[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 82 (Monday, June 20, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1286]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1286]]
                        NOAA VESSEL TIME CHARTER

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DON YOUNG

                               of alaska

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 20, 2005

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, beginning in Fiscal Year 2001 
Congress began providing funds for a vessel time charter for the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, to use in 
addressing the critical hydrographic survey backlog. The vessel time 
charter added a third method of acquiring the data needed to update and 
improve the hydrographic charts of our nation's waterways. These charts 
are essential for our national security, defense and economy. NOAA now 
uses (1) its own hydrographic survey vessels, (2) data--contracts under 
the Brooks Act, and (3) a long-term, multi-year, vessel lease/charter 
of a private sector vessel with contract hydrographers.
  The long-term vessel lease/charter, is now completing its first year 
of operation. I rise today to urge NOAA to reprogram funds to extend 
the current charter through the end of this calendar year. This 
extension will allow enough data to be gathered to determine whether 
the continued use of the time charter is cost effective, and 
competitive with other methods of acquiring hydrographic data. It will 
also keep the contract going long enough to determine if fiscal year 
2006 funds are available for continued long term vessel charters. To 
emphasize the bipartisan importance of this issue, I ask that the May 
31, 2005, letter to the NOAA Administrator that my good friend and 
colleague, Norm Dicks signed with me, be entered into the Record.

                                Congress of the United States,

                                     Washington, DC, May 31, 2005.
     Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr.,
     Undersecretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, National Oceanic 
         and Atmospheric, Administration, Herbert Clark Hoover 
         Building, Washington DC.
       Dear Admiral Lautenbacher: As you are aware, the Nation 
     faces a huge backlog of critical hydrographic survey work. To 
     reduce this backlog, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration (NOAA) had developed a three-pronged approach. 
     NOAA is using 1) its own hydrographic survey vessels and 
     personnel; 2) data acquisition contracts; and 3) a leased 
     vessel staffed by contract hydrographers.
       In fiscal years 2002 through 2005, Congress provided 
     funding and specific direction to NOAA to enter into a multi-
     year vessel lease. After a lengthy bid process, the Military 
     Sealift Command entered into a lease on NOAA's behalf that 
     included a base year, and 4 one-year options. The first year 
     of that lease will soon end, and unless it is extended this 
     portion of the hydrographic surveying initiative will end. 
     The bidders, including the winning bidder, based their bids 
     on a 5-year lease period. Therefore, it was very 
     disappointing to learn that NOAA does not intend to exercise 
     even its first annual lease option, especially since NOAA 
     appears to be satisfied with the work that has been done by 
     the leased vessel.
       We have requested that the Appropriations Committee include 
     funding to continue the vessel lease program in fiscal year 
     2006. This will allow NOAA time to acquire and examine cost 
     data on the lease to determine if vessel leasing is a cost 
     effective method of acquiring hydrographic data. While this 
     request is pending, we urge you to extend the vessel lease 
     with the roughly $1.6 million remaining of the amounts 
     already appropriated for that purpose. This will hold open 
     the door to allow NOAA to exercise the first annual contract 
     option if Congress appropriates vessel lease funds in Fiscal 
     Year 2006.
       Both Congress and NOAA deliberated long and hard before 
     establishing the longterm vessel lease program as an 
     additional method to reduce the survey backlog. Given the 
     time and effort it has taken to get that program under way, 
     it would be very inefficient for NOAA to kill the program 
     this year, and then go through another multi-year contract 
     bidding process starting next year. Therefore, we urge you to 
     use the remaining funds to extend the vessel contract.
       Thank you for your expeditious consideration of this 
     request. We look forward to your prompt response.
           Sincerely,
     Don Young,
       Congressman for All Alaska.
     Norman D. Dicks,
       Member of Congress.

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