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Policy and Budget Update Kevin Wheeler October 21, 2010. Budget Update. FY11 NSF. NOAA Report Language - Senate. IOOS $5 million for external sensors that was moved from NCCOS to IOOS Ocean Health Initiative
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NOAA Report Language - Senate IOOS • $5 million for external sensors that was moved from NCCOS to IOOS Ocean Health Initiative • Administration’s abysmal request of only $1m continues to ignore Congress’s recommendations for more funding Cooperative Institutes • The Committee remains concerned that NOAA is underfunding new cooperative institutes, creating partnerships with the external community under false pretences. NPOESS • The Committee has a difficulty understanding how the administration can add $678M to a $382 satellite program in 1 year – when the budget justification lacks meaningful details and extremely critical contract decisions have yet to be made 6 months after the budget was released.
FY10 NASA • NASA acquisition is “celebrating” its 20th year on the GAO “high risk” list • Committee supports ongoing development of Tier I Earth Science missions
BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Disaster • April 20th – Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig explodes and sinks killing 11 • May 19th – OSTP convenes science meeting at EPA • May 24th – BP announces commitment to $500 GMRI • June 3rd – Scientific Symposium at LSU • June 15th – BP announces first round of GMRI funds & names independent scientific advisory council • June 16th – White House Announces $20 billion Claims and Escrow Account and directs BP to “work closely with Gulf Coast Governors and state and local enviro and health authorities to design the long-term monitoring program” • June 17th – BP CEO Tony Hayward testifies before Congress and remains committed to an independent peer-review • June 22nd – Meeting with VP Biden’s Staff • July 27th – Gagosian/D’Elia Washington Post Op-Ed • Aug 4th – Administration issues its Oil Budget • Sept 19th -- BP Confirms Successful Completion of Well Kill Ops • Sept 29th – BP announces GMRI will be administered by the GOMA
National Commission Flow Rate Staff Working Paper • The controversy surrounding the federal government’s estimates of the oil flowing undermined public confidence in the federal government’s response to the spill. • Despite acknowledged inaccuracies of the NOAA estimates and the existence of better methodologies, 5,000 bbls/day remained the government’s official flow-rate estimate for a full month (until May 27th). • The feds may want to disclose their methodology and/or data on which its spill volume estimates are based to the public or outside scientific experts. • OMB denied NOAA request in late April/ early May to make public some of its long-term, worst-case discharge models. • The best currently available data on the flow rate were collected by Secretary Chu’s team and the WHOI team.
National Commission Oil Budget Staff Working Paper • August 4th White House rolls-out Oil Budget. • Carol Browner appears on ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC and Fox News Morning Shows and states “the vast majority of the oil is gone”. • Yet the oil budget was an “operational tool, and its findings were neither as clear nor as reassuring as the initial rollout suggested”. • Browner and Lubchenco later emphasize that the report was “peer reviewed” by federal and non-federal scientists. • It is unclear whether any of the independent scientists actually reviewed the final report prior to its release.
National Ocean Policy … it is the policy of the U.S. to: • Protect, maintain, and restore the health and biological diversity of ocean, coastal and Great Lake ecosystems and resources; • Improve the resiliency of ecosystems, communities and economies; • Bolster the conservation and sustainable use of land to improve the health of the ocean, coasts; • Use the best available science and knowledge to inform decisions… • Support sustainable, safe, secure and productive access to, and uses of the ocean… • Respect and preserve our Nation’s maritime heritage; • Exercise rights and jurisdiction in accordance with international law; • Increase scientific understanding of ocean, coastal and great lake ecosystems as part of the global interconnected systems of air, land, ice and water, including their relationships to humans and their activities; • Improve our understanding and awareness of changing environmental conditions, trends, and their causes, and human activities taking place in ocean, coastal and GL waters; • Foster a public understanding of the value of the ocean, our coasts, and the GL to build a foundation for improved stewardship.
National Ocean Policy Priority Objectives How We Do Business: • Ecosystem-Based Management • Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning • Inform Decisions and Improve Understanding • Coordinate and Support Management Areas of Special Emphasis • Resiliency & Adaptation to Climate Change & Ocean Acid • Regional Ecosystem Protection & Restoration • Water Quality and Sustainable Practices on Land • Changing Conditions in the Arctic • Ocean, Coastal and Great Lakes Observations, Mapping & Infrastructure
Ocean Trust Fund – HouseH.R.3534 – Consolidated Land, Energy and Aquatic Resources Act • Directs 10% of total offshore revenues into a new Ocean Resources Conservation and Assistance (ORCA) Fund which Provides Grants to coastal states and regional ocean partnerships for: • The development and implementation of comprehensive, science-based plans for monitoring and managing the wide variety of uses affecting the oceans, coasts and Great Lakes ecosystems; • Activities to improve the ability of ecosystems to become more resilient and adapt to and withstand the impacts of climate change and ocean acidification; • Planning for and managing coastal development to minimize the loss of life and property associated with sea-level rise; • Research, assessment and monitoring that contribute to these purposes; • The build-out and operation and maintenance of an Integrated Ocean Observing Systems to continuously provide quality controlled environmental data and information on current and future conditions of the US ocean and coastal environment.
Ocean Trust Fund – SenateS.3641 National Endowment for the Oceans • Funds derived from 12.5% offshore oil & gas leasing (except arctic), 12.5% of renewable energy revenues, interest on the oil spill liability trust fund, & fines from EEZ violations. • Funds devoted to formula grants to states with CZMA plans, regional planning bodies, and a national competitive grant program . • Eligible Uses include: • Restoration of wetlands, coral reefs, seagrass beds and watersheds; • Research, monitoring, observation, and modeling; • Adaptation to climate change and mitigation of coastal hazards; • Research and monitoring of ocean acidification and other climate change impacts; • Conservation of marine and near-shore areas through land acquisition; • Baseline data collection, ecosystem and mapping; • Planning to reduce conflicts, facilitate compatible uses, and preserve ecosystem services.
Federal Oil Spill Research Program ActH.R. 2693 - Oil Pollution Research and Development Reauthorization Establishes the Federal Oil Spill Research Committee as an interagency committee to: • Establish a program for conducting oil pollution research, development, and demonstration; • Submit to Congress an assessment of the status of oil spill prevention and response capabilities; and • Establish the priorities for federal oil spill research and development. Requires NOAA to: • Award competitive grants to higher education and other research institutions to advance research and development and to demonstrate technologies for preventing, detecting, or mitigating oil discharges; and • Contract with the National Academy of Sciences to assess, evaluate, and report on the status of federal oil spill research and development.
NOAA’s Climate Service • Ocean Leadership Activities • Submitted Letter of Concern to NOAA • Submitted Public Comments • Meetings with NOAA’s Climate Service Leadership • National Academy of Public Administration’s Report • Strategic Vision and Framework Document • NCS will focus on 5 societal challenges • Climate Impacts on Water Resources • Coasts and Climate Resilience • Sustainability of Marine Ecosystems • Changed in the Extremes of Weather and Climate • Information Climate Policy Options • NCS will advance the following core capabilities: • Observing Systems, Data Stewardship, and Climate Monitoring • Understanding and Modeling • Integrated Service Development and Decision Support
Key Races • CA – Boxer (D) +2 Fiorina (R) +3 • WA – Murray (D) +1 • WI – Johnson (R) +2 • PA – Sestak (D) +3 • CO – Buck (R) +3 • NV – Angle (R) +3 • IL – Kirk (R) +4 • CT – Blumenthal (D) +5 • WV – Raese (R) +7
111th Congress Outlook • Changes in the House (at least 50 new members) • 11 Members running for Senate or other office • 4 Defeated in primary (notable Alan Mollohan) • 6 Defeated in other office race • 20 Retiring (Baird, Ehlers, Gordon, Obey) • 9 Resigned • 1 Death (Murtha) • Changes in the Senate (at least 21 new Senators) • 1 Running for other office • 3 Defeated in Primary (Murkowski) • 10 Retiring (Gregg) • 5 Resigned (Biden, Clinton, Salazar) • 2 Deaths (Byrd, Kennedy)
Priorities for 2011(also potential topics for public policy forum) • National Ocean Policy Implementation • Ocean Trust Fund • Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning • Inform Decisions and Improve Understanding • Resiliency and Adaptation to Climate Change (& Acid) • Regional Ecosystem Protection & Restoration • Changing Conditions in the Arctic • Ocean, Coastal and Great Lakes Obs, Maps & Infrast. • Oil Spill Research (BP & Federal Research Initiatives) • Climate Change Science (Climate Service, GCCRP) • Future Funding Models for New Research Vessels • Biodiversity (end of CoML – uncoordinated fed initiatives)
Communications Update • Website – visits are up 400% over last year (1,000+/day) • CoML – final report coverage received over 1,700 media hits • TV coverage: BBC, Today Show, CNN, ABC News, MSNBC, KKTV News (southern Colorado), Fox, … • Print coverage: USA Today, Washington Post, NY Times, US News and World Report, National Geo, AP, Reuters, UPI, Nature, Time, Scientific American, Discover Mag, etc. • Radio coverage: NPR, BBC, Voice of America, RFE, … • Deepwater Horizon • LSU symposium streamed live on CNN.com • Generated over 20 articles/newscasts • Ocean Leadership quoted in WSJ, NY Times, USA Today, Science, Washington Post, & Gulf papers • NOSB – Achieved circulation of 17.5 million (up from 3.3 in 2009) • Hugh Downs segment highlighting NOSB being aired this month on affiliates throughout the US • Ocean Leadership Promotional Video • Insights productions will air video 400 times in the top 200 television markets this fall
Ocean Leadership Policy Internships • Designed to further professional development for current or recently graduated students and provide assistance to the Ocean Leadership Public Affairs staff. • Participants learn about the entire spectrum of Ocean Leadership activities including involvement in the legislative process, projects with various federal oceanographic agencies and our educational initiatives. • Preference is given to students in good standing at Ocean Leadership member institutions. • Ocean Leadership provides a base stipend of $1500 per month. Institutions are encouraged, but not required, to match stipends. • Internships typically follow the academic semester schedule. • Former policy interns are currently working for: Ocean Leadership, Congresswoman Capps, California Sea Grant, Union of Concerned Scientists, etc.
