparian and wetland ecology need support.
Therefore while ASA-CSSSA-SSSSA maintain the importance of the
President's proposed increase to CCSP funding to $220.6 million in
fiscal year 2009; however additional funding is needed for the
Biological Sciences. Therefore, ASA-CSSSA-SSSA recommend a 10 percent
increase in the current funding level from BIO to $16.6 million.
As you lead the Congress in deliberation on funding levels for the
National Science Foundation, please consider American Society of
Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of
America as supportive resources. We hope you will call on our
membership and scientific expertise whenever the need arises.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of our requests. For
additional information or to learn more about the American Society of
Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of
America (ASA-CSSA-SSSA), please visit www.agronomy.org, www.crops.org
or www.soils.org or contact ASA-CSSA-SSSA Director of Science Policy
Karl Glasener ([email protected], [email protected], or
[email protected]).
______

Prepared Statement of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Task Force of ASME's
Technical Communities is pleased to provide comments on the NSF fiscal
year 2009 budget request, in support of this year's proposed funding
level of $6.85 billion for the NSF. Founded in 1880 as the American
Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a worldwide engineering
society of over 127,000 members focused on technical, educational and
research issues. It conducts one of the world's largest technical
publishing operations, holds approximately 30 technical conferences and
200 professional development courses each year, and sets many industry
and manufacturing standards.

NSF Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Request Overview
With its commitment to broad-based, cross-cutting programs that
advance the boundaries of science and engineering, the NSF is essential
in guiding the nation's non-defense-related research and education. As
recognized by the Administration and Congress, in order for the United
States to remain competitive in the integrated global marketplace, the
nation must ``support and promote innovation research in the United
States through high-risk, high-reward projects that meet fundamental
scientific and technological challenges.'' To implement this vision,
the America COMPETES Act, which was signed into law in August 2007,
includes the NSF as one of three key federal science and engineering
agencies targeted for budget doubling over 10 years. To this end, ASME
strongly endorses the NSF's investments in the requisite acquisition of
new knowledge and in the development of talent whereby transformative
research is supported and a world-class science and engineering
workforce is built, inciting innovation, encouraging economic growth,
addressing critical national needs, and establishing our nation's role
as a global leader.
The total fiscal year 2009 NSF budget request is $6.85 billion
representing an $882 million or 13.6 percent increase over the fiscal
year 2008 estimate of $6.03 billion. It is worth noting that the
original fiscal year 2008 request was $6.43 billion, which was reduced
to $6.03 billion (representing only a 2 percent increase over fiscal
year 2007) in the final fiscal year 2008 omnibus spending measure.
Thus, after setbacks in fiscal year 2007 and fiscal year 2008, the
present budget request places NSF back on the path of budget doubling
set forth in the President's American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI)
and the America COMPETES Act.
Research and Related Activities (RRA) comprises the dominant
portion of the total NSF request at $5.6 million, representing a 16
percent increase over the fiscal year 2008 estimate of $4.8 million.
After flat funding in fiscal year 2008, all of NSF's research
directorates would receive considerable increases in fiscal year 2009,
recovering from post-2004 NSF budget cuts to reach all-time highs in
inflation-adjusted dollars. Funding for the Engineering Directorate
(ENG) would increase by 19.2 percent over the current year estimate to
$759 million, of which $127 million is budgeted (through mandate) for
the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business
Technology Transfer (STTR) programs that ENG administers for all of
NSF.
ENG consists of the following disciplinary-area divisions:
Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET),
up 32.3 percent to $173 million; Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing
Innovation (CMMI), up 26.3 percent to $202 million; Electrical,
Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS), up 13 percent to $94 million;
Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP), up 15.8 percent to $141
million; Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI), up 16
percent to $29 million; and Engineering Education and Centers (EEC), up
3.4 percent to $120 million.
A portion of the ENG budget (allocated from the constituent
divisions) will continue to support research and education efforts
related to broad, Foundation-wide investments in a number of areas,
including the Administration's interagency R&D priorities. Under ENG,
three new priority areas are funded in fiscal year 2009, i.e. Adaptive
Systems Technology ($3.49 million), Dynamics of Water Processes in the
Environment ($0.53 million), and Science and Engineering Beyond Moore's
Law ($4 million). The following continuing areas also receive
increases: National Nanotechnology Initiative (up 2.2 percent to $140
million), Cyberinfrastructure (up 7.1 percent to $60 million), and
Networking and Information Technology R&D (up 45.9 percent to $28
million--$16.8 million of which is Cyber-enabled Discovery and
Innovation). Climate Change Science Program ($1 million) funding
remains level, and the Human and Social Dynamics initiative concluded
in fiscal year 2008, with funds returning to core programs for
continued support.

The ASME NSF Task Force Position
Affirmation and Endorsement
The ASME NSF Task Force maintains its high endorsement of NSF's
crucial role in directing the fundamental research and education that
keeps America at the leading edge of science, engineering, and
technology. NSF has an outstanding record of supporting a broad range
of high-quality research, from ``curiosity-driven'' science to targeted
initiatives. This achievement has been made possible only through
strict adherence to the independent peer review process for merit-based
awards. ASME recognizes the significance and relevance of NSF's
investment areas that address major national needs for the 21st
century. The increases proposed under the America COMPETES Act would
allow NSF to properly sustain and expand these efforts and commitments,
honing the nation's competitive edge.
The fiscal year 2009 budget request represents a 13.6 percent
increase over the fiscal year 2008 estimate. Over three-quarters of the
total $882 million increase for NSF is in R&D funding, totaling $5.6
billion, a gain of $772 million or 16 percent over the fiscal year 2008
estimate. After flat funding in fiscal year 2008, this request would
bring R&D investment to an all-time high in inflation-adjusted dollars,
allowing the research directorates to recover from the budget cuts that
occurred after 2004. In a competitive, multifaceted, and ever-changing
global setting, adequate investment in basic science and engineering
research, that involves both established and emerging areas, is
essential in recognizing and nurturing innovation, in preparing the
next generation of scientific talent and leaders, and in producing the
products, processes, and services that improve health, living
conditions, environmental quality, energy conservation, and national
security for all Americans.
Overall, the Task Force also supports and commends activities
within ENG. NSF's vision of ``advancing discovery, innovation, and
education beyond the frontiers of current knowledge'' is exemplified
within ENG. It is important to recognize that it is through such
fundamental science and engineering research by which next generation
technologies are frequently engendered. Examples of successes emerging
from ENG include the fabrication of nanowires for optical applications,
presenting the potential to miniaturize microphotonic devices and
transform telecommunications. ENG's SBIR program has developed
lightweight, flexible, low-cost, and more efficient solar cells--
plastic reels coated with layers of dye-sensitized titania
nanoparticles, enabling capture of larger portions of the visible
spectrum and absorption of more energy. ENG has also funded pioneering
work on embedding transistors into microcantilevers, where deflections
resulting from the binding of target molecules in a specific
environment, create measurable changes in drain current of the
transistor. This technique allows for a unique sensor system that could
potentially detect the presence of heart disease from a person's drop
of blood or detect the presence of chemicals used for explosives.
NSF leads the U.S. nanotechnology research effort, and ENG is the
focal point within NSF for this key national research endeavor. ASME
has strongly supported the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)
since its inception as an NSF investment area in fiscal year 2000.
Increased funding amounts are requested for research at the fundamental
level, as well as in environmental, health, and safety aspects. Within
the total NSF-wide investment for NNI, ENG's contribution will increase
by $3 million to a total of $140 million.
Finally, ASME continues to support NSF's vision to ``empower future
generations in science and engineering.'' In coordination with the
Department of Education, NSF will continue funding for the Math and
Science Partnership program (at $51 million), aimed at improving K-12
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and
teaching. Funding for the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER)
awards, which support exceptionally promising college and university
junior faculty who are most likely to become the academic leaders of
the 21st century, will increase $14.2 million to $181.9 million. The
fiscal year 2009 request provides $245.9 million for NSF's three
flagship graduate fellowship and traineeship programs: $124.8 million
for the Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) program, $63.8 million for
the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT)
Program, and $57.3 million for the Graduate Teaching Fellowships in K-
12 Education (GK-12) program. This funding will enable NSF to support
an estimated 5,450 graduate students. NSF supports the Research
Experiences for Undergraduates program (REU) at $61.6 million, and the
Research Experiences for Teachers program (RET) at $9.7 million. NSF
continues to broaden participation in science and engineering, with
support totaling $674.4 million. This includes efforts to reach all
states and regions, e.g. the Experimental Program to Stimulate
Competitive Research (EPSCoR), which increases to $113.5 million, as
well as efforts that focus on underrepresented groups.

Questions and Concerns
ASME's key questions and concerns arising from the fiscal year 2009
budget request center on: the need to fund NSF at the appropriate level
as specified in the America COMPETES Act; a more even funding
distribution for ENG with respect to other Directorates within NSF; a
balance between manufacturing and services R&D within ENG; and
increased funding for non-priority-area core disciplinary research
within ENG.
NSF is the only federal agency mandated ``to strengthen the health
and vitality of U.S. science and engineering and support fundamental
research and education in all scientific and engineering disciplines.''
While comprising only 4 percent of the total federal budget for R&D,
NSF provides 45 percent of the federal support given to academic
institutions for non-medical basic research. Moreover, while NSF does
not directly support medical research, its investments do provide the
technologies in diagnosis, medicine, manufacturing pharmaceuticals, and
drug delivery that are essential for the medical sciences and related
industries. Given recent budget cuts at the appropriations stage, the
ASME NSF Task Force believes that NSF is severely under funded, with
the immediate and future welfare of our nation at stake.
Recognizing the urgency in preserving the nation's past success in
leading-edge discovery and innovation, Congress and the Administration
enacted the America COMPETES Act in August of 2007, laying out a bold
path toward revitalizing basic research in the physical sciences and
engineering. Beginning with the release of the National Academies'
report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm, the America COMPETES Act was
the culmination of a growing consensus among policy makers, engineers,
and scientists that substantial national efforts related to R&D funding
in the physical sciences and engineering are needed to preserve the
nation's competitiveness. The America COMPETES Act was a bipartisan
bill supporting the doubling of funding over ten years at three key
federal science agencies (NSF, the Department of Energy's Office of
Science, and the Department of Commerce's National Institute of
Standards and Technology). However, despite an increase for NSF and the
other two agencies, the proposed fiscal year 2008 increase for NSF was
far from met in the final appropriation. As a result, the ASME NSF task
force urges Congress to recommit to the ideals of the America COMPETES
Act, and to fund NSF at the level of the fiscal year 2009 President's
request, i.e. $6.85 billion, which is commensurate with the intended
doubling plan.
ENG is the single largest source of federal funding for university-
based, fundamental engineering research--providing 40 percent of the
total federal support in this area. However, ENG (less SBIR/STTR) is
still only fifth in total funding (at $632 million) of the six
Directorates within NSF, despite receiving the second largest
percentage increase of the Directorates at 19.6 percent and matching
CISE for the second largest total amount increase at $104 million. At
the same time, ENG supports 23 percent of the total NSF REUs, which
give U.S. undergraduates research experience to encourage them to
pursue doctoral studies. ENG also supports over 50 percent of the total
NSF RETs, which give K-12 teachers and community college faculty
research experience so that they can extend their experience into
classrooms. It's important to note that ENG supports these two
activities at the highest percentages among the Directorates within
NSF. Our Nation's long-standing global prominence in technological
innovation may be at risk, if such investments in basic engineering
research and education are constrained by lack of federal funding in
engineering.
Driving new innovation, knowledge-intensive industries comprising
both services and manufacturing are critical in surviving in the
worldwide economy. However, since 2002, the nation's decades-long
comparative advantage in the trade balance of high-technology products
has shifted from surplus to deficit. Of concern is the transformation
of the United States from a sustainable ``making products'' economy to
an unsustainable ``selling products'' economy. As found in a study by
the World Technology Evaluation Center, Inc. (WTEC) on American
Manufacturing, globalization of manufacturing and the low level of
government investment in manufacturing R&D have stripped the United
States of its position as the recognized leader in manufacturing
innovation and the commercialization of new technologies. Given the
need for local manufacturing for national security, wealth generation,
and quality of life (e.g. health care products compromised by unknown
sources), the portfolio balance of manufacturing versus services R&D
within ENG should be examined.
Encouragingly, the 16 percent growth in RRA allows for the support
of 1,370 additional research grants NSF-wide. For ENG, 454 additional
grants are anticipated, along with a funding-rate increase from 16-20
percent and a $2,000 increase in average annualized award size, for
unsolicited fundamental research proposals for individual investigators
and small group activities. Although we are moving in the right
direction, the total funding for non-priority-area core disciplinary
research (from which new priority areas and even new disciplines are
often conceived) within ENG should still be examined. Not counting the
SBIR/STTR program, the funding for investment priority-areas
constitutes over 40 percent of the budget request for ENG. The Task
Force does not advocate for the redistribution of monies from
investment priority-areas into non-priority core areas, but rather
significant increases for completely flexible core funds in order to
develop the creative and novel ideas that feed the comprehensive
fundamental Science, Engineering, and Technology knowledge base, which
serves as a foundation for this nation's greatness.

Closure
The ASME NSF Task Force urges Congress to support the
Administration's request at a minimum of $6.85 billion for fiscal year
2009, and enthusiastically commends the National Science Foundation's
leadership in projecting the nation's basic research and development
vision. We applaud Congress for its recent passage of the House budget
resolution, which includes significant increases that would bring NSF
into full compliance with the America COMPETES Act. A substantial
increase in the NSF's budget, by increasing both the number and size of
its awards, especially in core disciplinary research and education,
will enable the NSF to better position itself to fulfill its leadership
responsibility in directing the nation's research and development
activities. As Congress considers the fiscal year 2009 appropriations
bills, we hope that the aforementioned resolution is effected, ensuring
that the necessary basic R&D funding is secured for future U.S.
competitiveness in science and technology.
This testimony represents the considered judgment of the NSF Task
Force of ASME's Technical Communities and is not necessarily a position
of ASME as a whole.
______

Prepared Statement of Bell Incorporated

On behalf of Bell Incorporated, a global packaging manufacturer,
located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, I would like to thank the
Committee for allowing our organization to submit this testimony for
the record. I am writing to respectfully request that the Hollings
Manufacturing Extension Partnership program be provided the authorized
$122 million within the fiscal year 2009 Commerce, Justice, Science and
Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. This requested level of funding
for 2009 was provided for in the recently enacted America COMPETES Act.
As you know, the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is
a program within the Department of Commerce, National Institute of
Standards and Technology, a program authorized to improve
competitiveness of America's manufacturing community.
The MEP is one of the most successful partnerships in the country.
In addition to public support, a value proposition to improve
manufacturer's global competitiveness is supported by those companies
who receive benefit. In South Dakota, the Dakota MEP provides
assistance to companies in continuous improvement, innovation,
strategic growth, technology and workforce development--all major needs
of our companies. Several years ago, our company began our commitment
to continuous improvement with the assistance of Dakota MEP.
As a Dakota MEP Director, I would also like to report that the
average company benefits and impacts realized in the Dakota MEP
improvement work with manufacturers mirrors the national MEP average at
$1.4 million per engagement. These benefits have been realized by
manufacturers who've partnered with Dakota MEP over the past six years.
Manufacturing continues to diversify and grow the economies of the
Dakotas. It currently is 10 percent of the gross state product in North
Dakota and 11 percent in South Dakota. The industry has nearly 1,900
firms employing 69,000 in the Dakotas exporting over $2 billion.
Manufacturing brings new wealth to our country, our states and
communities which, in turn, generate other economic activity and
opportunities.
Manufacturing must remain one of our country's economic strengths
and the MEP is an invaluable program to help the industry better
compete. Without unwavering strong federal support, the MEP will be
unable to maintain its mission of serving America's small
manufacturers' increasing needs. At a time when our economic strength
and global competitiveness are national priorities, the MEP continues
to be a wise investment. We respectfully request that you appropriate
$122 million for the MEP in fiscal year 2009.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Association of State Universities
and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC)

On behalf of the NASULGC Board of Natural Resources (BNR), we thank
you for your support of science and research programs within the
National Science Foundation. As members of the scientific academic
community we encourage you to support an appropriation of at least
$6.85 billion for the National Science Foundation, including at least
$675 million for the Directorate of Biological Sciences (BIO). The
fiscal year 2008 enacted level for NSF is $6.07 billion. The
administration's fiscal year 2009 request is $6.85 billion for NSF and
$675 million for BIO. Furthermore, within BIO, we ask that you support
the President's budget request for the National Ecological Observatory
Network (NEON) at $26 million in fiscal year 2009.
While we are pleased that the NSF received an increase (3 percent)
in fiscal year 2008 over fiscal year 2007 enacted level, we are
concerned that when adjusted for inflation, the NSF is still receiving
less funding than in previous years. The BNR supports a 13 percent
increase for the NSF over the 2008 enacted level to keep it above the
level of inflation over the past several years and fulfill the promises
of the America COMPETES Act.
State universities and land-grant colleges truly welcome and are
excited by the passage of the America Competes Act and the renewed
national focus on scientific research and education. Education and
scientific research have served as the infrastructure and foundation
for much of Nation's economic and national security. We are also
extremely pleased with the administration's proposal to double funding
in the physical sciences at NSF over the next 10 years; however, we
feel that biological sciences are equally important to America's
competitiveness.
Better support for the BIO Division of Environmental Biology is a
very serious need. NSF's BIO support represents 63 percent of all
federal funding for basic research in environmental biology. Of the
non-medical aspects of the biological sciences, BIO is the dominant
federal supporter of basic research at academic institutions--providing
66 percent of all support. NSF's contribution to a broad array of the
biological sciences is critically important--particularly in such areas
as environmental biology and plant sciences.
If continued increased investments are not made in environmental
biology, the younger generation of ecological scientists at our
universities will be shut out of graduate study, and the contributions
they should be making to our improved understanding of the environment
will never happen. These young scientists need to be empowered to help
us recognize the value of our natural capital, better equipping us to
protect the America's long term economic and environmental interests.
Using the University of Alabama as one example out of many BIO-
supported universities, BIO's Division of Environmental Biology has
been the major source of funding that has supported research and
education associated with the Aquatic Biology Program and the Center
for Freshwater Studies for the past 15 years. The Ecosystem Science,
Ecological Biology, and the Systematic Biology and Inventories clusters
have been especially important in supporting individual investigator
and interdisciplinary, collaborative projects. These funded projects
have been instrumental in furthering our understanding of the important
Mobile River System, the largest river system that drains into the Gulf
of Mexico, east of the Mississippi River. Additionally, these projects
have also supported over 100 undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral
students at our institution.
Many recent graduate students that received support from the NSF
Division of Environmental Biology are already greatly contributing to
the field, especially in recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast. The
knowledge gained from their NSF funded projects is especially valuable
at a time when both coastal and inland areas along the Gulf coast are
increasingly being affected by major hurricanes such as Katrina and
Rita. An understanding of the roles of river floodplains and wetlands
in mediating major floods and storm surges is critical to effective
management and restoration of these environments.
Another program that deserves much support is the NSF-National
Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), which is envisioned as a
continental-scale research and infrastructure platform that will
provide unprecedented advances in ecological forecasting and
prediction. NEON will transform the way we conduct science by enabling
the integration of research and education from natural to human
systems, and from genomes to the biosphere. NEON will address many
issues critical to the nation's environmental and economic health,
including land use and climate change, invasive species, and hurricane
effects. We support the current NSF budget request for funding for NEON
in the Directorate for Biological Sciences (e.g., Division of
Biological Infrastructure and Emerging Frontiers).
Issues of national importance related to the environment, economy,
agriculture, and human welfare require an understanding of how living
organisms function and interact with nonliving systems. Advancing
fundamental scientific discovery in all aspects of life--from molecules
to whole ecosystems--is supported within NSF, where the ability to
integrate the range of biological sub-disciplines is unique.

About NASULGC
NASULGC is the nation's oldest higher education association.
Currently the association has over 200 member institutions--including
the historically black land-grant institutions--located in all fifty
states. The Association's overriding mission is to support high quality
public education through efforts that enhance the capacity of member
institutions to perform their traditional teaching, research, and
public service roles.

About the Board on Natural Resources
The Board's mission is to promote university-based programs dealing
with natural resources, fish and wildlife, ecology, minerals and
energy, and the environment. Most NASULGC institutions are represented
on the Board. Present membership exceeds 500 scientists and educators,
who are some of the nation's leading research and educational expertise
in environmental and natural-resource disciplines.
This testimony was developed for the BNR by the Chair of the BNR's
Ecology Section, Dr. Amy Ward, Professor of Biological Sciences,
University of Alabama.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Association of State Universities
and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC)

On behalf of the National Association of State Universities and
Land-Grant Colleges' Board on Oceans and Atmosphere, thank you for the
opportunity to provide recommendations for the fiscal year 2009 budgets
for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the
National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA), and the National
Science Foundation (NSF). All three agencies support research at our
member institutions that provides critical information to policymakers
and communities across the country. That is why we strongly recommend
$4.5 billion for NOAA; $380.6 million in the NASA Earth Science
Research Account; and $6.85 billion for NSF. Furthermore, within NOAA,
we recommend $471 million for the Ocean and Atmospheric Research (OAR),
including $72 million for the National Sea Grant Program; $930.7
million for the National Weather Service (NWS); $29.5 million for the
National Ocean Service (NOS) Ocean and Coastal Research Program and the
NOS Oceans and Human Health Initiative; $96 million for the Integrated
Ocean Observing Systems (IOOS); and $1.2 billion for the National
Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS). Within
NSF, we recommend $848.7 million for the Geosciences Directorate; $98
million for the Academic Research Fleet; and $244.74 million for the
Major Research Equipment & Facilities Construction account, including
$38 million for the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), and $31
million for the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) .

About the Board on Oceans and Atmosphere
The BOA's primary responsibility is to advance research and
education in the marine and atmospheric sciences through a federal
relations program. The board currently has approximately 200 regionally
distributed members, including some of the nation's most eminent
research scientists, chief executive officers of universities, marine
and atmospheric scientists, academic deans, and directors of Sea Grant
programs.

NOAA
In order to maintain our country's homeland security, scientific
leadership, and economic competitive edge, we must have a diverse
portfolio of federally supported science research and programs.
Consequently, we are concerned about the significant cuts made to NOAA
in fiscal year 2006, 2007, and 2008. The science-based work of NOAA
protects and impacts every American citizen, everyday. NOAA is the
third largest source of funds for academic marine research in the
federal government. As a member of the Friends of NOAA Coalition,

NASULGC strongly recommends $4.5 billion for NOAA in fiscal year 2009.
BOA recommends a portion of the $4.5 billion be used to support the
following programs:
$471 million for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), including
$72 million for the National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant). The
fiscal year 2008 enacted level is $380 million while the President's
fiscal year 2009 request is $382 million. The research conducted
through OAR and partnering universities helps us understand climate
variability, provide better protection for coastal resources,
contribute to our Nation's commerce, and support our transportation
systems. OAR supports such important programs as the Ocean Exploration,
the National Undersea Research Program, U.S. THORPEX medium-range
forecast improvement research program, transition research for new
operational forecast models, Climate Operations and Sea Grant.
For Sea Grant, the fiscal year 2008 enacted is $57.1 million while
the President's fiscal year 2009 request is $55 million. In constant
dollars, the program is at its lowest funding levels since its
inception four decades ago. Sea Grant is the flagship program between
NOAA and the academic community, supporting the work of 31 colleges
located in coastal and Great Lakes states and serving as the core of a
national network of more than 300 institutions involving more than
3,000 scientists, educators, students, and outreach experts.
BOA supports the President's request of $930.7 million for the
National Weather Service (NWS). The fiscal year 2008 enacted is $805.3
million. NWS provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and
warnings for the United States, for the protection of life and property
and the enhancement of the national economy. NWS data and products form
a national information database and infrastructure which can be used by
other governmental agencies, academia, the private sector, the public,
and the global community.
$29.5 million for the extramural portions of both the NOS ocean and
coastal research program and the Oceans and Human Health Initiative
(OHHI). The fiscal year 2008 enacted level is $3 million while the
President's fiscal year 2009 request is $1 million. Within the NOS, BOA
supports restoration of the drastic cuts in competitive extramural
research, bringing funding back to the more sustainable and effective
level provided in fiscal year 2005. In addition, we support the
appropriation of sufficient funds for full NOAA participation in
collaborative NOS science programs, particularly OHHI. NOS support for
extramural research conducted in cooperation with NOAA scientists is
leading to improved knowledge and forecasts to address complex problems
such as harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, coastal stressors and ecosystem-
based management of fisheries.
$96 million for the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS),
(including $50 million for Regional Ocean Observing Systems (ROOS), $10
million for data management and communications, $30 million for IOOS
enhancements and $6 million for global ocean observing system
enhancements). Fiscal year 2008 enacted is $26.4 million while the
President's fiscal year 2009 request is $6.5 million for NOAA IOOS and
$14.6 million for IOOS Regional Observations (competitive funding).
IOOS is critical to improving predictions of climate change and
weather, improving the safety of maritime operations, and reducing
public health risks. While BOA is supportive of NOAA's inclusion of
IOOS in its budget request, funding still falls short of last year's
funding by $5 million, and we prefer placing the vast majority of
funding for IOOS into competitive funding for the ROOS.
BOA supports the President's fiscal year 2009 request of $1.2
billion for NESDIS. BOA strongly supports the building and
strengthening of NOAA's satellite systems, because these programs are
extremely important to timely and accurate weather forecasts that
directly affect public safety, protection of property, and economic
health and development. In supporting this request, however, BOA is
concerned that the increase in satellite budget for the Geostationary
Operational Environmental Satellite not come at the expense of other
programs within NOAA. Money directed to satellite programs should be in
addition to funding of other NOAA programs.

NASA
Last year, the National Research Council released its report,
``Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for
the Next Decade and Beyond.'' The report found that between 2000 and
2006, funding for Earth Sciences (ES) has fallen from $2 billion to
$1.5 billion annually. ES research is absolutely critical to
understanding global climate change, such as the decline of Earth's ice
sheets or the health of the global oceans. BOA generally supports the
findings of this report, and we urge the committee to increase the ES
funding levels consistent with the report's recommendations so that
future missions as well as research and analysis (R&A) are supported.
It is also critical to continually evaluate the scientific priorities
of future missions so that mission priorities can be adjusted to
provide the most benefit and imminent gaps in capabilities and
systematic observations can be addressed. For this reason, BOA
recommends additional funding to support a gap analysis of critical
systematic and emerging science priorities and to adjust mission
strategies as appropriate, including the development of new mission
plans where appropriate.
ES activities currently fall within the agency's Science Mission
Directorate. We continue to see ES activities, such as R&A in the past
five years, being cut because of other agency priorities. ES
investments in university-based research have resulted in valuable
advances in weather forecasting, improved climate projections, and
understanding of Earth ecosystems. Furthermore, the R&A program within
ES is the primary mechanism for funding to the academic community.
Through its support for young scientists and graduate students, the R&A
program supports innovation in ES and technology using NASA's satellite
missions. New sensor concepts, new data processing algorithms, and new
approaches to global-scale ES are the legacy of the research funded by
the R&A program. In view of the rapid changes taking place in global
climate, weather, ice cover, carbon cycle science and ecosystems, it is
essential that NASA maintain a strong level of R&A funding to derive
maximum benefit from today's missions as well as to support the
innovation needed to develop the missions of tomorrow. To ensure the
viability and effectiveness of our ES R&A programs, BOA supports
restoring Earth Sciences funding to fiscal year 2000 levels, an
increase of approximately 33 percent.

NSF
BOA welcomes the renewed national focus on scientific research and
education as illustrated by the passage of the American COMPETES Act.
BOA supports the President's NSF fiscal year 2009 budget request of
$6.85 billion. The fiscal year 2008 enacted is $6.06 billion.
BOA recommends that a portion of that $6.85 billion be used to
support the following program:
BOA supports the President's request of $848.7 million for the
Geosciences Directorate. No specific numbers for the Geosciences
Directorate were enacted for fiscal year 2008. As the principal source
of federal funding for university-based fundamental research in the
geosciences, GEO addresses the Nation's need to understand, predict,
and respond to environmental events and changes. GEO-supported research
also advances our ability to predict natural phenomena of economic and
human significance, such as climate changes, weather, earthquakes,
marine ecosystem change, and disruptive events in the solar-terrestrial
environment.
$244.74 million for the Major Research Equipment & Facilities
Construction Account, (MREFCA) and within MREFCA, $31 million for the
Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) and $38 million for the Integrated
Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). The fiscal year 2008 enacted for MREFCA
is $220.74 million, while the President's fiscal year 2009 request is
$147.51 million. No specific fiscal year 2008 numbers were enacted for
OOI or IODP. The President's fiscal year 2009 request is $10.50 million
for OOI and $47.74 million for IODP.
The OOI will provide the oceanographic research and education
communities with continuous, interactive access to the ocean. Through a
global-scale array, a regional-scaled cabled network, and a network of
coastal observatories, scientists will be able to study real-time data
transmission and visual images from the seafloor multiple, interrelated
processes over variable timescales. OOI will also provide the ideal
platform for training a new generation of oceanographers skilled in the
use and manipulation of large, oceanographic, time-series datasets, a
necessity given the planned establishment of the National Integrated
Ocean Observing System (IOOS).
The IODP is an international partnership of scientists, research
institutions, and agencies using ocean drilling to explore the
evolution and structure of Earth as recorded in the ocean basins. As
part of its co-leadership of IODP with Japan, NSF will provide a light
drillship and science support services for high-resolution studies of
environmental and climate change, observatory and biosphere objectives.
The contracting, conversion, outfitting and acceptance trials of a new
Scientific Ocean Drilling Vessel will enable NSF to move forward with
its portion of IODP.
$98 million for the Academic Research Fleet (ARF). Finally, to
optimize the potential of these ocean research infrastructures,
operating and maintenance funding will be required. No specific funding
was enacted for ARF in fiscal year 2008. The administration's fiscal
year 2009 request is $83.96 million.
______

Prepared Statement of the California State Coastal Conservancy

SUMMARY

On behalf of the California State Coastal Conservancy, I want to
thank the Subcommittee for this opportunity to present our priorities
for fiscal year 2009. The Conservancy respectfully requests the
following funding levels needed from the listed NOAA accounts for the
implementation of the California Seafloor Mapping Program (CSMP). Our
requests during fiscal year 2009 are as follows: $1,000,000 for the
Office of Coast Survey; $300,000 for the NOAA National Marine Fisheries
Service Southwest Fisheries Service Center and $3,500,000 for the NOAA
Coastal Services Center. The Conservancy is also seeking a $1 million
appropriation for the NASA Ames Research Center located in the Silicon
Valley section of California in support of our efforts with the South
San Francisco Bay Salt Ponds Restoration. In totaling our requests the
Conservancy is asking for $5.8 million in funding during fiscal year
2009 from accounts under the subcommittees jurisdiction.

CONSERVANCY BACKGROUND

The California State Coastal Conservancy, established in 1976, is a
state agency that uses entrepreneurial techniques to purchase, protect,
restore, and enhance coastal resources, and to provide access to the
shore.
To date, the Conservancy has undertaken more than 950 projects
along the 1,100 mile California coastline and around San Francisco Bay.
Through such projects, the Conservancy: protects and improves coastal
wetlands, streams, and watersheds; works with local communities to
revitalize urban waterfronts; assists local communities in solving
complex land-use problems and protects agricultural lands and supports
coastal agriculture to list a few of our activities.
Since its establishment in 1976, the Coastal Conservancy has:
helped build more than 300 access ways and trails, assisted in the
completion of over 100 urban waterfront projects, joined in partnership
endeavors with more than 100 local land trusts and other nonprofit
groups and completed projects in every coastal county and all nine San
Francisco Bay Area counties.

CALIFORNIA SEAFLOOR MAPPING PROGRAM

The California State Coastal Conservancy, in conjunction with
numerous state and federal partners, is ambitiously pursuing the
mapping of the entirety of the seafloor directly off the coast of the
state of California. This project will produce detailed bathymetric
maps of some of the most productive ocean waters in the United States
and the world and as such is critical for a multitude of reasons.
A large number of ocean management decisions can be made more
effectively with accurate statewide mapping of seafloor substrate,
marine habitat types, and bathymetry (underwater topography) of
California's coastal and nearshore waters. This information will inform
the designation of new marine reserve areas as well as the monitoring
of all reserve areas along the California Coast. High resolution sea
floor maps will distinguish underwater habitats and highlight faults,
chasms, fissures, crevices and pinnacles and will help identify and
understand known and unknown fault dynamics along the seismically
active California Coast. This information will then be utilized by
scientists and resource managers to identify potential biological hot
spots to aid their understanding of the highly productive and diverse
ecosystem along the California Coast. Further, information concerning
the size and extent of activity associated with known and unknown
underwater fault lines will allow our communities to better prepare for
the possibility of cataclysmic seismic activity of the California
Coast.
In addition, the project will provide extensive navigational
benefits as it will identify hidden reefs, sunken obstacles and other
navigation hazards in California's near and offshore waters. This
information is essential for the safety of maritime commerce vessels,
and subsequently the economies of California and the nation. These maps
will provide greater knowledge and understanding of navigational
channels and hazards surrounding the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach,
and Oakland, the nations 1st, 2nd and 4th busiest port facilities
respectively, which collectively are responsible for 50 percent of the
nation's total container cargo volume.
Examples of some additional applications that would benefit from
marine mapping and data include: understanding sediment transport and
sand delivery, identifying dredging and dumping sites, regulation of
offshore coastal development, and illuminating the dynamics of
fisheries and other marine species. Detailed bathymetric maps are also
critical in the development of an ocean circulation model that will
allow us to better predict ocean response to natural and human-induced
changes.
We are committed to the success and completion of the project and
have secured $12.5 million from the State of California Ocean
Protection Council (OPC) for the advancement of the project to date.
The OPC also intends to appropriate an additional $7.5 million in
fiscal year 2009 if funds become available. We are also working with
the Packard Foundation to determine the potential of financial support.
In support of the project the California Coastal Conservancy is
seeking $1,000,000 from the Office of Coast Survey (OCS) in the
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. OCS has been
surveying the coastal waters of the United States and producing
navigational charts for our nation's ports and waterways for nearly two
centuries. Federal funds would be used to augment state funds to
collect remaining data in California's state waters. OCS committed
$2,000,000 to the program in fiscal year 2008.
In addition, we are seeking $300,000 in funding from the National
Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Science Center. Habitat
differences of biological and geological significance cannot always be
discerned from remotely sensed data. Some physical (grab samples) or
visual (video) sampling is required to meet International Hydrographic
Organization standards. Working in cooperation with the USGS and the CA
Department of Fish and Game, federal funds and staff time for NMFS are
needed to assure biological accuracy of the mapping effort. An
additional $1.5 million will be requested from the U.S. Geological
Survey Coastal and Marine Geology Program for scientific data
collection (hydrographic surveys of the seafloor, video ground-truthing
of remotely collected data to verify habitats and geologic structure,
and seismic profiling to determine geologic stability) and for final
map production. Although most of the hydrographic survey data will be
collected by private industry, the Coastal and Marine Geology Program
of the USGS is uniquely qualified to ground truth the accuracy of the
data, and in coordination with the CA Geological Survey, create
finished map products.
We are also seeking $3,500,000 in funding for the establishment of
a NOAA West Coast Coastal Services Center. This is essential as the
CSMP will produce vast amounts of data and maps. An established Coastal
Service Center in this region will allow NOAA to work with the state to
ensure managers have access to essential data and to develop decision-
making tools for resource managers. These tools will help local and
state managers make connections between coastal land use and marine
resources and better understand climate change and sea level rise
impacts on our coastal and ocean resources. The establishment of the
West Coast Services Center will also enhance the federal support for
the West Coast Governors' Agreement on Ocean Health such as the
development of social economic baselines for coastal communities and
West Coast-wide mapping products, tools, and technical training through
the Digital Coast effort.
Finally, the subcommittee should know that the CSMP enjoys broad
support from a multitude of local, state, and federal agencies. These
entities include: NOAA, USGS, Mineral Management Service, U.S. Coast
Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, CA
Department of Fish and Game, CA State Lands, CA Coastal Commission, and
CA State Water Resources Control Board. The CSMP is also supported by
the federal Integrated Ocean Observing Program and the two regional
associations within California, the Central and Northern Coastal Ocean
Observing System (CeNCOOS) and the Southern CA Coastal Ocean Observing
Program (SCCOOS). Seafloor mapping is included as a major priority in
the OPC's strategic plan and in the West Coast Governor's Agreement on
Ocean Health. Furthermore, the Interagency Working Group on Ocean and
Coastal Mapping, established by the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science
and Technology, is currently drafting a National Ocean and Coastal
Mapping Strategic Action Plan that will highlight the state-federal
partnerships developed for CSMP as a model for the country.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO BAY SALT PONDS RESTORATION--NASA AMES RESEARCH
CENTER

The California State Coastal Conservancy in conjunction with the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, the
Santa Clara Valley Water District and Alameda County Flood Control and
Water Conservation District is pursuing the restoration of over 15,100
acres of salt ponds formerly owned by the Cargill corporation. The
project, known as the South San Francisco Salt Ponds Restoration
Project, is the largest wetlands restoration initiative on the west
coast of the United States and the 2nd largest restoration project in
the nation, trailing only the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration
Program in size and scope.
The project will provide dramatic benefits to the region, state and
nation by transforming 15,100 acres of salt ponds formerly owned by the
Cargill Corporation into a vibrant wetlands area that will provide
extensive habitat for federally endangered birds, fish and wildlife. In
addition, the project will improve wildlife oriented recreational
opportunities including fishing, hunting, environmental education and
bird-watching.
In addition, the project will provide increased public access to
areas of the South San Francisco Bay that were previously unreachable
through the creation of new bay trails and other associated
undertakings. The construction of one particular segment of bay trail
runs adjacent to the NASA Ames Research facility. The facility,
currently well removed from public access, will need upgraded security
features to safeguard its personnel and contents in advance of
increased public access to the area. As such, we are seeking a $1
million in increased funding for the facility for the construction of
this fence. Of this amount $661,800 will be for 13,236 linear feet of
fencing, $50,000 for 10 double swing gates valued at $5,000 per gate
and $60,000 is required for the installation of closed circuit
monitoring technologies.
This request is supported by the center and all our project
partners. Specifically, the South San Francisco Bay Salt Ponds Project
is supported by a great number of respected organizations including:
the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture, the City of San Jose, The Bay
Institute, Save the Bay, the Bay Trail Program, the National Audubon
Society, and many other local governments, environmental groups,
community groups, businesses, and recreation organizations.
______

Prepared Statement of the Population Association of America/Association
of Population Centers

Introduction
Thank you, Chairwoman Mikulski, Ranking Member Shelby and other
distinguished members of the Subcommittee, for this opportunity to
express support for the Census Bureau and the National Science
Foundation (NSF), two agencies important to the Population Association
of America and the Association of Population Centers (PAA/APC). PAA and
APC request that you support the administration's budget for the Census
Bureau at $2.6 billion and for NSF at $6.8 billion.

Background on the PAA/APC and Demographic Research
The PAA is an interdisciplinary, scientific organization comprised
of over 3,000 research professionals, including demographers,
economists, sociologists, and statisticians. The APC is a similar
organization comprised of over 30 universities and research groups that
foster collaborative demographic research and data sharing, translate
basic population research for policy makers, and provide educational
and training opportunities in population studies.
Demography is the study of populations and how and why they change.
Demographers, as well as other population researchers, collect and
analyze data on trends in births, deaths, immigration and disabilities
as well as racial, ethnic and socioeconomic changes in populations.
Among the major policy issues, population researchers study the
demographic causes and consequences of population aging, trends in
fertility, marriage, divorce and their effects on the health and well
being of children, and immigration and migration and how these patterns
affect the ethnic and cultural diversity of our population and the
nation's health and environment.
PAA/APC members rely on a number of federal agencies charged with
funding demographic research and generating reliable, accessible data.
The ability of our members to produce meaningful research, often used
to inform policy decisions, requires the use of substantial data sets
and support for research projects and research training. Both the
Census Bureau and National Science Foundation (NSF), which are under
your subcommittee's jurisdiction, are key to the success of our field.

The Census Bureau
The Census Bureau is the most comprehensive source of demographic
and economic data on every facet of our nation's population and
communities. PAA and APC members rely on accessible data produced by
the Census Bureau to conduct their research. Thus, we support the
Administration's request of $2.6 billion for the Census Bureau in
fiscal year 2009 and hope the Subcommittee will as well. This funding
is necessary to support the significant ramp-up activities in the final
preparation year for the 2010 decennial census and to support the
agency's ongoing survey operations, too.
We recognize the fiscal year 2009 request is double the fiscal year
2008 appropriation of $1.3 billion. However, as you know, the Census
Bureau's budget is cyclical and must increase dramatically in the years
immediately preceding the decennial census to pay for necessary
preparations. In fiscal year 2009, these activities include:
--Opening and staffing 150 ``early'' local census offices;
--Canvassing all neighborhoods and rural areas to verify addresses
(on the Master Address File) and geographic locations (in the
TIGER system);
--Finalizing data capture, data processing, and telecommunications
systems;
--Printing hundreds of millions of census questionnaires and other
forms; and
--Conducting promotional activities, including the Regional
Partnership Program, to assure the greatest possible level of
participation in 2010.
The groundwork done in the final year before the census will, to a
large extent, determine the success of the 2010 Census. The Census
Bureau must receive, at a minimum, the President's requested funding
level, to ensure vital preparations are thorough and timely.
Fiscal year 2009 is also a pivotal year for the American Community
Survey (ACS), which has replaced the traditional census long form. In
2010, the ACS will provide the first demographic, economic, and housing
characteristics data for areas as small as census tracts and block
groups, based on five years worth of data collection for households
(2005-2009). To assure the data collected in the last year are as
accurate as in previous years, the Census Bureau needs sufficient
funding to continue sampling three million households that receive the
ACS annually.
The Administration's request also will enable the agency to
continue its other ongoing surveys, which measure changes in individual
and household demographic and economic conditions. For example, in
fiscal year 2009, the Census Bureau will tabulate and publish data from
the 2007 Economic Census, launch an initiative to improve the
collection of economic statistics on the growing service sector, and
continue the Survey of Income and Program Participation. Continuation
of these activities is particularly important in the current difficult
economic climate, as these data provide a basis for key economic
indicators and help Congress assess the prudence of fiscal policy
proposals.

National Science Foundation (NSF)
PAA and APC, as members of the Coalition for National Science
Funding, support the President's fiscal year 2009 budget request for
NSF of $6.8 billion. This budget will enable the NSF Social, Behavioral
and Economic Science Directorate (SBE) to continue its support of
social science surveys and a rich portfolio of population research
projects.
The mission of NSF is to promote the progress of science; to
advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the
national defense. The demography of our population directly impacts the
health, prosperity, welfare, and security of our nation. NSF's support
of demographic research, particularly its support of large-scale
longitudinal surveys, such as the General Social Survey and Panel Study
of Income Dynamics, is central to the agency's mission and essential
for the field of demographic research. NSF is the funding source for
approximately 20 percent of all federally supported basic research
conducted by America's colleges and universities, including basic
behavioral and social research. Demographic research also depends on
support from NSF for support of individual research projects and
research centers.
The Census Bureau and the National Science Foundation support,
indirectly and directly, the collection and availability of rich data
sources important to PAA/APC members. Our demographers, economists,
sociologists, and statisticians rely on federally supported data to
conduct sound research and inform public policy. Investments in these
data sets are investments in good policy.
Thank you for considering our requests and for supporting federal
programs that benefit the field of demographic research.
______

Prepared Statement of the Consortium of Social Science Associations
(COSSA)

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: The Consortium
represents over 110 professional associations, scientific societies,
universities and research institutes concerned with the promotion of
and funding for research in the social, behavioral and economic
sciences. COSSA functions as a bridge between the research world and
the Washington community. A list of COSSA's membership is attached.
Like you, COSSA was disappointed in some of the final numbers in
the fiscal year 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act. We had hoped the
Administration and the Congress could agree on an overall number that
would have allowed you to maintain some of the early promising
increases for the National Science Foundation and other agencies. We
hope the fiscal year 2009 process will work more smoothly.
We appreciate the opportunity to comment on the proposed fiscal
year 2009 budgets for the National Science Foundation (NSF), for which
we recommend at least $6.85 billion; the Bureau of Economic Analysis,
for which we support the proposed budget of $86.9 million; the Census
Bureau, for which we recommend whatever funds, both regular and
``emergency'' appropriations, that may be necessary to ensure a fair
and accurate Census and protect the Bureau's other data collection
activities; the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), for which we seek
$50 million in program funds, and Bureau of Justice Statistics (NIJ),
for which we urge $50 million in program funds. COSSA is well aware
that each year you confront difficult choices among competing agencies
under the Subcommittee's jurisdiction. We hope that you will give these
agencies' needs generous consideration.

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF)

COSSA strongly recommends that NSF receive at least the President's
request of $6.85 billion in fiscal year 2008. We recognize that this is
below the authorized level of $7.33 billion, that would double NSF's
budget in seven years, but we are realistic. We also strongly support
the Research and Related Activities request of $5.594 billion.
We realize the NSF fiscal year 2009 budget proposal is driven by
the Administration's American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI). And we
know that the ACI grew out of the National Academies' Rising Above the
Gathering Storm (RAGS) report. Both of these have asserted that
reinvigorating the physical sciences and engineering are a national
priority. Yet, there are admonitions from the RAGS report, from the
language in the fiscal year 2008 appropriations report, for which we
are grateful to this Subcommittee, and from the COMPETES Act, that the
social, behavioral and economic (SBE) sciences should not be left
behind. COSSA believes the NSF's fiscal year 2008 allocation and the
fiscal year 2009 request suggest that is what is happening. There is no
apparent increase in the fiscal year 2008 current plan for the SBE
directorate and its fiscal year 2009 proposed increase of $18 million
pales in comparison to the $235 million boost for the physical and
mathematical sciences. NSF is extremely important for federal support
for basic research in the SBE sciences. For some fields in these
sciences, NSF is the only source of federal support for basic research
and infrastructure development.
Now is also a time when advances in methodologies, computing power,
and interdisciplinary cooperation are helping SBE scientists produce
significant results. We need sustained support for the new modes of
research, such as collaborations, economic and political laboratories,
merged databases, functional MRIs, and virtual centers that have
transformed SBE research.
The social and behavioral research portfolio is enormous and
supports science of tremendous intellectual excitement and substantial
societal importance. Let me list a number of areas, far from a
comprehensive list, where social and behavioral research plays a
significant role in addressing America's and the world's problems.
--The Brain/Behavioral Interface--neuroeconomics, law and
neuroscience, biomarkers
--Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI)--
--Information Technology--privacy, human-machine interfacing
--Nanotechnology--regulatory and safety considerations
--Climate Change
--Human Dimensions, International Politics, Land Use, Coupled
Natural and Human Systems
--Energy
--Behavior Changes for Conservation
--Biofuel Impact on Rural America
--Developing Human Capital
--Language and Other Learning, Skill Formation, Changing Workforce.
--Social Networks--terrorism, teen sexual behavior
--Decision Making--under uncertainty, risk taking and risk aversion
--Organizational Change--virtual organizations, flat pyramids,
telecommuting
--Public Health--obesity, health disparities, lifestyle choices
--A Fair Society--broadening participation and enhancing diversity
--A Safe Society--crime and criminal justice
--Changing Demographics
--International Aspects--global aging, migration, birth and death
Rates
--U.S.--internal shifts, immigration
--Changing Family Structure
--Global Issues--Conflict and Cooperation, Terrorism, Differential
Economic Growth, Compatibility of Economic and Political
Freedom
As you can recognize, many of these are issues the Congress deals
with constantly. Social and behavioral research provides you with
answers to many of these vexing problems. Yet, at budget time, we are
relatively poor orphans.
Admittedly, not all of these issues are related to NSF's agenda.
However, basic research on individual, group, and societal behavior is
the underpinning for much of the knowledge and insight that policy
makers bring to coping with these issues. Of course, we understand, as
political science studies have shown, that research results are not the
only consideration used by policy makers.
Some specific SBE-related programs continue, such as the initiative
on the Science of Science and Innovation Policy (SciSIP). These studies
examine how national research and development systems work, how to
measure and nurture innovation, and how to direct the nation's
investments. Two major competitions have been solicited, generating
high demand, and more will follow. Unfortunately, the fiscal year 2008
lack of a spending increase affected the ability of this program to
fund some excellent proposals.
The Foundation-wide, SBE-managed, priority called Human and Social
Dynamics (HSD) has come to an end. HSD supported projects that
investigated the dynamics of human action and development, as well as
knowledge about organizational, cultural, and societal adaptation and
change. It utilized multidisciplinary research teams and comprehensive,
interdisciplinary approaches across the sciences. Two major HSD foci
will continue as part of the core programs within SBE: environmental
research and the development of international, integrated, microdata
sets to enhance analysis of both national and global attitudes and
trends.
SBE maintains its support for major long-term data bases such as
the Panel Study on Income Dynamics, the General Social Survey, and the
American National Election Studies. These three extraordinary sets of
time-series data continue to paint a portrait of American's economic,
social, and political attitudes and behavior over five decades, while
updating their methodology and expanding their scope.
With regard to the Education and Human Resources directorate (EHR),
COSSA believes that broadening participation in science, across all the
sciences, is a worthy endeavor. We support NSF's programs to ensure
that all students get a chance to become scientists; including SBE
scientists. COSSA recently organized and led a full-day retreat on
Enhancing Diversity in the Sciences with the participation of
representatives from professional associations, scientific societies,
NSF, and NIH. Information about the retreat can be found at
www.cossa.org.
We strongly support the 32 percent proposed budget increase for
NSF's Graduate Education programs to provide more fellowships. These
have been extremely important for budding scientists across all the
disciplines. We also believe in programs that will enhance the quality
of teaching in our K-12 system, not only for math and science, but for
all subjects. It is clear from NAEP and other tests that American
students need help across-the-board.
We also strongly support funding for EHR research that evaluates
the effectiveness of these programs and enhances their ability to get
the job done right. We also believe that STEM education cannot be done
in isolation from social, economic, and cultural factors that influence
our education system and its students. The SBE sciences are in the
forefront of providing research and evidence for improving how our
children learn and survive in the modern, complex societies in which we
live. NSF's Science of Leaning Centers program is an important part of
this and COSSA strongly supports the continued funding of these Centers
found in the Integrated Activities account.

THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU AND BUREAU OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

COSSA is a member of the 2010 Census Advisory Committee and as we
move toward that redesigned short-form Census, the large increase
proposed for the Bureau's fiscal year 2009 budget becomes imperative if
we are to get the count right. We are aware that there are difficulties
surrounding the preparations for 2010, particularly with regard to the
use of handheld devices to verify addresses and to conduct the
nonresponse follow up. We hope that Congress and the Bureau can
cooperate to ensure that these problems are straightened out.
Nonetheless, the Census is constitutionally mandated and has an
important impact on reapportionment, redistricting, and the
distribution of federal and state funds. So we must make every effort
and spend whatever is necessary to make sure we get a fair and accurate
count.
In addition, the other regular activities at the Census Bureau
should not suffer as a result of the difficulties with the preparations
for 2010. The American Community Survey (ACS) has allowed the decennial
to become a short-form census and ACS' annual data collections also
provide timelier information for use by state and local governments and
businesses. The other Bureau activities are also important to
maintaining our economic statistical databases that play an important
role in employment policy, housing policy, and economic policy and
their funding should be sufficient.
COSSA also supports the increase proposed for the fiscal year 2009
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that continues the development of
measures of investment in R&D and other knowledge-based activities in
order to incorporate them into the nation's GDP. BEA also maintains the
nation's current income accounts, an important tool for economic policy
making.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE (NIJ) AND THE BUREAU OF JUSTICE
STATISTICS (BJS)

At the House CJS Subcommittee hearing with the Office of Justice
Programs there were many references to the studies and data collections
of NIJ and BJS. The problem has been that these references do not
necessarily translate into increased budget support. In recent years,
these agencies have seen their budgets stagnate and in some years go
down. We appreciate this Subcommittee's support of the fiscal year 2008
increase for BJS and the strong report language regarding the
importance of the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). We ask
for enhanced resources for these agencies in fiscal year 2009, $50
million in program funds for each agency. The cost of crime to victims
and to society is far out of proportion to the budget for research
studies and the collection and analysis of data that are essential to
understanding how to effect change with regard to crime and criminal
justice.
Recently, the National Academies' Committee on National Statistics
has been reviewing BJS' programs. In early January they released their
report Surveying Victims: Options for Conducting the National Crime
Victimization Survey. In many years, NCVS takes up to 60 percent of the
BJS budget.
The Committee found that ``as currently configured and funded, the
NCVS is not achieving and cannot achieve BJS' legislatively mandated
goal to `collect and analyze data that will serve as a continuous and
comparable national social indication of the prevalence, incidence,
rates, extent, distribution, and attributes of crime.' '' They
recommend that BJS needs additional funds to ``generate accurate
measures of victimization, which are as important to understanding
crime in the United States as the UCR measure of crimes reported to the
police.'' Additional resources will also permit NCVS to provide sub-
national data, a sticking point for many practitioners regarding the
NCVS.
Recent increases in crime are not uniform across America. Many
large cities continue to show declines, while medium-size cities and
rural areas are experiencing difficulties. There are many possible
explanations and the sorting out process continues. But it is clear
that strategies that worked in some places, ``hot spots,'' community
policing, crime mapping, are not working in others. The re-entry of
former prison inmates into the general population creates more
concerns. COSSA sponsored a session on April 4 on Violent Crime: What's
Happening and Why in which distinguished criminologists and a former
judge discussed these problems. NIJ needs more resources to support
further explorations of this differentiation that now marks criminal
activity.
The National Academies' has also begun a study of NIJ's research
activities. COSSA testified to that panel in December of last year. The
NIJ social science portfolio has been limited in recent years, as
budgets have decreased and the fascination with technological fixes
continues. COSSA has nothing against technology, but as has been proven
in so many areas, human behavior and social conditions often thwart
technology-driven solutions and thus the focus, we believe has to
shift.
In July of each year, NIJ convenes a large R&D conference that
examines major issues facing the criminal justice community. It is a
special opportunity to bring together scientists, practitioners, and
policy makers to interact and cooperate on setting research agendas.
Again, I understand that this is expected to be another difficult
year for the appropriations' process. COSSA hopes that when you
consider the fiscal year 2009 funding for the agencies I discussed, you
will treat them as generously as you can.
Thank you for the opportunity to present our views.

CONSORTIUM OF SOCIAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATIONS

Governing Members
American Association for Public Opinion Research
American Economic Association
American Educational Research Association
American Historical Association
American Political Science Association
American Psychological Association
American Society of Criminology
American Sociological Association
American Statistical Association
Association of American Geographers
Association of American Law Schools
Law and Society Association
Linguistic Society of America
Midwest Political Science Association
National Communication Association
Rural Sociological Society
Society for Research in Child Development
Membership Organizations
American Agricultural Economics Association
American Association for Agricultural Education
Association for Asian Studies
Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management
Association of Research Libraries
Council on Social Work Education
Eastern Sociological Society
International Communication Association
Justice Research and Statistics Association
Midwest Sociological Society
National Association of Social Workers
National Council on Family Relations
North American Regional Science Council
North Central Sociological Association
Population Association of America
Social Science History Association
Society for Behavioral Medicine
Society for Research on Adolescence
Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality
Sociologists for Women in Society
Southern Political Science Association
Southern Sociological Society
Southwestern Social Science Association
Colleges and Universities
Arizona State University
Brown University
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, San Diego
University of California, Santa Barbara
Carnegie-Mellon University
University of Chicago
Clark University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Duke University
George Mason University
George Washington University
University of Georgia
Harvard University
Howard University
University of Illinois
Indiana University
University of Iowa
Iowa State University
Johns Hopkins University
John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY
Kansas State University
University of Kentucky
University of Maryland
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse
University of Michigan
Michigan State University
University of Minnesota
Mississippi State University
New York University
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
North Carolina State University
Northwestern University
Ohio State University
University of Oklahoma
University of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State University
Princeton University
Purdue University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
University of South Carolina
Stanford University
University of Tennessee
State University of New York, Stony Brook
University of Texas, Austin
Texas A & M University
Tulane University
Vanderbilt University
University of Virginia
University of Washington
Washington University in St. Louis
West Virginia University
University of Wisconsin, Madison
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Yale University
Centers and Institutes
American Academy of Political and Social Sciences
American Council of Learned Societies
American Institutes for Research
Brookings Institution
Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research
Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan
Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research
Institute for Women's Policy Research
National Bureau of Economic Research
National Opinion Research Center
Population Reference Bureau
Social Science Research Council
______

Prepared Statement of Crary Industries Inc.

On behalf of Crary Industries Inc., manufacturer of agricultural
and outdoor equipment, located in West Fargo, North Dakota, I would
like to thank the Committee for allowing our organization to submit
this testimony for the record. I am writing to respectfully request
that the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership program be
provided the authorized $122 million within the fiscal year 2009
Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.
This requested level of funding for 2009 was provided for in the
recently enacted America COMPETES Act. As you know, the Hollings
Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is a program within the
Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology,
a program authorized to improve competitiveness of America's
manufacturing community.
The MEP is one of the most successful partnerships in the country.
In addition to public support, a value proposition to improve
manufacturer's global competitiveness is supported by those companies
who receive benefit. In North Dakota, the Dakota MEP provides
assistance to companies in continuous improvement, innovation,
strategic growth, technology and workforce development--all major needs
of our companies. We have worked on a variety of improvement projects
with the assistance of Dakota MEP.
As a Dakota MEP Director, I would also like to report that the
average company benefits and impacts realized in the Dakota MEP
improvement work with manufacturers mirrors the national MEP average at
$1.4 million per engagement. These benefits have been realized by
manufacturers who've partnered with Dakota MEP over the past six years.
Manufacturing continues to diversify and grow the economies of the
Dakotas. It currently is 10 percent of the gross state product in North
Dakota and 11 percent in South Dakota. The industry has nearly 1,900
firms employing 69,000 in the Dakotas exporting over $2 billion.
Manufacturing brings new wealth to our country, our states and
communities which, in turn, generate other economic activity and
opportunities.
Manufacturing must remain one of our country's economic strengths
and the MEP is an invaluable program to help the industry better
compete. Without unwavering strong federal support, the MEP will be
unable to maintain its mission of serving America's small
manufacturers' increasing needs. At a time when our economic strength
and global competitiveness are national priorities, the MEP continues
to be a wise investment. We respectfully request that you appropriate
$122 million for the MEP in fiscal year 2009.
______

Prepared Statement of the Society for Neuroscience

Introduction
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, I am Eve Marder,
Ph.D., President of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) and the Victor
and Gwendolyn Beinfield Professor of Neuroscience at Brandeis
University. It is my honor to submit this testimony on behalf of SfN in
support of the National Science Foundation.
My research focuses on understanding how circuit function arises
from the intrinsic properties of individual neurons and their synaptic
connections. Of particular interest is the extent to which similar
circuit outputs can be generated by multiple mechanisms, both in
different individual animals, or in the same animal over its lifetime.
To address this, my lab studies the central pattern generating circuits
in the crustacean stomatogastric nervous system, such as those found in
crabs and lobsters. Central pattern generators are groups of neurons
found in vertebrate and invertebrate nervous systems responsible for
the generation of specific rhythmic behaviors such as walking,
swimming, and breathing. I am the recipient of federal support from the
National Institutes of Health, and from the National Science Foundation
for research and the training of the next generation of scientists.

Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Request
The Administration requests a budget of $6.85 billion for NSF in
fiscal year 2009, a 13 percent increase from fiscal year 2008. The
administration's request for the Research and Related Activities (R&RA)
account, where all NSF grant funding resides, is $5.59 billion, an
increase of 16 percent from fiscal year 2008. The scientific community
applauds this strong support for the agency--it is a crucial step in
keeping the United States competitive in science and technology.
SfN is advocating a budget of $7.33 billion for NSF in fiscal year
2009, the amount authorized by the House in the America COMPETES Act.
This represents a 20.8 percent increase for NSF. While this increase
seems large, we ask that the Subcommittee consider the following:
--NSF accounts for nearly 25 percent of federal support of basic
research at U.S. academic institutions.
--This is effectively a two-year increase. NSF received an increase
of just 1.3 percent for fiscal year 2008 after Congress passed
much larger amounts in their spending bills.
--In some cases, directorates not covered under the American
Competitiveness Imitative actually saw funding decreases in the
last fiscal year, including the Biological Sciences Directorate
(-2.9 percent).
SfN supports such dramatic budgetary action because it represents a
necessary step in the advancement of physics, computer science,
mathematics, chemistry, engineering, as well as biology. These fields,
and scientists trained in them, are crucial for us to understand the
brain and the way it controls behavior. Through NSF grants and
cooperative agreements with colleges, universities, K-12 school
systems, and other research organizations throughout the United States,
neuroscientists can continue to conduct the basic research that
advances scientific knowledge and leads to tomorrow's treatments and
cures. Additionally, SfN recognizes the leadership role that NSF plays
in driving innovation in science education.

Basic Research--Fundamental Science
Continued investment in basic research at NSF is essential to
laying the groundwork for discoveries that will inspire scientific
pursuit and technological innovation for future generations. As
reflected in the America COMPETES Act, aggressive investment in
technology and scientific research is crucial to ensure America
sustains its global leadership and competitiveness. Science is now a
truly global enterprise that has the potential to revolutionize the
human experience, health and activity--the question is whether America
will maintain its role leading the next generation of scientific
advances.
Future scientific progress requires the kinds of quantitative and
interdisciplinary training that NSF fosters. NSF programs such as the
Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program (IGERT)
are producing a cohort of scientists who have learned to work
cooperatively, and have learned to learn across disciplinary
boundaries, ensuring that the workforce is provided highly trained
scientists who are unafraid of the challenges of the future.
NSF-funded biologists and neuroscientists are discovering
fundamental mechanisms important to understanding how humans and other
animals behave, develop, communicate, learn, and process information.
Understanding the neuroscience of animal diversity is necessary as we
confront environmental and agricultural changes in the future. NSF-
funded physicists, mathematicians, computer scientists and engineers
have done ground-breaking work that enables the analysis of EEG data,
the development of brain prosthetic devices, and other technologies
that will assist in the rapid diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy and
stroke. NSF-funded statisticians are developing new methods for
analysis of the large amounts of genome data, on humans and other
organisms, and developing better statistical tools for looking at the
effects of the environment on human and animal populations. NSF-funded
chemists have developed new methods that allows for the extremely
accurate measurement of very small amounts of brain hormones.
Indeed, many of the new findings in neuroscience can be traced back
to fundamental work in these other fields that has contributed to new
technologies of all kinds. This allows us to carry out new kinds of
experiments not imaginable even 5-10 years ago. Consider these recent
advances in neuroscience made possible by discoveries in other fields:
Artificial Cochlea.--NSF-funded researchers at the University of
Michigan developed an artificial cochlea to assist the hearing-
impaired. The device, made mainly of Pyrex glass, silicone oil and
silicon nitride, works by converting vibrations into electrical pulses
that the brain is able to process. Via cochlear implants, nearly
120,000 people have had partial hearing restored.
Brain Mapping.--Scientists at the College of William and Mary used
NSF funding to create real-time, dynamic maps of patients' brains to be
used during neurosurgery. Computers use images taken prior to surgery
combined with live data feeds from the patient's brain during the
procedure to show changes and assist neurosurgeons with quicker, more
accurate medical procedures that will result in lives saved.
These discoveries have great potential to improve the lives of
Americans and almost certainly would not have been made without the
strong commitment to interdisciplinary research at NSF.

What is the Society for Neuroscience?
The Society for Neuroscience is a nonprofit membership organization
of basic scientists and physicians who study the brain and nervous
system. Recognizing the field's tremendous potential, the Society was
formed in 1969 with less than 500 members. Today, SfN's membership
numbers more than 38,000 and it is the world's largest organization of
scientists devoted to the study of the brain. Neuroscience advances the
understanding of human thought, emotion, and behavior. Our member
neuroscientists work to understand animal and human nervous systems,
how they develop, learn, and how they interact with their environment.
Our membership includes investigators from backgrounds as diverse as
physics, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, biology, biochemistry,
and psychology, brought together to understand all aspects of brain
function, from molecules and genes to cognition.
SfN is devoted to education about the latest advances in brain
research, and to raising awareness of the need to make neuroscience
research a funding priority. Many SfN members are committed to
developing educational innovations that take advantage of new
neuroscience research.

Conclusion
The scope of the challenge of understanding the human mind requires
a bold approach and the ability to undertake high-risk, high-reward
projects. With proper funding, the NSF can do both. By laying the
groundwork for revolutionary discoveries and advances in neuroscience
with interdisciplinary research, NSF is poised to keep the United
States competitive in the 21st century and beyond.
We urge the subcommittee to support and approve a 20.8 percent
increase to the NSF budget for fiscal year 2009. Thank you for the
opportunity to submit this testimony.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Society of Plant Biologists

Thank you, Mr. Chairman for the opportunity to present this
testimony on behalf of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB).
Founded in 1924, ASPB is a non-profit society of 5,000 plant
scientists. My name is Rob McClung. I am Associate Dean of the Sciences
at Dartmouth College and President of ASPB. ASPB urges Subcommittee
support for the fiscal year 2009 budget request of the National Science
Foundation (NSF) of $6.85 billion, including $5.59 billion for NSF
Research and Related Activities and $790 million for NSF Education and
Human Resources. ASPB urges a 16-percent increase for the NSF
Directorate for Biological Sciences, which is the average of increases
for all directorates in the fiscal year 2009 request.
ASPB joined with 17 other science societies in a March 17 letter to
the Chairman and Ranking Member expressing appreciation for your
leadership in supporting NSF and comparable increases for all science
disciplines. As noted in the letter, we are concerned that the NSF
fiscal year 2009 budget request again tries to distinguish among the
disciplines in its proposed increases for the research directorates.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 indicates that the
``Committees also believe the Foundation should maintain comparable
growth in fiscal year 2008, to the extent possible for the biological
sciences and social, behavioral, and economic sciences directorates.
Each of the science disciplines is valuable in maintaining U.S.
competitiveness.'' This reflects language in the House Report. Thank
you, Mr. Chairman and Mr. Ranking Member for your leadership on this
provision.
Your position is supported by the America COMPETES Act, which
treats all disciplines as priorities. In addition, ``Rising Above the
Gathering Storm'' said there should not be a disinvestment in such
important fields as the life sciences and social sciences.
We join with 17 other science societies in asking that the
Subcommittee include report language in the fiscal year 2009
Appropriations report that asks NSF to ensure that the biological
sciences, geosciences and social, behavioral and economic sciences
directorates receive increases in fiscal year 2009 that are comparable
to the other directorates.
It is only through advances in all science disciplines that the
nation will take advantage of the full range of innovation the science
community has to offer.
Investment in world leading basic research sponsored by NSF
contributes to U.S. leadership in the world in science and technology.
U.S. leadership in a wide range of science disciplines is needed for
U.S.-based development of new technologies that will help U.S.
industries and workers compete and survive in the highly competitive
global market.
Support for NSF is an investment in the knowledge base of our
nation. Existence of a highly educated workforce is a major
consideration for businesses in determining what part of the world they
will start or expand their operations. Despite the attractions of lower
costs for wages, land, buildings and related costs to companies
considering moving jobs offshore, it is the highly skilled workforce in
the United States that plays a major role in contributing to job starts
and business expansions here at home.
The students, post doctoral students, assistant professors and
professors supported at universities across the nation by NSF research
and education grants make up a valuable talent pool highly prized by
business and industry. In addition to the United States, other nations
are aware of the contributions the science community can make to its
economy.
Educating and training its citizens to be world leading scientists
and providing a reasonable opportunity for success in a science
academic career have been keys to success for the U.S. science
community and its related industries. Support provided by NSF for
research proposals selected based on the highest scientific merit as
determined through peer review is essential to development of the
nation's scientific talent base. We're concerned that the high rate of
rejection of even the highly rated biology proposals by NSF, will
discourage some talented young students from pursuing a career in
science.
Grant approval rates at 21 percent for the NSF Directorate for
Biological Sciences are below the average of 23 percent for all
directorates in NSF Research and Related Activities. We appreciate the
10.3 percent increase in the budget request for the Directorate for
Biological Sciences. We request that the Subcommittee increase funding
for the Directorate for Biological Sciences to the 16-percent average
increase for Research and Related Activities in the budget request.
This would make possible the granting of more awards for a greater
number of high quality research proposals.
The NSF Directorate for Biological Sciences is the major source of
support for fundamental non-medical biology research conducted at
universities across the nation. Increased support for non-medical
biology research could strengthen the nation's world standing and
competitive strength in this important area of research. This would in
turn strengthen U.S.-based industries dependent upon basic biological
research, including biotechnology, bioenergy, biosafety, biodefense and
agriculture.
In concert with maintaining preeminence in science and technology,
one of the keys to maintaining world leadership for the United States
will be to assure a reliable and affordable energy supply for industry
and consumers. Basic plant research supported by the NSF Directorate
for Biological Sciences is providing knowledge that is contributing to
bioenergy research capabilities of the U.S. Department of Energy and
U.S. Department of Agriculture. For example the Plant Genome Research
Program (PGRP) and 2010 Project are producing a treasure trove of
knowledge of plant gene structure and functions.
As projected in a report prepared by DOE and USDA in April 2005,
advances in plant and related research will enable the United States to
produce more than 1.3 billion tons of biomass ``enough to produce
biofuels to meet more than one-third of the current demand for
transportation fuels.'' The report is titled ``Biomass as Feedstock for
a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry: The Technical Feasibility of a
Billion-Ton Annual Supply.'' The report can be found at: http://
www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/pdfs/final_billionton_vision_report2.pdf.
A letter to the editor I wrote on ``The next generation of
biofuels'' that was published in The Washington Times March 6, 2008 and
is appended to my statement commends the Congress and President for
initiating needed investments in new generation biofuels. We encourage
additional investment in all phases of plant research. This will hasten
the day when biofuels make up 33 percent instead of three percent of
the transportation fuels used in the United States.
Plant genome research has helped propel plant science into a new
modern era with far more capabilities in biology, bioinformatics,
computational biology, modeling systems, systems biology and other
areas. Findings in future years through the Plant Genome Research
Program and 2010 Project will further enhance research capabilities
with plants. As the primary source for food, fiber and feed and a
promising clean alternative energy source, increased knowledge of plant
structure and function is essential to meeting life-sustaining human
needs.
A recent report of the National Academies found many important
contributions from the NSF-sponsored National Plant Genome Initiative.
The report found that basic plant genome research serves a wide
diversity of agricultural and environmental purposes, as well as
contributing to basic scientific discovery. For example, by increasing
knowledge of how plants cope with extreme environmental stresses, plant
genomics research can help scientists more precisely breed or engineer
plants that can thrive as climates change. This knowledge is
particularly important with respect to how water is used to grow crops.
Economically viable production of fuels from plant biomass, in
quantities that could contribute to a reversal of the world's
dependence on fossil fuels, will require increases in plant
productivity and advances in plant biomass-to-fuel conversion.
A key to maintaining the health and security of the United States
and its citizens is to continue to provide secure food supplies. NSF
support for basic plant research contributes to the local economies
nationwide, including rural areas, while helping to secure the food
supply of all Americans. As the first step of every food chain, plants
and research on plants plays an essential role in meeting the
nutritional needs of people here and abroad.
The NSF Directorate for Biological Sciences sponsors examination of
basic research questions on plants and other organisms that will lead
to technologies to continue a secure supply of domestically produced
food and bioenergy.
Thank you again for this opportunity to present our testimony
before the Subcommittee.

[From The Washington Times, March 6, 2008]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Next Generation of Biofuels

Oil closed at $100 a barrel Feb. 19 for the first time. The
Washington Times reported on Feb. 20 (``Oil tops $100 on refinery,
OPEC,'' Business) that fears that the Organization of the Petroleum
Exporting Countries may cut production contributed to the price
increase.
Some analysts see this $100 mark as just a stop on the way to $200-
per-barrel oil, possibly by the end of this decade. The reason cited is
similar to newspaper reports on the bump to $100 per barrel--OPEC's
control of supply.
In addition to the economic and political challenges imposed by our
reliance on foreign oil, we also need to be concerned that greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions associated with the use of fossil fuel contribute
significantly to global warming, evident from observed increases in
global air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice
and a rising global average sea level. Is there a large-volume
alternative to the use of increasingly costly oil with its high GHG
emissions? There will be.
We are at the early stages of research on the next generation of
biofuels using plant cellulose. Plant stems, stalks and leaves will
become low-cost feedstocks for biofuels. A 2005 report from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Energy projects
that there will be enough biomass (cellulose) to meet more than one-
third of the current U.S. demand in transportation fuels.
At the same time, next-generation biofuels will greatly lower
emissions of stored carbon compared to gasoline. Biofuels will be
better for Americans' pocketbooks and the environment.
The President and Congress are to be commended for initiating
needed investments in new-generation biofuels research. Additional
investment is needed in all phases of plant research. This will help
hasten the day when biofuels make up 33 percent instead of 3 percent of
the transportation fuels used in the United States.
______

Prepared Statement of the Institute of Makers of Explosives

Interest of the IME
The IME is the safety and security association of the commercial
explosives industry. The production, distribution, storage and use of
explosives are highly regulated. ATF is one of the agencies that play a
primary role in assuring that explosives are identified, tracked, and
stored only by authorized persons. The ability to manufacture,
distribute and use these products safely and securely is critical to
this industry. We have carefully reviewed the Administration's fiscal
year 2009 budget request for ATF and have the following comments about
its impact on the commercial explosives industry.

Addressing Statutory Mandates
The commerce of explosives is one of the nation's most heavily
regulated activities. As noted above, ATF plays a key role in this
regulatory scheme through its implementation of Federal Explosives Law
(FEL). Yet, ATF seems to have forgotten its statutory mandate to
``protect interstate and foreign commerce''--which is the business of
the commercial explosives industry--in its quest to be a lead
terrorist/criminal agency.\1\ ATF states that it is ``dedicated to
preventing terrorism, reducing violent crime, and protecting our
Nation.'' \2\ ATF's own data, however, suggests that commercial
explosives are not a ``preferred tool'' of criminals or terrorists.\3\
While ATF claims to work ``with . . . industry members . . . to make
regulation less burdensome'', the needs of the legitimate explosives
industry are secondary to the agency's criminal enforcement
interests.\4\ By statute, ATF is supposed to ``take into consideration
. . . the standards of safety and security recognized in the explosives
industry'' when issuing rules and requirements.\5\ But, our
recommendations are increasingly bypassed--we believe to the detriment
of safety and security. Finally, we see ATF reaching out to regulate in
areas that are not the Bureau's primary area of responsibility at a
time when ATF is not keeping up with the responsibilities already on
its plate. With this perspective, we offer the following comments on
ATF's budget request and program performance.
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\1\ Public Law 91-452, Sec. 1101.
\2\ ATF Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Submission, page 1.
\3\ Over half of substances used in illegal bombing incidents are
not regulated by ATF. Only 18 percent involve explosives subject to FEL
requirements, and of these, 91 percent are common fireworks or
components. ``Implementation of the Safe Explosives Act'', OIG, DOJ,
Report Number I-2005-005, page 59.
\4\ ATF Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Submission, page 39.
\5\ 18 U.S.C. 842(j).
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Adequacy of Budget Resources
As contrasted with the fiscal year 2008 budget justification, ATF's
fiscal year 2009 budget request does not disclose the level of funding
slated for its explosives regulatory program. Last year, the amount was
$63.6 million or 23 percent of its entire Arson and Explosives (A&E)
budget.\6\ Inasmuch as the fiscal year 2009 budget request anticipates
no increase to current services, we expect that the allocation to the
explosives regulatory program is roughly the same or $62.5 million of
the $267.2 million request for the A&E program.\7\ While the budget
request anticipates an increase of four FTE for the A&E program, the
justification indicates that the revised FTE is only to maintain
current services.\8\ As discussed below, we are concerned that ATF has
not directed additional FTE to address the regulatory needs of the
commercial explosives industry. Absent a reprogramming of resources,
however, the Bureau's ability to perform its regulatory functions in a
timely manner is jeopardized.
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\6\ ATF Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Submission, page 47 & 14, and ATF
Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Submission, Exhibit G: Crosswalk of 2008
Availability.
\7\ ATF Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Submission, page 39.
\8\ ATF Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Submission, Exhibit B.
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Protect Commerce
Our industry relies on ATF to efficiently and effectively perform a
number of functions to ensure that the legitimate commerce of
explosives can go forward safely and unimpeded.\9\ In this regard, we
support all necessary resources for these essential services. However,
the budget justification contains information suggesting that ATF will
fall short of its three-year statutory obligation to inspect 100
percent of its licensee/permittees as required by law.\10\ We are also
disappointed not to see a performance measure concerning investigation
of explosives thefts.
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\9\ These functions include the issuance of licenses to companies
engaged in the manufacture, importation, and distribution of commercial
explosives, and permits to those that purchase and receive these
materials, background checks of certain employees of licensees and
permittees, and regulations to ensure that commercial explosives are
stored safely and securely. Additionally, when explosives are stolen,
lost, or used for illegal purposes, we rely on the ATF to recover
products and investigate incidents as necessary.
\10\ ATF Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Submission, page 48 and FN5.
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Industry Standards
We take seriously the statutory obligation that ATF take into
account industry's standards of safety when issuing rules and
requirements. We have endeavored to fulfill this obligation through the
development of industry best practices for safety and security,
participation in relevant standard-setting organizations, and forums
for training. We have offered ATF recommendations that we believe will
enhance safety and security through participation in the rulemaking
process, in the Bureau's research efforts, and in other standard
setting activities. Our interface with ATF in these settings prompts
the following comments.
--Rulemakings.--Under the heading of ``Explosives . . . Regulatory
Programs,'' ATF states that it has ``issued three rulings.''
\11\ Two of these three rulings apply to the explosives
industry.\12\ While we are appreciative of these rulings, they
are interpretive statements of agency policy and should not be
confused with regulatory activity conducted pursuant to the
Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Under the APA, ATF has six
open rulemakings of interest and concern to the explosives
industry, the same number of outstanding dockets as reported
last year.\13\ The oldest of these was proposed in 2001.
Several are a result of the enactment of the 2002 Safe
Explosives Act (SEA). Two of these rulemakings were issued as
``interim final rules,'' which allows rules to be enforced
without public input as to the effect of the rule on the
regulated community. Subsequently, IME raised a number
interpretative questions and concerns about these rules which
are critical to the continued commerce of commercial
explosives. Yet, ATF has delayed again the projected date for
finalizing these rules until October 2008 and the projected
dates for finalizing every other open rulemaking of
significance to IME.
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\11\ ATF Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Submission, page 44.
\12\ The rulings allow for the use of computer records under
certain conditions and storage options for residual amounts of bulk-
blasting agents.
\13\ Semiannual Agenda, http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
eAgendaMain (December 10, 2007).
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Last year, Congress directed ATF to address these long-standing
rulemaking concerns.\14\ Despite this fact, ATF has not requested
additional staff to address its regulatory backlog or other pending
requests for interpretive guidance and accommodations that are the day-
to-day work of regulatory agencies. These regulatory tasks may be at
odds with ATF's vision as a law enforcement agency, but they are
critical to the lawful conduct of the commercial enterprises the Bureau
controls.
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\14\ Conference Report--Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, H.R.
2764/Public Law 110-161, page 257, citing, ``Open Rules.--The
Appropriations Committees concur with language in the House Report
regarding open rulemakings and the delay in resolving the rules due to
staff shortages. The ATF to report within two months after enactment of
this Act on the status of all open rules and the ATF's plans to address
the backlog.''
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--Data.--ATF is continuing efforts to enhance data capabilities.
These efforts should be supported. We are only disappointed in
one aspect. We rely on ATF's data collection and analysis
capabilities. IME needs data about incidents and theft and
losses to perfect our safety and security recommendations and
practices. The latest full-year information we have about
explosive incidents is from 2003. We urge the Subcommittee to
ensure that ATF has the resources to gather and release this
information in a timelier manner.
--IMESAFR.--IME prides itself in being the safety and security
advocates for the commercial explosives industry. The technical
expertise of our members is a resource we gladly share with
government agencies. In this regard, IME has spent years and
hundreds of thousands of dollars developing and validating a
credible alternative to strict interpretation of quantity-
distance tables used to determine safe setback distances from
explosives in collaboration the Department of Defense
Explosives Safety Board and Canadian and U.S. regulatory
agencies, including ATF. The result is a windows-based computer
model for assessing the risk from a variety of commercial
explosives activities called IMESAFR.\15\ Not only can IMESAFR
determine the amount of risk presented, but it can also
determine what factors drive the overall risk and what actions
would lower risk, if necessary. The probability of events for
the activities were based on the last 20 years experience in
the United States and Canada and can be adjusted to account for
different explosive sensitivities, additional security threats,
and other factors that increase or decrease the base value.
Following this effort, we expected that ATF would be willing to
recognize this powerful assessment tool as an alternative for
the regulated community to meet quantity-distance limitations,
which limitations are themselves standards developed by the
IME. However, this has not been the case. ATF has not taken
advantage of opportunities to partner with IME and accept this
risk-based approach to explosives safety. ATF's reluctance to
recognize risk-based modeling is contrary to the norm practiced
by all other federal agencies with regulatory responsibilities
over the explosives industry. We believe that the consistency
of risk analysis offered by IMESAFR is preferable to the
haphazard ``variance'' approach ATF uses to address setback
issues now.
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\15\ IMESAFR was built on the DDESB's software model, SAFER. The
DDESB currently uses SAFER and table-of-distance methods to approve or
disapprove Department of Defense explosives activities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Areas of Responsibility
ATF has used resources to venture into areas of regulatory
authority that are not within its primary sphere of responsibility. In
2003, ATF chose to interpret FEL to give it authority to set clearance
standards for workers involved in the transportation of commercial
explosives. In 2005, there was a flurry of concern about the breadth of
ATF security checklist documents that included standards for facility
security such as surveillance, training, public and employee access,
vehicle control, fencing and gates--areas of expertise reserved for the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Since then ATF has advocated for
authority or otherwise suggested a role to regulate ammonium nitrate
and other easily purchased/unregulated materials used by terrorists in
improvised explosive devices.\16\
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\16\ ATF Fiscal Year 2007 Budget Submission, pages 18, 21, 53, 54,
56 and 66. ATF Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Submission, pages 6, 7, 44, 45,
and 49. ATF Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Submission, pages 7 and 45.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
While we respect ATF's expertise and authority to establish
standards for explosives storage magazines, ATF's statutory authority
does not reach to the security of ammonium nitrate or other explosive
precursors.\17\ Congress has tasked this responsibility to the DHS
under its Chemical Facility Anti-terrorism Standards authority and
through the enactment of the Secure Handling of Ammonium Nitrate Act of
2007.\18\ Many materials can be manipulated to produce an explosive
effect. However, in their unadulterated state they will not
explode.\19\ DHS is far better positioned to address the range of
issues raised by the prevalence of these precursor materials. According
to Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7, DHS is charged to
identify, prioritize and coordinate protection of the nation's critical
infrastructure, of which chemical manufacturing is one sector.\20\ The
Government Accountability Office, in a report on implementation of
critical infrastructure programs, identifies no role for the ATF, or
the Department of Justice, in developing a national infrastructure
protection plan or in guarding that infrastructure and its
products.\21\ IME supports chemical facility, hazardous materials
transportation and ammonium nitrate security standards. However, we
question ATF's involvement and attendant use of resources in these
areas, when the Bureau consistently falls behind in its own vital
regulatory responsibilities.
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\17\ ``Implementation of the Safe Explosives Act'', OIG, DOJ,
Report Number I-2005-005, page ii.
\18\ 72 FR 17688 (April 9, 2007) & 72 FR 65396 (November 20, 2007)
and. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, H.R. 2764/Public Law
110-161, sec. 563.
\19\ Containing the Threat from Illegal Bombings, NRC, 1998, page
130.
\20\ Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-7, paragraphs 13
& 15, December 17, 2003.
\21\ Agency Plans, Implementation, and Challenges Regarding the
National Strategy for Homeland Security, January 2005, GAO-05-33, pages
18, 47, 78 and 133.
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Performance Measure Improvements
For a number of years, IME has expressed concern about the lack of
appropriate performance measures for the commercial explosives
industry. Currently, ATF has three performance and two efficiency
measures that apply to the commercial explosives industry.\22\ Only one
performance and one efficiency measure are directed at facilitating
regulatory compliance. These measures are the number and percentage of
explosives licensee/permittees that are inspected and the percent of
perfected explosives applications acted on within 90 days. Yet, ATF is
now proposing to delete the only efficiency measure applicable to the
explosives industry because the ``measure was never developed.'' \23\
Not only should Congress direct the Bureau to restore and implement
this measure, it should direct the agency to institute other measures
of performance and efficiency for the explosives regulatory program. We
have advocated for measures showing the number of background checks
that ATF has performed, within what average timeframe, and of those,
how many individuals failed to receive clearance, and of those, how
many appealed the Bureau's findings; the number of rulemakings
outstanding and their priority; turnover rates among agents and
inspectors; and the number of individuals from which agencies that are
trained through ATF programs. Absent information of this type, it is
unclear how Congress can effectively oversee ATF's explosives
operations and determine the adequacy of its budget request.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\22\ ATF Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Submission, page 49.
\23\ ATF Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Submission, page 49.
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Leadership
The ATF has been without a director since August 2006. Director-
designee Michael J. Sullivan has served with distinction for nearly a
year. He came at a particularly challenging time and has overseen the
agency's move to its new headquarters. We believe the Bureau has been
too long without permanent leadership and we urge Congress to promptly
act on this nomination.

Conclusion
The manufacture and distribution of explosives is accomplished with
a remarkable degree of safety and security. We recognize the important
role played by ATF in helping our industry achieve and maintain safe
and secure workplaces. Industry and the public trust that ATF has the
resources to fulfill its regulatory responsibilities. It is up to
Congress and, in particular, this Subcommittee to ensure that ATF has
the resources it needs. We strongly recommend full funding for ATF's
explosives program.
______

Prepared Statement of the Association for Psychological Science

Summary of Recommendations
--APS supports the Coalition for National Science Funding
recommendation of $7.326 billion for the National Science
Foundation in fiscal year 2009.
--We ask for the Committee's support of Section 7018b of the America
COMPETES Act (Public Law 110-69) which provides equal
consideration for NSF's Social, Behavioral and Economic
Sciences Directorate. This will ensure that the behavioral and
social sciences share proportionately in the increases received
by NSF, which is essential to strengthen the vital role of
these sciences in achieving innovation and realizing the full
potential of basic research to benefit our Nation.
--NSF-funded psychological scientists have won the Nobel Prize and
the President's Medal of Science for their groundbreaking work.
Greater funding for the SBE Directorate will result in more
such breakthroughs and will ensure that the Nation continues as
the world's leader in behavioral and social science research
and training.
Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee: Thank you for this
opportunity to present the views of the Association for Psychological
Science (APS) on the fiscal year 2009 appropriations of the National
Science Foundation (NSF). APS is dedicated to the promotion,
protection, and advancement of the interests of scientifically oriented
psychology in research, application, teaching, and the improvement of
human welfare. Our 20,000 members are scientists and academics at the
Nation's universities and colleges. The NSF supports many members of
APS, and a great deal of basic research in our field simply could not
exist without NSF funding.

The Nation's Premiere Basic Research Enterprise
In the America COMPETES Act of 2007, Congress and the President
agreed that basic science research budgets should be doubled. The
fiscal year 2008 omnibus appropriation, however, did not provide the
necessary funds to keep pace with this goal. The National Science
Foundation received only a 2.5 percent increase for fiscal year 2008,
$364 million less than the President's request. The continued
underfunding of NSF constitutes a significant delay in this Nation's
science and technology advancement--one we cannot afford in the face of
rising global competitiveness.
A renewed commitment to basic research and educational programs at
NSF is essential to capitalize on the enormous promise of scientific
innovation, to train future scientists, and to ensure the success of
multidisciplinary initiatives. The basic science community asks the
Committee to make the underlying intent of this Act a reality. The
increase we are recommending today, as a member of the Coalition for
National Science Funding, is a critical step in offsetting the under-
funding that has been a chronic condition for NSF.

The Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate
It is crucial to recognize the role the behavioral and social
sciences play in fostering innovation. The President's Science Advisor
and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, John
Marburger, has underscored the importance of our discipline in this
endeavor, and your colleagues in the House, led by Subcommittee on
Research and Science Education Chair Brian Baird, have asked NSF to
comply with the statutory requirement in Public Law 110-69, Section
7018b to give equal consideration to the Social, Behavioral, and
Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate.
Under the Administration's budget plan, the SBE Directorate would
receive $233.48 million, 8.5 percent over fiscal year 2008. While this
stems the tide of below-average increases in previous years, it is
unacceptably disproportionate to other Directorates, which are
receiving between 10.3 and 20.2 percent increases. The America COMPETES
Act specifically called on NSF not to disinvest in the behavioral and
social sciences over the long term. We are concerned about this
imbalance, given the enormous potential of behavioral science to
address many critical issues facing the Nation, including global
competitiveness. To offset previous years' under-funding, we ask the
Committee to, at the very least, give the SBE Directorate the 8.5
percent increase the President proposed in this year's NSF budget
request. We also ask that the SBE Directorate share proportionately in
any such increases ultimately received by NSF.
An Overview of Basic Psychological Research.--NSF programs and
initiatives that involve psychological science are our best chance to
solve the enigma that has perplexed us for so long: How does the human
mind work and develop? APS members include many scientists who conduct
basic research in areas such as learning, cognition, and memory, and
the linked mechanisms of how we process information through visual and
auditory perception. Others study judgment and decision-making (which
is the focus of a Nobel prize recently awarded to APS Fellow and NSF
grantee Daniel Kahneman); mathematical reasoning (the focus of the
recent President's Medal of Science awarded to APS Fellow and NSF
Grantee R. Duncan Luce); language development; the developmental
origins of behavior; and the impact of individual, environmental, and
social factors in behavior.
What's more, basic psychological research supported by NSF and
conducted by APS members ultimately has had a wide range of
applications, including designing technology that incorporates the
perceptual and cognitive functioning of humans; teaching math to
children; improving learning through the use of technology; developing
more effective hearing aids and speech recognition machines; increasing
workforce productivity; and ameliorating social problems such as
prejudice or violence. While this is a diverse range of topics, all
these areas of research are bound together by a simple notion: that
understanding the human mind, brain, and behavior is crucial to
maximizing human potential. That places these pursuits squarely at the
forefront of several of the most pressing issues facing the Nation,
this Congress, and the Administration.

SBE Directorate Highlights
Research supported by the SBE Directorate has the potential to
increase employee productivity, improve decision making in critical
military or civilian emergency situations, and inform the public
policymaking processes across a range of areas. To give just a few
examples:
Developmental and Learning Sciences.--This program supports studies
that increase our understanding of cognitive, linguistic, social,
cultural, and biological processes related to children's and
adolescents' development and learning. This kind of research adds to
our basic knowledge of how people learn and the underlying
developmental processes that support learning. For example, one
recently funded study is identifying the cognitive, emotional, and
social characteristics that make some children more suggestible than
others with respect to legal questioning. The results of these studies
will have important implications for developing scientifically sound
interviews that produce the most accurate reports from children, and
for constructing instruments to detect children who are prone to
suggestive factors, which can be adapted for use in schools, mental
health, medical, and forensic contexts.
Perception, Action, and Cognition.--The perception, action, and
cognition program at NSF supports research on these three functions,
and the development of these capacities. Topics include vision,
audition, attention, memory, reasoning, written and spoken discourse,
motor control, and developmental issues in all topic areas. One recent
study funded by this program looks at the important role language plays
in emotion perception, and understanding the mechanisms by which
language might influence emotion perception. This research shows that
the emotions you see in others are influenced by what you know about
emotion (especially the language that you speak). It may well be the
case that people can be taught to become better emotion perceivers, and
hence, better communicators.
Cognitive Neuroscience.--Cognitive neuroscience, within the last
decade, has become an active and influential discipline, relying on the
interaction of a number of sciences, including psychology, cognitive
science, neurology, neuroimaging, physiology, and others. The cross-
disciplinary aspects of this field have spurred a rapid growth in
significant scientific advances. The blooming field of social
neuroscience is yielding research, for example, on the psychological
and neural mechanisms involved in the experience of empathy. Brain
imaging is being used to measure the effects of stigma, racial bias,
similarity, and past shared experiences between oneself and others.
This important research will yield a better understanding of the
cognitive and neurological mechanisms involved in empathy as well as
our ability to share feelings and care for others. Both the findings
and the techniques will be of tremendous value to clinicians as well as
other researchers.

Cross-Cutting Behavioral Initiatives at NSF
Cyber-enabled Discovery and Innovation.--This new, cutting-edge
program supports research on computational thinking, complexity, and
interacting systems. NSF expects that this ambitious new undertaking
with potentially transformative results will revolutionize the field
and shed light onto wide-ranging topics such as emergent phenomena and
tipping points in human development. Research into the complexity of
social systems will constitute a significant contribution to this
endeavor. This investment will help maintain our Nation's expertise in
information technology, an essential element for our future
competitiveness.
Adaptive Systems Technology.--A new interdisciplinary initiative,
this program recognizes the essential human element of exciting new
technologies and machines. The human-machine interface is crucial to
explore if we are going to make the best use of the latest technology.
While biologists describe the trajectory from simple to complex systems
and chemists explain the processes underlying complex neural
organization, cognitive scientists explore how systems compute and
behavioral scientists provide insights into how organisms learn and
adapt to their environment. By working together, these scientists can
reap the benefits of and develop new ideas through collaboration.
Science of Science and Innovation Policy (SciSIP).--In 2005, the
President's Science Advisor, John Marburger, called for a national
``science of science policy,'' asking for research on innovation and
scientific discovery processes, as well as on how policymakers use
science to shape policy. In response, NSF created the Science of
Science and Innovation Policy (SciSIP) research program. By studying
science as a social process, SciSIP's goal is the development of an
evidence-based platform for science policy. One example of the kind of
ideas materializing from this initiative is the measurement of well-
being, which deals with such questions as: How can science policy and
science outcomes be evaluated by measuring societal well-being? Can
scientific priorities be based on well-being? Does well-being as an
outcome lead to different science priorities than considering other
outcomes? What about national competitiveness and productivity in
relation to science and well-being? Addressing these questions has
implications for health and the economy, both of which are linked to
well-being.
In closing, I want to note that building and sustaining the
capacity for innovation and discovery in the behavioral sciences is a
goal of the National Science Foundation. We ask that you encourage
NSF's efforts in these areas, not just those activities described here,
but the full range of activities supported by the SBE directorate and
by NSF at large. Your support will help NSF lay the groundwork for this
long-overdue emphasis on these sciences. Thank you.
We would be pleased to answer any questions.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Society for Microbiology

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) is pleased to submit
the following testimony on the fiscal year 2009 appropriation for the
National Science Foundation (NSF). The ASM is the largest single life
science organization with more than 42,000 members. The ASM mission is
to enhance the science of microbiology, to gain a better understanding
of life processes, and to promote the application of this knowledge for
improved health and environmental well-being.
The President requests a 13 percent increase in the NSF's budget
for fiscal year 2009 for a total funding level of $6.85 billion.
Included in this request is $5.6 billion for Research and Related
Activities (R&RA), an increase of $773 million, or 16 percent above
fiscal year 2008. With the 16 percent growth, NSF anticipates
supporting an additional 1,370 research grants, which will help
increase the overall funding rate to 23 percent from the 21 percent
rate in fiscal year 2008. However, the success rates in many important
biological sciences programs remain below 20 percent. The ASM,
therefore, recommends a 16 percent, or $98 million, increase for BIO,
consistent with the requested increase for R&RA. The ASM also
recommends that the overall increase for R&RA be $808 million, or 16.8
percent, and the overall increase for NSF be 13.6 percent above fiscal
year 2008, to cover ASM's recommended increase for BIO without
affecting the requested increases for other programs.
The NSF plays a critical role in the discovery of new knowledge in
the biological sciences. The Society has a number of concerns about BIO
funding for the biological sciences, which are discussed below. Our
nation's competitiveness in areas such as nanotechnology, climate
change, water sustainability, and alternative energy sources depends on
innovation in the biological sciences. It is essential that NSF
continue strong support for the biological sciences to maintain and
expand the contributions of biological sciences research for human,
environmental, and economic well being.
The NSF has successfully leveraged its resources for over half a
century to promote progress in all fields of science and to enhance its
effectiveness and productivity. The NSF builds the nation's research
capability through investments in advanced instrumentation and
facilities, and by supporting excellence in science and engineering
research and education through its competitive, peer-reviewed grants
programs. These activities are essential for increasing the nation's
economic and scientific competitiveness. Nearly 90 percent of the NSF's
budget supports extramural grants, selected through a competitive merit
review process, that meet the mission of the Foundation ``to promote
the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity,
and welfare; to secure the national defense . . .'' The NSF has been
especially responsive to and benefited from supporting individual
investigators and investigator-initiated ideas.
The ASM particularly supports increased funding for R&RA. This
funding will promote support for unsolicited grants that potentially
advance the frontiers of learning and discovery. The ASM
enthusiastically supports the continuation of the NSF's tradition of
funding investigator-initiated research.

NSF Biological Sciences
The NSF provides 67 percent, about two-thirds, of federal support
for U.S. academic basic research in non-medical biological sciences.
This means that NSF's BIO, is arguably the most important source of
non-medical funding for biological research, infrastructure, and
education in the United States. Through its long history of
productivity and innovation, biological research supported by the NSF
has been critical for understanding issues of national importance such
as the environment, economy, agriculture, and human welfare.
NSF funding is not only important for understanding the functions
and behaviors of organisms, it is especially important for
understanding how organisms, such as microbes, function and interact
with physical and chemical systems. For example, basic biological
research has provided physicists and chemists with model systems used
in nanotechnology, chemical production and renewable energy generation,
each of which are important for American competitiveness. Thus, it is
essential to continue strong investments in the biological sciences,
since they translate to advances in physical, mathematical,
engineering, and computational sciences.
The Administration has proposed an fiscal year 2009 budget for BIO
of $675 million, an increase of 10.3 percent over fiscal year 2008.
This increase continues along the proposed track of the President's
American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI). The ASM is concerned that
funding for BIO since fiscal year 2003 has flattened and even
decreased. The success rate of competitive awards for BIO in fiscal
year 2009 is estimated at 19 percent, well below the overall NSF
estimated funding rate of 23 percent. Additionally, some programs
within BIO have funding rates less than 14 percent, such as the
Microbial Observatories/Microbial Interactions and Processes (MO/MIP)
programs, Assembling the Tree of Life program, and the Ecology of
Infectious Diseases program. Funding rates for BIO research grants have
been consistently lower than agency wide average research funding
rates, and the gap between BIO and agency wide funding rates has
increasingly widened in the last three years.
Scientific opportunities in the biological sciences are increasing
significantly, illustrated by the estimated 20 percent increase in BIO
research grant proposals from fiscal year 2003 through fiscal year
2007. However, as opportunities have steadily increased, BIO research
grant funding rates have decreased significantly from 26 percent in
fiscal year 2003 down to an estimated 19 percent in fiscal year 2007.
Growth in BIO is essential for progress in the biological sciences.
Growth in the total NSF budget should be reflected by real growth in
BIO as well as other NSF directorates. We, therefore, recommend an
increase in the BIO budget consistent with the President's request for
R&RA in fiscal year 2009, of 16 percent, for a total of $710 million.
Research in BIO is key to providing fundamental support that is
needed for research supported by other NSF directorates. The rapid
growth in knowledge by the biological sciences is resulting in the
formation of new multi-disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and
transdisciplinary efforts that often involve physical and chemical
sciences and engineering. Advances in programs in bioenergy and
biophysics now depend as much on biology as they do on other scientific
disciplines. BIO supports scientific disciplines other than the
biological sciences through programs such as Environmental Genomics,
MO/MIP, and contributes to interagency priorities, such as climate
change and the new NSF-wide program Dynamics of Water Processes in the
Environment (WATER).

BIO MO/MIP
In addition to its general concerns about biological sciences
funding, the ASM is concerned with a proposal to shift funding in
fiscal year 2009 to strengthen core BIO programs and to eliminate
support for the demonstrably highly successful Microbial Observatories
(MO), Microbial Interactions and Processes (MIP) programs. These
programs represent the only sustained national initiatives to describe
broadly and understand the diversity of microbial life within the
United States. Loss of these programs will mean that other nations with
which the United States competes in biotechnology (e.g., China, Japan,
Korea, Germany) will continue to support efforts to discover microbial
diversity, while the US decreases support.
Differences in funding emphases between existing core programs and
microbe-specific programs will likely lead to lower success rates and
less funding for microbial researchers. Funding success rates for MO/
MIP are already less than 10 percent. The ASM recommends that MO and
MIP should be identified as a part of the core programs in BIO, rather
than be discontinued. The ASM also recommends increased support for MO/
MIP.
Maintaining programs such as MO/MIP is essential to ensure
continued discovery of the microbial world, over 99 percent of which
remains undescribed. Because they are ubiquitous and functionally more
diverse than all plants and animals combined, microbes continue to
offer enormous economic potential for industry, agriculture, and
medicine. Bioprospecting has already led to many commercial
applications, including probiotics, biofuels, and wastewater treatment.
The wealth of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that have yet
to be cultivated or understood comprise an untapped resource for
industry, agriculture, and medicine.
Loss of MO/MIP cannot help but reduce our nation's competitiveness
and ability to sustain leadership in microbial biology. Loss of these
programs will also adversely affect agricultural research involving a
collaboration between USDA and NSF.

NEON
The ASM supports the establishment of the National Environmental
Observatories Network (NEON), which will be the first national
ecological measurement and observation system designed to answer
fundamental regional- to continental-scale scientific questions about
the current state of major ecosystems and their response to climate
change and other disturbances. Full implementation of the NEON platform
will transform our ability to detect and predict changes in ecosystems,
and to provide information necessary to respond to change. Integration
of microbial biology into the NEON framework also promises to provide a
new level of understanding of the interactions between microbes,
ecosystems and climate change. The ASM strongly encourages this
integration through expanded funding in BIO, and expresses its concern
that funding for NEON-related research not reduce the capacities of
current BIO programs.

Support for Geosciences, Engineering, and Physical Sciences
Biology and microbial biology are important components of all the
research directorates at NSF and should be strongly supported within
them. The ASM supports the fiscal year 2009 proposed increases in
funding for the research activities at the Geosciences Directorate
(GEO), the Engineering Directorate (ENG), and the Mathematical and
Physical Sciences Directorate (MPS).
The Geobiology and Low-Temperature Geochemistry program in GEO
provides an example of the mutually beneficial relationship between
biological sciences and geosciences. Among other areas, this program
examines interactions between biological and geological systems at all
scales of space and time, interactions between microbes and
economically important resources, and interactions among microbes,
minerals and groundwater. The Geobiology and Low-Temperature
Geochemistry Program also facilitates cross-disciplinary efforts to
harness new bioanalytical tools, such as those emerging from molecular
biology. The ASM supports the proposed request of $178 million for
Earth Sciences (EAR), an increase of $22 million, or 14 percent, above
fiscal year 2008, with an emphasis towards increased support for the
biological geosciences and $354 million for Ocean Sciences Funding
(OCE), an increase of $43 million, or 14 percent above fiscal year
2008.
Similarly, the Engineering Directorate employs microbial research
to examine problems involved in the processing and manufacture of
economically important products, and in the efficient utilization of
chemical resources and renewable bioresources. Much of this work
depends on bioinformatics originating from genomic and proteomic
studies. The ASM supports the proposed request of $173 million for
Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET),
an increase of $42 million or 32 percent, above fiscal year 2008. High
emphasis applications for the biological sciences within this program
include postgenomic engineering, tissue engineering, biophotonics,
nano-biosystems, and biotechnology, leading to improved biosensors,
biomaterials, and controlled drug release.
Collaboration with other scientific disciplines is also very
important for continued progress in physics, including biological
physics at molecular and cellular levels. MPS supports
interdisciplinary research that greatly benefits the physical sciences
as well as the biological sciences by creating tools that assist in
advancing biological research and other disciplines. The ASM also
supports the NSF-wide investment, Dynamics of Water Processes in the
Environment (WATER). WATER supports research on living organisms in
freshwater ecological systems.

Workforce Development and Training
Support for science and engineering education, from pre-K through
graduate school and beyond is an essential part of NSF's mission.
Research funded by NSF is thoroughly integrated with education to help
ensure that there will always be a skilled workforce to support new and
future scientific, engineering, and technological fields, and a robust
community of educators to train and inspire coming generations.
In fiscal year 2007 BIO alone, support approximately 13,000 people,
including senior researchers, other professionals, postdoctorates,
graduate students, undergraduate students, and K-12 teachers. Due to
flat funding in fiscal year 2008, this number dropped to approximately
12,700. Increased support for the NSF is essential to fostering a
competitive, well-trained scientific workforce. The proposed increase
for BIO is estimated to support over 13,500 senior researchers, other
professionals, postdoctorates, graduate students, undergraduate
students, and K-12 teachers.

Conclusion
Support for the NSF is essential for maintaining and improving the
nation's scientific and economic competitiveness. The ASM recommends a
13.6 percent increase in funding for the NSF, slightly above the
President's request, but below the NSF's authorized level for fiscal
year 2009. However, the ASM is concerned that BIO has suffered from
flat funding over the last six years and we recommend at least a 16
percent increase for BIO, the same as the increase proposed by the
President for the entire Research and Related Activities, of which BIO
is a part. This increase will recapture ground lost to inflation,
expand the currently successful programs, and take advantage of new
scientific opportunities in the biological sciences, such as
metagenomics. Increased funding for the NSF should ensure adequate
funding for all areas of science. One of the primary strengths of the
NSF is its ability to catalyze important interactions among research
disciplines in the physical and biological sciences. Consequently, all
science must be well funded and encouraged.
The ASM appreciates the opportunity to provide written testimony
and would be pleased to assist the Subcommittee as it considers the
fiscal year 2009 appropriation for the NSF.
______

Prepared Statement of the Sea Grant Association

The Sea Grant Association (SGA) \1\ respectfully submits for the
official record this written testimony for fiscal year 2009 to the
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science.
SGA joins with other stakeholders in urging the Subcommittee to
recognize and support the vital programs of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and requests that the Subcommittee
fund NOAA at $4.5 billion for fiscal year 2009. Further, SGA requests
that within the overall fiscal year 2009 appropriation for NOAA, the
Subcommittee appropriate $72 million for the National Sea Grant College
Program, which is a key component of NOAA's extramural research,
education and outreach enterprise playing a direct role in keeping our
coastal communities safe, prosperous, and vibrant.
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\1\ The Sea Grant Association is a non-profit organization
dedicated to furthering the Sea Grant program concept. The SGA's
regular membership consists of the academic institutions that
participate in the National Sea Grant College Program, located within
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). SGA
provides the mechanism for these institutions to coordinate their
activities, to set program priorities at both the regional and national
level, and to provide a unified voice for these institutions on issues
of importance to the oceans, coasts and Great Lakes. The SGA advocates
for greater understanding, use, and conservation of marine, coastal and
Great Lakes resources.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Growth of the National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) has
been stunted during that last few years, which over time has begun to
directly impact the services delivered on a daily basis to our coastal
communities. The constituents of the Sea Grant program--coastal
resource managers, state and local governments, tourism sectors,
fishing industries, and the general public to name a few--have come to
expect and rely on a certain level of service and expertise from the
Sea Grant program. However, as the needs of our coastal communities
have increased, funding required for the Sea Grant program to support
these needs has not kept pace. The SGA recommendation of $72 million is
realistic and even represents an amount below that which is authorized
for the program for fiscal year 2004 \2\. The programmatic request of
$72 million is also consistent with the amount requested in a Dear
Colleague Letter for Sea Grant that was submitted to your Subcommittee
earlier this month with 32 signatures. In addition, attached is a list
of about 300 stakeholders who attest to the value of the Sea Grant
program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ National Sea Grant College Program Act Amendments of 2002,
Public Law 107-299.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
With the costs of research and education rising, the near flat-
funding of Sea Grant during the last few years has forced programs to
reduce staff and leave numerous high-quality research and outreach
projects unsupported. An increased investment in Sea Grant will not
only enhance its ability to meet these additional demands, it will also
leverage additional state and university matching funds, reflecting its
unique value as a federal-state partnership.
The Administration's request of $55 million for fiscal year 2009
would reverse the small progress made by the program last year by
eliminating the modest growth provided by the Congress for fiscal year
2008 (for a total fiscal year 2008 budget of $57.1 million). At the
level proposed by the Administration, the Sea Grant program would be
asked to operate at its lowest level in its 40 year history in 2007
dollars (see the below chart).

The implications of what is essentially a freeze in funding for Sea
Grant are significant with respect to the economy, sustainability of
natural resources, and national safety and security. The Sea Grant
network is severely strained and challenged to support its current
activities, staff, and operations within this budget scenario, and has
difficulty investing in important new research, education and outreach
geared toward addressing emerging challenges in such areas as regional
climate change and coastal community resiliency.
At present, only about 12 percent of the research proposals
submitted for funding to the Sea Grant program are funded due to
resource constraints. By contrast, the research funding success rate at
the National Science Foundation is just over 20 percent. Sea Grant
directors estimate that they receive enough high quality meritorious
research proposals--of importance and relevance to NOAA's mission--to
fund about 25 percent, or double what the program is currently able to
support. Within the current budget for Sea Grant of $57.1 million,
about $30 million is used to support research. The balance of the Sea
Grant budget is used to support related extension, communication,
education and program management. Based on this, the research portion
of the Sea Grant program could responsibly manage between $60 million
to $80 million annually--or double its current research budget. At this
level, the Sea Grant program could support important research proposals
that currently go unfunded to answer questions and provide new
knowledge needed by ocean and coastal resource managers.
It is also important to remember that the success of the Sea Grant
program is attributable to its unique ability to intimately tie
research results to an extension, communication, and education process
that is essential to ensure the use of science to meet the needs of our
citizens. The current level of expenditure for extension,
communication, and education in the Sea Grant program is approximately
$25 million. A recent report to the NOAA Science Advisory Board \3\
called on NOAA to substantially expand its extension, outreach, and
education activities. Sea Grant has the experience and the ``on-the-
ground'' network to fulfill that policy recommendation immediately if
sufficient additional support from NOAA were forthcoming. As the
research program expands to meet increasing demands, so too must the
tools that put the research results in the hands of decision makers so
that they can be utilized. The Sea Grant extension, communication, and
education function should be increased commensurate with the level of
research funding in the program from its current $25 million to between
$40 million to $50 million to ensure the continued balanced approach
when it comes to research, extension, communication, and education.
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\3\ Engaging NOAA's Constituents: A Report from the NOAA Science
Advisory Board, March 2008.
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An Investment in the Economic, Environmental and Social Well-being of
the Nation
Research and outreach programs supported by Sea Grant are based on
competition, undergo rigorous peer-review, and are geared toward
addressing the marine, coastal and Great Lakes challenges that face our
citizens. The federal investment in Sea Grant enables a nationally
coordinated network embedded in the best research universities to apply
unparalleled intellectual capital to address these problems and
opportunities while assisting NOAA in addressing its missions. Cost-
effectiveness is enhanced by access to existing university management
infrastructure.
Sea Grant serves the nation in many ways. Sea Grant's unmatched
access to regional, state and local constituencies through its
extension and outreach programs ensures that the federal investment is
targeted at relevant issues. The Sea Grant model contributes to the
missions of NOAA and other federal agencies, and state and local
governments, to the benefit of the general public. In addition, marine
education programs supported by Sea Grant funds reach from kindergarten
to marine-related business people to elder hostels.
Sea Grant is a national program addressing national, regional,
state and local needs. It is a partnership among government, academia,
business, industry, scientists, and private citizens to help Americans
understand and wisely use our precious coastal waters and Great Lakes
for enjoyment and long-term economic growth. This network unites 32
Programs, over 300 universities, and millions of people. Sea Grant is
an agent for scientific discovery, technology transfer, economic
growth, resource conservation, and public education. It is government
as our citizens want it--visible, tangible, relevant, efficient, and
effective.
Informing Smart Policy through Sound Science
The interface between science and policy is precisely where the Sea
Grant program applies its precious resources. As the program makes
decisions on the funding of research projects, issues that are acutely
important to local, regional and national decision-makers receive
priority attention. Extension and educational resources are also
deployed in ways that enhance the relevance and impact of the science
and discoveries that result from Sea Grant-funded research.
There is a growing demand from our nation's decision makers and
public for scientifically-sound decisions to many of today's complex
problems. Sea Grant's integration of science and outreach allows for
up-to-date and ongoing needs assessment that helps identify the most
important and timely issues that benefit from science-based decision
making. Technological and scientific approaches, though desirable,
cannot solve all of society's problems, and Sea Grant's ability to
embed itself within the communities it serves enables the social
dynamics of human ecology to be incorporated thereby improving the
utility and impact of investments through the Sea Grant program. Sea
Grant's work is always fresh. Although the program has been in place
for 40 years, the constant attention to societal needs through
stakeholder interactions allows the program to be nimble and
responsive, while also maintaining the rigor and reliability of a
strategic enterprise.
In recent years, the work of two major national commissions \4\
have brought into focus the importance of our oceans and coasts to our
nation's natural heritage, security, and economy. With an offshore
ocean jurisdiction larger than the total land mass of the United
States, U.S. waters support rich and diverse systems of ocean life,
provide a protective buffer, and support important commerce, trade,
energy, and mineral resources. And in each example, Sea Grant is there.
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\4\ An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century, U.S. Commission on
Ocean Policy, April 20, 2004; America's Living Oceans: Charting a
Course for Sea Change, Pew Oceans Commission, June 2, 2003.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--More than $1 trillion, or one-tenth, of the nation's annual gross
domestic product (GDP) is generated within near-shore areas,
the relatively narrow strip of land immediately adjacent to the
coast. Looking at all coastal watershed counties, the
contribution swells to over $6.1 trillion, more than half of
the nation's GDP;
--In 2003, ocean-related economic activity contributed more than $119
billion to American prosperity and supported over 2.2 million
jobs. Roughly three-quarters of the jobs and half the economic
value were produced by ocean-related tourism and recreation.
More than 13 million jobs are related to trade transported by
the network of inland waterways and ports that support U.S.
waterborne commerce;
--Annually, the nation's ports handle more than $700 billion in
goods, and the cruise industry and its passengers account for
$11 billion in spending;
--The commercial fishing industry's total value exceeds $28 billion
annually, with the recreational saltwater fishing industry
valued at around $20 billion, and the annual U.S. retail trade
in ornamental fish worth another $3 billion; and
--Nationwide retail expenditures on recreational boating exceeded $30
billion in 2002.
The SGA recognizes and appreciates the difficult funding tradeoffs
the Subcommittee is forced to make each year. We urge you to consider
Sea Grant as an investment in the future health and well-being of our
coastal communities and support the program at $72 million for fiscal
year 2009. Thank you for the opportunity to present these views.
For more information, please visit www.sga.seagrant.org or contact:
Paul Anderson, SGA President, 207.581.1435, [email protected]; Rick
DeVoe, SGA External Relations Committee Chair, 843.727.2078,
[email protected]; Joel Widder, Government Relations,
202.289.7475, [email protected].
______

Prepared Statement of the American Psychological Association

The American Psychological Association (APA), a scientific and
professional organization of more than 148,000 psychologists and
affiliates, is pleased to submit testimony for the record. Because our
behavioral scientists play vital roles within the National Science
Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) within the Department of
Justice (DOJ), APA will address the proposed fiscal year 2009 research
budgets for each of these agencies:
--APA recommends that the Subcommittee support the President's fiscal
year 2009 request of $6.85 billion for NSF.
--APA requests that the Subcommittee provide $18.3 billion for NASA,
including $671 million for NASA Advanced Capabilities (which
houses the Human Research Program), and $594 million for NASA
Aeronautics.
--APA urges the Subcommittee to reverse the trend of budgetary
neglect for NIJ (within DOJ) by providing $50 million in fiscal
year 2009 for NIJ programs.

National Science Foundation
Core Psychological Research at NSF
NSF is the only federal agency whose primary mission is to support
basic research and education in math, engineering and science--
including the behavioral and social sciences. NSF's investment in basic
research across these disciplines has allowed for extraordinary
scientific and technological progress, ensuring continued economic
growth, improvements in the design, implementation and evaluation of
public education, strengthened national security, and the generation of
cutting edge new knowledge.
APA supports the Administration request of $6.85 billion for NSF in
fiscal year 2009, and urges Congress to implement a doubling of the NSF
budget over the next ten years. This is consistent with Administration
and Congressional plans to invest substantially in federal science
agencies with the capacity to stimulate global competitiveness and
innovation. Within the overall NSF budget, APA supports a strong
investment in psychological research throughout the research and
education directorates foundation-wide, in order to address critical
national challenges with an understanding of human behavior at their
core. The America COMPETES Act specifically noted the importance of
funding the social sciences and this must be reflected in an increase
for NSF's behavioral and social science research portfolio comparable
to proposed increases for other sciences at NSF.
Although psychologists receive funding from diverse programs within
NSF, most core psychological research is supported by the Social,
Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate (SBE), with its focus on
the variables that determine human behavior across all ages, affect
interactions among individuals and groups, and decide how social and
economic systems develop and change. In addition to core behavioral
research in cognitive neuroscience, human cognition and perception,
learning and development, and social psychology, SBE also will continue
to support the development of science metrics through its Science of
Science and Innovation Policy (SciSIP) research program. Funding SciSIP
research is fundamental to identifying processes by which investments
in research are transformed into social and economic outcomes, and
providing a more effective evaluation of the ``return'' on scientific
investments.
The Biological Sciences Directorate at NSF also provides support
for research psychologists who ask questions about the very principles
and mechanisms that govern life at the level of the genome and cell, or
at the level of a whole individual, family or species. In previous
testimony, APA has expressed concern about diminishing support for key
behavioral research programs within this Directorate, most notably
those focused on learning and cognition. NSF recognizes the importance
of learning and cognition to many branches of science already, and
supports Foundation-wide initiatives and individual research projects
that seek to understand the neural or genetic mechanisms by which
learning occurs, that use learning as an assay for the effects of
environmental change on a biological system, that construct and
evaluate artificial learning systems, that conceptualize the role of
learning in biodiversity and evolution and that apply learning
principles to education and workforce challenges.
However, we hope that NSF's focus on transformational science will
continue to recognize that behavior links everything from molecular
biology to ecology because in a sense behavior is the ultimate genetic
phenotype. Animals behave to eat, defend and reproduce, so an
understanding of how the molecular processes within and beyond the
central nervous system lead to behavior and how behavior serves an
adaptive function seems essential to integrating biology across levels.
Within the field of animal behavior and cognition there are clear
demonstrations that this integration is occurring. For example,
individual differences in gene expression can now be linked to
individual differences in memory, attention, decision making,
individual adaptation and fitness. The opportunity for understanding
individual differences is unprecedented.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Behavioral Research is Critical for Space Exploration and
Air Safety
Over the last 20 years, the NASA research budget has gone down
steadily, with space exploration expanding at about the same rate. The
result is an increasing gap in life sciences and human factors
knowledge--knowledge that is critical for successful missions and for
improving both the safety and efficiency of our current and future
aerospace systems. Longer space missions place increasing demands on
psychological health and performance in space. Psychological scientists
are meeting these challenges head on by extending the information
management capacity of individuals through computational systems--
systems that can sense when the user is overloaded, or determine what
needs to be done next and automatically adapt. Such systems improve
human decision-making and allow humans to function in extremely
challenging environments, such as space flight. The need for science-
based practical principles to enhance systems, interfaces, team
dynamics, decision-making, training, and psychological health continues
to grow, but with a diminishing research budget, NASA behavioral
scientists are ill equipped to take on this crucial task.
In 2005, Congress endorsed the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE)
to send humans to the moon and then to Mars. An understanding of human
performance in space is critical for VSE, and the ability to measure
and predict human performance through all mission phases enhances
mission safety and mission success. APA urges NASA to prioritize life
sciences and human aeronautics research and to restore its support for
these programs to a level commensurate with other NASA programs.
In the recently passed America COMPETES Act, NASA is directed to
increase funding for basic STEM research to boost competitiveness and
innovation. APA urges the Subcommittee to explicitly include social
sciences in the STEM definition for NASA, consistent with the
definition authorized in the America COMPETES Act in the section on
NSF.
In the NASA Authorization Act of 2005, Congress authorized
$18,686,300,000 for fiscal year 2008. The actual allocation for fiscal
year 2008 shortchanged the agency by over $1 billion. At $17.6 billion,
the President's fiscal year 2009 budget request again shortchanges the
agency and fails even to keep pace with inflation. APA requests that
NASA's budget be at least $18.3 billion in order for the agency to
succeed in moving forward with the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE)
while also sustaining its non-Exploration missions. In order to
preserve the integrity of the agency's missions, APA further urges

Congress to block transfer authority between budget accounts.
Human Research Program
Over the past several years, support for programs in the life
sciences has diminished significantly, despite a renewed commitment in
2005 to extend human presence in space, and an unprecedented interest
in behavioral research. Now, what remains of the Human Research Program
is budgeted at $152 million, an increase of just 3.4 percent over
fiscal year 2008. Human research must be securely and adequately funded
and considered an integral component of space mission planning. A
successful overall behavioral health program will require a broad
perspective, multiple convergent research strategies, and a variety of
settings, including space itself. APA therefore requests that NASA's
budget for Advanced Capabilities, which houses the Human Research
Program, be increased to the fiscal year 2008 level of $671 million.
Aviation Safety
Aeronautics research (including human factors) has long been a
cornerstone of NASA. APA applauds NASA Ames Research Center for its
historic attention to human factors research but continued cuts to
aeronautics programming and a recent reorganization of the Aeronautics
Research Mission Directorate threaten to dismantle this once world-
class center for human factors research. The Aeronautics Research
Mission has been re-oriented to emphasize disciplines such as
aerodynamics over human performance and operational issues. Further,
the agency's fiscal year 2008 allocation diminished the spending power
of the aeronautics program by 40 percent compared to 2004, forcing NASA
centers to cut jobs and university grants in aeronautics research,
especially in the area of human performance and aviation safety. NASA's
continual underfunding of aeronautics research also poses a significant
threat to the Next Generation's (NextGen) schedule and budget. APA
therefore recommends that Congress restore NASA's Aeronautics budget to
at least the fiscal year 2006 level of $594 million.

Department of Justice--National Institute of Justice
Behavioral and social science research is also essential to
improving the criminal justice system. The National Institute of
Justice (NIJ) is the research, development, and evaluation arm of the
Department of Justice. It funds research in a range of scientific
disciplines, including behavioral and social science research aimed at
identifying evidence-based solutions for reducing crime and increasing
public safety. The Administration has proposed flat funding for NIJ in
fiscal year 2009 for a total of $34.7 million, equal to its fiscal year
2008 level and a dramatic 32 percent decrease from the fiscal year 2007
level of $54.3 million. APA strongly urges the Committee to reverse
this trend of budgetary neglect for NIJ and recommends providing $50
million in fiscal year 2009 for NIJ programs.
______

Prepared Statement of the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife
Commission

Agency Involved: Department of Justice
Program Involved: COPS Tribal Resources Grant Program (TRGP)
Summary of GLIFWC'S Fiscal Year 2009 Testimony
GLIFWC requests that Congress: (1) fund the TRGP at $31,065,000 in
fiscal year 2009 (the same level as fiscal year 2007 enacted and
$16,025,000 more than fiscal year 2008 enacted), (2) maintain the
Tribal Resources Grant Program (TRGP) as a distinct program within the
DOJ COPS Office of Justice Programs, and (3) ensure that special
conservation agencies remain eligible, unlike in fiscal year 2006.

Ceded Territory Treaty Rights and GLIFWC's Role
GLIFWC was established in 1984 as a ``tribal organization'' within
the meaning of the Indian Self-Determination Act (Public Law 93-638).
It exercises authority delegated by its member tribes to implement
federal court orders and various interjurisdictional agreements related
to their treaty rights. GLIFWC assists its member tribes in: securing
and implementing treaty guaranteed rights to hunt, fish, and gather in
Chippewa treaty ceded territories; and cooperatively managing and
protecting ceded territory natural resources and their habitats.

For the past 24 years, Congress and Administrations have funded
GLIFWC through the BIA, Department of Justice and other agencies to
meet specific federal obligations under: (a) a number of United States/
Chippewa treaties; (b) the federal trust responsibility; (c) the Indian
Self-Determination Act, the Clean Water Act, and other legislation; and
(d) various court decisions, including a 1999 U.S. Supreme Court case,
affirming the treaty rights of GLIFWC's member tribes. GLIFWC serves as
a cost efficient agency to conserve natural resources, to effectively
regulate harvests of natural resources shared among treaty signatory
tribes, to develop cooperative partnerships with other government
agencies, educational institutions, and non-governmental organizations,
and to work with its member tribes to protect and conserve ceded
territory natural resources.
Under the direction of its member tribes, GLIFWC operates a ceded
territory hunting, fishing, and gathering rights protection/
implementation program through its staff of biologists, scientists,
technicians, conservation enforcement officers, and public information
specialists.

Community-based Policing
GLIFWC's officers carry out their duties through a community-based
policing program. The underlying premise is that effective detection
and deterrence of illegal activities, as well as education of the
regulated constituents, are best accomplished if the officers work
within tribal communities that they primarily serve. The officers are
based in reservation communities of the following member tribes: in
Wisconsin--Bad River, Lac Courte Oreilles, Lac du Flambeau, Red Cliff,
Sokaogon Chippewa (Mole Lake) and St. Croix; in Minnesota--Mille Lacs;
and in Michigan--Bay Mills, Keweenaw Bay and Lac Vieux Desert.

Interaction With Law Enforcement Agencies
GLIFWC's officers are integral members of regional emergency
services networks in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin. They not only
enforce the tribes' conservation codes, but are fully certified
officers who work cooperatively with surrounding authorities when they
detect violations of state or federal criminal and conservation laws.
These partnerships evolved from the inter-governmental cooperation
required to combat the violence experienced during the early
implementation of treaty rights in Wisconsin. As time passed, GLIFWC's
professional officers continued to provide a bridge between local law
enforcement and many rural Indian communities.
GLIFWC remains at this forefront, using DOJ funding to develop
inter-jurisdictional legal training attended by GLIFWC officers, tribal
police and conservation officers, tribal judges, tribal and county
prosecutors, and state and federal agency law enforcement staff. DOJ
funding has also enabled GLIFWC to certify its officers as medical
emergency first responders trained in the use of defibrillators, and to
train them in search and rescue, particularly in cold water rescue
techniques. When a crime is in progress or emergencies occur, local,
state, and federal law enforcement agencies look to GLIFWC's officers
as part of the mutual assistance networks of the ceded territories. In
fact, the role of GLIFWC's officers in these networks was further
legitimized in 2007 by the passage of Wisconsin Act 27. This law
affords GLIFWC wardens the same statutory safeguards and protections
that are afforded to their DNR counterparts. GLIFWC wardens will now
have access to the criminal history database and other information to
identify whom they are encountering in the field so that they can
determine whether they are about to face a fugitive or some other
dangerous individual.

GLIFWC Programs Funded by DOJ
GLIFWC recognizes that adequate communications, training, and
equipment are essential both for the safety of its officers and for the
role that GLIFWC's officers play in the proper functioning of
interjurisdictional emergency mutual assistance networks in the ceded
territories. GLIFWC's COPS grants have provided a critical foundation
for achieving these goals. Significant accomplishments with Tribal
Resources Grant Program funds include:
Increased Versatility and Homeland Security on Superior.--In 2007
GLIFWC used COPS funding to obtain a 22 foot boat to expand patrol
capabilities and coverage on Lake Superior. This boat also provides
greater versatility than GLIFWC's larger patrol boat to access bays and
harbors in the Lake. The boat will be stationed in Marquette for use in
both the 1836 and 1842 ceded territories in Lake Superior, as well as
to provide increased emergency response, when needed.
Emergency Response Equipment and Training.--Each GLIFWC officer has
completed and maintains certification as a First Responder and in the
use of life saving portable defibrillators. Since 2003, GLIFWC officers
have carried First Responder kits and portable defibrillators during
their patrol of around 275,000 miles per year throughout the ceded
territories. In remote, rural areas the ability of GLIFWC officers to
respond to emergencies provides critical support of mutual aid
agreements with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Ice Rescue Capabilities.--Each GLIFWC officer maintains
certification in ice rescue techniques and was provided a Coast Guard
approved ice rescue suit. In addition, each of the patrol areas was
provided a snowmobile and an ice rescue sled to participate in
interagency ice rescue operations with county sheriffs departments and
local fire departments.
Wilderness Search and Rescue Capabilities.--Each GLIFWC officer
completed Wilderness Search and Rescue training. The COPS Tribal
Resources Grant Program also enabled GLIFWC to replace a number of
vehicles that were purchased over a decade ago, including 10 ATV's and
16 patrol boats and the GPS navigation system on its 31 foot Lake
Superior Patrol Boat. These vehicles are used for field patrol,
cooperative law enforcement activities, and emergency response in the
1836, 1837 and 1842 ceded territories. GLIFWC officers also utilize
these vehicles for boater, ATV, and snowmobile safety classes taught on
reservations as part of the Commission's Community Policing Strategy,
providing critical outreach to tribal youth.
Hire, Train and Equip Three Additional Officers.--Funding was
contracted to provide three additional officers to ensure tribes are
able to meet obligations to both enforce off-reservation conservation
codes and effectively participate in the myriad of mutual assistance
networks located throughout a vast region covering 60,000 square miles.
As required by the program, GLIFWC has absorbed the salary costs
related to sustaining those positions, however COPS funding is needed
now more than ever to sustain the other components of program related
to training and equipment.
Consistent with numerous other federal court rulings on the
Chippewa treaties, the United States Supreme Court re-affirmed the
existence of the Chippewa's treaty-guaranteed usufructuary rights in
Minnesota v. Mille Lacs Band, 526 U.S. 172 (1999). As tribes have re-
affirmed rights to harvest resources in the 1837 ceded territory of
Minnesota, workloads have increased. In addition, a consent decree
signed in 2007 will govern the exercise of treaty rights in inland
portions of the 1836 ceded territory in Michigan, where one of GLIFWC's
member tribes exercises treaty rights.
But for GLIFWC's COPS grants, this expanded workload, combined with
staff shortages would have limited GLIFWC's effective participation in
regional emergency services networks in Minnesota, Michigan and
Wisconsin. The effectiveness of these mutual assistance networks is
more critical than ever given: (1) national homeland security concerns,
(2) state and local governmental fiscal shortfalls, (3) staffing
shortages experienced by local police, fire, and ambulance departments
due to the call up of National Guard and military reserve units, and
(4) the need to cooperatively combat the spread of methamphetamine
production in rural areas patrolled by GLIFWC conservation officers.
Examples of the types of assistance provided by GLIFWC officers follow:
--As trained first responders, GLIFWC officers routinely respond to,
and often are the first to arrive at, snowmobile accidents,
heart attacks, hunting accidents, and automobile accidents
(throughout the ceded territories) and provide sheriffs
departments valuable assistance with natural disasters (e.g.
floods in Ashland County and a tornado in Siren, Wisconsin).
--Search and rescue for lost hunters, fishermen, hikers, children,
and the elderly (Sawyer, Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, and Forest
Counties in Wisconsin and Baraga, Chippewa, and Gogebic
Counties in Michigan).
--Being among the first to arrive on the scene where officers from
other agencies have been shot (Bayfield, Burnett, and Polk
Counties in Wisconsin) and responding to weapons incidents
(Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Sawyer, and Vilas Counties in
Wisconsin).
--Use of a thermal imaging camera (purchased through the COPS
program) to track an individual fleeing the scene of an
accident (Sawyer County, Wisconsin).
--Assistance in evacuating residents after a chemical plant explosion
(Burnett County, Wisconsin).
--Organizing and participating in search and rescues of ice fishermen
on Lake Superior (Ashland and Bayfield Counties in Wisconsin),
Lake Superior boats (Baraga County in Michigan and with the
U.S. Coast Guard in other parts of western Lake Superior), and
kayakers (Bayfield County in Wisconsin).
In 2008, GLIFWC proposes to utilize DOJ TRGP funding for training
and equipment to: (1) recognize, secure and respond appropriately to
homeland security threats, (2) improve response to incidents that
trigger joint law enforcement activities such as ``incident command
center'' protocols and training, and (3) improve community awareness
through state certified safety classes (hunter safety, boater safety,
ATV safety and snowmobile safety). Simply put, supporting GLIFWC's
officers will not only assist GLIFWC in meeting its obligations to
enforce tribal off-reservation codes, but it will enhance
intergovernmental efforts to protect public safety and welfare
throughout the region in the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and
Michigan. The COPS Tribal Resources Grant Program provides essential
funding for equipment and training to support GLIFWC's cooperative
conservation, law enforcement, and emergency response activities. We
ask Congress to support increased funding for this program.
______

Prepared Statement of Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing

On behalf of Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing, manufacturer of
aerospace assemblies, located in Killdeer, Halliday, Hettinger, and
Dickinson, North Dakota, I would like to thank the Committee for
allowing our organization to submit this testimony for the record. I am
writing to respectfully request that the Hollings Manufacturing
Extension Partnership program be provided the authorized $122 million
within the fiscal year 2009 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related
Agencies Appropriations Bill. This requested level of funding for 2009
was provided for in the recently enacted America COMPETES Act. As you
know, the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is a
program within the Department of Commerce, National Institute of
Standards and Technology, a program authorized to improve
competitiveness of America's manufacturing community.
The MEP is one of the most successful partnerships in the country.
In addition to public support, a value proposition to improve
manufacturer's global competitiveness is supported by those companies
who receive benefit. In North Dakota, the Dakota MEP provides
assistance to companies in continuous improvement, innovation,
strategic growth, technology and workforce development--all major needs
of our companies. Our company is currently working on a nationally
recognized Lean Enterprise Certification Program with the assistance of
Dakota MEP.
As a Dakota MEP Director, I would also like to report that the
average company benefits and impacts realized in the Dakota MEP
improvement work with manufacturers mirrors the national MEP average at
$1.4 million per engagement. These benefits have been realized by
manufacturers who've partnered with Dakota MEP over the past six years.
Manufacturing continues to diversify and grow the economies of the
Dakotas. It currently is 10 percent of the gross state product in North
Dakota and 11 percent in South Dakota. The industry has nearly 1,900
firms employing 69,000 in the Dakotas exporting over $2 billion.
Manufacturing brings new wealth to our country, our states and
communities which, in turn, generate other economic activity and
opportunities.
Manufacturing must remain one of our country's economic strengths
and the MEP is an invaluable program to help the industry better
compete. Without unwavering strong federal support, the MEP will be
unable to maintain its mission of serving America's small
manufacturers' increasing needs. At a time when our economic strength
and global competitiveness are national priorities, the MEP continues
to be a wise investment. We respectfully request that you appropriate
$122 million for the MEP in fiscal year 2009.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Association of Marine Laboratories

On behalf of the National Association of Marine Laboratories I am
pleased to submit this statement for the official record in strong
support of the research and education programs under the subcommittee's
jurisdiction that play a vital role in the ocean, coastal, and Great
Lakes research and education enterprise. I will focus my remarks on
four key areas: federal support for extramural ocean, coastal and Great
Lakes research; the next generation of ocean infrastructure; U.S.
innovation and competitiveness through investment in the marine
sciences; and ocean education, literacy, diversity and workforce
development.
The National Association of Marine Laboratories (NAML) is a
nonprofit organization of about 100 institutions employing more than
10,000 scientists, engineers, and professionals and representing ocean,
coastal and Great Lakes laboratories stretching from Maine to the Gulf
of Mexico, Guam to Bermuda, and from Alaska to Puerto Rico. NAML labs
support the conduct of high quality ocean, coastal and Great Lakes
research and education in the natural and social sciences and the
effective use of that science for decision-making on the important
issues that face our country.

FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR EXTRAMURAL OCEAN, COASTAL AND GREAT LAKES RESEARCH

NAML strongly urges the Subcommittee to maintain and strengthen its
support for cutting-edge ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes research and
education across the federal funding agencies within its jurisdiction.
The marine sciences are inherently interdisciplinary, push the
envelope in terms of technology development, test the boundaries of our
data collection and analysis systems, and offer an effective training
ground for future scientists and engineers. NAML believes that
competitive, merit-based research support by all relevant federal
agencies is essential to the overall progress of coastal, ocean and
Great Lakes science and education. Specifically, NAML calls on the
Subcommittee in the fiscal year 2009 appropriations bill to support the
research and education programs of the National Science Foundation, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration one of its highest priorities.

National Science Foundation (NSF)
NSF provides vital support for basic research and education which
enhances public understanding of the Nation's oceans, coastal areas,
and the Great Lakes and strengthens the long-term economic
competitiveness and national security of our country. NSF support for
cutting edge research, cyberinfrastructure, as well as more traditional
instrumentation and infrastructure is essential for the health of the
Nation's research enterprise. NSF also plays a large role in supporting
education and training for the next generation of scientists and
engineers and enhancing diversity by attracting and retaining women and
minorities. Marine labs contribute significantly to this objective
through the research and education programming conducted with NSF
support. NAML is supportive of proposals from the Administration ($6.9
billion request for fiscal year 2009) and the Congress (via the America
COMPETES Act) to substantially increase NSF support for fiscal year
2009 and urges that in the provision of such resources, they be
distributed in a balanced way to include all of the NSF directorates
consistent with similar guidance provided in the fiscal year 2008
appropriations conference report.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
NOAA is a critical player in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes
research and education and many NAML labs are co-located with, or
linked to, NOAA laboratories. Through its partnerships with marine labs
and universities, NOAA has access to world-class expertise and unique
research facilities. In addition, by partnering with the external
research and education community, NOAA can leverage funds and
facilitate multi-institution cooperation, all for the purpose of
promoting the very best science. NAML urges the Subcommittee to
recognize the value of NOAA by funding the agency at a budget of $4.5
billion for fiscal year 2009, as supported by the Friends of NOAA
Coalition. In addition, we call on the Subcommittee to emphasize NOAA's
key extramural research and education programs which assist NOAA in
addressing its mission. These programs include: the National Sea Grant
College Program, the National Undersea Research Program, Ocean
Exploration and Research, the National Estuarine Research Reserve
System, the Competitive Research Program within NOAA's Climate Program
Office, the Integrated Ocean Observing System, Oceans and Human Health,
Coastal Zone Management, Office of Education and the various joint and
cooperative institutes. In addition, NOAA supports important research
in aquaculture and invasive species.
In 2007, NOAA released a comprehensive five year research plan \1\
that highlights the linkage between NOAA research and the Nation's
economic competitiveness. A healthy NOAA budget coupled with solid
partnerships with the extramural research and education communities
will only strengthen NOAA's research and education capabilities and
ultimately make our nation safer.
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\1\ Research in NOAA: Toward Understanding and Predicting Earth's
Environment, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, June
2007.
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Budgets for NASA earth and space science have declined in recent
years despite fervent calls from the community to protect science
funding at the agency. The National Academy of Sciences released a
report in 2007 \2\ calling on NASA to ``renew its investment in Earth
observing systems and restore its leadership in Earth science and
applications.'' NAML is not alone in its contention that this nation is
in need of a balanced investment in NASA that will maintain a strong
and vibrant earth and space science enterprise. NASA's support for
earth observations and research is vital in helping us better
understand our own planet. We are encouraged that the Administration
has called for Earth and Space science increases in its fiscal year
2009 budget request. NAML urges the Subcommittee to renew its
investment in the NASA Earth Science budget for fiscal year 2009.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives
for the Next Decade and Beyond, Committee on Earth Science and
Applications from Space: A Community Assessment and Strategy for the
Future, National Research Council, January 2007.
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NEXT GENERATION OF OCEAN INFRASTRUCTURE

In addition to program support for research at the various federal
funding agencies, support for infrastructure and instrumentation--
including long term planning for the next generation of
infrastructure--is critical to the operation of marine labs. NSF in
particular provides important support for basic laboratory facilities,
instrumentation, support systems, computing and related
cyberinfrastructure, and ship access through the important Major
Research Instrumentation (MRI) and the Field Stations and Marine
Laboratories (FSML) programs. The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy's
report \3\ made several recommendations about the need for development
and enhancement of ocean, coastal and Great Lakes research
infrastructure. NAML recognizes the need for infrastructure investment
at all scales, from traditional infrastructure--such as marine
laboratories, ships, observation systems, satellites--to next
generation infrastructure and technology like genomics, proteomics,
robotics, nanotechnology, and other advanced computational approaches.
As federal research budgets grow, so too must support for critical
infrastructure required to effectively implement research and
education. We are hindering our brightest scientific minds by denying
them the proper infrastructure needed to support their research. NAML
urges the Subcommittee to recognize the importance of sustained support
for infrastructure across the federal research agencies and provide
commensurate funding for fiscal year 2009.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century, U.S. Commission on
Ocean Policy, April 20, 2004.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR U.S. INNOVATION AND COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH
INVESTMENT IN THE MARINE SCIENCES

NAML notes that the Federal government has targeted the ``physical
sciences'' for funding increases in recent years, despite the outcome
of the fiscal year 2008 appropriations process. The Congress, through
enactment of the America COMPETES Act (Public Law 110-069), recognized
that the physical sciences did not only refer to science coming out of
the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy's Office of
Science, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, as
defined by the Administration. In addition to these agencies the
COMPETES Act acknowledged the role that many Federal agencies--such as
NOAA and NASA--play in U.S. innovation and competitiveness. For fiscal
year 2009, NAML urges the Subcommittee to fund all of the ``physical
science'' agencies, including NSF, NOAA, and NASA, at levels that will
help the nation keep pace on the global stage.

OCEAN EDUCATION, LITERACY, DIVERSITY AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

NAML believes that an informed, engaged and ocean literate populace
is critical for the economic, environmental health of our planet and to
the quality of life of all Americans. NAML encourages the federal
government to strengthen its commitment to enhancing ocean, coastal and
Great Lakes education, literacy, diversity and workforce development.
In early 2008 NAML developed a whitepaper \4\ addressing the ocean
education mission at NOAA and calling on NOAA to be a strong
contributor to the implementation of the recommendations made within
the 2006 Conference on Ocean Literacy (CoOL) report \5\. The Conference
on Ocean Literacy was a watershed event that brought together for the
first time all of the Federal entities overseeing ocean education and
literacy. Its subsequent report issued key recommendations for
fostering an ocean-literate society and increasing ocean workforce
diversity. NAML looks forward to working with NOAA, as well as other
federal agencies with ocean education missions, in implementing the
report's recommendations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Ocean Literate America: A Whitepaper in Support of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Ocean Education Plan, National
Association of Marine Laboratories, February 2008.
\5\ Conference on Ocean Literacy Report, Washington, D.C., June 7-
8, 2006.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A strong national ocean policy can only be sustained with the most
up to date and reliable scientific information. To ensure that the
Nation will continue to generate the very best knowledge investment is
needed today in coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes education programs that
support learning at all age levels, by all disciplines, and for all
Americans. NAML labs work closely with many programs throughout the
Federal government to produce a more ocean-literate populace. These
include the Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence program
(COSEE) and the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation
program at NSF, and the Office of Education and National Sea Grant
College Program within NOAA. Not only do marine labs serve as excellent
training grounds for experiential ocean education, they are also
committed to enhancing diversity within the field of ocean, coastal and
Great Lakes research and education by fostering relationships with
community colleges and minority-serving institutions (MSIs) to provide
distinctive learning opportunities for underrepresented groups. At
marine laboratories, students achieve a greater understanding of the
oceans and coastal ecosystems and take with them a sense of stewardship
for these important environments. Given the interdisciplinary nature of
the ocean sciences, a continued interagency approach will be needed by
the Federal government to foster a truly ocean-literate populace. NAML
urges the Subcommittee to provide priority funding for the science
education programs noted above for fiscal year 2009.
Thank you for the opportunity to express these views on behalf of
the National Association of Marine Laboratories. We hope the
Subcommittee will take these points into consideration as you move
forward in the fiscal year 2009 appropriations process.
______

Prepared Statement of the Federation of American Societies for
Experimental Biology (FASEB)

Mission
Our nation's ability to remain competitive in the global economy
depends on its capacity to develop new knowledge, train scientists, and
provide resources that fuel discovery and innovation. Funding for the
National Science Foundation's (NSF) scientific research and education
programs is essential to the fulfillment of these goals.
NSF's mission is ``to promote the progress of science; to advance
the national health, prosperity, and welfare; [and] to secure the
national defense.'' \1\ Although NSF receives less than 5 percent of
the federal research and development (R&D) budget, it has a leading
role in advancing U.S. science, technology, engineering and mathematics
(STEM). In addition to providing necessary support for large scale
research facilities, NSF funds approximately 20 percent of all
federally-sponsored basic research \2\ and at least two-thirds of all
federally-sponsored non-medical basic research at America's colleges
and universities.\3\ Each year, this funding results in grants to more
than 200,000 scientists, teachers and student researchers for cutting-
edge projects at thousands of institutions across the country. NSF is
also a major force in science education and training. The agency
supports education research and funds initiatives to prepare teachers,
develop curricula, and engage students in scientific activities that
are critical for strengthening our scientific workforce. NSF's support
of science and education and its emphasis on integrating research and
education make it unique among federal research sponsors; its broad
approach stimulates the flow of ideas across scientific boundaries and
brings new insight to bear on perplexing research questions. NSF's
pioneering research investments have advanced the frontier of science
and have led to the development of marketable technologies, processes
and methods.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ National Science Foundation. http://www.nsf.gov/about/.
Accessed September 17, 2007.
\2\ Ibid.
\3\ AAAS Report XXXII: Research and Development Fiscal Year 2008.
(2007) American Association for the Advancement of Science. Washington,
DC.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A recent National Academies report warns that as other countries
make R&D spending a top priority, the scientific and technological
building blocks that are critical to U.S. economic leadership are
eroding.\4\ Expressing a similar sentiment, the U.S. Office of Science
and Technology Policy stated that ``keeping our competitive edge in the
world economy requires policies that lay the ground work for continued
leadership in innovation, exploration, and ingenuity.'' \5\ Although
Congress recognized NSF's contribution to the science and technology
enterprise when it authorized a doubling of the agency's budget by
2007, NSF's budget remains far below the amount the NSF Authorization
Act of 2002 specified.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ National Academies of Science. (2007) Rising Above the
Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter
Future. Washington, DC.
\5\ Domestic Policy Council. (2006) American Competitiveness
Initiative: Leading the World in Innovation. Office of Science and
Technology Policy. Washington, DC.
\6\ Public Law 107-368. (December 2002) National Science Foundation
Authorization Act of 2002.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enactment of the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully
Promote Excellence in Technology, Science, and Education (COMPETES) Act
\7\ in 2007 renews U.S. commitment to science and technology and puts
NSF on a path to double its budget by 2015, permitting the agency to
expand its support for scientific research and education and training
programs. These critical investments in NSF will ensure that the United
States remains at the forefront of scientific discovery and
technological innovation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ H.R. 2272. (August 2007) America Creating Opportunities to
Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Science, and Education
(COMPETES).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Select Accomplishments in Research and Education
Research that NSF funds traverses the sciences, captures the
imagination, and improves our quality of life. A few highlights of
innovative research and education projects NSF supports follow.

Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary field in which scientists
design and build objects and even machines with the dimensions of
individual atoms and molecules. This new research area is
revolutionizing everything from computers to health care, and NSF is
leading the charge.
--Developing Medical Nanosensors.--Scientists have developed nanosize
chemical sensors that can detect glucose in human tissue. This
research is paving the way for the development of a class of
biosensors that could improve the way diabetics monitor blood
sugar and facilitate tracking a variety of other molecules,
such as hormones, cholesterol and drugs.
--Disrupting Cancer Development.--Scientists have found they can use
antisense DNA to disrupt cells' production of cancer-causing
proteins; attaching gold nanoparticles to antisense strands
enhances their ability to disrupt the production of these
proteins.
High-End Computing and Advanced Networking
Computational research that NSF funds is driving discovery in
critical scientific fields. High-end computing and advanced networking
is enabling scientists to better understand biological systems and
apply new knowledge to pressing health, environmental and social
concerns.
--Developing HIV Drugs.--Scientists are harnessing the power of
super-computers to model molecular structure and movement.
Structural models of enzymes that permit HIV to survive and
proliferate have guided the development of new drugs to target
these essential proteins.
--Networking Biodiversity Data.--The Global Biodiversity Information
Facility has created a worldwide network of biodiversity data,
including genetic and ecological data, on the earth's myriad
species. This information is useful in predicting the spread of
disease, identifying the sources of disease-resistant crop
genes, and tracking the spread of invasive species.

Materials Science and Engineering
Nature produces an array of materials with structural properties
that the materials scientists create in labs cannot rival. Basic
research on the structures of these materials is helping engineers
develop new products with medical and industrial applications.
--Developing Artificial Joints and Limbs.--Basic research on the
biology of the unique cartilaginous skeletons of sharks may
help researchers design biological materials that are suitable
for the development of artificial joints and limbs.
--Medical Uses of Collagen.--Researchers have discovered ways to
modify collagens that may help block the formation of scar
tissue, control the growth of blood vessels in tissues for
implantation, and develop better infection-fighting bandages.
Basic Physiological Processes
Though it may not be evident at first glance, humans have a fair
amount in common with species as diverse as fungi, frogs and bears. Due
to similarities at the genetic, cellular and physiological levels,
studying these and other organisms yields insight into human health and
disease. NSF support for this basic scientific research paves the way
for human medical advances.
--Advancing Organ Transplant Technology.--Researchers discovered that
certain frogs produce an ``antifreeze'' that prevents cell
damage in frigid temperatures. As a result, these frogs can
survive for months in freezing weather even though their major
organs have come to a practical halt. Research in this area may
lead to technologies that permit longer preservation of human
organs and, therefore, improve transplantation success rates.
--Using Baker's Yeast to Study HIV.--Yeast cells are structurally
similar to human cells and contain harmless retrovirus-like
elements that scientists use to model HIV. A mechanism
scientists discovered in these retrovirus-like elements may be
the missing link to retrovirus replication and may provide a
new target for the development of HIV drugs.
Science Education and Training
The National Science Foundation supports the nation's STEM
infrastructure by contributing to science education. NSF programs are
cultivating the next generation of scientists and engineers by
developing research curricula, engaging K-12 and undergraduate students
in science, providing support for graduate and postdoctoral
researchers, and improving teacher training.
--Math and Science Partnership (MSP) Program.--This program supports
educational partnerships between universities, local school
systems, businesses, and informal science organizations. Early
analyses of this initiative demonstrate that participating
students show improvements in math and science proficiency.
--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion
(STEP) Program.--The STEP program aims to increase the number
of students who obtain undergraduate degrees in STEM
disciplines through grant support to academic institutions.
With STEP funding, colleges and universities have developed
programs to engage women and minorities in science, provide
students with research opportunities, and introduce them to
scientific careers.
--Integrated Graduate Education Research and Training (IGERT)
Program.--This initiative supports 125 doctoral degree programs
that foster interdisciplinary training in emerging scientific
domains. IGERT trainees have produced important scientific and
technological breakthroughs, which include a handheld imaging
device that can detect breast tumors and ``bio-transformable''
materials doctors can implant in the body to deliver drugs or
open blood vessels.

Investing in the Future
NSF's strategic plan for the future \8\ outlines the agency's
approach to building our nation's research capacity. By combining
support for basic research, education, and training with investments in
emerging areas of scientific interest and need, NSF will ensure that
the United States has the infrastructure and talent to maintain its
role as a leader in science and technology.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ National Science Foundation (2006). Investing in America's
Future: FY 2006-2011. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf0648/NSF-06-
48.pdf. Accessed October 31, 2007.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fundamental and Transformational Research
NSF will continue to support both transformational R&D and the
basic science on which it depends. The agency is emphasizing
interdisciplinary investigation in areas such as the neural bases of
behavior, energy and climate research, and nanomaterial safety. Through
investments in computer science and mathematics, NSF will advance
research in all STEM disciplines and enhance our ability to make future
discoveries.
Systems Biology
Support for NSF is critical to advancing new areas of biological
discovery such as systems biology. NSF has led this emerging field,
which unites biologists, chemists, engineers, mathematicians and
physicists. Systems biologists are developing a better understanding of
living systems and their interactions with the non-living world, which
is essential to understanding the global impact of phenomena such as
climate change.
Education and Training
By funding initiatives such as MSP, STEP and IGERT, NSF will
continue to foster innovative approaches to science education. NSF's
focus on integrating research and education; bridging gaps between K-
12, undergraduate science and technical education; and expanding
partnerships between academia and industry will broaden interest and
participation in science careers.

Recommendation
If we are to continue to lead the world in innovation and prepare
for future prosperity, funding for NSF is essential. As NSF Director
Arden Bement, Jr. has said, ``America's sustained economic prosperity
is based on technological innovation made possible, in large part, by
fundamental science and engineering research. Innovation and technology
are the engines of the American economy, and advances in science and
engineering provide the fuel.'' \9\ Without a greater commitment to
NSF, our country faces the grave possibility of losing its global
dominance in science and technology.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ Dr. Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director National Science Foundation.
(March 29, 2006) Testimony before the Senate Commerce, Science, and
Transportation Subcommittee on Technology, Innovation, and
Competitiveness. http://commerce.senate.gov/pdf/bement-032906.pdf.
Accessed on September 17, 2007.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In keeping with the America COMPETES Act of 2007, FASEB recommends
an appropriation of $7.33 billion for the National Science Foundation
in fiscal year 2009.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Congress of American Indians

On behalf of the tribal nations of the National Congress of
American Indians (NCAI), the Nation's oldest and largest organization
of tribal governments, we are pleased to present our recommendations on
the Administration's fiscal year 2009 budget for Indian programs.
Recommendations
Priority 1.--Reject consolidation of DOJ programs and restore
funding to fiscal year 2002 levels. Top three priorities at DOJ: COPS
$35 million, Tribal Courts $15 million, Tribal Prison Construction $35
million.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
[In thousands of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year--
---------------------------------------------------
2009
(Restored
2006 2007 2008 to fiscal
enacted enacted Omnibus year 2002
Levels)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indian Assistance:
Tribal Prison Construction.............................. 9,000 9,000 8,630 35,000
Indian Tribal Courts Program............................ 8,000 8,000 8,630 15,000
Alcohol and Substance Abuse............................. 5,000 5,000 5,180 5,000
Community Oriented Policing Services: Tribal Law Enforce- 14,808 15,000 15,040 35,000
ment.......................................................
Title V--Incentive Grants: Tribal Youth..................... 10,000 10,000 14,100 14,100
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Priority 2.--Fully fund Violence Against Women Act programs;
Research on violence against Native women; and the National Tribal Sex
Offender and Order of Protection Registry.

VAWA
[In thousands of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year--
---------------------------------------------------
2009
(Restored
2006 2007 2008 to fiscal
enacted enacted Omnibus year 2002
Levels)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Research on violence against Native women................... ........... ........... 940 1,000
National Tribal Registry.................................... ........... ........... 940 1,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Priority 3.--Department of Commerce, Office of Native American
Business Development, $3 million.

Background
The administration of justice in Indian Country is clearly in
crisis.\1\ Because of the unique legal and political status of Indian
tribes within the United States, the federal government has a
responsibility to assist tribes in safeguarding Native people from
crime. Despite this responsibility, law enforcement and criminal
justice services in Indian Country are chronically underfunded. In
October 1997, the Executive Committee for Indian Country Law
Enforcement Improvements issued its final report to the Attorney
General and the Secretary of the Interior. The report concluded that
``there is a public safety crisis in Indian Country,'' and ``the single
most glaring problem is a lack of adequate resources in Indian
Country.'' \2\ In the wake of this report, funding for tribal justice
systems was increased for several years. Ten years later, however,
funding levels have been cut and law enforcement and justice systems in
Indian Country are once again operating without the resources they
need. As a result, tribal communities continue to suffer crisis levels
of crime.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Michael Riley, Lawless Lands, Denver Post (Nov. 11-14, 2007).
\2\ Report of the Executive Committee for Indian Country Law
Enforcement Improvements (1997), available at http://www.usdoj.gov/otj/
icredact.htm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that Native Americans
``experience an estimated 1 violent crime for every 10 residents age 12
or older.'' \3\ Native Americans are the victims of violent crime twice
as often as African Americans, two and half times as often as whites,
and four and a half times as often as Asian Americans.\4\ Two specific
areas of crime in Indian Country deserve particular mention: domestic
violence and drug-related crime.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Steven W. Perry, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dep't of
Justice, ``American Indians and Crime: A BJS Statistical Profile,''
1992-2002, at iv (2004) [hereinafter American Indians and Crime 1992-
2002], available at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/aic02.pdf.
\4\ Id. at 5.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Violence against Women.--Nearly every study on the rate of sexual
assault in the last ten years that has included race or ethnicity as a
factor has concluded that American Native American women suffer a rate
of sexual violence at least 2 to 3 times higher than any other group of
women in the United States.\5\ In 2000, the National Violence Against
Women Survey concluded that more than 1 in 3 Native women will be raped
in their lifetime.\6\ These statistics demonstrate that violence
against Indian women has reached crisis proportions. Full funding for
the programs authorized by the Violence Against Women Act will bring
much needed resources to tribal governments.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ Amnesty International, Maze of Injustice: The Failure to
Protect Indigenous Women From Sexual Violence in the United States
(2007); Lawrence A. Greenfeld & and Steven K. Smith, Bureau of Justice
Statistics, U.S. Dep't of Justice, ``American Indians and Crime,'' p.
3, table 3 (Feb. 1999), available at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/
abstract/aic.htm.
\6\ Patricia Tjaden & Nancy Thoennes, National Inst. of Justice,
U.S. Dep't of Justice, ``Full Report of the Prevalence, Incidence, and
Consequences of Violence Against Women,'' p. 23 (2000), available at
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/183781.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Methamphetamines.--Nationally Native Americans have the highest
rates of methamphetamine abuse.\7\ On some reservations the reported
rate of meth abuse has been as high as 30 percent.\8\ The Bureau of
Indian Affairs Office of Law Enforcement Services surveyed tribes with
whom they work closely on law enforcement, 74 percent of tribes
indicated that meth is the drug that poses the greatest threat to their
community.\9\ Meth causes dramatic increases in violent crime, suicide,
and child neglect. An informal survey of the seven FBI offices located
primarily in Indian country estimated that approximately 40 percent to
50 percent of violent crime cases investigated in Indian country
involve meth.\10\ In addition, the National Indian Child Welfare
Association estimates that 80-85 percent of the Indian families in
child welfare systems have drug or alcohol abuse issues.\11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration, ``Methamphetamine Use, Abuse, and Dependence:
2002, 2003, and 2004. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health
Report,'' (Sept. 16, 2005).
\8\ Donna Vigil, Director, Division of Health Programs, White
Mountain Apache Tribe, Oral testimony offered to the U.S. Senate
Committee on Indian Affairs Hearing on Indian Youth Suicide (May 17,
2006).
\9\ The New Mexico Investigative Support Center, ``Bureau of Indian
Affairs Office of Law Enforcement Services, National Methamphetamine
Initiative Survey,'' p. 4 (2006) [hereinafter National Methamphetamine
Initiative Survey], available at http://www.ncai.org/ncai/Meth/
BIA_MethSurvey.pdf.
\10\ FBI Indian Country Unit Presentation, The Federal/Tribal Meth
Summit sponsored by the Department of Justice, Attorney General's
Advisory Committee, Native American Issues Subcommittee of United
States Attorneys (Oct. 13, 2005).
\11\ Connie Bear King, Testimony of the National Indian Child
Welfare Association before the Senate Finance Committee regarding
Keeping America's Promise: Health Care And Child Welfare For Native
Americans (March 22, 2007), available at http://www.senate.gov/
finance/hearings/testimony/2007test/032207testcbk.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In order to address the profound needs in many tribal communities,
additional law enforcement and criminal justice resources are badly
needed. The most telling indicators of the under-resourcing of public
safety services in Indian Country are the chronic law enforcement
staffing deficit, the over-burdened tribal courts, and the deplorable
conditions of tribal detention facilities.
Law Enforcement Staffing.--More than 200 tribal police departments,
ranging from small departments with only two officers to those with
more than 200 officers, help to maintain public safety in Indian
Country. Current funding for tribal law enforcement and first
responders lags well behind that for non-tribal law enforcement. The
Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted an analysis of law enforcement
staffing in Indian Country in 2006, and found that Indian Country has
2,555 law enforcement officers, yet needs a total of 4,409, resulting
in a gap of 1,854 officers, or a 42 percent unmet staffing need.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, cities like Baltimore,
Detroit, and Washington have police-to-citizen ratios of 3.9 to 6.6
officers per 1,000 residents. On the other hand, virtually no tribal
police department has more than 2 officers per 1,000 residents.
Increased funding for tribes under the COPS program will help to close
this gap.
Tribal Courts.--Tribal judicial systems, the primary and most
appropriate institutions for maintaining order in tribal communities,
frequently are overburdened due to lack of federal funding. Tribal
courts are overwhelmed with hundreds of serious cases declined by U.S.
attorneys as well as increasing meth and drug crimes. Tribal courts
have been level funded for at least the last five years. Increased
funding for tribal courts will ensure that tribal justice systems are
equipped to handle their increasing case load.
Detention Facilities.--Well functioning detention centers for
tribal members both accused and convicted of crimes are of great
importance to criminal justice in Indian Country. Detention centers in
Indian Country often do not meet minimum acceptable standards for
prisons: frequently basic maintenance does not occur, major sanitation
concerns exist, safety and security are inadequate, resources for
juveniles do not exist, funding for rehabilitation and re-entry
programs is almost non-existent, health care services for inmates are
lacking, and there is very little accountability for fixing the
problems that plague tribal detention centers.\12\ As such, the safety
of tribal members who are incarcerated is often jeopardized and the
safety of tribal members in the community is put at risk because
prisoners are offered few basic services and quickly released due to
over-crowding. Increased funding for the construction of tribal
detention facilities is imperative.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Inspector
General, ``Neither Safe Nor Secure: An Assessment of Indian country
Detention Facilities,'' P. 1-6 (2004), available at http://
www.doioig.gov/upload/IndianCountryDetentionFinal%20Report.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Juvenile Justice.--A critical piece of law enforcement is juvenile
detention facilities and juvenile rehabilitation and treatment
programs. Many tribes have no place to house juvenile offenders and are
required to shoulder the cost of transportation and bed rental in order
to send their youth to another jurisdiction--often far from their
communities. In addition, tribes have no ongoing source of funds for
non-detention programs for youth. Research on juvenile justice has
shown that detention is the most expensive and often the least
effective way to deal with young offenders; it should be the last
resort. However, without the resources to support alternatives to
detention, tribes have few options for addressing juvenile crime.
Increased funding for the Tribal Youth Program will allow tribes to
begin to address this need.
______

Prepared Statement of the Marine Conservation Biology Institute

On behalf of Marine Conservation Biology Institute (MCBI), I wish
to thank the members of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee for the opportunity to submit
written testimony on fiscal year 2009 National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) appropriations. MCBI supports funding increases
to the President's fiscal year 2009 budget for several significant NOAA
conservation programs and activities as follows: $2 million for
Hawaiian monk seal recovery; $5.5 million for the Deep Sea Coral
Research and Technology Program; $30 million for the National Marine
Sanctuaries Program; and $2.9 million for the Marine Protected Areas
Program.
MCBI is a national, nonprofit environmental organization whose
mission is to advance the science of marine conservation biology and
secure protection for ocean ecosystems. Our headquarters are in
Bellevue, Washington; we also have offices in Hawaii, California and
Washington, DC. MCBI is a member of the Friends of NOAA Coalition and
supports the Coalition's recommendation for funding NOAA at $4.5
billion in fiscal year 2009. Our justifications of increases for
critical conservation programs and activities are as follows:
The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most critically endangered
marine mammals in the world, and is the only U.S. marine mammal species
whose entire range lies within U.S. jurisdiction. Most Hawaiian monk
seals reside in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, but
there is a small important sub-population in the Main Hawaiian Islands.
Over the last 20 years, the Hawaiian monk seal population has declined
to approximately 1,200 individuals.
The Hawaiian monk seal is headed toward extinction unless the
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and its partner agencies
aggressively budget for, and implement the recommendations of the 2007
recovery plan, which strives to protect and enhance the overall number
of breeding female seals. This is not an unattainable goal, but it will
require a variety of concurrent actions and interventions at a
projected annual cost of approximately $7 million annually over the
next 5 years. Although this cost may seem high, in comparison, the
Steller seal lion whose current Western population is approximately
45,000 has received $55 million in conservation support since 1998,
while the more critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal has received
approximately $21 million over the same time period.
For fiscal year 2009, the President's budget includes an $855,000
request from NOAA in the monk seal line item. Additionally,
discretionary funding usually is allocated from other Protected
Resources line items for seal management. In fiscal year 2008, for
example, total funding for the seal base program is approximately $2.1
million. Even at this funding level, research and protection
interventions in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands have been cut back
by two-thirds for the summer field season. Furthermore, there are no
funds requested in fiscal year 2009 for managing seals in the Main
Hawaiian Islands where human interactions are a significant threat to
recovery.
To recover the monk seal, the recovery team is unanimous that the
recovery plan must be implemented aggressively on a sustained basis. I
urge the subcommittee to increase seal funding as follows:
--For fiscal year 2009, MCBI recommends an additional $2 million
above the President's budget request be added to the monk seal
line item specifically for recovery plan implementation. $1
million of this amount is needed for the Pacific Island
Fisheries Science Center's ongoing field efforts to enhance pup
and juvenile survival principally in Papahanaumokuakea.
--Another $1 million is needed for coordinating the seal recovery
program and crisis intervention actions in the Main Hawaiian
Islands. Of this $1 million, MCBI recommends $150,000 for a
Regional Office Coordinator, and $600,000 for six field
response team leaders who handle day to day interventions to
protect the 100 or so seals scattered around the Main Islands.
The remaining $250,000 would go for programs to educate the
public on appropriate behavior toward seals, prevent seal
disease, and capture and rehabilitate entangled, abandoned,
sick or wounded seals for eventual release back into the ocean.
The Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program is an exciting
addition to the budget this year. With the recent discovery of
extensive deep sea coral ecosystems within U.S. waters--ecosystems
every bit as diverse as many tropical coral reef systems--scientists
are now challenged to understand these ecosystems to the fullest.
Unfortunately, many deep sea coral areas are highly susceptible to
destructive fishing practices, particularly bottom trawling. Under the
newly reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Conservation and Management Act of
2006, NOAA was directed to create a new Deep Sea Coral Research and
Technology Program under the direction of the National Marine Fisheries
Service.
MCBI is pleased to see start-up funding of $1.5 million for the
program in the fiscal year 2009 NOAA request. However, we would like to
mention that due to the expensive technology and research vessel time
required to study and map deep sea corals, an additional $5.5 million
could be used to fund known research needs:
--An area of the southeastern U.S. shelf edge and slope spanning
approximately 23,000 square miles is of top priority for
mapping and scientific studies for the conservation of deep sea
corals. With adequate funding, extensive mapping of this
southeastern shelf can be accomplished with three 30-day
scientific cruises at approximately $2 million per cruise.
--In addition, another priority for the Deep Sea Coral Research and
Technology Program is the development of observer by-catch
workshops. These workshops will train fisheries observers to
identify corals brought up by commercial fishers and assess the
continued impacts that fishing is having on seafloor corals. $1
million would fund at least three workshops in the regions
where they are most needed.
The National Marine Sanctuaries Act authorizes the Secretary of
Commerce to designate and manage areas of the marine environment for
resource protection and multiple use. Currently, the National Marine
Sanctuary Office is responsible for managing the nation's 13 marine
sanctuaries and the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Collectively, these units cover more
area than the entire National Park System.
The President has requested $49.8 million in fiscal year 2009 for
the Sanctuary Program base. This includes $44.4 million for Operations,
Research and Facilities (ORF) and $5.4 million for Procurement,
Acquisition, and Construction. This is a decrease of $6.5 million from
the $56.3 million enacted in fiscal year 2008.
Given the pressing needs to better protect sanctuary resources,
MCBI recommends a considerable increase in funding of $23 million in
fiscal year 2009, to bring the overall program budget to $80 million.
This would include $60 million for the ORF base and $20 million for
acquisition and construction. With the proper funding, the Office of
National Marine Sanctuaries can better execute its responsibilities as
a leader in ocean management and conservation. Funding will support
monitoring and enforcement of sanctuaries, ensure public access through
visitor facilities and programs, and promote scientific research.
The Marine Protected Areas Program is responsible for the
implementation of Executive Order 13158, ``Marine Protected Areas''
(MPAs). MPAs are defined as discrete areas of the ocean that have some
degree of formal protection under federal, state, tribal and local
laws. MPAs are essential to maintain biological diversity, protect
ocean habitats, and effectively manage fish populations. NOAA is tasked
with undertaking a gap analysis to identify which additional types of
marine areas should be protected.
Given the ongoing degradation of our ocean resources, research to
implement the executive order has moved excessively slowly, in part due
to insufficient funding. After receiving a start-up budget of $3
million in fiscal year 2001, the MPA Program budget reached almost $5
million in fiscal year 2004, and then dropped rather abruptly to $1.5
million in fiscal year 2007 and 2008. During this period of decline,
the center lost 70 percent of its staff (i.e., a loss of 18 full and
part-time employees).
MCBI recommends $2.9 million be added to the fiscal year 2009
budget for the MPA Science Center in fiscal year 2009. Without adequate
funding, the MPA Center cannot properly carry out the goals of creating
and expanding a national system of MPAs, rendering technical assistance
to state-level MPA programs, and maintaining its MPA inventory.
In conclusion, MCBI respectfully requests that the subcommittee
augment funding for the marine ecosystem and species protection
programs mentioned above. Thank you for the opportunity to share our
views.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Corn Growers Association

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) appreciates the
opportunity to share with the subcommittee our appropriations
priorities for fiscal year 2009, and we respectfully request this
statement be made part of the official hearing record.
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is a national
organization founded in 1957 and represents more than 32,000 members in
48 states, 47 affiliated state organizations and more than 300,000 corn
farmers who contribute to state check-off programs for the purpose of
creating new opportunities and markets for corn growers.
NCGA's top priority in the fiscal year 2009 Science, State, Justice
and Commerce appropriations bill is maintaining funding and focus of
the $101.22 million for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Plant
Genome Research Initiative (initiative). The initiative is supported by
the Interagency Working Group on Plant Genomes under the auspices of
the National Science and Technology Council within the Office of
Science and Technology Policy. In 1997, NCGA spearheaded the effort on
legislation that authorized major plant genome research, which resulted
in the Plant Genome Research Initiative. Obtaining genome sequence
information frequently leads to breakthroughs in the study of a
particular organism. The goal of the initiative is to understand the
structure and function of plant genes at all levels in species of
economic importance and indeed, the initiative has led to an
unprecedented increase in our understanding of the genomics and
genetics of plants. The initiative also changed the way research is
conducted in plant biology and helped to attract a new generation of
scientists to the plant sciences field at U.S. colleges and
universities.
Bringing agriculturally important plant species into the genomic
age is an important goal. Initial major accomplishments included the
completion of the model laboratory plant Arabidopsis and rice genome
sequences. Completion on those genomes demonstrated that genomic
sequence was the most comprehensive way toward gene discovery--a first
step toward identifying the role of each gene. Building upon lessons
learned sequencing smaller plant genomes, sequencing the corn genome
became feasible. Arabidopsis, a member of the brassicaceae, or mustard,
family, has a genome of 125 million base pairs. Rice's genome has 430
million base pairs. Sequencing the corn genome had been considered
difficult because of its large size and complex genetic arrangement.
The genome has 50,000 genes scattered among the haploid genome size of
2.3 billion nucleotides--molecules that form DNA--that make up its 10
chromosomes.
In 2004, valuable corn research was made available through NCGA to
research scientists working to understand the maize genome through the
availability of sequencing data from Ceres, DuPont and Monsanto. This
information, combined with the corn sequence data already in the public
domain, significantly accelerated the identification of genes within
the entire corn genome and was a precursor to the effect that the full
corn sequence will have on the research community.
In 2005, NSF, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
and the Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $29.5 million to sequence
the corn genome. NSF selected a consortium of four research
institutions to sequence the maize genome: The University of Arizona,
Washington University in St. Louis, Iowa State University in Ames and
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. The goal
of the Maize Genome Sequencing Project is to unravel the DNA sequence
of the maize plant and to identify the genes and begin to determine
their position on the chromosomes--the tiny bundles of DNA that form
the storage units of genetic information. The sequencing of corn pushed
the state of the art of genetic research to new levels as its genome
has complexities beyond any plant sequenced to date. The highly
repetitive regions of DNA, formerly considered ``junk'' DNA, are
extremely prevalent in corn, and have been shown to have a significant
impact on how the genetic engine of life truly works. These issues have
posed significant challenges to researchers interested in crop
improvement, plant molecular biology, or genome evolution. Using a
physical map that covers about 95 percent of the maize genome map,
scientists generate a draft sequence to reveal the locations of
regulatory elements within stretches of so-called non-coding ``junk''
DNA. Focus of the project does center on gene-containing regions and
are sequenced in detail. This sequencing strategy enables the
consortium to sequence the corn genome at a fraction of the cost that
was necessary to decipher the human genome, which is only slightly
larger than the corn genome.
Today, genomic research technology and techniques are ready to
complete a high quality corn genome sequence. The result will be the
complete sequence and structural understanding of the entire corn
genome, annotated functional sequences, and their locations on corn's
genetic and physical map. This genome will be the most complex
eukaryotic genome to be sequenced to date, including the human genome.
The corn genome sequence will, in turn, help in the eventual completion
of other major crop genome sequences, as itself benefited from
knowledge gained through the prior completion of other genome
sequences. Corn will also serve as a model system to aid in elucidating
clues to improve the growth and development of other related grass
crops, such as wheat, sorghum, millet and barley. Importantly, access
to all of this information is shared through GenBank, Gramine, MazeGDB
and other public repositories for genome-sequence data.
With focused funding, we will be much closer to achieving the goal
of this initiative--understanding the structure and function of all
economically significant plant genes. The corn industry, including the
academic research community, grain handlers, growers, and seed
companies, supported the corn genome sequencing project and will
continue to support a program that maintains its focus on discovering
the functionality of genes in economically important plant species. A
complete corn genome sequence and the application of its information
will provide a wide range of benefits. Both the public and private
sectors will be able to expedite their breeding programs and increase
their knowledge of corn's important agronomic traits. Corn growers will
be able to plant varieties of corn that are better suited to market and
environmental needs, such as pest resistant traits, lower nitrogen
needs, and higher yields--all increasing sustainability. Quality
researchers will continue to be attracted to the field of plant
genomics and genetics.
Consumers will also benefit from more abundant and sustainable
food, feed and fuel supplies. Corn is not only grown for food and feed,
it is converted to a myriad of processed food products--literally
thousands of products in the typical supermarket contain corn.
Improvements aim at increasing yield and nutritional value and
optimizing the properties crucial for grain products such as flour and
pasta. The production of corn-based products with enhanced nutritional
value that are safer and less allergenic will directly benefit
consumers.
Corn is also an important material for many industrial purposes and
products including rubber, plastics, fuel and clothing. Corn is a model
system for studying complex genomic structure, organization and
function and its high quality genetic map will serve as the foundation
for studies that may lead to improved biomass and bioenergy resources
from corn and related plant species.
The request for the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) is
$675.06 million, and increase of $63.04 million, or 10 percent, over
the fiscal year 2008 request of $612.02 million. The Directorate for
Biological Sciences supports research, infrastructure, and education in
the biological sciences at U.S. colleges, universities, non-profit
research institutions, and other research and education organizations.
BIO includes a sub-activity request for Plant Genome Research (PGR)
of $101.22 million, an amount that does not contemplate an increase
from the fiscal year 2008 request. PGR sub-activity was initiated in
fiscal year 1998 as a stand alone budget managed by Biological
Infrastructure (DBI). In general, 36 percent of the PGR portfolio is
available for new research grants. The remaining 64 percent is used
primarily to fund continuing grants made in previous years. PGR
supports research in agronomic significant species. However, the fiscal
year 2009 budget proposes to roll PGR into the Integrated Organismal
Systems (IOS) sub-activity, potentially causing the program to lose
focus. Rolling the PGR budget into IOS will result in a significant
reduction in funds available for new genetic projects in economically
important species as the needs of non-agricultural plants would be
served from the same budget. The fiscal year 2009 budget also proposes
to roll Arabidopsis 2010 into the IOS sub-activity. It is important to
note that model systems research such as this project, has been
traditionally supported through NSF's core budget and not PGR or IOS.
This change may result in a reduction of resources available for
economically significant plants, such as continued work on new projects
involving the rice genome and future new project stemming from corn
genome work, during flat budget cycles. The Arabidopsis 2010 project
and the NSF's independent Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP)
complement each other and provide a broad base of support for the plant
biology research community. Arabidopsis 2010 has traditionally received
up to $25 million per year. It is critical that both activities remain
separate and receive enough support to achieve their goals.
Maintaining and improving upon the resources available for crop
systems is now more important than ever, as agriculture tries to meet
the demands of consumers worldwide by providing a safe and secure
supply of resources for human and animal nutrition, fiber, bioenergy,
and industrial feeds. Continued strong governmental support of basic
agricultural research is essential to ensure that the innovation
pipeline remains robust. NCGA requests that this subcommittee include
in the fiscal year 2009 Science, State, Justice and Commerce
appropriations bill language that secures the $101.22 million PGR
budget to be applied exclusively to species of economic importance,
keeping in line with the original intent of the program.
Thank you for the support and assistance you have provided to corn
growers over the years. Please feel free to contact Jon Doggett at 202-
628-7001 if you need any additional information.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Madam Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: Thank you for the
opportunity to submit testimony regarding fiscal year 2009 funding for
the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (Foundation). We appreciate
the Subcommittee's past support and respectfully request your approval
of $4 million through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's (NOAA) fiscal year 2009 appropriation.
This funding request is well within the authorized levels and would
allow the Foundation to uphold our mission and expand our successful
partnership with NOAA. Madam Chairman, I want to make one very
important point: we are asking for your support of well-established
conservation programs with national significance. The Foundation is an
honest broker for the federal agencies and we have a remarkable track
record of bringing private partners together to leverage federal funds
and maximize conservation impacts.
In 1999, Congress expanded the Foundation's mandate to specifically
include NOAA's mission to restore and protect marine and coastal
resources. During fiscal year 2001-2006, the Foundation received an
average appropriation of $2 million annually to further the mission of
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service and National Ocean Service
through cooperative agreements and leveraging of private sector funds.
In fiscal year 2007, the Foundation sustained cooperative agreements
with NOAA to continue our partnership programs. We respectfully request
that the Subcommittee restore NOAA appropriations for the Foundation in
fiscal year 2009 to accelerate our work with NOAA to protect coastal
habitats and marine species.
This fiscal year 2009 request would allow the Foundation to expand
key partnerships and highly successful grant programs in the areas of
marine debris removal, coral reef conservation, marine species
protection and coastal ecosystems such as Delaware Bay, Long Island
Sound, Tampa Bay, San Francisco Bay, Puget Sound and Chesapeake Bay.
The Foundation continues to excel in grant-making while providing
thought leadership, accountability and sustainable conservation
outcomes. Our unique ability to organize federal agencies and private
partners to work together to achieve mutual conservation goals through
on-the-ground and in-the-water grant programs is notable and there is
significant potential to advance these efforts in fiscal year 2009 and
beyond.
In addition to NOAA, the Foundation works closely with the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and other Department of the Interior
agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and USDA's Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), among others. On average, every
federal dollar is leveraged with three or more matching dollars from
the non-federal sector. Therefore, a NOAA appropriation of $4 million
in fiscal year 2009 would turn into a minimum of $8 million, according
to the Foundation's Congressional Charter which requires a minimum of a
1:1 match, and have the potential to turn into $16 million or more for
on-the-ground conservation. Funds appropriated by this Subcommittee are
fully dedicated to project grants and do not cover any overhead
expenses of the Foundation.
This Subcommittee's funding will also attract additional funding
for conservation through corporate sponsorship, legal settlements, and
direct gifts. Through our targeted grants, the Foundation strategically
invests federal funds entrusted to us to achieve measurable success in
``moving the needle'' on collaborative conservation objectives over the
next five to ten-year period. To date, the Foundation has leveraged
more than $53 million in NOAA funds to invest more than $157 million
for on-the-ground and in-the-water conservation. Over 1,200 project
grants have been awarded, focusing on the conservation needs of at-risk
species, habitat enhancement, coastal restoration, marine debris clean-
up, environmental education, and community-based stewardship.
Conserving Fish, Wildlife, Plants and Habitats
fiscal year 2009 appropriations through NOAA will be focused on
mutually agreed upon projects according to our Keystone Initiatives and
the objectives of the Foundation's Special Grant Programs, which are
specific to a geographic area, group of species, or conservation
concern. The Keystone Initiatives represent the new core portfolio of
the Foundation's grant making with clearly defined long-term goals,
well-articulated strategies, and defined budgets to reach desired
outcomes. In 2007 the Foundation continued implementing a new strategic
plan and developing targeted Keystone Initiatives, with the goal of
achieving sustainable and measurable conservation impacts.
Four Keystone Initiatives were launched by the Foundation in 2007:
(1) Birds, (2) Wildlife and Habitats, (3) Fish, and (4) Marine and
Coastal Conservation. Each grant approved under a Keystone Initiative
will be designed to provide a measurable outcome that brings us one
step closer to the final long-term conservation goal of the Initiative.
Achieving success through our Keystone Initiatives will also help to
fulfill the objectives of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan and the
National Oceanographic Partnership Program, among others.
With increased support through NOAA appropriations, the Foundation
can accelerate our collaborative efforts to achieve long-term
conservation impacts for fish and wildlife through our Keystone
Initiatives. Increased funding in fiscal year 2009 will also help to
strengthen the Foundation's Special Grant Programs, a few of which are
highlighted below:
--The Coral Reef Conservation Fund was initiated in 2000 with NOAA to
build public-private partnerships and leverage resources for
effective stewardship of marine and coastal resources, and the
communities that depend on them. FWS and NRCS have contributed
to the Fund which supports grants to reduce and prevent
degradation of coral reefs and associated habitats. Recently,
the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation provided additional support
for our efforts in Hawai'i and Tesoro Corporation is providing
additional support in 2008 for an education and outreach
campaign. The Foundation has provided funding for nearly 200
projects with $7.3 million in federal and non-federal funds,
leveraged with $11.6 million in non-federal matching funds, for
a total of $18.9 million for coral reef conservation in 38
countries, including 4 U.S. states and 8 U.S. territories.
--The International Sea Turtle Conservation Fund supports projects
for the six species of sea turtles found in the Western
Hemisphere, all of which are considered endangered or
threatened. Since 1998, grants have been awarded for more than
100 projects in over 25 countries, representing a total of $6.2
million in funding from both federal and non-federal sources.
Projects focus on key nesting and foraging areas for species
survival as well as local capacity-building and outreach with
fisherman to increase awareness and minimize damage caused by
certain fishing techniques to marine turtle populations. This
collaborative effort with NOAA and FWS is the leading source of
funding for sea turtles in the Western Hemisphere.
--The Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Program was established in
2006 through a partnership with NOAA's Marine Debris Program.
The program focuses on improving best management practices of
ports and marinas, reducing derelict fishing gear, and research
to better understand the impacts of marine debris on marine
mammals, sensitive habitats, and tourist and fishing
industries. Since 2006, the Foundation has supported 28
projects with over $1.2 million in federal funds, leveraged
with over $1.5 million in non-federal matching funds for
projects in 13 States and 4 U.S. Territories. In 2007, the
Foundation formed partnerships with industry to prevent debris
introduction to the marine environment, including the new Reel
in and Recycle Program in partnership with Pure Fishing and
Berkeley Recycling, and the Nets to Energy in partnership with
Covanta, aimed at recycling retiring or derelict fishing gear
and convert it into energy.
--The Pinellas County Environmental Fund (PCEF) is a unique
partnership formed in 2000 between the Pinellas County Board of
County Commissioners, NOAA, and the Foundation to actively
pursue the protection, restoration, and enhancement of fish and
wildlife habitat around Tampa Bay. PCEF helps to implement the
on-the-ground habitat and species conservation recommendations
developed through the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and
incorporated into the Tampa Bay Comprehensive Conservation and
Management Plan. Since inception, the PCEF has leveraged $9.6
million with an additional $14.3 million in matching funds to
support 123 projects for a total conservation investment of
nearly $24 million in the Tampa Bay area.
Other Special Grant Programs supported by NOAA, including the
Delaware Estuary Watershed Grants Program, Long Island Sound Futures
Fund and Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund, continued positive results in
2007 with grantee requests far exceeding available funds. As mentioned,
the Foundation is successfully building bridges between the government
and private sector to benefit NOAA's mission. Fiscal year 2009
appropriations through NOAA allow the Foundation to continue our
investment in common-sense, innovative, cooperative approaches that
directly benefit coral reefs and other marine habitats as well as
targeted species, such as Loggerhead turtles, Hawskbill turtles, and
Pacific coho salmon.

A Tradition of Successful and Accountable Performance
Since 1984, the Foundation has awarded nearly 9,500 grants to over
3,000 organizations in the United States and abroad and leveraged--with
our partners--more than $400 million in federal funds into over $1.3
billion for conservation. NFWF is recognized by Charity Navigator with
a 4-star rating for efficiency and effectiveness. The Foundation has
taken important strides to improve our grant review and contracting
process to ensure we maximize efficiency while maintaining strict
financial and evaluation-based requirements. Interactive tools through
our website have improved communication with our stakeholders and
helped to streamline our grant-making process. We expect that as of
spring 2008, the Foundation will be operating under a paperless
application system.
Grant-making through our Keystone Initiatives and Special Grant
Programs involves a thorough internal and external review process. Peer
reviews involve federal and state agencies, affected industry, non-
profit organizations, and academics. Grants are also reviewed by the
Foundation's Keystone Initiative staff, as well as evaluation staff,
before being recommended to the Board of Directors for approval. In
addition, according to our Congressional Charter, the Foundation
provides a 30-day notification to the Members of Congress for the
congressional district and state in which a grant will be funded, prior
to making a funding decision.
Once again, Madam Chairman, we greatly appreciate your continued
support and hope the Subcommittee will approve funding for the
Foundation in fiscal year 2009.
______

Prepared Statement of the Optoelectronics Industry Development
Association

On behalf of the 75 member organizations of the Optoelectronics
Industry Development Association (OIDA) and our approximately 200
affiliates, I urge you to fund the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) in fiscal year 2009 at the levels authorized in the
America COMPETES Act signed into law in 2007: $541.9 million for
Scientific and Technical Research and Services, $86.4 million for
Construction of Research Facilities, $131.5 million for the new
Technology Innovation Program, and $122 million for the Manufacturing
Extension Partnerships, or a total of $881.8 million.
The high technology community depends on sound metrology to support
its products. The NIST Optoelectronics Division helped develop the
metrology standards that enabled American companies to establish a very
strong market share in optical fiber, which provides the backbone of
the Internet. But the need for metrology assistance continues and our
members therefore strongly support NIST's proposed fiscal year 2009
initiative called ``Going at Light Speed: Optical Communications and
Computing.'' In a different area, the NIST Optical Technology Division
provides the standards for the emerging solid state lighting industry,
in which our members are developing new technology that will save
energy, help our environment, and enable new lighting functions. These
are just a few examples from our industry.
We strongly object to the absence of an Administration request for
funding for the new NIST Technology Innovation Program (TIP). Like its
predecessor, the Advanced Technology Program (ATP), TIP will help our
members, many of which are small and medium-sized companies, advance
their technologies through the most difficult and risky stages of
development. We believe that the legislation creating TIP has resolved
all significant concerns with ATP, and TIP will prove to be an
extraordinarily successful program.
We appreciate your consideration of the needs of our industry. The
Optoelectronics Industry Development Association is a Washington, DC-
based organization that is the focal point for vision, transformation,
and growth of the optoelectronics industry. OIDA advances the
competitiveness of its members by focusing on the business of
technology, not just technology itself.
______

Prepared Statement of the International Fund for Animal Welfare

The International Fund for Animal Welfare and our more than 2
million members worldwide appreciate this opportunity to submit
testimony in support of recovery efforts for the endangered North
Atlantic right whale. On behalf of the many scientists, academics,
aquariums, and conservationists who are deeply worried about the plight
of the North Atlantic right whale, we are writing to request the
Subcommittee's support for restoring funding for North Atlantic right
whale conservation and research programs administered by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS). Adequate funding is essential to ensure that this
endangered marine mammal is not lost forever. Specifically, we ask
Congress to restore funding in NOAA's fiscal year 2009 budget to the
fiscal year 2005 level of $12.5 million. This funding is vital for the
long-term recovery of this species. At least half of the requested
amount should be directed to funding disentanglement efforts and a
competitive grants program that focuses on (1) innovative entanglement
mitigation and monitoring, (2) reproduction and health research (health
assessment, reproduction studies and monitoring, and non-invasive
medical assessments), and (3) monitoring of anthropogenic impacts
(necropsy, carcass recovery, field monitoring, scar analysis).
The North Atlantic right whale is one of the worlds' most
endangered marine mammals, with only about 300-400 whales remaining
today. While the North Atlantic right whale is protected under both the
Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, a lack of
adequate resources over the years has severely hampered NMFS' ability
to effectively protect and recover this endangered species.
The survival of each individual is vitally important to ensure the
survival of this species. Since 1986, the majority of confirmed North
Atlantic right whale deaths, have resulted from human-induced causes
including ship strikes and entanglements in fishing gear. Since January
2004, twenty right whale deaths have been confirmed. These data are a
minimum estimate of the actual number of deaths as they do not account
for animals that may have died at sea and gone undetected. At least
nine of these mortalities were linked to ship strikes. Seven of them
were reproductively mature females and three were pregnant with near-
term fetuses at the time of death, suggesting that females are
particularly vulnerable to ship strikes. These data alone represent a
loss of more than five percent of the total breeding population adding
yet more pressure to the successful recovery of this species.
Little is known about the year-round distribution of right whales.
Existing federally-funded surveys operate seasonally, and only in
specific areas where human impacts are thought to be greatest. This
results in many areas with little or no survey effort, which has led to
a lack of understanding of other areas that may be important to right
whale survival, which puts them at an avoidable and unnecessary risk.
Restoring funding to the fiscal year 2005 level of $12.5 million
would provide much-needed funding for: surveys (both visual and
acoustic); mandatory ship reporting systems; ship strike strategy
implementation (including enforcement of speed restrictions and routing
measures); mortality investigations; disentanglement efforts; gear
research; state and federal cooperative research grants; health
assessments; population monitoring; implementation and refinement of
take reduction plans; and other high-priority projects identified in
the recovery plan. This will allow NMFS to improve protections for
right whales by reducing the threat of entanglements in fishing gear
and preventing fatal ship strikes.
The urgency of this situation is highlighted by the announcement in
December, 2006, of the extinction of the Yangtze, or baiji, river
dolphin in China. In the 1980's, scientists estimated there were 400
baiji alive, only a remnant of the estimated 5,000 that once existed,
but a number sufficient to allow recovery for the species, if
adequately protected. Sadly, over-fishing, vessel traffic, noise
pollution, habitat degradation and marine debris continued to exert
ever-increasing pressure on the remaining population. The result? In
less than 30 years, they are now officially extinct and join the
growing list of species that humans have helped drive to extinction.
The similarities between the history and fate of the baiji and the
North Atlantic right whale are alarming. Human generated threats such
as vessel strikes, entanglements in fishing gear, pollution, and
habitat degradation have replaced whaling as a threat. We are seeing
the increasing industrialization of our oceans, and whales will be the
first to pay the price of our neglect.
North Atlantic right whales remain at risk of extinction from
human-induced vessel strikes and entanglements in fishing gear, and
from low reproductive rates. NMFS has made laudable efforts to reduce
mortalities from shipping and fishing, but these efforts have been
hamstrung by inadequate funding and information. We remain hopeful that
the Administration will soon issue long-overdue protections from ship
strikes and provide the funding needed for implementation and
monitoring to ensure full compliance with these protective measures.
In collaboration with scientists, academics, aquariums,
conservationists, and as identified in NMFS' own recovery plan, we have
identified the following funding priorities for fiscal year 2009 to
further recovery efforts of North Atlantic right whales. The requested
funding will ensure the survival of right whales by providing better
information to managers, developing solutions for conflicts with
industry, supporting management measures that integrate industry and
right whale needs, and monitoring progress toward these goals.
Innovative entanglement mitigation and monitoring
Gear research is urgently needed to develop fishing methods and
gear types that will not harm right whales while also allowing
fishermen to make a living. A new rule mandating sinking groundline
will be in effect in October 2008 and is likely to reduce right whale
entanglements. No clear options or agreement on vertical lines exist,
and work on this problem is urgently needed. Vertical lines may account
for up to 70 percent of entanglements.

Reproduction and health research (health assessment, reproduction
studies and monitoring, and non-invasive medical assessments)
Right whale reproduction is still suffering from unknown effects.
The potential causes of impaired reproduction include habitat problems
(including noise and pollution), incidental effects of entanglements
(over 70 percent of right whales have been entangled), disease
(possible human sources), and red tides. Identifying those causes could
lead to prevention or solutions that would enhance population recovery.
Health assessments are a critical tool for evaluating the aftermath of
ship strikes and entanglements, and allow predictions of survival. In
addition, health assessments are essential for evaluating trends in the
population related to reproduction and survival.

Monitoring of anthropogenic impacts (necropsy, carcass recovery, field
monitoring, scar analysis)
Support for necropsy work on stranded right whales is needed to
determine the cause of death. This is a fundamental tool for evaluating
whether management actions have been effective. Monitoring of
anthropogenic impacts on right whales through photo-documentation and
scarring analysis is critical to understanding whether management
actions regarding fishing and shipping have been effective. Appropriate
photographic data collection, scarring analysis, and entanglement
documentation are all required to understand the status of the right
whale population.

Surveys (both visual and acoustic, habitat studies)
Effective management of human activities to reduce impacts to right
whales requires a detailed understanding of migratory paths and
behavioral patterns. Shipboard and aerial surveys are the single most
important source of information to determine seasonal distribution of
right whales. Shipboard surveys also collect vital population data,
including biopsy samples for genetic studies and fecal samples for
reproduction and health research. Passive acoustic surveys provide a
simple tool for evaluating the presence of whales when poor weather or
nighttime conditions prevent visual surveys. These combined datasets
are essential for managers attempting to manage anthropogenic risk to
right whales.
While surveys directly address our need to understand right whale
distribution, habitat studies address questions of why right whales
visit particular habitats. Right whales may experience different risks
depending upon the habitat use of an area (i.e., surface feeding in the
great South Channel puts whales at risk from ships, and bottom feeding
may put whales at risk from certain fishing gear). Short-term tagging
studies, combined with prey and oceanographic sampling, can provide
valuable information to managers, and long term non-invasive tagging
techniques (under development), can do this across several habitats.

Disentanglement efforts
Until appropriate ``whale-safe'' gear and or methods have been
developed and implemented, disentanglement efforts are our last line of
defense against right whale deaths from fishing gear. Right whales are
commonly hard and always dangerous to disentangle. Pharmacological
restraint may enhance success, and these and other available tools
should be deployed as appropriate.

Catalog and population monitoring, genetic studies
The foundation of all right whale research and conservation efforts
is the individual identification of right whales, which allows tracking
of births, deaths, movements, and anthropogenic effects by age, sex,
and genetic characteristics. Catalog data identifies segments of the
population that are at risk from human activities, and is the only way
to monitor recovery.
The catalog is critical for tracking population size and trends,
developing population models for management, and targeting particular
management actions. Genetic analyses provide information that cannot be
obtained by any other means including factors affecting the
reproductive rate, and genetic identification of live and dead right
whales.

Implementation, refinement, and enforcement of take reduction plans
NMFS has the ultimate responsibility for reducing take of North
Atlantic right whales, and needs adequate support and the best
available data to ensure this process is effective and informed by good
science.
In conclusion, we respectfully request that the Subcommittee on
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriate no less
than $12.5 million in the fiscal year 2009 for recovery of the
endangered North Atlantic right whale. Funding of the previously
mentioned programs is essential to not only protect the North Atlantic
right whale from further decline, but to help recover their population
to a level that will ensure these charismatic creatures, which play an
integral role in the oceans' ecosystems, will survive for the benefit
and enjoyment of future generations.
______

Prepared Statement of Oceana

On behalf of the more than 250,000 supporters of Oceana, an
international, non-profit conservation organization devoted to
protecting ocean waters and wildlife, I submit the following testimony
on the fiscal year 2009 budget for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) within the Department of Commerce. I request that
this testimony be submitted for the official record.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA)
mission is ``to understand and predict changes in Earth's environment
and conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet our
Nation's economic, social, and environmental needs.'' More
specifically, NOAA manages our fisheries, researches climate change,
and predicts our weather, among other critical duties. Funding for this
agency has been well below the needed level to fully address all of its
responsibilities.

In the fiscal year 2009 budget, the Administration requests $4.11
billion for NOAA. Oceana is pleased that the Administration request is
above the fiscal year 2008 enacted amount of $3.91 billion. The
majority of the increase is directed to the Procurement, Acquisition
and Construction (PAC) account for needed improvements to the NOAA
satellite program. While this increase is necessary to keep our
satellites operating, more resources must also flow into the
Operations, Research and Facilities (ORF) account, which funds the
programmatic work of the agency. The ORF account has remained stagnant
since fiscal year 2005, which when taking inflation into account, has
resulted in less money for ocean conservation and management.
Oceana urges the Subcommittee to provide $4.5 billion for NOAA in
the fiscal year 2009 Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill.
NOAA has a critical role in promoting sustainable coastal communities
and a healthy economy. We recommend that any increase above the
President's request be directed into the ORF account to provide
resources for fishery management, coral reef protection, undersea
research, ocean wildlife conservation, coastal management, and ocean
education.
More specifically, we urge the subcommittee to fund the following
critical ocean research and conservation programs at these recommended
levels: $56 million for fishery observer programs; $40.5 million for
stock assessments; $57.1 for enforcement activities; $15 million for
deep water coral conservation; $26.4 million for sea turtle research
and management; $82 for marine mammal research and management; and $10
million for ocean acidification research.

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
The Administration's fiscal year 2009 request for the National
Marine Fisheries Service is less than the previous year's enacted level
and is below the fiscal year 2008 Administration's request. This
decrease is disappointing; especially considering the President's
signing into law the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Reauthorization Act (MSRA) in January 2007. This
comprehensive law includes critical changes to our fishery management
system and requires additional funding to implement these changes. The
Administration's request includes approximately $32 million for new
programs to implement the requirements under the MSRA, but more money
is needed to provide data for responsible fishery management. Stock
assessments and fishery observers are just a few examples of such
programs. In addition, sufficient enforcement of fishery management
laws is needed.

Fishery Observer Programs--$56 million
Fishery observers are independent scientists who gather information
about fishing practices by accompanying fisherman at sea. Observers
collect data on the composition of what is caught and brought on board
during fishing operations. This is in contrast to landings data which
only records what is brought to port--failing to account for bycatch--
often dead or injured fish, marine mammals, sea turtles, sea birds and
other ocean wildlife that is discarded. According to the NMFS,
observers are currently deployed in only 42 of the nation's 300
fisheries. Of the fisheries that have observers, coverage levels in
many of these fisheries are well below the amount needed for precise
and accurate estimates of bycatch and total catch of fish and other
marine species.

Stock Assessments--$40.5 million
Oceana supports the President's request for $40.5 million for the
fisheries stock assessment program. Almost two-thirds of the nation's
fish populations lack basic information to determine whether or not
those fish populations are depleted or ``overfished.'' In fact, there
are 65 ``major'' stocks or stock complexes classified as ``unknown''
with respect to their population status. The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act requires that the fisheries of the
United States end overfishing, therefore accurate data is needed to
provide regional fishery managers with the information needed to make
management decisions.

Enforcement--$57.1 million
Successful fishery management relies upon fair enforcement of laws,
regulations, and other requirements of fishery management plans.
Without resources for enforcement personnel at sea and at ports,
compliance with fisheries laws will be inconsistent. The enforcement
program also provides resources for cooperative agreements with state
enforcement authorities.

Deep Sea Coral Conservation--$15 million
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
provides the regional Fishery Management Councils with the authority to
protect deep sea coral habitat. These long-lived, slow growing corals
can be destroyed in a matter of minutes by certain types of destructive
fishing gear. These coral areas often serve as nurseries for
commercially important species. Recognizing the importance of corals,
the President's budget includes $1.5 million for a deep sea coral
research program to identify and map sensitive habitat areas. Oceana
supports this recommended increase for research and also would like
additional resources be used for additional fishery observers,
enforcement of protected areas, and the minimization of gear impacts on
deep sea coral habitat.

Sea Turtle Research and Conservation--$26.4 million
Oceana requests that the Subcommittee reject the Administration's
funding cut to the marine turtle program and instead expand upon
existing funding. For over 25 years, all sea turtles that swim in U.S.
waters are listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered
Species Act, yet populations of sea turtles continue to decline.
Commercial fisheries alone are authorized to kill 10,000 and injure an
additional 334,000 turtles each year. Beyond commercial fishing, the
federal government has not analyzed the cumulative impact of all
permitted activities on sea turtle populations. There is not enough
research on the health of sea turtle populations to ensure that these
authorized takes are not jeopardizing the existence of the species.
Additional funding will enhance research, recovery and conservation
activities for imperiled sea turtles species.

Marine Mammal Research and Conservation--$82 million
Oceana requests that funding for the marine mammal program be
restored to the fiscal year 2005 level of $82 million. These funds will
help ensure that National Marine Fisheries Serve adopts measures to
recover depleted and strategic marine mammal species, such as Northern
right whales, bottlenose dolphins, and pilot whales. Activities that
may be supported by these funds include marine mammal research, bycatch
reduction strategies recovery plan implementation, and marine mammal
mortality event response. The President's request of $41.23 million is
only half of the enacted fiscal year 2005 level.

Ocean Acidification--$10 million
In addition to climate change, humanity's emissions of carbon
dioxide are altering the acidity of the world's oceans. As emissions
increase, more carbon dioxide is absorbed by the oceans, thus altering
the water chemistry. Researchers agree that ocean acidification will
pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems over the next century,
with significant potential impacts to fisheries and coral reefs. More
research is needed to better understand the ecological implications of
these predicted impacts to the entire marine ecosystem and the degree
to which marine organisms and ecosystems will be able to adapt to
increased acidity. Oceana recommends $10 million for an ocean
acidification research program.

Climate Change
NOAA's role in climate change includes monitoring, researching, and
predicting the impacts of climate change on humans and the environment.
In the oceans alone, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and increased
intensity of storms are just a few of the areas under NOAA's purview,
not to mention, coastal infrastructure impacts, changes to inland
weather patterns, and increased satellite needs to monitor global
fluctuations. NOAA's research capabilities are becoming increasingly
important in our changing world. New money is needed now to address
climate change. This increased research should not come out of the
existing NOAA budget and at the cost of current programs.
Overall, substantial increases are needed for the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration. Increases to the PAC account cannot
come at a cost to the ORF funding. Both accounts need substantial
increases in the fiscal year 2009 budget and in years to come if NOAA
intends to manage our fisheries, conserve endangered species, protect
ocean and coastal habitat, monitor global warming and its impacts,
predict our weather, and perform other critical services to our nation.
Thank you for your consideration of these recommendations.
Oceana received no funding from a federal grant (or subgrant
thereof) or contract (or subcontract thereof) in the current fiscal
year or either of the two previous fiscal years.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Institute of Biological Sciences

The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) encourages the
Committee to provide the National Science Foundation (NSF) with $7.326
billion for fiscal year 2009, the funding level authorized by the
America COMPETES Act.
AIBS is a nonprofit scientific association dedicated to advancing
biological research and education for the welfare of society. Founded
in 1947 as a part of the National Academy of Sciences, AIBS became an
independent, member-governed organization in the 1950s. AIBS is
sustained by a robust membership of some 5,000 biologists and nearly
200 professional societies and scientific organizations; the combined
individual membership of the latter exceeds 250,000. AIBS advances its
mission through participating in coalition activities in research,
education, and public policy; publishing the peer-reviewed journal
BioScience and the education Web site ActionBioscience.org; providing
scientific peer review and advisory services to government agencies and
other clients; convening meetings; and managing scientific programs.
The fiscal year 2008 omnibus appropriations provided only a 2.5
percent increase over fiscal year 2007 funding for the NSF. This
appropriation disappointed many in the science community who had hoped
for the 10 or 11 percent increase pledged by Congress through House and
Senate Appropriations Committee marks, respectively.
Although the President's fiscal year 2009 budget request recognizes
the need to increase funding for the NSF, the request would only
provide a modest two-year adjustment for NSF programs such as the
Biological Sciences directorate (BIO). Thus, we encourage the Committee
to work to provide NSF funding at the level authorized in the America
COMPETES Act (Public Law 110-69), enabling a modest increase for BIO
and the Social, Behavioral and Economics directorate (SBE).
Invigorating our innovation enterprise, improving science
education, strengthening research infrastructure, and addressing
energy, security, and environmental problems are bipartisan national
priorities. NSF is the primary federal agency that funds fundamental
research through competitively awarded, peer-reviewed, extramural grant
programs. These research grants drive discovery and have enabled the
United States to remain a global economic and scientific leader.
Moreover, NSF-sponsored biological sciences research is transformative
and leads to the development of sustainable and cost-effective
solutions for society's greatest challenges, including energy
independence, climate change, and security.
NSF's BIO directorate is vital to our nation's continued leadership
in the biological sciences, the fields of science dedicated to
understanding how organisms and ecological systems function. Research
disciplines heavily dependent upon the directorate include botany,
ecology, microbiology, zoology, basic molecular and cellular biology,
and systematics and taxonomy. Equally important, NSF provides essential
support for our nation's biological research infrastructure, such as
field stations and natural science collections (e.g. university-based
natural history museums), and education and training programs for
undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students.
According to government data, BIO provides 67 percent of federal
grant support for fundamental biological research conducted at our
nation's universities and other nonprofit research centers.
Transformative research in the biological sciences has advanced our
understanding of complex living systems and is leading the way forward
in addressing major challenges--protecting the environment, conserving
biodiversity, and developing new bio-inspired technology. In fact,
during a hearing before the House CJS Subcommittee on February 27,
2008, NSF Director Arden Bement referred to this century as ``the bio
century'' and went on to explain that bioscience is ``where the
fundamental work is being done.'' Indeed, biological research from
molecules and cells to ecosystems is the backbone supporting major
cross-foundation initiatives, including Adaptive Systems Technology and
Dynamics of Water Processes in the Environment (WATER). To continue to
support activities across the Foundation, it is critical that BIO
receives appropriate funding to advance its core research programs.
The President's fiscal year 2009 budget request would provide
$5.594 billion to support disciplinary research programs within the
Research and Related Activities (R&RA) account. This funding level
would provide an average 16.0 percent increase over fiscal year 2008
estimated appropriations for the R&RA account; however, within R&RA,
proposed budget increases are spread unevenly among the directorates.
For example, the Mathematical and Physical Sciences directorate would
increase $235.36 million (20.2 percent) and the Engineering directorate
would increase $122.46 million (19.2 percent) over their respective
fiscal year 2008 estimated appropriations while BIO is slated for just
a $63.04 million increase (10.3 percent). This pattern would be
understandable and acceptable if it were a one-year anomaly. However,
this pattern of funding has become the norm--leaving some directorates,
such as BIO, SBE and Geosciences behind.
In contrast, COMPETES authorizes $5.742 million for R&RA in fiscal
year 2009, and would provide an average 19.1 percent increase over
fiscal year 2008 appropriations. Moreover, COMPETES-authorized funding
levels would provide NSF with the necessary funding to provide BIO with
a 19 percent increase, placing it more on-par with the trajectory of
other directorates.
Administration officials point to the importance of aligning the
budget with priorities articulated in both the American Competitiveness
Initiative and the America COMPETES Act. Yet, language in COMPETES
(Public Law 110-69, Sec. 7018(b)) calls for parity in funding among
scientific disciplines by specifying, ``The Director shall give
priority in the selection of awards and the allocation of Foundation
resources to proposed research activities, and grants funded under the
Foundation's Research and Related Activities Account, that can be
expected to make contributions in physical or natural science,
technology, engineering, social sciences, or mathematics, or that
enhance competitiveness, innovation, or safety and security in the
United States.''
Indeed, research in the biological sciences has directly
contributed to the development of new technologies and has advanced our
understanding of life in critical areas, including genomics, emerging
diseases, ecosystem services, global change, nanotechnology, and
complex systems. Such research has led to important discoveries with
implications for American competitiveness and public health and safety.
For example, scientists at Arizona State University funded through BIO
used a special laser to analyze the split-second process within
photosynthesis where plants harness light energy; their research may
have important implications for the development of solar energy
technologies. It is imperative that we understand how biological
systems--whether a microbe or an ecosystem--function so that we can
address current issues like global change and can innovate solutions to
additional challenges that will likely emerge in the future.
Members of the biological sciences community are concerned that
inadequate funding is being provided to fundamental biological and
environmental sciences. For twelve years, the research grant funding
rate for BIO has been consistently lower than the NSF-wide funding
rate. In 2008, the research grant funding rate was only 15 percent
compared with an agency-wide rate of 21 percent. Unfortunately, this
trend occurs at a time when BIO is contributing the largest percentage
of federal dollars to basic biological sciences research and the number
and scope of problems requiring biological information continues to
increase.

Key Areas
Increased funding for NSF at the level authorized by the America
COMPETES Act would enable more robust investment in the five core
programs supported by BIO: Molecular and Cellular Biosciences;
Integrative Organismal Systems; Environmental Biology; Biological
Infrastructure; and Emerging Frontiers.
The fiscal year 2009 budget request includes important funding for
the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), the first national
ecological measurement and observation system designed to answer
regional- to continental-scale scientific questions. NEON is an
innovative facility that is designed to transform the way science and
education are conducted by enabling integration of data from natural-
to human-dominated systems and from genomes to the biosphere. A total
of $26 million has been requested for NEON in the fiscal year 2009 BIO
budget. Roughly $16 million would be funded from Emerging Frontiers and
$10 million from Biological Infrastructure.
BIO provides essential support for the development and maintenance
of other important research infrastructure (e.g., natural science
collections and field stations) that is necessary to advance our
understanding of biological systems.
Indeed, there is a growing national awareness of the need to
reinvest in the physical and personnel resources associated with our
nation's scientific collections. Evidence for this may be found in the
annual Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) memorandum to federal agencies on research
and development priorities, which has charged federal agencies to
evaluate the needs of the collections they host or support. A federal
interagency working group on scientific collections has also been
established. As part of this effort, NSF is surveying non-federal
research collections to gain a better understanding of the nature of
our nation's holdings.
Unfortunately, the fiscal year 2009 budget request for the Division
of Biological Infrastructure (DBI) is $86.99 million, only 0.1 percent
more than DBI's fiscal year 2008 appropriation ($86.94 million). The
biological sciences community is increasingly concerned that decreasing
investment in the tools of science, namely the facilities, collections,
and instruments that enable discovery, will have profound and negative
impacts on the science.
Research support is only one of NSF's important missions. NSF is a
vital component of our nation's formal and informal science education
system. Whether through programs such as Research Experiences for
Undergraduates, Integrated Graduate Education and Research
Traineeships, or other fellowships for graduate and post-doctoral
researchers, NSF provides the resources required to recruit, educate
and train our next generation of scientists. We encourage Congress to
continue to support these vital science education programs.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this request and for
your prior support of the National Science Foundation. If you have any
questions or require additional information, please contact either of
us at 202-628-1500.
______

Prepared Statement of Padgett Business Services

On behalf of Padgett Business Services, located in Fargo, North
Dakota, I would like to thank the Committee for allowing our
organization to submit this testimony for the record. I am writing to
respectfully request that the Hollings Manufacturing Extension
Partnership program be provided the authorized $122 million within the
fiscal year 2009 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
Appropriations Bill. This requested level of funding for 2009 was
provided for in the recently enacted America COMPETES Act. As you know,
the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is a program
within the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and
Technology, a program authorized to improve competitiveness of
America's manufacturing community.
The MEP is one of the most successful partnerships in the country.
In addition to public support, a value proposition to improve
manufacturer's global competitiveness is supported by those companies
who receive benefit. In North Dakota, the Dakota MEP provides
assistance to companies in continuous improvement, innovation,
strategic growth, technology and workforce development--all major needs
of our companies. In several companies, I have had the opportunity to
partner with Dakota MEP to further develop our manufacturing capacity.
As a Dakota MEP Director, I would also like to report that the
average company benefits and impacts realized in the Dakota MEP
improvement work with manufacturers mirrors the national MEP average at
$1.4 million per engagement. These benefits have been realized by
manufacturers who've partnered with Dakota MEP over the past six years.
Manufacturing continues to diversify and grow the economies of the
Dakotas. It currently is 10 percent of the gross state product in North
Dakota and 11 percent in South Dakota. The industry has nearly 1,900
firms employing 69,000 in the Dakotas exporting over $2 billion.
Manufacturing brings new wealth to our country, our states and
communities which, in turn, generate other economic activity and
opportunities.
Manufacturing must remain one of our country's economic strengths
and the MEP is an invaluable program to help the industry better
compete. Without unwavering strong federal support, the MEP will be
unable to maintain its mission of serving America's small
manufacturers' increasing needs. At a time when our economic strength
and global competitiveness are national priorities, the MEP continues
to be a wise investment. We respectfully request that you appropriate
$122 million for the MEP in fiscal year 2009.
______

Prepared Statement of Phoenix International

On behalf of Phoenix International, a leader in the design and
manufacture of custom, integrated electronic solutions, located in
Fargo, North Dakota, I would like to thank the Committee for allowing
our organization to submit this testimony for the record. I am writing
to respectfully request that the Hollings Manufacturing Extension
Partnership program be provided the authorized $122 million within the
fiscal year 2009 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
Appropriations Bill. This requested level of funding for 2009 was
provided for in the recently enacted America COMPETES Act. As you know,
the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is a program
within the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and
Technology, a program authorized to improve competitiveness of
America's manufacturing community.
The MEP is one of the most successful partnerships in the country.
In addition to public support, a value proposition to improve
manufacturer's global competitiveness is supported by those companies
who receive benefit. In North Dakota, the Dakota MEP provides
assistance to companies in continuous improvement, innovation,
strategic growth, technology and workforce development--all major needs
of our companies. With the assistance of Dakota MEP, our company has
worked on a number of improvement projects to improve productivity.
As a Dakota MEP Director, I would also like to report that the
average company benefits and impacts realized in the Dakota MEP
improvement work with manufacturers mirrors the national MEP average at
$1.4 million per engagement. These benefits have been realized by
manufacturers who've partnered with Dakota MEP over the past six years.
Manufacturing continues to diversify and grow the economies of the
Dakotas. It currently is 10 percent of the gross state product in North
Dakota and 11 percent in South Dakota. The industry has nearly 1,900
firms employing 69,000 in the Dakotas exporting over $2 billion.
Manufacturing brings new wealth to our country, our states and
communities which, in turn, generate other economic activity and
opportunities.
Manufacturing must remain one of our country's economic strengths
and the MEP is an invaluable program to help the industry better
compete. Without unwavering strong federal support, the MEP will be
unable to maintain its mission of serving America's small
manufacturers' increasing needs. At a time when our economic strength
and global competitiveness are national priorities, the MEP continues
to be a wise investment. We respectfully request that you appropriate
$122 million for the MEP in fiscal year 2009.
______

Prepared Statement of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewas

The following is a brief, qualitative analysis of the local impact
of the Presidents fiscal year 2009 budget proposal as we understand it
from data available in the Department of the Interior Indian Affairs
Budget Justifications Fiscal Year 2009 and related budget documents. A
more detailed, large-scale analysis of the appropriation is available
from the National Congress of American Indians (www.ncai.org), but here
we focus on concerns and priorities of the Red Cliff Band, a small,
federally-recognized Indian Tribe in far northern Wisconsin.
Key information about the Red Cliff community is available in the
attached Red Cliff ``Community Snapshot'' http://www.redcliff-nsn.gov/
planning/08snapshot-2.pdf

Natural Resources Management
The President's fiscal year 2009 budget continues to stifle the
Tribe's effort to maintain an active role in the management and
stewardship of the Lake Superior fishery resource, which has tangible
recreational and economic benefits for the region and which was
severely impacted by heavy cuts to the Tribal Management Development
Program (TMDP) in the mid 80's and 90's. Funding since that time has
stagnated such that, in 2009, TMDP funding will still have not
recovered to levels of over twenty years prior, yet cost for such
things as utilities, staff benefits, and supplies have significantly
increased over that time, and this has prevented the Tribe from
adequately addressing its aging hatchery facilities and water systems.
Lake Superior has the only fully-restored, self-sustaining trout
populations in Lake Superior, due in substantial part to Red Cliff's
efforts. Now the fisheries management department of the Tribe, which
co-manages an area of almost 2.8 million hectares, is further
threatened by a dramatic increase in disease-management costs
associated with the deadly fish disease VHS.
Without offsets to these cumulative cost increases, the viability
of Red Cliff's fisheries programs is severely threatened.
More details about the accomplishments and challenges of the Red
Cliff Natural Resources program are attached (Attachment 2).
Request: At minimum, restore Red Cliff's TMDP funding to mid-80's
funding levels of $300,000 (up from $222,000 proposed for fiscal year
2009) and reject Bush's 30 percent cut to the BIA's Fish Hatchery
Maintenance program.

Public Safety and Justice
Tribally-designated COPs grants have served as the Tribe's only
reliable source of law enforcement vehicles and field equipment in the
past decade. Red Cliff responds to emergencies not only on reservation
lands but, at times, on the beautiful but dangerous shores of Lake
Superior and the adjacent National Park lands, and Red Cliff likewise
responds to the mutual aid requests of the City of Bayfield and
Bayfield County. President Bush's budget will eliminate Tribal COPs
set-asides, reducing the likelihood of our responders' availability and
preparedness, thereby threatening the safety and well-being of
residents and tourists.
Likewise, set-asides are proposed to be eliminated for Tribal
Courts, for which Red Cliff's base funding is also being reduced by 4.2
percent in the President's budget. Red Cliff Tribal Court has no
alternative funding and has already curtailed expenditures on judges
and otherwise limited its services in the enforcement of vital local
laws. With further erosion of funds, Red Cliff will continue to
struggle to bring justice to the victims of child abuse, protect its
treaty rights, or generally enforce the Red Cliff Code on which it
depends for its sovereignty and civil order.
Finally, the fiscal year 2009 budget Justification shows that
nearly $15,000 for Red Cliff community fire protection has been
eliminated. Red Cliff's local Fire Department which, again, serves Red
Cliff and adjacent communities, is very much dependent on CFP dollars
for equipment purchases, the most recent being wildland fire fighting
vehicle attachments.
Request: Reject the President's proposal to consolidate DOJ
programs and eliminate Tribal set-asides. Maintain previous years'
average funding levels of +/- $15,000 for Community Fire Protection.

Education and Job Training
With combined elimination of the Johnson O'Malley (JOM) and Job
Placement and Training programs from the BIA's Consolidated Tribal
Government budget, Red Cliff stands to lose over $73,500 in much-needed
assistance to already-disadvantaged local people.
The Red Cliff Tribe does not feel JOM's GPRA/PART ratings reflect
the strong value that our community places on the JOM program, which
serves as an important way to promote educational parity for children
whose families experience unemployment and poverty rates several times
that of surrounding Bayfield County. JOM provides such things as sports
gear, instrument rentals, and other important academic supports which
can make the difference between attainment and alienation. While JOM
cannot solve all of the challenges of the Bayfield School district with
its large proportion of native students, the tutors paid for by Red
Cliff's JOM program have helped many young learners build the academic
confidence to resist otherwise high truancy rates of the District.
Job training and placement for Tribal members is especially
important in light of Red Cliff's geographic isolation and distance to
the service industries in which local jobs are relatively scarce. In
light of great commitment to their ancestral lands and culture and
their obligations to local extended families, Tribal members seeking
jobs rely on placement and training assistance to increase their
likelihood of local employment.
Request: Reject the Presidents proposed elimination of the Johnson
O'Malley program and Job Placement and Training programs.

Housing and Community Facilities
The President's fiscal year 2009 budget proposes elimination of the
Department of the Interior's Housing Improvement Program (HIP). While
the program is competitive and does not result in a large number of
projects in a community as small as Red Cliff, the Tribal members it
does assist are among our most needy: the elderly and disabled. With
housing having been in extremely short supply on the Red Cliff
Reservation, deterioration of an elder's home often guarantees
stressful relocation. HIP is often the only option for remodeling or
replacement of existing homes where the elder cannot afford or qualify
for other housing programs.
A $4.6 million reduction has also been proposed for the Indian
Community Development Block Grant program in fiscal year 2009. In Red
Cliff, ICDBGs have been an absolutely essential solution to the
abovementioned housing shortage. With ICDBGs and DOD Sec. 154 funds,
the Tribe has been able to make the most significant housing
infrastructure improvements in a generation--making over 175 sewered
home sites available in the coming years. Likewise, ICDBGs offer the
Tribe one of its primary options to address aging and inadequate public
facility space.
Every dollar eliminated from ICDBGs translates to homes not served
with essential utilities or to community services that cannot be sited
in Red Cliff.
Request: Restore $13.6 million eliminated from the DOI's Housing
Improvement Program and $4.6 million from HUD's Indian Community
Development Block Grant. programs in fiscal year 2009.

Health
The President's fiscal year 2009 budget does not slash budgets for
the Indian Health Service, yet neither does it address the disturbing
health trends in the community that are likely to pose a massive burden
to the health care budgets of the Red Cliff Health Center, the City of
Ashland's health service providers, Bayfield County, and the State of
Wisconsin.
We are referring in part to the fact that local data shows 74
percent of native patients at the Red Cliff Health Center--including
many children--are obese or at risk of obesity, and the resulting
incidence of Type 2 diabetes and related complications are projected to
triple disease-related health care expenditures for those afflicted, an
increase that is above and beyond the double-digit medical services
inflation that has been disproportionately impacting our impoverished
community.
The ten-year old Red Cliff Health Center is one of the Tribes
greatest social and economic successes and has already met or exceeded
some patient service levels that were not projected to be realized
until 2015. The Red Cliff Health Center's ability to address the vital
health needs of the Red Cliff community--ranging from pre-natal care to
mental health treatment to dental services--are presently most limited
by space available.
To address the obesity challenge and other service demands
mentioned above, the Health Center seeks a facility expansion of at
least 5,000 to 8,000 square feet at a base cost of $1 million to $1.4
million which would be dedicated to preventative health and specialty
health services. IHS and other federal funds for facility expansion are
presently very limited.
The Red Cliff Health Center has earned a reputation for offering
quality services to Tribal and non-Tribal members throughout the
County. A special appropriation for Health Center expansion will help
the Red Cliff Tribe to help avert the looming cost crisis and to offer
marketable services and health industry jobs.
For additional details see Attachment 3.
Request: Special appropriation of up to $1.4 million for expansion
of Red Cliff's Health Center for preventative health services.
Welfare
President Bush's fiscal year 2009 national budget proposes a $14
million reduction in welfare assistance, which includes BIA's General
Assistance Program (GA). Estimates of Tribe-specific cuts are not
clear, but the fiscal year 2009 BIA budget justification shows that,
both with regard to clients served and welfare costs for GA, Red Cliff
could expect a cut of as much as 40 percent from fiscal year 2007
levels of $82,000, which allows the Tribe to assist with over 300 cases
per year.
Compared with adjacent Bayfield County, the rates of unemployment
and children in poverty in Red Cliff are as much as three times and
five times higher, respectively. Loss of 40 percent of Tribal GA funds
could pose extreme hardships to a number of our residents who have few
if any other income options.
Request: Reject Bush's proposed $14 million cut to BIA's welfare
assistance programs.

Transportation
The President's proposal to cut in half the BIA road maintenance
program comes at a time when costs for fuel, pavement, and other
materials have substantially increased the per-mile cost of maintaining
Red Cliff's 35 miles of reservation roads--costs which are already high
due to severe winter conditions commonly experienced in our location at
the northern tip of Wisconsin.
The road maintenance funding cuts will have significant impacts
beyond Red Cliff. The Tribe realizes great operating efficiencies by
using BIA road maintenance dollars to contract with the nearby Town of
Russell, whose facilities, staff, and equipment are utilized for road
grading, snow removal, vegetation clearing, and other services
necessary to maintain safe roads for residents and visitors. In
addition to Russell, other communities' roads that are not on the
Reservation but are nevertheless used heavily by Tribal members are
also eligible for Tribal assistance. Thus, reductions to BIA roads
maintenance funds may pose hardships not just to Red Cliff but to
adjacent governments.
Request: Reject Bush's proposed fiscal year 2009 50 percent
reduction of BIA roads maintenance funding.

Land Consolidation
The Indian Land Consolidation Program (ILCP) was proposed for
elimination in fiscal year 2009.
Red Cliff's Reservation is a mere 14,000 acres, only 8,000 of which
are held in Trust for the Tribe. Land recovery is therefore a top
priority, but the Tribe itself has no discretionary funds for
acquisitions. Fractionation of ownership interests in land probated to
heirs of Tribal land allotees poses major obstacles to land recovery,
and it also places heavy probate administration costs on the BIA, which
consequently diminishes other BIA and/or federal services available to
the Tribe.
The President's claims of ILCP inefficacy are misleading. The
program's efforts have been strategically targeted, and in those areas
have been very effective. ILCP reports 68 percent of fractionated
interests in Red Cliff have been acquired by ILCP, which translates to
just over 1,000 acres--a very significant portion of our Reservation!
Continued ILCP effort toward land consolidation is very important to
Red Cliff and to other Tribes around the nation.
Request: Reject Bush's proposed fiscal year 2009 elimination of the
ILCP.

General comments
Contrary to what is sometimes heard from Indian Nations, the Red
Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa strongly supports the mission and
budget of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. That is not to say we are
entirely satisfied with BIA's performance or decisions, yet we
recognize that we as individual Tribes are also responsible to aid the
agency in attaining GPRA and PART goals.
Of the Tribal casinos in the State of Wisconsin, the Red Cliff
Tribe's Isle Vista Casino is distinguished as one of the lowest
grossing, and thus it serves to offer only basic local employment and
exceedingly little aid to local government. Stagnation in federal
funding levels in the face of increasing costs of living therefore
equates to lost programs, services, and organizational capacity. We ask
you to protect and enhance Indian programs offered through BIA, IHS,
HUD, USDA and others.
The Red Cliff Tribe's greatest strides in recent years have been in
the areas of housing and related infrastructure, and we are grateful
for your support. Health care, education, economic development, and
environmental protection remain as urgent needs in our community, and
we look forward to working with you and your staff to discuss issues
and implement solutions. Thank you.
______

Prepared Statement of the Dakota Manufacturing Extension Partnership

On behalf the Board of Directors of Dakota Manufacturing Extension
Partnership, I would like to thank the Committee for allowing our
organization to submit this testimony for the record. I am writing to
respectfully request that the Hollings Manufacturing Extension
Partnership program be provided the authorized $122 million within the
fiscal year 2009 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
Appropriations Bill. This requested level of funding for 2009 was
provided for in the recently enacted America COMPETES Act. As you know,
the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is a program
within the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and
Technology, a program authorized to improve competitiveness of
America's manufacturing community.
The MEP is one of the most successful partnerships in the country.
In addition to public support, a value proposition to improve
manufacturer's global competitiveness is supported by those companies
who receive benefit. In the Dakotas, the Dakota MEP provides assistance
to companies in continuous improvement, innovation, strategic growth,
technology and workforce development--all major needs of our companies.
Several years ago our company, Turtle Mountain Corporation in Dunseith,
North Dakota, was able to significantly improve its overall
competitiveness as a supplier and its workforce with the assistance of
Dakota MEP.
As a Dakota MEP Board Chairman, I would also like to report that
the average company benefits and impacts realized in the Dakota MEP
improvement work with manufacturers mirrors the national MEP average at
$1.4 million per engagement. These benefits have been realized by
manufacturers who've partnered with Dakota MEP over the past six years.
Manufacturing continues to diversify and grow the economies of the
Dakotas. It currently is 10 percent of the gross state product in North
Dakota and 11 percent in South Dakota. The industry has nearly 1,900
firms employing 69,000 in the Dakotas exporting over $2 billion.
Manufacturing brings new wealth to our country, our states and
communities which, in turn, generate other economic activity and
opportunities.
Manufacturing must remain one of our country's economic strengths
and the MEP is an invaluable program to help the industry compete with
offshore companies. Without unwavering strong federal support, the MEP
will be unable to maintain its mission of serving America's small
manufacturers' increasing needs. At a time when our economic strength
and global competitiveness are national priorities, the MEP continues
to be a wise investment. We respectfully request that you appropriate
$122 million for the MEP in fiscal year 2009.
______

Prepared Statement of SEARCH, The National Consortium for Justice
Information and Statistics

Introduction
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, I am Ron Hawley,
Executive Director of SEARCH. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of
the Subcommittee for your support. The efforts of your outstanding
subcommittee staff are also greatly appreciated. SEARCH has requested a
$2 million earmark from the Department of Justice, Byrne Discretionary
Grant Program to be included in the Commerce, Justice, Science, and
Related Agencies Appropriation bill. This amount of funding will ensure
that the SEARCH National Technical Assistance and Training Program can
reach local and state criminal justice agencies that are truly in need
of SEARCH's services.
SEARCH is a state criminal justice support organization comprised
of governors' appointees from each state. SEARCH's mission is to
promote the effective use of information and identification technology
by criminal justice agencies nationwide. For more than 20 years, the
SEARCH National Technical Assistance and Training Program has been the
only no-cost service for small- and medium-sized criminal justice
agencies to assist them in: (1) enhancing and upgrading their
information systems; (2) building integrated information systems that
all criminal justice agencies need; (3) ensuring compatibility between
local systems and state, regional and national systems; (4) developing
and delivering high-tech crime training; and (5) providing computer
forensic technical assistance support. SEARCH has provided training and
technical assistance in every state. The criminal justice agencies that
SEARCH has assisted have found our services invaluable.
Because the National Technical Assistance and Training Program is
national in scope, SEARCH is able to replicate successful
implementation strategies in one state or locality and disseminate and
transfer those strategies to other states and localities. This unique
program not only helps state and local agencies work more efficiently
and effectively through the use of advanced information technologies,
but it also creates a foundation for a national information
infrastructure for interoperable justice systems.
SEARCH conducts research to examine emerging trends and issues that
have the potential to impact the collection, maintenance and exchange
of justice information, while advocating policies that ensure effective
privacy protection for the subjects of those records. The technical
assistance provided by SEARCH has always been sensitive to the privacy
implications of the effective use of information systems.
In short, the automated sharing of information is a critical
component of effective justice. Better information means better
decisions, and better decisions mean improved public safety. Creating
information sharing capabilities among state and local public safety
agencies that consistently conform to national and international
standards efforts and that provide tangible benefits and outcomes will
strengthen the foundation for successful nationwide information sharing
to help prevent major national incidents and terrorist attacks.
SEARCH's National Technical Assistance and Training Program has
received rave reviews, not only from those local, regional and state
law enforcement and criminal justice agencies that have received its
services, but also from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), which
administers the grants to SEARCH.
In the Department of Justice Reauthorization Act (Public Law 109-
162), the Congress expressly and specifically authorized SEARCH's
National Technical Assistance and Training Program. Chapter 5,
Subsection C, 1184 of that provision reads:

(a) In General.--Pursuant to subpart 1 of part E of title I of the
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, the Attorney
General may make grants to SEARCH, the National Consortium for Justice
Information and Statistics, to carry out the operations of the National
Technical Assistance and Training Program.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Attorney General to carry out this section
$4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2009.

Byrne Competitive Grant Program
Before talking specifically about the SEARCH National Technical
Assistance and Training Program, let me take a moment to ask for
enhanced funding for the Byrne Competitive Grant Program. Through the
Chairman's leadership, the fiscal year 2008 omnibus appropriations bill
established the competitive grant process for programs of national
significance to prevent crime, improve the administration of justice,
and assist victims of crime. The process is administered by the Office
of Justice Programs (OJP) to those national programs that previously
have received earmark funding under the Byrne discretionary program.
However, the total amount of grant funding provided to all of the
competing national programs was set at only $16 million in fiscal year
2008. We believe that funding in the range of at least $65 million is
the minimum necessary to permit a workable and effective competitive
grant program.
SEARCH supports the laudable goal of distributing funds on a
competitive basis to those national programs that can demonstrate the
most compelling uses for those funds. However, the outstanding
leadership of the Subcommittee in creating this program is undermined
by the harsh reality that $16 million is a woefully inadequate amount
to provide funding for national programs to assist criminal justice and
law enforcement efforts across the country.
SEARCH's National Technical Assistance and Training, alone,
received a $2 million grant from the Byrne Discretionary funds in
2006--this would comprise one-eighth of the funds now available under
the Byrne competitive grants. Dividing $16 million among dozens of
national programs will result in drastic reductions in the level of
funding provided to these programs or no funding at all for many
deserving organizations.
Indeed, for that reason we not only urge the Congress to fund the
fiscal year 2009 competitive program at the $65 million level, but also
to support emergency legislation that would increase the amount
provided for the Byrne Competitive Grant program in fiscal year 2008 by
approximately $50 million so that those national programs seeking to
compete for these funds will have a chance at receiving a meaningful
grant amount and, thereby, continuing to provide their vital criminal
justice services. We have attached to our written testimony a letter
from SEARCH and four other national programs supporting enhanced
competitive grant funding.

Use of Past Funding
Returning now to SEARCH, in fiscal year 2007, SEARCH's National
Technical Assistance and Training Program received a $2 million earmark
out of the Byrne Discretionary Grant Program in the Office of Justice
Programs. Through funding provided in fiscal year 2007, the SEARCH
National Technical Assistance and Training Program reached out to
nearly every state, as well as the District of Columbia.
SEARCH's on-site technical assistance customarily includes helping
a state or local law enforcement agency establish an automated justice
information system; evaluate and plan for integration of existing
information systems; or enhance, expand or implement a computerized
criminal justice record system. A typical technical assistance activity
takes approximately six weeks and is staffed by two individuals with
the required expertise making three site visits--one for an initial
consultation and data gathering, one to provide recommendations, and
one for follow-up. Each of these technical assistance activities cost
approximately $50,000.
SEARCH has been recognized for its longstanding commitment to
improving criminal history records at both the state and national
levels. SEARCH software and related materials assist police and other
law enforcement agencies in areas such as computer-aided dispatch,
records management systems and mobile computers. In the post-9/11
world, information sharing and communications interoperability is more
important than ever to protect our families and the first-responders
responsible for their safety in an emergency.
For example, SEARCH is helping state policymakers and technical and
operational stakeholders in numerous jurisdictions develop standards-
based, high technology data sharing solutions so that critical law
enforcement, court, corrections, prosecutor, and other justice agency
information is rapidly shared to provide the foundation for accurate
and appropriate decision-making. Simultaneously, SEARCH is actively
focused on helping states develop privacy policies governing the
collection of information in various state criminal justice systems to
protect individual privacy and civil liberties in the growing
information sharing environment.
Meanwhile, SEARCH provides direct operational support to law
enforcement in its cybercrime investigation program. SEARCH, for
example, was integral in helping law enforcement identify and stop a
suspect who was planning a shooting rampage at a local high school. A
State Patrol officer contact SEARCH for immediate help after receiving
reports about an individual making statements via the Internet that a
local high school was to be the target of a shooting rampage. The State
Police did not have the local resources or expertise to properly
conduct an Internet investigation to identify the user. Using its
knowledge of Internet Service Provider protocols and social networking
Web sites, SEARCH located the individual's online profile on a
networking site that displayed photos and videos of firearms and
automatic weapons. The State Patrol was then able to gather the leads
necessary to further their investigation. SEARCH performed a forensic
capture of the individual's profile and videos, which were offered to
the State Patrol.
In other cybercrime assistance efforts, SEARCH has helped a number
of police departments across the nation set up MySpace predator
deterrent programs. The departments set up MySpace pages that encourage
local youth to add the police department as a ``number one friend'' on
the youths' MySpace Pages. This gives the police a prominent presence
on the youth's page, and also enables the youth to quickly contact the
police online if they receive inappropriate messages. This is just
another example of how SEARCH helps law enforcement proactively work to
protect their young citizens from Internet risks.
Through SEARCH cybercrime training classes and technical workshops,
investigators are taught methods to prevent, detect and investigate the
rising tide of cybercrime, such as fraud, email threats, online
stalking and child exploitation. In one-on-one work with law
enforcement investigators and prosecutors, SEARCH provides immediate
operational assistance and critical operational guidance to
practitioners on emerging technological issues in high-tech crime, such
as assisting a local law enforcement agency obtain evidence from cell
phones seized at the scene of a gang-related drive-by shooting.
Intended Use of Funding From Fiscal Year 2009
For fiscal year 2009, SEARCH is requesting $2 million for the
National Technical Assistance and Training Program. If SEARCH is
provided with the requested funding, SEARCH intends to utilize the
funds to address goals in both the information sharing and high-tech
crime investigation aspects of the program. In the information sharing
space, SEARCH intends to: (1) support through training and technical
assistance the adoption of national law enforcement and public safety
information technology standards; (2) contribute to the development of
new and emerging law enforcement and public safety standards; (3)
develop specific information sharing requirements for the re-entry of
prisoners into society following incarceration; and (4) improve
agencies' ability to measure and manage their information sharing
initiatives. SEARCH also intends to use the funds to train law
enforcement investigators in high tech crime investigation, including
training and education on cybercrime.

Conclusion
Congressional support for the SEARCH National Technical Assistance
and Training Program is vital. The federal investment of $2 million can
be leveraged many times over by contributing to the ability of state
and local criminal justice agencies to provide timely, accurate and
compatible information throughout the nation.
On behalf of SEARCH, its governors' appointees, and the thousands
of criminal justice officials who participate in the SEARCH network and
who benefit from SEARCH's efforts, I thank you for your time. It has
been a pleasure appearing here today.
______

Prepared Statement of The Florida State University

Summary of Request: Florida State University is requesting
$3,000,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) Air Research Laboratory (ARL) Account to fund the Center for
Vapor Mercury in the Atmosphere.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you and the Members of the
Subcommittee for this opportunity to present testimony before this
Committee. I would like to take a moment to briefly acquaint you with
Florida State University.
Located in Tallahassee, Florida's capitol, FSU is a comprehensive
Research I university with a rapidly growing research base. The
University serves as a center for advanced graduate and professional
studies, exemplary research, and top-quality undergraduate programs.
Faculty members at FSU maintain a strong commitment to quality in
teaching, to performance of research and creative activities, and have
a strong commitment to public service. Among the current or former
faculty are numerous recipients of national and international honors
including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and several members
of the National Academy of Sciences. Our scientists and engineers do
excellent research, have strong interdisciplinary interests, and often
work closely with industrial partners in the commercialization of the
results of their research. Florida State University had over $190
million this past year in research awards.
Florida State University attracts students from every state in the
nation and more than 100 foreign countries. The University is committed
to high admission standards that ensure quality in its student body,
which currently includes National Merit and National Achievement
Scholars, as well as students with superior creative talent. Since
2005, FSU students have won more than 30 nationally competitive
scholarships and fellowships including 2 Rhodes Scholarships, 2 Truman
Scholarships, Goldwater, Jack Kent Cooke and 18 Fulbright Fellowships.
At Florida State University, we are proud of our successes as well
as our emerging reputation as one of the nation's top public research
universities.
Mr. Chairman, let me summarize our primary interest today.
Mercury is one of two very toxic trace elements known to be best
transported through the atmosphere. Local, regional, and global
distributions of gaseous elemental mercury are unknown even though
vapor mercury is the most important source of anthropogenic mercury to
the atmosphere. Most U.S. mercury emissions occur in the northeast yet
most mercury deposits fall on Florida and the southeastern coastal
zone. Patterns of mercury in local rainfall can be interpreted as
either ``local source'' or ``long-distance source'' and are thus non-
diagnostic. These enormous gaps in scientific understanding undermine
public policy initiatives to develop strategies to protect natural
environments and human health and to find appropriate energy solutions
to our national power and transportation needs.
To this end, FSU is prepared to lead a Southeastern Mercury
Consortium to study the large-scale sources and fates of atmospheric
mercury. This consortium will be a partnership between NOAA's Air
Resources Lab (ARL), Florida State University (FSU) and Georgia
Institute of Technology. ARL's mercury research group has pioneered
ground and airborne measurements and models of atmospheric mercury.
FSU's Oceanography Department and Isotope Geochemistry Programs in the
National High Magnetic Field Lab excel in ultra-trace element chemistry
and isotopes--including mercury--in global atmospheric and aquatic
environments. Georgia Tech's Schools of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
and Civil & Environmental Engineering have extensive regional and
global programs in urban photochemistry, ``tailpipe'' and ``smoke
stack'' gases, and global atmospheric mapping of reactive trace gases
and aerosols from research airplanes and satellites. We will
concentrate on the two most critical pieces of the puzzle--gaseous
elemental mercury and reactive gaseous mercury. This effort will fill
the gap we now have in the understanding of mercury vapors, so that we
can ensure safe power and transportation to our citizens.
Mr. Chairman, this project is extremely important and I appreciate
your consideration.
______

Prepared Statement of the Educational Association of University Centers

Mr. Chairman, as President of the Educational Association of
University Centers, which is the advocacy organization for universities
in the EDA University Center Program, I am pleased to offer this
testimony regarding fiscal year 2009 funding for this important program
administered by the Economic Development Administration at the
Department of Commerce. On behalf of our the network of universities
across the United States that are participating in the program, our
appropriation request for the EDA University Center Program for fiscal
year 2009 is $12.5 million. The EDA Technical Assistance line item is
currently funded at about $9 million annually for the national EDA
University Center Program.
As you know, the EDA University Center Program is a network of
centers located at universities and colleges in most states. The
program has operated for over 30 years as the only federally funded
program specifically designed to link the higher education system in
the United States with local and regional economic development
organizations, local units of government, private sector companies,
non-profits and regional organizations. There are about 55 centers in
the program currently.
Through this program, the resources, research, expertise,
experience and capabilities of the higher education system are made
accessible to help capitalize on opportunities, address problems and
overcome economic challenges for areas suffering economic dislocation
and distress. Each University Center reflects the character and
capacities of the sponsoring institution and tailors its portfolio of
programs, projects and services based on the individual institution and
the needs of the service region that center serves.
Each EDA University Center currently receives approximately
$100,000 to $150,000 per year. The program has been funded at the same
level for over a decade. The additional funding that is requested would
enable current University Centers to be funded at a level of $250,000
per year, which combined with the required local match of an amount
equal to the federal share, would create program budgets of $500,000
per University Center. The nation's universities are a vital component
of the economic development capacity of the United States and this
increased funding will yield a strong return on the investment.
The University Center Program and the University Centers that form
it operate in conformance with the EDA's investment principles. That
means that programs and projects undertaken by the university centers
include: being market-based and results-driven; having strong
organizational leadership; advancing productivity, innovation and
entrepreneurship; addressing medium to long-term needs; anticipating
economic changes; fostering economic diversification; and including a
high degree of local commitment. To those ends, the University Center
program nationwide participates in economic development activities that
help leverage hundreds of millions of dollars in private sector
investment.
A fundamental objective of the University Center Program is to
focus program activities on areas of economic distress and to conduct
projects and programs that lead to the creation and retention of high-
wage, high-skill, and high-demand jobs. The types of activities
undertaken by university centers include direct technical assistance.
That assistance can take the form of direct assistance to private
sector companies. A typical example of a technical assistance project
would be working with a manufacturer to develop a prototype of a new
product, analyze the potential market for the product, and help
commercialize and launch the new product. The end result will hopefully
lead to increases in production capacity within the firm, resulting in
new job creation.
University centers also often have the capacity and the mission to
conduct applied research to inform economic development initiatives.
Before a significant financial investment is made in an economic
development project, due diligence must be performed to determine if
there is a high probability for a significant return on investment in
terms of jobs created and retained, as well as indirect jobs created
and retained in the supply chain and in local and regional commercial
and retail businesses. Typical projects that would require applied
research to determine potential for success are industrial parks,
technology parks, business incubators and accelerators, and public
works projects to improve infrastructure, such as potable water
treatment plants, wastewater treatment, access roads and other
projects. Research such as market and feasibility analyses, business
plans, operating plans and other types of analyses serves to strengthen
projects and to help ensure that investments are directed toward
projects with the highest potential to deliver in economic terms.
University centers also conduct economic analyses to identify
industry clusters that exist or that have the potential to be created.
Industry clusters are private sector companies that exist in a defined
geographic region and that have similar characteristics that can enable
individual firms to create competitive advantages through relationships
that often include pooled procurement activities or supply chain
linkages, where firms provide raw materials, components or other
products or services to companies that are using raw materials to
produce value-added products or that create products by combining
components to produce a finished item for delivery to customers. By
conducting the research to identify companies with potential affinity
and the potential for benefit from economies of scale, jobs may be
created or retained and individual companies made more competitive and
profitable. These efforts also can strengthen local and regional
economies by developing a local supply chain and producing products
that are exported from the region, thereby bringing revenue into the
region from external sources.
An example of university center activity is the initiative has been
undertaken by the University Center program at the University of
Michigan, which I oversee, along with our partners at Cleveland State
University, Ohio University and Purdue University. Our work addresses
the adverse impacts on communities in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana that
are experiencing major manufacturing plant closures. The university
center programs at these universities are collaborating to deliver
services to the impacted communities and to help the communities to
access resources from a range of federal agencies, state agencies and
non-profit organizations. The EDA University Centers in each
institution are active collaborating to provide student, staff and
faculty support for the affected communities in their respective
states.
The tools that have been created to help these communities develop
economic recovery plans include a resource guide to Federal, State and
Non-profit agencies and organizations that can help communities in
economic distress and experiencing sudden and severe economic
dislocation. Communities also receive a Regional and Community Profile
that contains critical information, such as key infrastructure,
transportation corridor information, workforce characteristics,
demographic information, and that helps identify core competencies and
competitive advantages of communities and regions. A ``Strategic
Planning for Economic Recovery Workbook'' helps to facilitate an
accelerated strategic planning process that takes place over a period
of 4-6 weeks and leads to a set of implementation projects to address
economic, community and social needs in the communities and regions
that are adversely impacted.
After the community stakeholders have become organized and identify
critical needs, the program convenes a Community Stakeholder Workshop
that brings Program Representatives from Federal and State agencies to
present information about their programs for distressed communities and
to meet one-on-one with stakeholders representing a wide range of
economic and community development organizations, social service
agencies, local elected officials and units of governments that are
qualified to receive funding.
Another example of the wide range of University Center Program
assistance activities is a project conducted by the University of
Pennsylvania EDA University Center. The South Central Workforce
Investment Area of Pennsylvania created a Department of Defense (DOD)
Industry Partnership to strengthen the region's defense industry
through targeted skills training. Penn State University's Pennsylvania
Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP) managed the development of this
Partnership. This Partnership grew out of a state-funded economic
development initiative, Job Ready PA, which builds partnerships to more
effectively respond to the workforce needs of targeted industries.
The Industry Partnership is comprised of representatives from
regional DOD commands and activities, the private contractors
supporting those activities, and regional education institutions and
training providers. The Partnership acts as a workforce intermediary,
connecting the workers and contractors with the educational
infrastructure by creating industry-driven training programs in
response to identified skill gaps targeting three categories of
workers: DOD personnel; civilian contractors providing both
infrastructure as well as technical and mission support services; and
DOD systems manufacturers and parts and component suppliers.
Every University Center Program across the United States has many
examples of terrific project and program activities that have greatly
contributed to the health of regional and local economies and that have
addressed economic distress.
The economic security, national security and global competitiveness
of our nation are increasingly bound with the higher education system
of colleges and universities in America. The economy of our nation is
in a period of transformation from a primarily industrial-based economy
to a post-industrial economy. This transformation is creating enormous
challenges as jobs are lost in some sectors and regions, and jobs are
created in other sectors and regions. It is essential that the higher
education system play an engaged and proactive role in the nation's
economy.
The EDA University Center Program is the primary federal program to
ensure that that role is continual and successful. It is for that
reason that the funding for this critical program be continued with the
increase that is requested. Because it is a national program, no single
state, region or economic sector gains at the expense of any other
region or sector. I thank you for your attention to this issue and hope
that this request will be approved.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters

Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony to this
Subcommittee requesting a $30 million appropriation for the Commerce
Department's Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP) in
fiscal year 2008. As the President and CEO of the National Federation
of Community Broadcasters, I speak on behalf of 250 community radio
stations and related individuals and organizations across the country
including many new Low Power FM stations. NFCB is the sole national
organization representing this group of stations, which provide
independent local service in the smallest communities and the largest
metropolitan areas of this country. Nearly half of NFCB's members are
rural stations, and half are controlled by people of color.
In summary, the points we wish to make to this Subcommittee are
that NFCB:
--Supports funding for PTFP that will cover the ongoing needs of
public radio and television stations.
--Supports funding for conversion of public radio and television to
digital broadcasting.
--Supports funding to help public and community radio stations
prepare to provide emergency information during natural or
manmade disasters.
Community Radio supports $30 million in funding for the Public
Telecommunications Facilities Program in fiscal year 2009. Federal
funding distributed through the PTFP is essential to continuing and
expanding the public broadcasting service throughout the United States.
It is particularly critical for rural stations and those serving low
income communities. PTFP funds new stations, expanding the reach of
public broadcasting to rural areas and to audiences that are not served
by existing stations. In addition, it replaces obsolete and worn out
equipment so that existing public stations can continue to broadcast
high quality programming. PTFP funding is critical to ensuring public
radio's readiness to provide life-saving information to communities in
the event of local disasters, as we have seen during weather
emergencies in the past few years. Finally, with the advent of digital
broadcasting, PTFP funding is helping with the conversion to this new
technology.
We support $30 million in funding to ensure that both the ongoing
program will be continued, and that there will be additional financial
resources available to help cover the cost of improving the emergency
infrastructure of public broadcasting stations. This additional funding
is considered an urgent need if community stations are to withstand and
continue broadcasting through extreme weather or other emergency
situations. In addition, increased funding is necessary to assist the
conversion of public radio and television to a digital format, which is
particularly important when the FCC has endorsed a standard for digital
radio broadcasting, the television conversion deadline is imminent, and
commercial radio stations are converting to digital transmission, and
public radio should not be left behind.
PTFP funding is unique. It is the only funding source available to
help get new stations on the air and ensure that public broadcasting is
available everywhere in the United States. At a time when local service
is being abandoned by commercial radio, PTFP aids communities
developing their own stations which provide local information and
emergency notifications.
Funding from PTFP has been essential to keep public radio stations
on the air by funding the replacement of equipment, often items that
have been in use for 20 or more years. The program is administered
carefully to be certain that stations are acquiring the most
appropriate type of equipment. They also determine that equipment is
being properly maintained and will not fund the replacement of
equipment before an appropriate period of time in use. PTFP has also
helped bring public radio service to rural areas where it is not
otherwise available. Often they fund translators to expand the coverage
of an existing station and they help with the planning and equipment
needs of a new station. Recently, many of these new projects have been
for Native American controlled stations on Indian Reservations or new
Low Power FM installations that broadcast very locally.
Federal funding is particularly critical to stations broadcasting
to rural and underserved audiences which have limited potential for
fundraising due to sparse populations, limited number of local
businesses, and low income levels. Even so, PTFP funding is a matching
program, so federal money is leveraged with a local commitment of
funds. This program is a strong motivating factor in raising the
significant money necessary to replace, upgrade and purchase expensive
broadcast equipment.
Community Radio stations must be prepared to provide continuing
service during emergency situations. As we saw during the severe storms
and devastating hurricanes of the last few years, radio is the most
effective medium for informing a community of weather forecasts,
traffic issues, services available, evacuations, etc. Since everyone
has access to a radio and they are portable and battery operated, a
radio is the first source for this critical information. Radio stations
therefore must have emergency power at both their studios and their
transmitter in order to provide this service.
The National Federation of Community Broadcasters supports funding
for the conversion to digital broadcasting in public radio and
television. While public television's digital conversion is mandated by
the Federal Communications Commission, public radio is converting to
digital to provide more public service and keep up with the market. The
digital standard for radio has been approved and over 365 public radio
transmitters have been converted. Most exciting to public radio is that
stations can broadcast two or more high quality signals, even while
they continue to provide the analog signal. Currently 117 stations are
providing 153 streams of programming. The development of additional
digital audio channels will potentially more than double the service
that public radio can provide, particularly to unserved and underserved
communities.
Thank you for your consideration of our testimony. If the
Subcommittee has any questions or needs to follow up on any of the
points expressed above, please contact the National Federation of
Community Broadcasters at www.nfcb.org.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Astronomical Society

I appreciate the opportunity to comment on NASA's 2009 budget from
my perspective as President of the American Astronomical Society (AAS).
The AAS believes that the President's fiscal year 2009 request of
$17.6 billion is the bare minimum necessary to meet the agency's many
challenges--from the reinvention of manned spaceflight, to the agency's
many scientific missions in Earth Science, Heliophysics, Astrophysics,
and Planetary science.
The AAS is the major organization of professional astronomers in
the United States. The basic objective of the AAS is to promote the
advancement of astronomy and closely related branches of science. The
membership, numbering approximately 7,000, includes physicists,
mathematicians, geologists, and engineers whose interests lie within
the broad spectrum of modern astronomy. AAS members advise NASA on
scientific priorities, participate in NASA missions, and use the data
from NASA's outstanding scientific discoveries to build a coherent
picture for the origin and evolution of the Earth, the solar system,
our Galaxy, and the Universe as a whole.
In recent years, the astronomical community, working together with
NASA, has produced a remarkable string of successes that have changed
our basic picture of the Universe. Observations with the Hubble Space
Telescope (HST) of exploding stars whose light has been traveling for
half the age of the Universe, combined with the exquisite map of the
glow from the Big Bang itself from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy
Probe and information from other observatories, shows that the Universe
we live in is not the Universe we see. Mysterious Dark Matter makes the
ordinary particles clump together to form stars and galaxies. Even more
mysterious Dark Energy makes the expansion of the Universe speed up.
Both of these concepts challenge our understanding of the nature of
matter and energy in the Universe and open up broad new vistas for
future work.
Similarly, exploration of the solar system has been a resounding
success for NASA, with exciting missions to Mars and to Saturn
revealing a beautiful and intricate history that is interwoven with the
history of our planet Earth. A new mission is now on its way to Pluto.
The discovery of planets around other stars has been a great triumph of
the past decade, raising hopes for seeing planets like our own Earth,
and placing our own solar system, and life itself, in a new context.
In addition to contributing greatly to our knowledge and
understanding of the universe, NASA continues its long history of
contributing to the country's high technology economy via spin-offs
from it science programs. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images form one
of the key databases behind GoogleSky bringing state-of-the-art imagery
of the Universe into a tool now available to anyone, anywhere in the
world with a computer (http://www.google.com/educators/
spacetools.html). NASA's leadership brings high visibility to U.S.
science and technology achievements and attracts young people to these
fields.
NASA's key role in these discoveries makes its science program of
deep interest to AAS members. In the past, NASA has worked with the
astronomical community to find the most promising paths forward. The
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large program that was endorsed
by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Decadal Survey in astronomy.
When completed in the next decade, it will help expand the frontier of
knowledge to the deepest reaches of space and time and into the hidden
places where stars and planets are formed. The astronomical community
also recommended, and NASA plans to execute, a wide range of other
programs--some of moderate scope and others that nourish the
infrastructure for a healthy and vibrant community. This balanced
approach has proved best--with a range of opportunities carefully
crafted to get the best science from NASA's Science budget.
While we enjoy a generous flow of data from past and current space
telescopes, we are looking forward to new telescopes and new scientific
challenges in the next decade. The astronomical community, under the
leadership of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), is preparing for
the commencement of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey that
is carried out once every ten years. This is an opportunity to look
forward toward the future of space astrophysics in the context of a
broad, national astronomy and astrophysics program. The next Decadal
Survey will provide guidance for federal investment in the next
generation of ground and space-based telescopes.
This priority-setting exercise has been the key ingredient in the
success of U.S. astronomy and astrophysics for the past five decades.
It is very important for the health of NASA's astrophysics program that
we conduct an orderly evaluation of concepts across the full spectrum
of astrophysics missions and wavelengths. To emphasize this point, the
American Astronomical Society issued this statement in January 2008:

``The American Astronomical Society and each of its five divisions
strongly endorse community-based priority setting as a fundamental
component in the effective federal funding of research. Broad community
input is required in making difficult decisions that will be respected
by policy makers and stake-holders. The decadal surveys are the premier
examples of how to set priorities with community input. Other National
Academy studies, standing advisory committees, senior reviews, and town
hall meetings are important components. Mid-decade adjustments should
also be open to appropriate community input. Pleadings outside this
process for specific Congressional language to benefit projects or
alter priorities are counterproductive and harm science as a whole. The
American Astronomical Society opposes all attempts to circumvent the
established and successful community-based priority-setting processes
currently in place.''

Recognizing the current challenging budget climate, in which
federal non-security, discretionary spending is severely constrained,
the current NASA budget for science is nonetheless cause for concern.
Specifically, I am concerned about the overall drop in funding for
Astrophysics from $1.363 billion in fiscal year 2008 to a proposed
$1.162 billion in fiscal year 2009 (a decline of 14.7 percent). The
budget is projected to remain flat thereafter.
Using NASA's new-start inflation index, this forecast is a
reduction of $423 million (31 percent) for fiscal year 2013 in real
buying power over that for fiscal year 2008. This decrease is proposed
to occur during an era of significant new astrophysics discoveries with
observatories such as the JWST and with the expected exciting
recommendations from the Decadal Survey.
The fundamental issue is that NASA is under-funded for its overall
mission and received no extra funds to help with the recovery of the
Columbia disaster. This, in turn, creates budgetary stress for all of
the Directorates including Science. In my view, this is the key problem
that must be addressed by the Congress and the next Administration.
The AAS therefore recommends that Congress fund NASA Science by 2.9
percent over the fiscal year 2009 level. This modest increase over the
President's fiscal year 2009 request will help maintain balance within
the science portfolio, which is critical to our community. This
increase is also the same increase as proposed for the top-line NASA
budget. Small missions and research grants to individual investigators
must also be supported. Otherwise, many exciting programs to explore
the solar system, to detect planets around other stars, to measure
gravitational waves from astronomical events, to explore black holes in
all their manifestations, and to seek the nature of the dark energy may
be threatened. The AAS also recommends a one-time supplement of $1
billion to help allay expenses associated with the Columbia disaster
and the Shuttle return to flight.
Finally, the AAS strongly encourages the Administration and
Congress to uphold the priorities of the NAS Decadal Survey in
astronomy. We are pleased that the development of JWST and HST
servicing mission are priorities in the new budget, but we stress that
balance is critical in the Science portfolio.
NASA Science has been and continues to be a beacon of innovation
and discovery by inspiring generations of young people, capturing the
imagination of the public, developing new technologies, and discovering
profound insights into the nature of our Universe.
The AAS and its members are prepared to work with Congress and with
NASA to help find the best way forward. We will give you our best
advice and we will work diligently to make the most of NASA's
investment in science.
______

Prepared Statement of The Nature Conservancy

Thank you for the opportunity to offer the recommendations of The
Nature Conservancy (Conservancy) on the fiscal year 2009 budget for the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Conservancy
urges the Committee to provide appropriations for NOAA at or
approaching $4.5 billion, as recommended by the Friends of NOAA
Coalition. This funding level for NOAA would allow expanded ocean
conservation, restoration, and management programs; increased research
and education activities; and provide critical improvements in
infrastructure (satellites, ships, high performance computers,
facilities) and data management. More specifically, The Nature
Conservancy supports the following funding levels for the following
programs:

[In millions of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year
2009 Fiscal Year
Line Office, Account, Program President's 2009 TNC
Budget Recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Ocean Service:
Operations, Research, and
Facilities:
Regional Collaboration.......... 5 10
Coral Reef Program.............. 25.9 30.5
Response and Restoration Base, 9.3 9.3
Damage Assessment, Remediation,
and Restoration Program (DARRP)
Estuary Restoration Program..... 1.2 4
Procurement, Acquisition, and 15 60
Construction: Coastal and Estuarine
Land Conservation Program..........
National Marine Fisheries Service:
Operations, Research, and
Facilities:
Community-based Restoration 13 23
Program........................
Open Rivers Initiative.......... 7 12
Protected Species Research & .990 5
Management, Cooperation with
States.........................
National Environmental Satellite Data & .737 .737
Information Service: Operations,
Research, and Facilities: Coral Reef
Monitoring.............................
Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund.... 35 90
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Conservancy works to identify priorities for coastal and marine
conservation through ecoregional plans. We identify present and likely
future threats to biological diversity and then identify appropriate
strategies for conservation. At more than one hundred marine sites
around the world, the Conservancy has used a variety of strategies for
conservation including habitat restoration, removal of invasive
species, coastal land acquisition, private conservation of submerged
lands, establishment of protected areas, management of extractive
marine resources activities, and reduction of nutrient and toxic inputs
to coastal systems. No single strategy works everywhere; at every site
multiple conservation approaches that take into account the biological,
socioeconomic, and political circumstances are needed.
NOAA is an important partner to the Conservancy in many aspects of
our conservation work:
--We work with NOAA's programs that support site-based conservation
and restoration activities of coastal and marine systems.
Programs such as Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation,
Community-based Restoration, Open Rivers Initiative, and the
Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund are excellent examples of
practical, community-oriented approaches to conservation of
coastal and marine resources. These programs should be
expanded.
--Our chapters routinely partner with NOAA programs that support
management of marine and coastal ecosystems. The National
Marine Sanctuary Program, the National Estuarine Research
Reserve System, the Coastal Zone Management Program, the Coral
Reef Program, the Marine Protected Areas Center, and fisheries
and protected species management programs, are all valuable
partners on Conservancy projects and should be funded robustly.
--We rely upon NOAA's data, research, and monitoring of coastal and
marine systems, and have several shared priorities on which we
collaborate. For example, NOAA's Coastal Services Center
maintains a strong partnership-oriented approach to providing
information and technical assistance to states, local
governments, other federal agencies, and the private sector to
inform decision-making.
--NOAA's contributions to state and local implementation and
education programs help ensure that the human capacity exists
to address environmental management issues at the necessary
scale. The Committee should provide funding for staff capacity
to provide technical assistance, efficiently manage grants and
programs, and help to measure effectiveness.
The Conservancy highly values the contributions these NOAA programs
make to sustaining healthy ocean and coastal ecosystems and we
encourage the Committee provide significant funding for them. In
particular, we would like to offer our recommendations regarding a
specific set of programs that support conservation and restoration.
NOAA has demonstrated significant capability to achieve results by
advancing constructive, on-the-ground and in-the-water habitat
conservation. Habitat losses have a substantial impact on the health
and productivity of marine ecosystems, yet NOAA's ability to work
closely with communities around the country to stem or reverse these
losses is constrained by the relatively small amount of funding they
receive. We would urge you to consider increasing funding for the
following programs:

Habitat Restoration
Community-based Restoration Program ($23 million).--Currently this
program, with its exceptional track record since 1996, is able to fund
only about 15 percent of the proposals it receives. Additional funds
would be well-spent.
Open Rivers Initiative ($12 million).--There are hundreds of
thousands of small obsolete barriers on rivers and streams across the
United States that block fish passage and restrict access to important
habitat. This Initiative is part of a multi-agency commitment to
address this problem.
Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (DARRP)
($9.3 million).--Thousands of oil spills and hazardous waste sites
contaminate coastal and estuarine areas. DARRP uses a collaborative
process to respond to pollution events, assess injuries, and work with
responsible parties to restore natural trust resources. Through this
program NOAA has secured nearly $450 million in settlements for
restoration projects over the last 15 years. Additional funding is
necessary for NOAA to continue to properly respond to spills, conduct
initial environmental assessments, and work to resolve each settlement.
Estuary Restoration Program ($4 million).--The Estuary Restoration
Act (ERA), as reauthorized by the Water Resources Development Act of
2007, sets a goal to restore one million acres of estuary habitat by
2010. The Act encourages coordination among all levels of government,
and engages the unique strengths of the public, nonprofit, and private
sectors. The ERA authorizes $4 million for NOAA, including $2.5 million
for on-the-ground restoration projects and $1.5 million for maintenance
of restoration project monitoring data.

Protected Species Conservation
Cooperation with the States ($5 million).--Through this program,
authorized under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act, NMFS provides
grants to States to support conservation actions that contribute to
recovery or benefit listed species, recently de-listed species, and
candidate species that reside within that State. A comparable program
in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has been successful in funding
activities that contribute to the recovery of listed species under FWS
jurisdiction. With the exception of jointly managed species (e.g.
Atlantic salmon), activities related to NMFS jurisdiction species are
not eligible for funding under the FWS program. While substantial
funding has been directed to Pacific salmon, there are few resources
available to support proactive conservation efforts for the other 30
species for which NMFS has sole or joint management responsibility.
Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund ($90 million).--The
Conservancy strongly supports $90 million for the Pacific Coast Salmon
Recovery Fund (PCSRF). PCSRF has funded hundreds of successful on the
ground salmon conservation efforts and is a critical state, tribal, and
local complement to federal salmon recovery and management efforts. We
are pleased that NOAA is moving towards a more merit-based allocation
of funds focused on activities to recover and protect listed and at-
risk salmon populations. However, we are greatly concerned about the
dramatic decline in funding for the program, from $89 million in fiscal
year 2004 and fiscal year 2005 to $35 million in the President's fiscal
year 2009 request.

Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation
Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP) ($60
million).--The Nature Conservancy supports funding CELCP at $60 million
for fiscal year 2009. We recognize that this is a substantial increase
of prior year funding levels, but feel that it is warranted given the
extraordinary circumstances surrounding the fiscal year 2007 and fiscal
year 2008 budgets and the pent-up demand left over from low funding
levels in those years. We support a competitive process to award CELCP
funding. However, for a competitive process to be successful, funding
for the program needs to accommodate a greater percentage of the
overall demand for coastal acquisition projects.

Coral Reef Conservation
Coral Reef Conservation Program ($30.5 million).--The Conservancy
continues to work through a strong partnership with NOAA's Coral Reef
program, and we are delighted with their enthusiastic desire to work
together on improving resilience of coral reefs, developing approaches
for sustainable financing for coral conservation activities at the
local level, and other creative approaches to reducing threats to
corals. The $30.5 million requested would include $1.5 million to
support ``Local Action Strategies,'' a unique partnership between NOAA
and states and territories to address threats to coral reefs at the
local level.
Coral Reef Monitoring ($737,000).--This line item is an important
part of the Coral Reef Program, but is requested by the Administration
through the National Environmental Satellite Data and Information
Service (NESDIS). The President's budget requests $737,000 for this
modest but effective program known as ``Coral Reef Watch.'' Whether
funded in NESDIS or consolidated with the Coral Reef Program funding in
NOS, we recommend that $737,000 be included in addition to the $30.5
million referenced above.

Regional Approaches to Ocean and Coastal Issues
Regional Collaboration ($10 million).--For the second year, the
Administration's budget requests $5 million to help implement the Gulf
of Mexico Governors' Action Plan. The Conservancy thanks the Committee
for their support and appropriation of this funding in fiscal year 2008
and urges the Committee to provide an additional $5 million of funding
in 2009 to support implementation of regional collaborations in the
Northeast and the West Coast, as well as the Governor's Alliance in the
Gulf of Mexico. As states come together to form these collaborations,
funding should be made available to address issues at the regional
scale. As such, we also recommend including this funding in the budget
under the title or ``Regional Collaborations'' rather than ``Gulf of
Mexico Regional Collaboration.''
Thank you for this opportunity to share with the Committee the
Conservancy's priorities in NOAA's fiscal year 2009 budget. We would be
pleased to provide the Committee with additional information on any of
the Conservancy's activities described here or elsewhere. You may
contact Emily Woglom at 703-841-5374 or via email at [email protected],
if you have questions on which we might be of assistance.
The Nature Conservancy is an international, nonprofit organization
dedicated to the conservation of biological diversity. Our mission is
to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent
the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they
need to survive. Our on-the-ground and in-the-water conservation work
is carried out in all 50 states and in more than 30 countries and is
supported by approximately one million individual members. We have
helped conserve nearly 15 million acres of land in the United States
and Canada and more than 102 million acres with local partner
organizations globally.
The Conservancy owns and manages approximately 1,400 preserves
throughout the United States--the largest private system of nature
sanctuaries in the world. We recognize, however, that our mission
cannot be achieved by core protected areas alone. Therefore, our
projects increasingly seek to accommodate compatible human uses to
address sustained human well-being.
______

Prepared Statement of Trail King Industries

On behalf of Trail King Industries, major trailer manufacturer and
employer of 900 people, with plants located in West Fargo, North
Dakota, Mitchell, South Dakota and in Brookville, Pennsylvania, I would
like to thank the Committee for allowing our organization to submit
this testimony for the record. I am writing to respectfully request
that the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership program be
provided the authorized $122 million within the fiscal year 2009
Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.
This requested level of funding for 2009 was provided for in the
recently enacted America COMPETES Act. As you know, the Hollings
Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is a program within the
Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology,
a program authorized to improve competitiveness of America's
manufacturing community.
The MEP is one of the most successful partnerships in the country.
In addition to public support, a value proposition to improve
manufacturer's global competitiveness is supported by those companies
who receive benefit. In South Dakota, the Dakota MEP provides
assistance to companies in continuous improvement, innovation,
strategic growth, technology and workforce development--all major needs
of our companies. Last year, we were able to pilot a unique
Manufacturing ``Boot Camp'' for unemployed, with the Dakota MEP.
As a Dakota MEP Director, I would also like to report that the
average company benefits and impacts realized in the Dakota MEP
improvement work with manufacturers mirrors the national MEP average at
$1.4 million per engagement. These benefits have been realized by
manufacturers who've partnered with Dakota MEP over the past six years.
Manufacturing continues to diversify and grow the economies of the
Dakotas. It currently is 10 percent of the gross state product in North
Dakota and 11 percent in South Dakota. The industry has nearly 1,900
firms employing 69,000 in the Dakotas exporting over $2 billion.
Manufacturing brings new wealth to our country, our states and
communities which, in turn, generate other economic activity and
opportunities.
Manufacturing must remain one of our country's economic strengths
and the MEP is an invaluable program to help the industry better
compete. Without unwavering strong federal support, the MEP will be
unable to maintain its mission of serving America's small
manufacturers' increasing needs. At a time when our economic strength
and global competitiveness are national priorities, the MEP continues
to be a wise investment. We respectfully request that you appropriate
$122 million for the MEP in fiscal year 2009.
______

Prepared Statement of the University Corporation for Atmospheric
Research

I submit this written testimony for the record of the U.S. Senate
Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice,
Science, and Related Agencies, on behalf of the University Corporation
for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). UCAR is a 71-university member
consortium that manages and operates the National Center for
Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and additional programs that support and
extend the country's scientific research and education capabilities.
We are reminded on almost a daily basis that the world faces
significant and profound environmental challenges. Yet at a time when
the need has never been greater, we are faced with decreasing
investments in real terms for the National Science Foundation (NSF),
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These are key
agencies needed to provide the necessary observations, science,
prediction models, and information that policy- and decision-makers
need to respond effectively to short-term threats from weather hazards
and to plan and prepare for the long-term future of the United States
as we move into an uncharted climate. To meet both short- and long-term
challenges the nation must support Earth sciences and applications in
NSF, NASA and NOAA. I urge the Members to support the fiscal year 2009
request of $6.84 billion for NSF at a minimum, $4.583 billion for
NASA's Science Mission Directorate, and $4.5 billion for NOAA overall.
The atmospheric and Earth sciences community appreciates the
difficult choices Appropriators were forced to make in the fiscal year
2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act, but remains concerned about the
negative consequences of not investing now in science. We appreciate
Congress' support for the enactment last year of the America COMPETES
Act and urge the Appropriations Committee to follow through with fiscal
year 2009 funding for NSF, NASA, and NOAA that reflects the concern
demonstrated in that legislation for the health of this country's
scientific programs.

National Science Foundation (NSF)
While we lost a year with nearly flat NSF funding for fiscal year
2008, this critical science agency can get back on track to planned
accelerated research levels by receiving appropriated funds at the
level of the authorized amount of $7.32 billion in the America COMPETES
ACT. This would provide a return on investment that would benefit
citizens in additional research funded for the short and long term
health of the country. I urge the Members to support the President's
overall fiscal year 2009 request of at least $6.84 billion for the NSF,
and within NSF, the request of $5.59 billion at least for Research and

Related Activities (R&RA), the heart of NSF's scientific enterprise.
Geosciences Directorate (GEO).--In this most critical moment for
the health of our planet and the future of life as we know it, the
geosciences contribute knowledge that is absolutely necessary to
understanding climate, weather, the dynamics of water resources, solar
effects on Earth, space weather, the interactions of Earth's systems,
energy resources, geologic hazards, and all aspects of the global
oceans. The economic effects are substantial, with estimates of the
component of the U.S. economy exposed to risks associated with weather
and climate variability alone reaching $3 trillion annually. While we
support the increase for NSF's GEO Directorate in the fiscal year 2009
budget request, we urge the Committee to once again reiterate, as it
did last year, that all disciplines of science, including the
geosciences, should be considered integral to the American
Competitiveness Initiative and urge even stronger increases to include
GEO on the ``doubling track.'' I urge the Members to support the
President's fiscal year 2009 request of $848.67 million, at a minimum,
for the Geosciences Directorate, and within GEO, to provide the
President's request of $240.8 million at least for the Atmospheric
Sciences Division which provides resources for the atmospheric sciences
community that are critical to the physical safety of our citizens, our
economic health, and global issues of national security such as severe
weather hazards, climate change, the security of our communications
infrastructure, and the environmental health of the planet.
Office of Cyberinsfrastructure (OCI).--As stated in the fiscal year
2009 request, OCI ``supports research, development, acquisition and
operation of advanced shared and connecting infrastructure that enables
otherwise unrealizable advances in 21st century science and engineering
research and education.'' The modeling of the Earth's atmosphere is one
of these ``otherwise unrealizable advances.'' I urge the Members to
support the fiscal year 2009 request of $220.08 million, an 18.8
percent increase over fiscal year 2008 that recognizes
cyberinfrastructure's key role.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) has a central role in
understanding our planet. Yet despite increasing policy-driven demand
for information and analysis the funding in this area is not keeping up
with needed support for observing systems and research. I appreciate
the Administration's focus on the especially critical Earth Science
account in the fiscal year 2009 request. But NASA's overall role in
this country's scientific endeavor is so strategic and central to our
well being that SMD should be one of this nation's highest priorities.
I urge the Members to increase the Science Mission Directorate funding
levels to at least $4.583 billion, $142 million above the fiscal year
2009 request and sufficient to keep pace with 3 percent inflation.
With accelerating climate change, there are few NASA
responsibilities more important than monitoring the Earth's
environment. Within NASA's SMD account, Earth Science does relatively
well at $1.367 billion, a 6.8 percent increase, but much less well than
in recommendations of the National Research Council's Earth and Science
Applications From Space (Decadal Survey). Planned out-year funding
absolutely falls short. It is encouraging to see the Decadal Survey
being used as a benchmark for the order and timing of missions.
However, falling behind schedule increases the risk of losing
continuity in important observational data, which presents serious
calibration issues. I urge the Members to plan for future investments
of over $2 billion annually as called for by the Decadal Survey,
whereas the fiscal year 2009 request includes out-year funding of
approximately $1.3 billion annually.
NASA's SMD programs that are in progress and others that are yet to
be implemented will enable us to mitigate some of the property damage
and prevent some of the deaths caused by severe weather and help us to
mitigate, understand, and cope with the inevitable effects of natural
and human-induced climate change. SMD ``space weather'' programs, part
of the Living with a Star Program, will also protect space vehicles,
astronauts, and satellites from the devastating radiation of solar
storms. These programs are critical to the health of our economy, to
the health of the Earth, and to our national security. Once again, I
urge the Members to protect the vibrant NASA science accounts and
missions, current and planned, that make possible the study of our own
planet and the environment that sustains life on Earth.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
As stated in the Friends of NOAA Coalition letter of March 12,
2008, ``Assuming an annual inflationary rate of 3 percent, and using
fiscal year 2005 as a baseline, the agency's budget would need to be
$4.4 billion in fiscal year 2009 just to remain level in constant
dollars.'' It is obviously impossible for NOAA to keep up with
expanding responsibilities while its budget effectively shrinks. The
atmospheric sciences community appreciates the Administration's request
of $4.1 billion for fiscal year 2009, but this increase of 5.5 percent
over fiscal year 2008 will primarily augment the satellite programs
while others are diminished. The America COMPETES Act, signed into law
last August, states that NOAA ``shall be a full participant in any
interagency effort to promote innovation and economic competitiveness
through near-term and long-term basic scientific research and
development and the promotion of science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics education consistent with the agency mission, including
authorized activities.'' NOAA has the potential to make much greater
contributions, but the agency is struggling. There simply must be a
better balance between NOAA's infrastructure, operations, and research
funding, as well as effective management and organizational structure
at all levels, for this agency to accomplish its mission.
I urge the Members to support an appropriation of at least $4.5
billion for NOAA in fiscal year 2009--a level recommended by the Senate
for the past three fiscal years and endorsed by the multi-sector
Friends of NOAA Coalition and Weather Coalition--and to do so while
maintaining vital support for other portion's of the Subcommittee's
research and development portfolio. While not sufficient to meet all of
NOAA's current obligations, it would begin to alleviate pressures that
have built up over many years and set a more realistic (although still
inadequate) base for this agency to meet current and future obligations
of national importance.
Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR).--Within OAR's
Competitive Research Program request of $134.7 million, a small
increase will support several climate and weather data related
activities of great importance to the country and enable OAR to work
more effectively with, and leverage from, the enormous base of
expertise in the academic community. Within OAR Weather and Air Quality
Research, the potentially substantial role of Unmanned Aircraft Systems
in filling very serious observational gaps will be examined, and
hurricane forecast improvement will be pursued. The fiscal year 2009
request moves the U.S. Weather Research Program from the National
Weather Service back to OAR. This chronically underfunded program will
fund THORpex, a multi-year international field experiment to improve
two to ten-day forecasts, as well as experimental hurricane forecasting
work. I urge the Members to support the fiscal year 2009 request of
$372.2 million (Operations, Research and Facilities--ORF) for the
Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.
National Weather Service (NWS).--Within NWS, UCAR supports the
fiscal year 2009 program changes including support for weather data
buoys to enhance hurricane and severe storm observations, developing
enhanced fire weather modeling capability, and additional water vapor
sensors that contribute to improved weather aviation services within
the Integrated Upper Air Observing System. I urge the Members to
support the fiscal year 2009 request of $930.7 million for the NWS.
National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service
(NESDIS).--NESDIS receives an absolutely necessary increase for the
geostationary satellite series, GOES-R. Any further delay or decrease
in funding will cause additional program costs as well as interruption
to the overall continuity of GOES comprehensive data coverage including
atmospheric, oceanic, climatic, and solar observations. This would
cause severe problems for the nation's weather forecasts and warnings,
climatologic analysis and prediction, ecosystems management, and safe
and efficient public and private transportation. The fiscal year 2009
request cuts funding for the tri-agency National Polar-orbiting
Operational Environmental Satellite (NPOESS) program, which we
understand is a result of restructuring. We are extremely concerned
about out-year funding for this critical program, but are pleased with
the reinstatement of the development of two NPOESS climate sensors that
were previously de-manifested, the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant
Energy System (CERES) sensor and the Total Solar Irradiance Sensor
(TSIS).
Of additional concern is the nearly flat funding for NESDIS Data
Centers. If the country is truly committed to renewing and capitalizing
on its investment in Earth-observing systems, it must also invest in
accessing, archiving and assessing the data gathered from these
systems. The weather and climate community is concerned also that the
President's request fails to begin initial planning for the CLARREO and
GPSRO missions, as recommended in the NRC Decadal Survey. CLARREO and
GPSRO provide critical measurements of Earth's and the sun's radiation,
which are critical for climate, and temperature, water vapor, and
electron density profiles for weather, climate, and space weather.
I urge the Members to consider the NESDIS Procurement, Acquisition
and Construction (PAC) account fiscal year 2009 request level of $1.24
billion to be the base level for this line office; to examine the
erosion of funding for the NESDIS Data Centers and appropriate for them
an inflationary increase; to press the agency to begin planning for the
CLARREO and GPSRO missions; and to continue to pursue solutions to this
nation's critical Earth observing program, the infrastructural
satellite component of which is going to cause NOAA's core programs to
be undercut severely if additional resources or restructuring are not
provided.
National Ocean Service (NOS).--Ocean data are of great importance
to the work of the atmospheric sciences community. Of particular
interest are the efforts within NOS to manage hydrographic datasets
more effectively and efficiently (Ping to Chart Infrastructure
Streamlining), as well as the implementation as it was originally
conceived, of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). There is
great concern that years of report recommendations have not been heeded
and that the original concept of a ``system of systems'' providing
information on the current and future state of the oceans, informed by
competitive research grants to provide the technologies and
understanding required to build and improve a scientifically sound
system, has been abandoned. I urge the Members to support data
gathering efforts within the National Ocean Service, but to ensure that
a competitive grants program be fully funded for the Integrated Ocean
Observing System so that this valuable program may be appropriately
structured to meet its societal goals.
I sincerely thank the members of the Committee for your stewardship
of the nation's scientific enterprise and your understanding that the
future strength of the nation depends on the investments we make in
science and technology today.
______

Prepared Statement of Mitchell V. Voydat

My name is Mitchell V. Voydat and I'm a private citizen
highlighting the extreme urgency of appropriations that need to be
earmarked for the continuation of two very successful, critical and
important programs. The two programs are the Whale disentanglement
program of the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (PCCS), located
in Provincetown, Massachusetts for the highly endangered species, the
North Atlantic Right Whale and the Dolphin SMART program, for the wild
bottlenose dolphin located in the Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary. The North Atlantic Right Whale is a highly endangered
species listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act and both right
whales and the bottlenose dolphin must be protected under the Marine
Mammal Protection Act. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is the
responsible agency for the protection of the North Atlantic Right Whale
and the bottlenose dolphin.
Let me explain the whale disentanglement program of PCCS.
The main responsibility of the whale disentanglement program is
freeing Right Whales from life-threatening entanglements in fishing
gear. Without the necessary appropriations, there is a very, very high
and very, very real possibility of North Atlantic Right Whales becoming
entangled in life-threatening fishing gear, serious injury or death
caused by the entanglement and extinction of the highly endangered
species, because there are only approximately 350 North Atlantic Right
Whales living today.
The whale disentanglement program is world-renowned and the only
one of its kind on the East Coast.
The whale disentanglement program of PCCS have freed 89 Right Wales
and five of these rescues were right whales who went on to have calves.
Please help the PCCS secure the very necessary and urgent
appropriations to continue its life savings services of freeing right
whales from life-threatening entanglements in fishing gear.
Let me explain the Dolphin SMART Program.
A special area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is
home to a resident group of bottlenose dolphins. It is also where many
businesses conduct dolphin tours in a small geographic area. This
heightened amount of human activity in a small area may cause
unnecessary stress to the local population by disrupting their natural
behaviors. This prompted conservation agencies, including NOAA's
National Marine Sanctuary Program and National Marine Fisheries
Service, the Dolphin Ecology Project and the Whale and Dolphin
Conservation Society, as well as local businesses and members of the
public, to team up and develop a unique, multi-faceted program
encouraging responsible viewing of wild dolphins and recognizing
businesses that participated.
When we approach wild dolphins too closely, move too quickly, or
make too much noise, we increase the risk of disturbing their natural
behaviors, such as migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding and
sheltering.
The Dolphin SMART mission is to promote responsible stewardship of
wild dolphins inhabiting the Florida Keys Nation Marine Sanctuary.
Program participation is for commercial businesses conducting and
booking wild dolphin tours in the Florida Keys. The Dolphin SMART
program offers participation incentives for businesses that follow the
program criteria and educate their customers about the importance of
minimizing wild dolphin harassment.
What does Dolphin SMART mean?
S--Stay at least 50 yards from dolphins.
M--Move away cautiously if dolphins show signs of disturbance.
A--Always put your engine in neutral when dolphins are near.
R--Refrain from swimming with, touching or feeding wild dolphins.
T--Teach others to be Dolphin SMART.
Purpose of the Dolphin SMART Program:
--Minimize the potential of wild dolphin harassment caused by
commercial viewing vehicles.
--Reduce expectations of wanting to closely interact with wild
dolphins in a manner that may cause harassment.
--Eliminate advertising that creates expectations of engaging in
activities that may cause harassment.
--Promote stewardship of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Upon successful completion of the program criteria, the training
and evaluation, Dolphin SMART businesses receive materials recognizing
them as active Dolphin SMART participants. Participants must complete
an annual refresher training and evaluation to ensure active
participation. Dolphin SMART participants can easily be identified by a
flag or decal displayed on their vessel featuring the Dolphin SMART
logo and current calendar year.
Madam Chairman and Honorable U.S. Senators: As you can see, here
are two very, very successful programs, but without earmarking the
necessary funds to keep these programs running, without the Dolphin
SMART program, human intervention will threaten, disrupt and destroy
the natural behaviors of wild dolphins in the Florida Keys, and without
the whale disentanglement program of PCCS, extinction of the North
Atlantic Right Whale is very, very real and very certain.
I want to thank Madam Chairman, the Honorable U.S. Senator from
Maryland, Senator Mikulski, and the ranking member, the Honorable U.S.
Senator from Alabama, Senator Shelby and all the Honorable Committee
Members on the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science
and related agencies for giving me the opportunity to submit my written
testimony for these two very successful, critical and very important
programs.