[Senate Hearing 115-162]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2018
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U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
NONDEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES
[Clerk's Note.--The subcommittee was unable to hold
hearings on nondepartmental witnesses. The statements and
letters of those submitting written testimony are as follows:]
Prepared Statement of the Alameda County Bar Association, Oakland
California
Dear Senators:
We are a local bar association representing 1400 attorneys in
Alameda County, California, and we are writing to urge you to reject
the proposed elimination of funding for the Legal Services Corporation
(LSC). Our association is made up of attorneys from large and small
corporate law firms, prosecutors, and city attorneys, among others. We
are Republicans, Democrats and Independents, but what we have in common
is a belief that Legal Aid plays a critical role in the justice system
and in our society.
As you no doubt know, the LSC provides funding (through a carefully
monitored grant and review process) to Legal Aid organizations across
the country. Last year, Legal Aid organizations provided assistance to
more than 1.9 million Americans, helping them with issues like
obtaining a domestic violence restraining order, dealing with consumer
fraud, and struggling with problems in housing conditions. They provide
help to veterans in a wide variety of areas. One in five people
nationwide qualifies for legal services from the organizations. There
are other nonprofits that provide legal services to low-income
communities--but the lions' share of the work is done by the one
organization in each region that is funded by LSC.
Without Legal Aid, homelessness, domestic violence, and poverty
will increase. Not only would such increases be terrible from a moral
and democratic standpoint--they would also significantly decrease the
quality of life for all of us living in these communities. Further,
having more people trying to represent themselves in courts will create
court congestion. Dealing with litigants who are representing
themselves takes much more time than dealing with cases with attorneys.
Those of us representing America's corporations and small businesses
will be forced to recommend that they pay a private judge in order to
get their cases heard in a timely manner.
Some have suggested that if the Federal Government defunds Legal
Aid, private lawyers will step in and cover the gap with pro bono work.
In fact, just the opposite is true. As more than 150 law firms stated
in a letter to the Office of Management and Budget, ``Eliminating the
Legal Services Corporation will not only imperil the ability of civil
legal aid organizations to serve Americans in need, it will also vastly
diminish the private bar's capacity to help these individuals . . . .
The pro bono activity facilitated by LSC funding is exactly the kind of
public-private partnership the government should encourage, not
eliminate.''
This is not a partisan issue. The LSC has long enjoyed bipartisan
support in both the House and the Senate. Legal Aid is a critical part
of the justice system, and if that piece is broken, the entire system
will virtually cease to function. And the justice system, in turn, is
one of the key elements keeping the wheels of American commerce
rolling. LSC's budget for the entire country is only $385 million--
that's .00009 percent of the Federal budget. Yet the $40 million that
California alone stands to lose makes all the difference.
We urge you to stand firm, and insist that the LSC budget remain
uncut.
Sincerely,
Tiela Chalmers,
CEO and General Counsel.
Eric Handler,
President.
______
Prepared Statement of the American Society of Plant Biologists
On behalf of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB), I
submit this testimony for the official record to support $8 billion for
the National Science Foundation (NSF) for fiscal year 2018. ASPB
recognizes the difficult fiscal environment our Nation faces, but we
believe that sustained investments in scientific research will be a
critical step toward economic recovery and continued global
competitiveness for our Nation.
ASPB would like to thank the subcommittee for its consideration of
this testimony and for its strong support for the research mission of
NSF.
ASPB is an organization of professional plant biology researchers,
educators, graduate students, and postdoctoral scientists with members
across the Nation and throughout the world. A strong voice for the
global plant science community, our mission--achieved through work in
the realms of research, education, and public policy--is to promote the
growth and development of plant biology, to encourage and communicate
research in plant biology, and to promote the interests and growth of
plant scientists in general.
food, fuel, environment, and health: plant biology research and
america's future
Plants are vital to our very existence. They harvest sunlight,
converting it to chemical energy for food and feed; they absorb carbon
dioxide and produce oxygen; and they are the primary producers on which
most life depends. Indeed, plant biology research is making many
fundamental contributions in the areas of energy security and
environmental stewardship; the continued and sustainable development of
better foods, fabrics, and building materials; and in the understanding
of biological principles that underpin improvements in the health and
nutrition of all Americans.
Plant science has become that backbone of agricultural innovation,
and a thriving agricultural sector has become a cornerstone for
American economic success. Agriculture and agriculture related
industries comprise 5.7 percent of the U.S. GDP, contributing $985
billion and 17.3 million jobs to the economy.\1\ In fact, despite
persistent US trade deficits, there has been a surplus in agricultural
trade since 1960 with a $21.5 billion surplus expected in 2017.\2\ To
maintain and increase agricultural productivity, critical investments
in basic biological sciences, such as plant biology, are needed.
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\1\ https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-
charting-the-essentials/.
\2\ https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/international-markets-trade/us-
agricultural-trade/.
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In particular, plant biology is at the interface of numerous
scientific breakthroughs. For example, with high throughput
experimental approaches facilitating extraordinary syntheses of
information that are NSF-supported, plant biologists are using computer
science applications to make tremendous strides in our understanding of
complex biological systems, ranging from single cells to entire
ecosystems. Understanding how plants function ultimately will result in
better and more productive crops, new sources of fuel, and the
development of better medicines to treat diseases like cancer.
Despite the significant positive impact plants have on our Nation's
economy and in addressing some of our most urgent challenges, including
food and energy security, Federal investments in fundamental plant
biology research are modest. Still scientists have maximized and
leveraged this funding in order to understand the basic function and
mechanisms of plants, providing a foundation for vital advances in
practical applications in agriculture, health, energy, and the
environment.
To address future societal challenges that might be mitigated
through investments in plant biology research and to prioritize
community research efforts, ASPB organized a two-phase Plant Science
Research Summit with funding from NSF, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, the Department of Energy, and the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute that resulted in the development of a community agenda
document: ``Unleashing a Decade of Innovation in Plant Science: A
Vision for 2015-2025'' (plantsummit.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/
plantsciencedecadalvision10-18-13.pdf). The report, part of an ongoing
and iterative process, puts forth a 10-year consensus agenda to fill
critical gaps in our understanding of plant biology in order to address
the grand challenges we face. As a research community, our vision is to
create plant systems that are flexible and adaptable to new and
existing challenges by increasing the predictive and synthetic
abilities of plant biology. In achieving these goals, the plant science
research community will make significant contributions to:
--exploring, conserving and utilizing our natural resources;
--protecting, maintaining and improving crop productivity; and
--creating new plant-inspired industries.
Since the report's release, the community has launched the Plant
Science Research Network to work on the next iteration and begun
working on the development of specific recommendations in the areas of
cyberinfrastructure, training, and broadening participation.
robust funding for the national science foundation
ASPB encourages strong support for the Directorate of Biological
Sciences (BIO) and proportional funding increases across all of the
scientific disciplines NSF supports. As scientific research becomes
increasingly interdisciplinary with permeable boundaries, a diverse
portfolio at NSF is needed to maintain transformational research and
innovation.
NSF funding for plant biology specifically enables the scientific
community to address cross-cutting research questions that could
ultimately solve grand challenges related to a sustainable food supply,
energy security, and improved health and nutrition. This notion is
reflected in the National Research Council's report ``A New Biology for
the 21st Century.''
NSF BIO is a critical source of funding for scientific research,
providing the majority of the Federal support for non-medical basic
life sciences research at U.S. academic institutions and beyond. BIO
supports research ranging from the molecular and cellular levels to the
organismal, ecosystem, and even biosphere levels. These investments
continue to have significant pay offs, both in terms of the knowledge
directly generated and in deepening collaborations and fostering
innovation among communities of scientists. This increase is needed as
BIO received only a 1 percent increase in fiscal year 2016, and a 2
percent increase in fiscal year 2015, which when adjusted for
inflation, actually represents a loss in purchasing power.
The Biological Sciences Directorate's Plant Genome Research Program
(PGRP) is an excellent example of a high impact program that has laid a
strong scientific research foundation for understanding plant genomics
as it relates to energy (biofuels), health (nutrition and functional
foods), agriculture (impact of changing climates on agronomic
ecosystems), and the environment (plants' roles as primary producers in
ecosystems). ASPB asks that the PGRP be funded at the highest possible
level and have sustained funding growth to address 21st century
challenges. Furthermore, in light of the need to create
cyberinfrastructure across a wide range of scientific disciplines, ASPB
supports efforts to homogenize metadata formats and enhance data
sharing.
ASPB also supports the ``Understanding the Rules of Life:
Predicting Phenotype'' initiative, part of NSF's 10 big ideas for
future investment. The proposed initiative focuses on expanding current
knowledge of plant genetics, the environment, and phenotypes, or an
organism's observable characteristics. ``Understanding the Rules of
Life'' takes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding plant
genetics, incorporating computer science, biology, mathematics,
engineering, and behavioral science to conduct foundational research in
genotype to phenotype studies, plant science, microbiome, and synthetic
biology. Research supported by ``Rules of Life'' will encourage using
quantitative approaches to advance biological research, increasing the
use of innovative new methods and interdisciplinary approaches to
complex research questions.
Without significant and increased support for BIO and NSF as a
whole, promising fundamental research discoveries will be delayed and
vital collaborations around the edges of scientific disciplines will be
postponed, thus limiting the ability to respond to the pressing
scientific problems that exist today and the new challenges on the
horizon. Addressing these scientific priorities also helps improve the
competitive position of the United States in a global marketplace.
continued support for nsf education and workforce development programs
The National Science Foundation is a major source of funding for
the education and training of the American scientific workforce and for
understanding how educational innovations can be most effectively
implemented. NSF's education portfolio impacts students at all levels,
including K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate, as well as
the general public.
ASPB urges the subcommittee to support expanding NSF's fellowship
and career development programs--such as the Postdoctoral Research
Fellowships in Biology, the Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) and the
Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) programs--thereby providing
continuity in funding opportunities for the country's most promising
early career scientists.
Furthermore, the nearly 7-year median for a life-science PhD in the
United States contrasts with other Nations where students specialize
earlier, thus entering doctoral programs with more uniform and advanced
scientific foundations. To focus more attention on new types of skills,
such as private-sector experience and data-science training, NSF may
wish to consider encouraging universities to tailor undergraduate
curricula to allow committed students to enter PhD programs without
needing a significant amount of textbook-style coursework. One way to
do so would be to offer a seamless, 7-year curriculum that combines
bachelor's and doctoral education, thereby making the career path more
attractive and reducing costs to investigators, institutions, and
funding bodies. NSF may wish to fund exploration and development of
this kind of program or curriculum.
ASPB urges support for NSF to further develop programs aimed at
increasing the diversity of the scientific workforce by leveraging
professional scientific societies' commitment to provide a professional
home for scientists throughout their education and careers and to help
promote and sustain broad participation in the sciences. Discrete
focused training and infrastructure support programs for Hispanic
Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and
Tribal Colleges and Universities remain vitally important, because they
foster a scientific workforce that reflects the U.S. population.
ASPB urges support for education research that enhances our
understanding of how educational innovations can be sustainably and
most effectively implemented in a variety of settings. NSF Education
and Human Resources programs provide opportunities to expand NSF's
research and evaluation efforts to address scale-up and sustainability.
ASPB encourages continued support for education research programs
within NSF's Education and Human Resources portfolio with a focus on
understanding how previous investments in educational strategies can be
made most effective.
Grand research challenges will not be resolved in a year, an
administration, or a generation, but will take continued attention and
investment at Federal research agencies, such as the National Science
Foundation, over decades.
Thank you for your consideration of ASPB's testimony. For more
information about ASPB, please visit us at www.aspb.org.
[This statement was submitted by Tyrone C. Spady, PhD, Director of
Legislative and Public Affairs.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Arctic Research Consortium of the United
States
On behalf of the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States
(ARCUS), I appreciate the opportunity to discuss fiscal year 2018
Federal science funding of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and at the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). ARCUS represents
the leading Arctic research organizations and has been dedicated to
supporting and connecting Arctic research across the boundaries of
discipline, institution, and sector since 1988.
Arctic research strengthens our understanding of the current rapid
change in the region, which is affecting the lives of Americans
everywhere. It has important effects on our national and homeland
security, economic growth regionally and nationwide, human health, and
coastal and community resilience. Through better knowledge of the
Arctic, Americans can make more informed decisions in each of these
areas.
Aligning with like-minded science organizations and coalitions, we
respectfully request the subcommittee provide no less than $8 billion
for NSF (including funding parity for all directorates or at least $1.4
billion for the Geosciences Directorate); $5.9 billion for NASA's
Science Mission (including at least $2.03 billion for the Earth Science
Division); and $6.1 billion for NOAA (including research, extramural
grant programs, and education). Additionally, the Arctic research
community is deeply concerned by the President's fiscal year 2018
budget request to drastically reduce non-defense discretionary funding
(-$54 billion) with draconian cuts and outright program eliminations in
the geosciences, education, and extramural grants. Specifically, we
oppose any reductions to NSF's geosciences or education programs,
especially in the Office of Polar Programs; the proposed zeroing out of
over $250 million in targeted NOAA grants and programs supporting
Arctic coastal and marine management, research, and education,
including its Arctic Research Program (which improves sea ice modeling
and prediction) and Sea Grant (and its Knauss Fellowship program); and
reducing NASA's Earth science portfolio by $102 million (slashing
funding for Earth science research grants and terminating four Earth
science missions).
arctic research: vital to the nation
Arctic Change Affects All of Us
The U.S. is one of eight Arctic nations in the world, and our
leadership in the region is a point of national pride. The Arctic is
tightly connected to the rest of the U.S. through land, sea, air, and
migratory species. Our daily weather, what we eat, and coastal flooding
are all tied to Arctic changes. The Arctic region is rapidly and
dramatically changing, redefining life for people and communities,
animals and plants, ecosystem functions, and landscapes. Higher air
temperatures, rapid retreat of sea ice, thawing permafrost, larger and
more frequent forest fires, increasing ocean acidity, and other
significant conditions demonstrate the altered state of the Arctic and
have ramifications far beyond the region's borders. Examples include a
pronounced impact on sea level rise, weakening of the jet stream and
much more unpredictable weather in the mid-latitudes (where most of the
U.S. is located).
As we learn more, Arctic researchers are able to provide answers to
the key questions of what changes we will be experiencing in weather,
as coastal residents, in global atmospheric impacts, and as stewards of
natural resources. Arctic research plays a key role underlying
community resilience and the ability to adapt to change.
Arctic Research Supports National and Homeland Security
As sea ice retreats, there is more mobility available through the
Arctic Ocean, opening both new opportunities and new risks. Arctic
research supports maritime domain awareness in this new open-water as
well as situational and threat awareness in the changing region.
Federal investment in Arctic research at NSF, NASA, and NOAA is
required to meet the endstate goals of the U.S. Navy's Task Force
Ocean, specifically enabling ``increased permeability between the Navy
and government, academia, and the private sector.'' Criminal and
terrorist networks have also discovered the Arctic, so the ability to
monitor and limit their activities depends upon research and
understanding. Department of Homeland Security efforts to develop and
implement its national strategy for the Arctic strongly draw upon the
Arctic research conducted with NSF, NOAA, and NASA support.
Arctic Research Supports Economic Growth Regionally and Nationwide
A majority of our seafood industry is tied to Arctic and sub-Arctic
fisheries, which depend upon environmental knowledge to manage and
sustain these critical food resources. Billions of dollars of
agriculture depend upon reliable and accurate weather forecasts, which
Arctic research is improving through the understanding of Arctic-mid
latitude connections. Opening Arctic sea routes are creating new
economic opportunities for regional and global trade, and the research
community is laying the foundations for how to achieve this safely and
sustainably. Within Alaska, Arctic research guides countless management
decisions about land use, economic development, human and social
services, and much more.
Arctic Research Promotes Human Health
Studies of unique Arctic organisms are supporting innovative
approaches to battlefield medicine, stroke treatment, and developing
cures for many other ailments. Studies of animals and plants with
unique adaptations to cold Arctic environments can be mined to support
a wide range of medical treatments. Residents of the Arctic (including
Alaska) experience high rates of suicide, substance abuse, and domestic
violence. Arctic social science research, integrated with broader
studies of the Arctic system and context, enables quantifiable progress
in addressing these issues regionally and nationally.
Arctic Research Enables Community Planning and Resilience
As coastal communities nationwide plan for increased flooding and
manage risks to lives, property, and infrastructure, Arctic research is
helping to answer the key questions of ``how much?'' and ``how soon?''
Studies of the Greenland ice sheet and glaciers throughout the Polar
regions are enabling more accurate predictions of local and global sea
level rise. Within the region, research is enabling Alaskan communities
to understand how thawing permafrost and related coastal erosion will
affect vital infrastructure and community survival. As Arctic
ecosystems change, with global ripple effects (since plants and animals
are interconnected far beyond the region), research allows for
foresight and planning that will enable communities nationwide to
adapt.
The Arctic is a sentinel site providing early indications of
ongoing changes that are propagating around the Nation and around the
globe. Understanding and adaptation in the Arctic will inform U.S.
community planning and policies for decades.
Arctic Research Supports Better Decision-Making at All Levels of
Government and in the Private Sector
ARCUS members adhere to the principle that decisionmaking at
national, State, and local levels is benefited by an understanding of
the environmental, geological, biological, cultural, and social
factors. Arctic research enables better decisions, whether considering
where to invest, how to defend our Nation's interests, or where to
develop. In this time of rapid change, we need to empower decision-
makers with the best possible information about the Arctic.
conclusion
Arctic research impacts every American. Across the Nation, across
research disciplines, and across the Federal family, it is clear that
robust and sustained Federal investments in Arctic research is key to
addressing global and national challenges, underpinning new and growing
economies while maintaining and supporting existing ones, and improving
people's lives. As the subcommittee drafts the fiscal year 2018
spending bill, we hope that you reflect on the fact that the bulk of
the intellectual capacity regarding the Arctic research resides within
the academic research community. Peer-reviewed extramural research is
the most efficient and effective vehicle for providing our policy
makers and our commercial partners with the expertise, information, and
data necessary to address the emerging challenges facing our Nation. I
respectfully reiterate the geoscience community's recommendation that
the subcommittee provide no less than $8 billion for NSF (including
funding parity for all directorates or at least $1.4 billion for the
Geoscience Directorate); $5.9 billion for NASA's Science Mission
(including at least $2.03 billion for the Earth Science Division); and
$6.1 billion for NOAA (including research, extramural grant programs,
and education). Additionally, the Arctic research community opposes the
President's proposal to reduce NSF's geosciences and education
programs; to zero out over $250 million in targeted NOAA grants and
programs supporting Arctic coastal and marine management, research, and
education, including its Arctic Research Program and Sea Grant; and to
reduce NASA's Earth science portfolio through cuts to funding for Earth
science research grants and terminating four Earth science missions.
Adequate and sustained investment in research is the bedrock upon
which this Nation's global science primacy and innovation economy are
built. Only through the subcommittee's continued dedication to our
Nation's science and education enterprise will this be possible.
Mr. Chairman and Members of the subcommittee, we greatly appreciate
the opportunity to share our recommendations, and I encourage
bipartisan support for geoscience funding, including Arctic and Polar
research, in the fiscal year 2018 appropriations process and into the
future.
Below is a list of the institutions that are members of the Arctic
Research Consortium of the United States:
ALASKA
Alaska Biological Research, Inc.
Fairweather Science, LLC
North Slope Science Initiative
Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation (UIC)
Science
University of Alaska, Anchorage
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
ARIZONA
Arizona State University
COLORADO
University of Colorado, Boulder
IDAHO
Ecoanalysts, Inc.
MAINE
Bates College
MASSACHUSETTS
Tufts University, Fletcher School of
Law & Diplomacy
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole Research Center
MICHIGAN
Michigan Tech Research Institute
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Dartmouth College
NEW JERSEY
Rutgers, The State University of New
Jersey
NEW MEXICO
Sandia National Laboratories
NEW YORK
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory,
Columbia University
OHIO
The Ohio State University
PENNSYLVANIA
The Pennsylvania State University,
The Polar Center
TENNESSEE
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
TEXAS
Texas A&M University
VIRGINIA
U.S. Arctic Research Commission
University of Virginia
WASHINGTON
University of Washington
WASHINGTON, DC
Consortium for Ocean Leadership
The George Washington University
CANADA
University of Northern British
Columbia
FINLAND
University of the Arctic
GERMANY
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz
Centre for Polar and Marine
Research
NORWAY
Norwegian Polar Institute
UIT: The Arctic University of Norway
RUSSIA
Russian State Hydrometeorological
University
INDIVIDUALS
There are also 97 individual members
from 31 States.
[This statement was submitted by Robert H. Rich, Ph.D., CAE,
Executive Director.]
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Prepared Statement of the Institute of Makers of Explosives
interest of the ime
The Institute of Makers of Explosives (IME) is a nonprofit
association founded over a century ago to provide accurate information
and comprehensive recommendations concerning the safety and security of
commercial explosive materials. Our mission is to safeguard employees,
users, the public and the environment, and to encourage the adoption of
uniform safety and security rules and regulations in the manufacture,
transportation, storage, handling, use and disposal of the explosive
materials used in blasting and other essential operations. IME
represents U.S. manufacturers, distributors and transporters of
commercial explosive materials and oxidizers as well as other companies
that provide related services. The majority of IME members are ``small
businesses'' as determined by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Millions of metric tons of high explosives, blasting agents, and
oxidizers are consumed annually in the United States. These materials
are essential to the U.S. economy. Energy production, construction,
mining, quarrying, demolition, and other specialized applications begin
with the use of commercial explosives. IME member companies and their
affiliates produce nearly all of the explosives used in these
industries. Commercial explosives are used in every State and are
distributed worldwide. The ability to manufacture, distribute, and use
these products safely and securely is critical to our industry.
Commercial explosives are pervasively regulated by a myriad of
Federal and State agencies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
and Explosives (ATF) plays a predominant role in ensuring that
explosives are manufactured, identified, tracked, and stored in a safe
and secure manner and received/possessed only by authorized persons.
IME shares ATF's focus on safety and security, and it is from that
perspective that we offer the following comments on the fiscal year
2018 budget submission.
atf's explosives regulatory program
IME understands the difficult decisions that ATF and the Federal
government face when allocating scarce resources. We also understand
the other important work and responsibilities that ATF is assigned.
Nevertheless, the members of IME, their employees and customers rely on
a properly funded regulatory program. The success of ATF's explosives
programs in preventing the misappropriation of commercial explosives
should not be seen as an opportunity to reallocate funding, but,
rather, as confirmation that a base level of funding is necessary for
ATF to fulfill its mission. ATF must retain a cadre of trained
personnel to perform these vital services. The commerce of explosives
is so closely regulated that failure to provide adequate personnel and
resources can be detrimental to our industry, our customers, our
employees, and the industrial sector of the U.S. economy.
ATF is the primary Federal law enforcement agency that regulates
the explosives industry--licensing and permitting businesses and
individuals to engage in manufacturing, importing, or dealing in
explosives, or receiving or transporting explosives materials.\1\ By
law, ATF must inspect an estimated 10,000 explosives licensees and
permittees at least once every 3 years. ATF's workload also involves
completing background checks of employee possessors of explosives and
responsible persons.
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\1\ Fiscal Year 2018 ATF Congressional Budget Submission, page 6.
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The workforce challenges facing the Bureau are not new, but changes
in consumer behaviors are presenting staffing challenges. Specifically,
the ``[m]arket demand for National Firearm Act (NFA) services continues
to set annual records, which has resulted in a dramatic increase in
workload over the past several years.'' \2\ The NFA requirements,
combined with the Bureau's requirement to inspect 100 percent of the
explosive licensees and permittees within their 3-year license/permit
cycle, clearly indicates that the demand for resources is going up.
While the 2018 budget proposal protects the NFA program in recognition
of the growing workload, the proposal would eliminate 21 full time
equivalents (FTEs) from ATF's Investigative Support Services. We are
concerned that such action could compromise safety and security. IME
would like to draw the attention of the committee to the staffing and
retention challenges faced by the Bureau. Knowing that it ``typically
takes 3-5 years of close mentoring and on-the-job training for a new
special agent [including Certified Explosive Experts] to acquire the
skills necessary to achieve full productivity levels,'' \3\ we
encourage the subcommittee to continue monitoring the ATF to ensure it
is implementing the plan to deal with the attrition of its special
agent workforce. Additionally, IME will communicate with this
subcommittee if ATF's efforts to service the regulated community fall
short.
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\2\ IBID, 26.
\3\ IBID, 14.
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In past years, IME has recommended that ATF harmonize its vetting
and clearance procedures with those used by other Federal programs.
Doing so would allow ATF's vetting program to be reciprocally
recognized by these programs and save time and resources of the agency
and the individuals being vetted. In 2015, the Department of Homeland
Security moved to accept ATF's vetting program. However, concerns
remain about the equivalency of the ATF program with other Federal
vetting programs because the Bureau's program lacks recurrent vetting
and fails to disqualify individuals on the Terrorist Watchlist. We
strongly encourage efforts to harmonize ATF's vetting standards and
procedures with those used by other agencies and to improve the
timeliness of vetting programs.
atf-industry partnership
United States Bomb Data Center
The U.S. Bomb Data Center (USBDC) is responsible for collecting and
storing explosives-related incident data, to include information on
thousands of explosives incidents investigated by ATF and other
Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies. While this data
helps government entities perform trend analysis and compare incidents
for similarities and crime methodologies, USBDC data also helps the
industry in efforts to identify any potential weaknesses or reaffirm
the effectiveness of safety and security practices, and to update
industry standards accordingly.
In 2013, USBDC reinstated the issuance of the Explosives Incident
Report (EIR) for calendar years 2010-2013, including valuable
information on fillers of improvised explosives devices and on thefts,
losses, and recoveries categorized by the type and amount of explosives
involved. IME commends ATF for continuing to share the report as the
data helps confirm the success of industry best practices and the
effectiveness of ATF regulations. Recently, IME reviewed 20 years of
available ATF Explosives Incident Reports, and the use of commercial
explosives used in domestic criminal events has remained around or
below 2 percent. In 2015, that number was .7 percent. In 2015, thefts
of commercial explosives dipped to a historic low of 8 total reported
thefts. To put this in context, in the same year, the industry consumed
over 5 billion pounds of explosives. This is clearly evidence of the
success of IME safety and security best practices coupled with a sound
regulatory structure.
National Center for Explosives Training and Research
IME would like to commend ATF for its work at the National Center
for Explosives Training and Research (NCETR), including training,
testing and research, which is critically important for the safety and
security of explosive materials. IME and its member companies employ
recognized subject matter experts in the safe and secure development,
manufacture, handling and use of commercial explosives. IME welcomes
continued opportunities to partner with NCETR on research and testing
initiatives related to commercial explosives and encourages the
subcommittee to ensure that NCETR receives sufficient funding and
resources to continue its critical work.
IMESAFR
IME has spent over a decade developing a credible alternative to
the 100-year-old quantity distance tables used to determine safe
setback distances from explosives. The result is a scientifically-based
computer model for assessing the risk from a variety of commercial
explosives activities called IMESAFR.\4\ ATF and other regulatory
agencies are recognizing the value of IMESAFR. In April 2015, we were
pleased to see ATF approve the first variance from the American Table
of Distances (ATD) based on risk assessment using IMESAFR. Since that
time, an additional variance has been issued by ATF using the IMESAFR
program, indicating that the Bureau is becoming more confident with the
program the more they work with it. NCETR has partnered with IME on
efforts to further validate IMESAFR data and ensure transparency of the
scientific process by participating in testing and supporting an
IMESAFR Science Panel. We welcome and strongly encourage ATF's
continued support and leadership related to IMESAFR. Towards this end,
IME urges the subcommittee to direct ATF to take a leadership role to
validate an acceptable tolerable risk criteria. The establishment of a
tolerable risk standard will provide a definitive level of risk that
industry and other Federal entities will be able to understand and be
able to use as a bright-line when developing projects. Additionally,
IME urges the subcommittee to provide additional resources to ATF to
allow them to conduct additional validation and testing in order to
develop policies that allow the use of such models to meet regulatory
mandates.
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\4\ IMESAFR was built on the Department of Defense Explosives
Safety Board's software model, SAFER. The DDESB currently uses SAFER
and table-of --distances methods to approve or disapprove Department of
Defense explosives activities. 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 of experience in the U.S. 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.
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international engagement
Marking Harmonization Efforts
Explosive manufactures and importers are required to mark products
with codes to aide law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and foreign
countries in tracing lost or stolen materials. Additionally, others in
the global supply chain also cooperate in these tracing efforts.
However, more and more government entities are imposing their own
unique system of identification marks without recognizing each other's
marks. These redundant and competing marks create non-tariff barriers
to trade and hampers successful tracing and investigation. We are
pleased to inform you that IME's effort to obtain global harmonization
of explosives security markings gained the approval of the United
Nations Sub-committee on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG) in
December 2016. The success of the proposal is the culmination of an
effort begun by IME in June 2013, with assistance and support of JIDO,
JIEDAC (United Kingdom's Joint IED Analysis Center), ATF, DOT/PHMSA (as
the U.S. delegation to the TDG), the United Kingdom, the European
Commission, and the Federal of European Explosives Manufacturers. IME
would like the subcommittee to know that the ATF's involvement was
instrumental in the success of the proposal.
industry standards
IME holds in high regard the statutory obligation that ATF take
into account industry's standards of safety when issuing rules and
requirements. We continue to fulfill this obligation through our
development of industry best practices for safety and security,
membership in relevant standard-setting organizations, and active
participation in forums for training. We have offered to ATF
recommendations that we believe will enhance safety and security
through our participation in the rulemaking process, in the Bureau's
important research efforts, and in other standard-setting activities.
conclusion
ATF plays a critical role in helping the explosives industry
achieve and maintain a strong safety and security record. Even though
explosives may be dangerous materials when in the wrong hands, the
manufacture and distribution of explosives is accomplished with a
remarkable degree of safety and security. The use of explosives is
essential to sustain the economy, and the explosives industry and the
general public are dependent on ATF. The Bureau must have adequate
resources to fulfill its mission and keep the American public safe. It
is up to Congress to ensure that ATF has the resources it needs. IME
strongly recommends full funding for ATF's explosives programs.
[This statement was submitted by John Boling, Vice President of
Government Affairs.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is pleased to submit this statement on
ocean conservation and related science issues for the subcommittee's
consideration as it develops the fiscal year 2018 Commerce-Justice-
Science Appropriations Act.
The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation
of the ocean. We carry out this mission by providing an unparalleled
educational experience that connects over 2 million visitors per year
to some of the most dramatic species and ecosystems on our planet. The
Aquarium uses innovative exhibits and educational programs to
demonstrate the connection between the ocean and our human existence--
from the air we breathe to weather patterns and resources that drive
our multi-billion dollar blue economy.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is also a leading policy advocate for
ocean conservation and science. Given the significance of our ocean, we
identified strategic conservation priorities to address some of the
most pressing challenges, including plastic pollution, protecting
wildlife and ecosystems, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, climate
change and partnerships. All of these initiatives are based on sound
science and encourage partnerships with the private sector and other
stakeholders to expand their impact.
The Federal Government is an important partner in many of these
initiatives, and plays a key role in supporting fundamental science and
regulatory functions. The Aquarium has identified several high-impact
and strategic investments within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) that underpin efforts to better understand and
manage ocean resources. We urge the subcommittee to fully support these
programs as it develops the fiscal year 2018 appropriations bill:
Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing/Seafood
Traceability.--Global losses attributable to IUU fishing are estimated
to be between $10 and $23 billion annually, and has links to other
forms of criminal activity, as well as slavery and human rights abuses.
It and undermines economic opportunities for legitimate fishermen in
the U.S. and has global implications for national security and food
security. Congress acted in 2015 and 2016 to pass bipartisan
legislation to improve the U.S. response to IUU fishing. Similarly, the
fiscal year 2017 budget specifically identified the urgent need to
address IUU fishing through enhanced enforcement and import
restrictions on illegally harvested and improperly-documented seafood.
The Aquarium urges the subcommittee to provide at least $4 million
specifically for activities to address IUU fishing in fiscal year 2018
to ensure strong implementation of the Seafood Import Monitoring
Program and improved international enforcement and port security
responsibilities under the SAFE Ports Act. These funds will improve the
ability of the Federal government to identify, inspect and enforce
against imported IUU products coming into U.S. commerce and will
enhance efforts to incentivize foreign compliance with international
laws.
Bycatch Reduction and Highly Migratory Species.--NOAA Fisheries
(NMFS) supports research on technologies that reduce bycatch and
bycatch mortality. Reducing bycatch can save fishing jobs by preventing
fishery closures due to interactions with endangered species or
attainment of strict bycatch quotas. This funding supports the Bycatch
Reduction Engineering Program (BREP) external competitive grants
program, which supports innovative gear designs and fishing techniques
to minimize bycatch. We recommend the subcommittee include at least
$2.5 million for bycatch reduction competitive grants to non-Federal
researchers for the development and implementation of practical bypass
solutions though research and working with U.S. fishermen on the
development of improved fishing practices and innovative gear
technologies.
In addition, we note that the House report that accompanied the
fiscal year 2017 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill included
language on highly migratory fish species that only included the
Atlantic Ocean and Gulf Coast. We urge the subcommittee to include the
Pacific Ocean in this year's appropriation since there are several
valuable highly migratory fish species, particularly Pacific bluefin
tuna, that are adversely impacted by international fisheries practices
in the Pacific.
Marine Aquaculture.--The U.S. imports over 90 percent of its
seafood, about half of which is farmed. While aquaculture globally has
grown dramatically over the past 30 years, U.S. production remains low.
As demand for seafood continues to rise, aquaculture presents an
opportunity to meet this demand, create jobs and support sustainable
development that can achieve a high environmental standard. We request
that the subcommittee to fully fund NOAA's marine aquaculture program
within NOAA Fisheries and in the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric
Research (OAR) through the Sea Grant program.
Marine Debris.--Our ocean is at increasing risk from growing levels
of plastic pollution. Studies estimate that an average of eight million
metric tons of plastic enter the global ocean each year. Unless we curb
the flow, scientists estimate that there could be one ton of plastic
for every three tons of fish in the ocean by 2025, posing a risk to
water quality, wildlife and human health. Ocean plastic pollution is an
issue that is especially relevant to our millions of visitors--and to
Californians in general, many of whom have cleaned up local beaches and
reduced the use of plastic bags in grocery stores. For these reasons,
we recommend funding support strengthening the NOAA Marine Debris
Program at $8 million in fiscal year 2018. The Marine Debris program
offers competitive grants for aquariums and others to work with
Federal, State, and local partners on marine debris education and
reduction projects. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has received $52,306 from
this program for our Ocean Plastic Pollution Summit for Teachers. Over
100 pre-K to 12th grade teachers from throughout California have
participated in the Summit and follow-up activities, learning how to
use the issue of ocean plastic pollution to engage their students in
marine conservation and science.
National Marine Sanctuaries and National Monuments.--NOAA's Office
of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a network of
underwater parks encompassing more than 600,000 square miles of marine
and Great Lakes waters. The network includes a system of 13 national
marine sanctuaries and Papah?naumoku?kea and Rose Atoll marine national
monuments. Few places on the planet can compete with the diversity of
the National Marine Sanctuary System, which protects America's most
iconic natural and cultural marine resources. The system works with
diverse partners and stakeholders to promote responsible, sustainable
ocean uses that ensure the health of our most valued ocean places.
America's underwater national treasures conserve some of the
Nation's most critical natural, historic and cultural resources such as
the USS Monitor, Midway Island, sacred heritage sites for Native
Americans, and some of the largest and oldest corals in the world. They
are home to millions of species, preserve more than 300 shipwrecks and
our Nation's maritime heritage, and promote public access for
exploration and world-class outdoor recreation and enjoyment for future
generations. They generate $8 billion annually in local economies and
support numerous jobs and businesses in the fishing, tourism,
recreation, and scientific research sectors. Sanctuary visitor centers,
vessels, and facilities are key assets for communities; stimulate
public-private partnerships on emerging technologies, cutting edge
science, and hands on education; and attract millions of visitors to
the coasts each year. We request the subcommittee fund the National
Marine Sanctuaries program with sufficient funding to support the
current national marine sanctuaries and Papahanaumokuakea, Rose Atoll
and New England Coral Canyonsarine national monuments.
NOAA Office of Education.--The Aquarium provides a wide variety of
educational experiences for students, teachers, and families all
designed to inspire ocean conservation. We support local schools by
hosting field trips and hands-on learning experiences for students, as
well as offering professional development activities for teachers.
NOAA's education programs are an integral part of the national effort
to educate and train our workforce for the future--a workforce
knowledgeable about the world around us and therefore able to
participate in decisionmaking as it relates to our ocean and coastal
resources. We urge the subcommittee to reject the administration's plan
to terminate NOAA education programs and support them at the following
levels: $8,000,000 for the Environmental Literacy Grants Program,
including ocean education grants and $12,000,000 for the Bay,
Watershed, Education and Training Program.
Conclusion.--The Aquarium fully appreciates the extreme budget
constraints confronting the Congress and the Executive Branch and the
intense scrutiny that must be applied to all Federal programs.
Nevertheless, we believe ocean conservation and science programs are an
investment in the future health, well-being, and economic
competitiveness of our Nation. Thank you for the opportunity to provide
the Aquarium's views on these ocean conservation and science issues.
[This statement was submitted by Ms. Margaret Spring, Vice
President of Conservation & Science and Chief Conservation Officer.]
______
Prepared Statement of the National Association of Marine Laboratories
The National Association of Marine Laboratories (NAML) is pleased
to submit this testimony to the subcommittee for consideration in the
fiscal year 2018 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Act. In this
statement, we provide our recommendations for the National Science
Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
that we believe would strengthen the Nation's research and education
enterprise. The network of the Nation's marine laboratories is cost
effective, highly relevant, and the vehicle that brings science to
those who depend on research results to protect lives and support
livelihoods.
naml's message
This subcommittee is uniquely responsible for the health of our
Nation's research and education enterprise. Much of the Federal
extramural nondefense, non-biomedical support for research and
education is provided by this subcommittee. Thus, this subcommittee is
in a unique position to impact the Nation's long term economic growth,
national security, and public safety through its investments in the
agencies under its jurisdiction.
The value of research investments is borne out by history.
According to economists Charles Jones and John Williams of Stanford
University, the National Bureau of Economic Research, and the Federal
Reserve Bank of San Francisco, the return on investment for publicly
funded scientific research and development is somewhere between 30
percent and 100 percent.\1\ Given the importance of the research
investment to the economic health of the country, NAML is disappointed
by the administration's fiscal year 2017 Supplemental and the fiscal
year 2018 budget requests which seek to reduce programs that are
critical to the sustainability and creation of jobs and associated
economic benefits. This includes funding for NSF research and
education; eliminate over $250 million in targeted NOAA grants and
programs supporting coastal and marine research, education, and
management, including Sea Grant and Knauss Fellowship program; and
reductions in earth science research at NASA by over $100 million
including major reductions for Earth science research grants.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Charles Jones and John Williams, ``Measuring the Social Return
to R&D'' (1997), available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=2155.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
naml priorities and recommendations for fiscal year 2018
NAML is a nonprofit organization representing the ocean, coastal
and Great Lakes interests of member laboratories that employ thousands
of scientists, engineers and professionals nationwide. NAML labs
conduct high quality research and education in the natural and social
sciences and translate that science to improve the decisionmaking by
policy officials on important issues facing our country and fostering
economic development. NAML's priorities are drawn from and strongly
support two important reports from the National Academy of Sciences.
They are: ``Sea Change: 2015-2025 Decadal Survey of Ocean Sciences
(DSOS)''; and ``Enhancing the Value and Sustainability of Field
Stations and Marine Laboratories in the 21st Century.''
A recent report from the Center for the Blue Economy \2\ reported
that the ocean economy generated a larger share of U.S. economic
activity than farming, food products, oil and gas extraction, and
forest products. Employment supported by the ocean economy is almost as
large as the employment of these industries combined. The Great Lakes
alone generate nearly $5 trillion in economic activity or about 30
percent of combined U.S. and Canadian economic output. Finally, the
U.S. marine transportation system is an essential driver of the U.S.
economy and its impact is felt well beyond the coast and reaches into
the heartland of the Nation. America's seaports are crucial generators
of economic development and well-paying jobs, both regionally and
nationally, that is felt throughout all supply chains that use the
ports.
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\2\ State of the U.S. Ocean and Coastal Economies--2016 Update,
Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, Center for
the Blue Economy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes network of NAML laboratories,
is a vital part of the Nation's research and education enterprise. That
enterprise is a critical contributor to the economic and environmental
health of the Nation. The Nation is faced with a widening gap between
the actual level of Federal funding for research and education and the
required investment to sustain the U.S. as the world's leader in
innovation. Accordingly, NAML's priorities are:
--The Nation should build on its investment in research to develop
the knowledge, people, and technologies that power the ocean
and coastal economies, create jobs, improve health, strengthen
our national security, and support the U.S. as the global
innovation leader. The key programs that support this goal
include:
--NSF funding for research, training, infrastructure, and education
much of which is supported by the Directorates for
Geosciences and Biological Sciences;
--Extramural funding provided by NOAA Research (OAR) including
funding the National Sea Grant College Program at $80
million and marine aquaculture;
--NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserves at $27 million in
fiscal year 2018 and National Centers for Coastal Ocean
Science; and
--NASA Earth Sciences.
--This investment should include ocean observations, data
integration, and related cyber and physical infrastructure;
monitoring, research, and response to changing environmental
conditions such as:
--NSF's Field Stations and Marine Laboratories (FSML) at $6
million;
--NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System program at $43 million;
--Research and Monitoring for Ocean Acidification; and
--NSF's Long Term Ecological Research program and HBCU Research
Infrastructure for Science and Engineering (RISE)
--Renew the commitment to improve the quality of STEM education and
re-energize efforts to attract, recruit, support, and retain
women, minorities and others not currently well represented in
the science and technology workforce through the following
programs:
--NSF's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), its
Alliances for Minority Participation, the graduate and post
graduate fellowship programs at NSF, NOAA, and NASA; and
--Reject the Administration's proposal to terminate the NOAA and
NASA Offices of Education
NAML is concerned by the administration's recommendations for
reductions to NSF, NASA and NOAA as part of the fiscal year 2017
Security Supplemental and the fiscal year 2018 budget requests which
seek to reduce support for the National Science Foundation (especially
in the Geosciences and for education); eliminate over $250 million in
targeted National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grants
and time-tested programs in coastal and marine management, research,
and education such as Sea Grant and Knauss Fellowship program; and a
reduction in earth science research at NASA by over $100 million
including major reductions for Earth science research grants.
The time-tested programs, that support the extramural research and
education community via competitive, merit-based research, provide
cost-effective and impressive returns on investment, leverage
additional resources to meet science and management priorities,
distribute economic and societal benefits over a broad array of
communities, and provide the agency with valuable flexibility. Yet, in
fiscal year 2017 and fiscal year 2018 the Administration is proposing
steep reductions in these extramural programs. Additionally, past
Administrations have sought authority for NOAA to ``receive and expend
funds made available by, any . . . private organization, or individual
(i.e. proposed Section 108 of the General Provisions in the NOAA
Section of the Appendix to the fiscal year 2016 Budget, page 218).''
NAML is concerned that this could result in the Federal Government
competing with non-Federal and private entities for limited private
sector support.
NAML requests the subcommittee to reject the Administration's
proposed reductions for research, infrastructure, and education and
training. Instead, NAML urges the subcommittee to invest in the future
of the Nation by supporting the ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes
research and education enterprise represented in part by the NAML
priorities articulated in this statement. NAML also requests the
subcommittee to continue its vigilance regarding proposals that would
result in unfair competition with the private sector.
the value of the nation's coastal and ocean economy
More than half of the United States population lives in coastal
counties that generate 58 percent ($8.3 trillion) of the Nation's gross
domestic product (GDP). In 2011, Americans, on average, ate 15 pounds
of fish and shellfish per person--4.7 billion pounds altogether--making
the U.S. second in the world in total seafood consumption. The United
States is the leading global importer of fish and fishery products,
with 91 percent of the seafood we eat originating abroad--half of which
is from aquaculture. Driven by imports, the U.S. seafood trade deficit
has grown to over $11.2 billion annually. Federal aquaculture programs,
working in partnership with marine laboratories, offer the opportunity
to advance U.S. aquaculture to reduce the seafood trade deficit.
Tourism is a major economic driver in coastal States. The U.S. has
jurisdiction over 3.4 million square miles of oceans--an expanse
greater than the land area of all 50 States combined. This is a dynamic
area with biologically diverse habitats that provide a wealth of
natural resources and economic opportunities, while at the same time
exposing human and biological communities to coastal hazards such as
storms and hurricanes, shifting shorelines, outbreaks of harmful algal
blooms, and water-borne pathogens.
Research conducted by people educated and trained, in part, at the
Nation's network of marine laboratories has uncovered the linkage
between changes in ocean temperature and its impact on the lobster
industry; the role science can play to maximize the return on shoreline
restoration; and the impact of ocean acidification on the oyster
industry. Training and research centered in the Nation's network of
marine laboratories should:
--develop vital, lifesaving adaptive and mitigation strategies to
enhance coastal resiliency with forthcoming environmental
challenges facing the Nation;
--develop a deeper fundamental understanding of earth system science
so that we can more accurately predict severe weather and
climate changes on local, regional, national, and global
scales;
--develop technologies that will increase the competitiveness of the
U.S. aquaculture industry, and contribute to sound fishery
management practices, which enhance food security and by access
to safe, sustainable, and healthy seafood; and
--lead to the discovery of new marine biological agents that may
prove valuable in the treatment of diseases and other ailments.
To develop the knowledge and technologies needed to meet these and
other challenges in the ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes environment, it
will take the continued education and training of people in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This calls for a
renewed commitment to improve the quality of STEM education at the pre-
K levels and continuing on through the undergraduate and graduate
levels that will attract and retain women, minorities, and others not
currently well represented in our scientific and technical workforce.
conclusion
This subcommittee is uniquely responsible for the health of our
Nation's research and education enterprise. Over 50 percent of the
extramural nondefense, non-biomedical Federal support for research and
education is provided by this subcommittee. Thus, the subcommittee is
in a unique position to impact the Nation's long term economic growth,
national security, and public safety through its investments in the
agencies under its jurisdiction. The economic value of research
investments is borne out by history. While we appreciate, the difficult
constraints facing the Nation and this subcommittee we hope the
subcommittee will continue to be a leading and influential voice in the
health of the Nation's research enterprise via the decisions it makes
in developing the fiscal year 2018 Commerce-Justice-Science
Appropriations Act.
NAML is grateful for the opportunity to provide the subcommittee
with our members' priorities and recommendations.
[This statement was submitted by Mr. Michael De Luca, President.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Ocean Conservancy
Thank you for this opportunity to provide Ocean Conservancy's
recommendations for fiscal year 2018 funding for NOAA. Ocean
Conservancy has worked for over 40 years to address threats to the
ocean through sound, practical policies that protect our ocean and
improve our lives. We support funding for NOAA at or above fiscal year
2016 funding levels.
NOAA's mission to understand, protect, restore, and manage our
ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes is vitally important to sustain these
resources and our economy. The U.S. ocean and coastal economy
contributes $359 billion annually to the Nation's GDP and supports 3
million jobs. There is a good reason that NOAA is in the Department of
Commerce, and adequate funding is vital to support a healthy and
resilient ocean that can maintain and grow our coastal economies and
communities. For example, our Nation's fisheries and seafood sector is
a $214 billion dollar industry and fishermen rely on information from
NOAA to make the most informed decisions on where to fish, how to fish
and when to fish. Coastal wetland buffer zones in the U.S. are
estimated to provide $23.2 billion per year in storm protection, and
NOAA works to build resilient coasts that are more storm-ready and
prepared for threats like sea level rise and ocean acidification.
Much of the U.S. ocean is under Federal jurisdiction, and yet many
of NOAA's programs focus on pushing resources and decisionmaking power
out to regions, States and communities. From region-by-region fishery
management, to region-specific programs in places like the Arctic, to
extramural funding that supports State agencies and universities, to
place-based conservation in our estuaries and oceans, NOAA is providing
leverage for hardworking people on the coast and on the water who are
fighting for a stronger economy and a healthier ocean.
We ask that you also consider the balance between NOAA's oceanic
and atmospheric missions, and the nexus between the two. Americans
should not have to choose between weather satellites and ocean and
coastal resources like coral reefs and marine mammals. We need both.
NOAA's ocean programs support many other Federal agencies and missions
that will also suffer if NOAA funding is cut. For example, ocean
observations and monitoring provide critical information for severe
storm tracking and weather forecasting. And ocean programs facilitate
homeland security and national defense functions, including U.S. Navy
operations and U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue.
In particular, we recommend the following NOAA programs be funded
at or above fiscal year 2016 funding levels. See below for further
explanation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 2016
Account, Program or Activity enacted ($ millions)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operations Research and Facilities
National Ocean Service:
Coastal Science, Assessment, Response and 6
Restoration: Marine Debris..................
Coastal Management Grants.................... 75
National Marine Fisheries Service:
Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles, & Other Species. 110.246
Fisheries Data Collections, Surveys and 163.271
Assessments.................................
Habitat Conservation and Restoration......... 61.408
Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research:
National Sea Grant College Program........... 73
Integrated Ocean Acidification............... 10
Office of Marine and Aviation Operations:
Marine Operations & Maintenance.............. 178.838
------------------------------------------------------------------------
marine debris: recommend increase to $10 million
Marine debris, particularly plastic waste pollution, has become one
of the most widespread pollution problems facing the world's oceans and
waterways. An estimated 150 million metric tons of plastic waste are in
the ocean today, and every year an estimated 8 million metric tons more
are being added. With oil prices at an all-time low, coupled with
growing population levels and economic prosperity, plastic production
and consumption are predicted to double over the coming decade. Without
immediate intervention, 250 million metric tons of plastic waste could
be in the ocean in fewer than 10 years. Marine debris has serious
effects on the marine environment and the economy, causing impacts from
wildlife entanglement, ingestion and ghost fishing to navigational
hazards and vessel damage.
The program is authorized at $10 million, but has been flat-funded
at $6 million since fiscal year 2014. Given the magnitude of the
problem, there is an urgent need for the NOAA Marine Debris Program to
do more to counter the growing threat to ocean health. Fundamental
knowledge gaps exist in four critical areas: the sources of plastic
waste in the ocean, how the waste distributes within the marine
environment, the fates of those materials, as well as their impacts.
More scientific research into these key areas will support data-driven
policy solutions to prevent plastic from entering the environment and
impacting ocean health. Additional funding will enable NOAA MDP to
support this additional research.
coastal management grants
The Coastal Zone Management Program achieves multiple goals for
coastal communities including economic development, enhancement of
public access and recreation, and protection of coastal resources. The
CZM program provides Federal support for these State programs to ensure
that as a Nation, all coastal States and territories can enable their
coastal communities to achieve both State and national priorities. This
State-Federal partnership also enables States to leverage Federal funds
to improve permitting processes, provide grants to communities, and
ensure Federal actions are consistent with State laws. Moreover, the
CZMA requires a dollar-for-dollar State match for almost all Federal
funding, with States matching over $59 million fiscal year 2016.
In addition, Regional Coastal Resilience Grants are producing on-
the-ground results through regional ocean partnerships, with grants
going out to every region over the last 2 years. The resilience of our
coastal communities is a critical mission for NOAA. Resilient means
more than just storm-ready. Truly resilient communities are able to
effectively adapt to changing economic, social, and environmental
conditions over time and effectively respond to new challenges and
threats to infrastructure, community well-being, and ecosystem health.
We support funding at or above fiscal year 2016 levels to continue
the success of the CZM program and to meet significant demand for RCRG,
as demonstrated by more than $150 million in grant applications last
year.
marine mammals, sea turtles and other species
NOAA's work to protect living marine resources is important
nationwide, but is especially critical in the Gulf of Mexico region. We
were disappointed that least year's requested $13.452 million increase
for Marine Mammals has not yet been funded, in particular because it
would have supported increased capacity for restoration efforts in the
Gulf region. This year we support continued funding at or above fiscal
year 2016 funding levels, including for the John H. Prescott Marine
Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program, which funds the first
responders for sick or dying marine mammals.
fisheries data collections, surveys and assessments
We support funding for programs that implement the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act. As we review the Act for
reauthorization, it is important to note that the Act is working--NOAA
has made great strides towards ending overfishing and continued
investments in these programs are needed.
This recently consolidated budget line supports a host of
activities critical to MSA implementation. For example, it provides
resources for fisheries managers to assess priority fish stocks,
implement the requirement for annual catch limits (ACLs), and ensure
the successful recovery of overfished populations. Stock assessments
give fishery managers greater confidence that their ACLs will avoid
overfishing while providing optimal fishing opportunities. We also
support funding for the Marine Recreational Information Program.
Despite their often sizeable economic and biological impacts, much less
data are collected from recreational saltwater fisheries than
commercial fisheries due to the sheer number of participants and
limited sampling of anglers' catches. The low level of data collection
and lack of timely reporting of data in these fisheries is a large
source of uncertainty and has become a flashpoint for controversy in
regions where catch restrictions have been adopted to rebuild
overfished stocks, particularly in the Southeast. By all accounts,
improved sampling and timelier reporting of catch data are needed for
successful management of marine recreational fisheries.
We support funding for electronic monitoring and reporting for
nationwide efforts. In particular we support funding that goes to the
Gulf of Mexico region, where managers need electronic monitoring to
keep track of catch and prevent overruns in the red snapper fishery,
there is significant need for additional funding. Based on the findings
of the November 2014 ``Technical Subcommittee Report to the South
Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils:
Recommendations for Electronic Logbook Reporting'' NOAA's requested
increases are only a portion of what is needed to support effective
electronic monitoring. The Gulf of Mexico region alone will require
more than $5 million annually to support electronic monitoring.
habitat conservation and restoration
Restoration of the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of the BP Deepwater
Horizon oil disaster and years of environmental stressors is only in
its early stages. It is critical that NOAA's expertise be deployed
effectively to support and carry out restoration efforts. In
particular, NOAA's Restoration Center is providing key coordination and
expertise to government-wide restoration efforts. For example, it is
clear that the Restoration Center will serve as a center of gravity for
the Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group. In order to effectively
lead this effort, the Restoration Center must be sufficiently resourced
and it must also have the support and services needed from other parts
of NOAA.
national sea grant college program
Sea Grant is a joint Federal-State investment that supports the
health and resilience of the Nation's coastal communities, yielding
quantifiable economic, social, and environmental benefits at the
national, regional, State, and local levels. In 2015-2016 the Sea Grant
program helped generate an estimated $575 million in economic impacts;
created or sustained nearly 21,000 jobs; provided 33 State-level
programs and 534 communities with technical assistance on sustainable
development practices; worked with about 1300 industry, local, State
and regional partners; and supported the education and training of
almost 2000 undergraduate and graduate students. The Sea Grant program
achieved this with a Congressional appropriation in fiscal year 2016 of
$73 million, which is leveraged with matching funds provided by States,
universities, and other sources.
integrated ocean acidification: increase to $21.775 million
The Integrated Ocean Acidification line-item funds NOAA's ocean
acidification program (OAP), which was established and mandated by the
Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring (FOARAM) Act of
2009. Under FOARAM, OAP is directed to ``provide grants for critical
research projects that explore the effects of ocean acidification on
ecosystems and the socioeconomic impacts of increased ocean
acidification,'' establish long-term monitoring, identify adaptation
strategies, and conduct public outreach.
Ocean acidification (OA) is the rise in acidity of the earth's
ocean caused by uptake of CO2 from the atmosphere. This
rising acidity makes it harder for shell-forming species such as
oysters and crabs to grow, and fundamentally alters many other
processes (e.g., reproduction, risk avoidance) necessary for healthy
ecosystems and the coastal industries that depend on them. Prior
Federal investments in OAP, such as FOARAM, have greatly expanded our
knowledge of OA and its risks to coastal communities and industries,
but current funding levels are not at the scale needed to understand
this global problem and its full impacts.
We recommend a funding level of at least $21.775 million for this
program, which is the amount requested by the program in fiscal year
2017.
marine operations and maintenance
Marine Operations and Maintenance should be funded at or above the
fiscal year 2016 level. Days at sea funded by this line are
functionally tied to fishery stock assessments, and the two programs
must be viewed together.
[This statement was submitted by Jeff Watters, Director, Government
Relations.]
______
Prepared Statement of Organizations and Institutions Regarding Fiscal
Year 2018 Funding for NSF, NASA, and NOAA
Dear Mr. Chairman and Members of the subcommittee: Thank you for
the opportunity to present testimony from the organizations and
institutions listed in the left-hand margins recommending strong and
balanced funding for the research programs of NSF, NASA, and NOAA. A
strong and balanced research portfolio should include support for the
geosciences--by which we mean the earth sciences, the ocean sciences,
and the atmospheric sciences.
These disciplines are vital contributors to this Nation's national
security, economic competitiveness, and public safety.
While an estimated $60 billion in losses were attributed to
Superstorm Sandy, the accurate forecast enabled evacuations and other
actions that saved an enormous number of lives. Hundreds of thousands
of people lived on land flooded catastrophically by the storm, but the
total number of deaths was less than 150, due to timely warnings and
evacuations. The impact would have been much worse if Sandy had hit
just 15 years ago, when hurricane forecasts extended only 3 days into
the future, as opposed to 5 days in 2012. Over the last several
decades, forecasts have improved steadily in accuracy, due to
continuous improvements in both observations from satellites and
aircraft, in the weather prediction models, and in the data
assimilation methods used to combine models and observations to produce
forecasts. Without these advances--all built on the foundation of broad
and deep research programs at NOAA, NASA, and NSF--forecasters would
never have seen Sandy's last minute westward turn into New Jersey, but
with them they were able to see it 5 days ahead of time. The resulting
accurate and timely forecasts by our academic-government-commercial
weather enterprise allowed nearly a week of preparations by governments
(local, State, and Federal), businesses, institutions, and families,
and undoubtedly made a life or death difference for many thousands of
people?
How did we acquire this life-saving weather forecasting system? The
short answer is that consistent funding for research, observations,
infrastructure, and training by the Federal research agencies, thanks
to this subcommittee, the Congress, and ultimately the taxpayers--in
science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and education--produced
that capability. These investments supported everything from basic
research in mathematics and the physical sciences, the computer
sciences, and the geosciences to the development of sophisticated
models, satellites, radar, and parachute-borne instrument packages that
could make the key observations. Those investments also allowed us to
develop an understanding of how the Earth, the oceans, and the
atmosphere collectively impact our weather and the environmental
conditions that ensued. They enabled us to develop and run forecast
models on advanced computing systems that turned huge amounts of raw
observations into ``actionable advice'' for businesses, local and State
governments, and our citizens. These advances were coupled with
investments in education and training that created the talented and
dedicated workforce needed to put it all together. Finally, a host of
innovative technologies and the application of social science-informed
best practices in communications allowed all this information to be
presented in a manner that people could understand and on which they
could act.
the geosciences and national security
In September 2016, the Center for Climate and Security released a
report entitled, ``Military Expert Panel Report--Sea Level Rise and the
U.S. Military's Mission.'' The panel included retired flag officers
from all the Armed Services: General Ronald Keys, USAF (ret);
Lieutenant General John Castellaw, USMC (ret); Vice Admiral Robert
Parker, USCG (ret); Rear Admiral Jonathan White, USN (ret); and
Brigadier General Gerald Galloway, USA (ret). The expert panel
concluded that risks of sea level rise to coastal military
installations and supporting civil infrastructure will present serious
threats to military readiness, operations, and strategy. The panel
concluded that policies and plans for addressing climate change risks
must go beyond infrastructure resilience, and into the realm of
operations and strategy.
The authors recommend that policy-makers support comprehensive and
preventive measures to address increasing risks from sea level rise.
Recommendations included: building capacity to address infrastructural,
operational, and strategic risks; gaming out catastrophic climate
scenarios in planning; tracking trends in climate impacts; and
collaborating with adjacent civilian communities. To get ahead of the
risks, policy makers will need the research and the educated and
trained workforce that comes from the geosciences community. They will
need the basic research, computing, and modeling that comes from the
support NSF provides the academic research community. They will also
need the data, observational capabilities, computing, and modeling that
NASA and NOAA can provide.
the geosciences--producing a workforce for u.s. industry
The geosciences research that NSF, NASA, and NOAA fund helps
educate and train the next generation of geoscientists. Using data
provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the American Geosciences
Institute calculated a total of 324,411 geoscience jobs in 2014, and
this number is expected to increase by 10 percent by 2024 to a total of
355,862 jobs. Approximately 156,000 geoscientists are expected to
retire by 2024, but over the next decade, approximately 58,000 students
will be graduating with their bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degrees
in the geosciences. According to the American Geosciences Institute's
(AGI) ``Status of the Geoscience Workforce 2016,'' given minimal non-
retirement attrition from the geoscience workforce, there is expected
to be a deficit of approximately 90,000 geoscientists by 2024.
Industry hiring of geoscience graduates fluctuates between sectors,
with the oil and gas sector taking on some 60 percent of recent
Master's graduates who gained employment in the geosciences, and the
environmental services sector hiring the largest share (31 percent) of
recent Bachelors graduates who stayed in the geosciences, according to
the American Geosciences Institute's ``Status of Recent Geoscience
Graduates 2016'' report. Other industries hiring geoscientists include
mining, construction, agriculture, transportation, and information
technology services, all of which contribute to our national
infrastructure. NSF, NASA, and NOAA support for the geosciences
contributes significantly to the education and training of these
individuals via programs in research, graduate and undergraduate
student support.
the geosciences and economic competitiveness--research yielding
economic benefits
The Federal investment in the geosciences provided the fundamental
understanding of geologic structures and processes necessary to utilize
hydraulic fracturing (fracking) processes to release oil from shale
formations. The ability of U.S. companies to develop these natural
resources is built upon decades of fundamental research and technology
development in the earth sciences. According to a 2013 report from U.S.
Chamber of Commerce's 21st Century Energy Institute, fracking has
created a job boom even in States that don't have shale deposits, with
1.7 million jobs already created and a total of 3.5 million projected
by 2035.
Research on hot-spring-dwelling microbes in Yellowstone National
Park resulted in development of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a
technology that made the molecular biology revolution possible.
Scientists discovered that hot spring microbes utilize enzymes that are
resistant to the high temperatures required for PCR. PCR is the process
by which scientists can generate copies of a single strand or piece of
DNA and is indispensable for the multi-billion-dollar biotechnology
industry.
Moreover, private enterprise--ranging from insurance companies and
large engineering firms to the marine and overland shipping sectors and
to small farmers--increasingly relies on the results of the long-term
weather, climate, and other natural hazards research enabled by
government and university scientists to make strategic management
decisions. The Nation's private sector needs to incorporate weather and
climate risks into its risk-management portfolios to remain globally
competitive. Industries that rely on global supply chains and
distribution centers, such as the major overnight shipping companies,
are beginning to use the results of fundamental geoscience research in
their day-to-day decisionmaking as well as long-term strategic
planning.
the geosciences and public safety
The benefit of the investment in public weather forecasts and
warnings is substantial: the estimated annualized benefit is about
$31.5 billion, compared with the $5.1 billion cost of generating the
information (Lazo et al., 2009). In 2016, there were 15 weather and
climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each across
the United States. These events included a drought event, four flooding
events, eight severe storm events, a tropical cyclone event, and a
wildfire event. Overall, these events resulted in the deaths of 138
people and had significant economic effects on the areas impacted.
We continue to experience extreme weather events in nearly every
region of the country. Tornadoes in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri;
floods in Louisiana; droughts in Texas; and blizzards in New England.
According to the NAS Report, When Weather Matters, the annual impacts
of adverse weather on the national highway system and roads are
staggering: 1.5 million weather-related crashes with 7,400 deaths, more
than 700,000 injuries, and $42 billion in economic losses (BTS, 2007)
and $4.2 billion is lost each year because of weather-related air
traffic delays (NOAA, 2010). The death, destruction, and economic harm
communities and businesses experience from these and other weather
events could be further reduced with continued research and training in
the geosciences.
Technologies and observing systems developed to examine the
fundamental earth structure have also provided data and enabled models
necessary for forecasting and estimating the impact resulting from
major earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and landslides.
Understanding of disaster events enables business and government to
engage in informed risk management and mitigation and to develop
response strategies. When an event does occur, early warnings for
evacuation based on timely forecasts and characterization of these
disasters has the potential to save billions of dollars and countless
lives. For example, EarthScope is a NSF program that has deployed
thousands of seismic, GPS, and other geophysical techniques to explore
the structure and evolution of the North American continent and to
understand the processes controlling earthquakes and volcanoes.
Thousands of geophysical instruments create a dense grid covering the
continental United States. Scientists from multiple disciplines have
joined together to conduct research using the large influx of freely
accessible data being produced. The data collected through EarthScope
and other NSF research investments are critical for the development of
an earthquake early warning system. As the data is collected and
disseminated in real-time, computers, communications technology, and
alarms are devised to notify the public when an earthquake is in
progress. Just ten seconds of warning that an earthquake is occurring
is enough to halt trains, shut off gas lines, and open emergency bay
doors for first responders.
concluding thoughts
We appreciate the difficult decisions Congress must make within the
constraints of the budget environment. We have provided several
examples where the geosciences contribute to the Nation's national
security, economic competitiveness, and public safety. We believe that
the future of this Nation is well served by a strong and sustained
investment in the full scope of our research enterprise--including the
geosciences programs sponsored by NSF, NASA, and NOAA. This
subcommittee has consistently been a strong champion for the Nation's
research enterprise and, despite the budget challenges that it must
confront, we urge you to maintain the high priority the subcommittee
has long placed on research and training in all fields of science and
engineering.
This statement was submitted by the following organizations and
institutions:
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Earth Institute, Columbia University
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
National Association of Marine Laboratories
Consortium for Ocean Leadership
Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology
American Geophysical Union
American Meteorological Society
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
Aerospace Industries Association
The Weather Company, an IBM Business
Vaisala, Inc.
Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc.
Cleantech San Diego
Aquaai Corporation
Highwave Ocean Energy
MRV SYSTEMS LLC (Marine Robotic Vehicles)
Ocean Innovations
RBR USA
American Wave Machines, Inc.
Reinsurance Association of America
American Energy Society
Catalina Offshore Products Inc.
Analytics Ventures
Grassy Bar Oyster Company, Inc.
Teledyne RDI Instruments
Assure Controls, Inc.
BMT Group
Deep Ocean Engineering, Inc
OceanGate, Inc.
FlyWire Cameras
National Instruments
Ocean Aero, Inc.
Del Mar Oceanographic
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography
The Geological Society of America
American Geosciences Institute
University of California System
Penn State University
University of Oklahoma
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
University of California, Irvine
University of Georgia
University of Arizona
University of Washington
The University of Texas at Austin
Texas A&M University
University of Colorado Boulder
Oregon State University
University of New Hampshire
University of Delaware
Colorado School of Mines
University of California, Davis
Iowa State University
Michigan Technological University
School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii
at Manoa
Rutgers University--New Brunswick
Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute
Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University
The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute
Annis Water Resources Institute, Grand Valley State University
National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado
The School for Marine Science and Technology at the University of
Massachusetts Dartmouth
Sitka Sound Science Center, Alaska
Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota Duluth
Savannah State University
Grice Marine Laboratory, College of Charleston
Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences, University
of South Carolina
Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory, Morgan State
University
National Ground Water Association
National Estuarine Research Reserve Association
North Carolina A&T State University Division of Research and Economic
Development
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Earth & Planetary Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University
Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies, San Francisco State
University
National Weather Service Employees Organization
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of South
Carolina, Columbia
Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (Bermuda and New York)
The Oceanography Society
Jacksonville University Marine Science Research Institute
The Ocean Foundation
Council on Undergraduate Research
UNAVCO, Inc.
The Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation
Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve
Department of Marine Outreach, Rutgers University
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, University of Georgia
School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
National Association of Geoscience Teachers
American Association of Geographers
Soil Science Society of America
Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport Oregon
University of California Santa Cruz
College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the University of Alaska
Fairbanks
North Carolina State University, Center for Marine Sciences &
Technology
Institute for Water and Environment, Florida International University
Association of Ecosystem Research Centers
Stony Brook University
Desert Research Institute
George Mason University
University of South Florida--College of Marine Science
Utah State University
The Weather Coalition
Boston University
Florida State University
San Francisco State University
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Institute of Marine
Sciences
University of Miami
Washington State University
University of Denver
St. Cloud State University
Earth2Ocean, Inc.
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
School of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences at Stanford
University
Lyndon State College
Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah
University of Oregon
Oregon Institute of Marine Biology
University of Connecticut
The University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Maine Darling Marine Center
University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the Louisiana Immersive
Technologies Enterprise
University of Pittsburgh
FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Duke University Marine Laboratory
California State University Council on Ocean Affairs, Science &
Technology
______
Prepared Statement of the University Corporation for Atmospheric
Research
On behalf of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
(UCAR), I am pleased to submit this testimony to the Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related
Agencies and we ask for the subcommittee's continued strong support for
the Federal investment in the academic atmospheric, Earth, and Related
Sciences. These agencies support vital atmospheric, Earth, and related
research in hundreds of universities across the country, benefitting
from the knowledge, expertise and innovation of our academic
institutions.
UCAR is a consortium of over 100 research institutions, including
77 doctoral degree granting universities, which manages and operates
the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) on behalf of the
National Science Foundation (NSF). UCAR is proud to collaborate with
and enhance the capabilities of our member universities and Federal
partners so that they can carry out important research and meet mission
responsibilities on behalf of the American public. UCAR respectfully
submits a set of research priorities for the academic atmospheric,
Earth, and related sciences for this subcommittee and the 115th
Congress. A focused investment of Federal resources in the atmospheric,
Earth, and related sciences will make significant contributions towards
meeting societal concerns including: protection of American lives and
property; expansion of new economic opportunities; enhancement of
national security; and strengthening the U.S. leadership in research
and development. UCAR's subject matter research and education
priorities are:
--Weather: Accurate weather forecasts are critical in providing
important information for short term and longer term forecasts
as well as early warnings of impending severe weather. The goal
of weather prediction is to provide timely and accurate
information that will serve to reduce weather-related losses,
protect life and property, improve public health and safety,
support economic prosperity and national security, and improve
the quality of life for all citizens.
--Water: Water challenges are facing communities and regions across
the United States and the world, impacting billions of lives
and costing billions of dollars in damages. These challenges
are particularly problematic in predominantly poor, minority,
or rural communities. Weather and climate models are
fundamental for understanding the earth's water cycle and
issues related to availability, quality, water resource
management, energy production, flooding, and drought.
--Climate: Understanding climate change is critical to the world's
welfare. Fundamental use-inspired research, made possible by
cutting-edge tools for collecting and analyzing data, can
provide the knowledge that governments, businesses, and
communities need as they address the climate-related changes
that pose growing risks to life, property, natural resources,
and the economy. Such research depends on sustained
programmatic investments in multidisciplinary observations,
process studies, and modeling.
--Air Quality: Air quality affects broad sectors of society, from
human health to crop yields to enjoyment of our national parks.
Particulate matter, in addition to ozone, triggers most air
quality alerts and health effects. Scientists are improving
pollutant tracking and developing detailed air quality
predictions. Research is also focused on developing detailed
air quality forecasts days in advance. Improved forecasts offer
the promise of significant benefits to society.
--Space Weather: Space weather can disrupt vital technology that
forms the backbone of this country's economic vitality and
national security, including satellite and airline operations,
communications networks, navigation systems, and the electric
power grid. Research and observations will help drive advances
in modeling capability and improve the quality of space-weather
products and services. Transition of the latest scientific and
technological advances into space weather operations centers
will enable an improved rate of forecast improvement.
--Education: The success of the research challenges above is
dependent on a science, technology, engineering and mathematics
(STEM) education system that produces a diverse and well-
prepared workforce of scientists, technicians, engineers,
mathematicians and educators and a well-informed citizenry that
have access to the ideas and tools of science and engineering.
The recommendations are consistent with the recently enacted
legislation including the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act,
the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017, and the
pending Space Weather Research and Forecasting Act.
the importance of our research investments
UCAR has worked to elevate the understanding of, and support for,
the atmospheric, Earth, and related sciences nationwide. The
atmospheric science departments at our member institutions are drivers
of innovation and the fundamental scientific research that has pushed
our understanding of weather, water, climate, air quality, space
weather, and education and training atmosphere into exciting and
groundbreaking new areas. These advances have improved our ability to
predict and understand some of the most dangerous phenomena that occur
on our planet every day. Protection of life and property are the
central drivers of this scientific innovation and discovery. However,
more broadly, these innovations play a significant role in protecting
our national security, our homeland, our businesses, our infrastructure
and most importantly, our families and communities. As demand for
information, prediction, and mitigation increase nationally and across
the globe, it is the collaborative and exhaustive research being
conducted in our universities and research laboratories that will
answer this call and make our families, communities, businesses, and
infrastructure better equipped and prepared to meet the challenges and
dangers of living inside Earth's dynamic atmosphere.
The return on investments in the atmospheric sciences exemplifies
how Federal R&D drives economic growth. The commercial weather industry
leverages U.S. investments in weather observation, atmospheric
research, and computer modeling to produce tailored products for a wide
variety of clients, including the general public. There are now more
than 350 commercial weather companies in the U.S., generating nearly $3
billion in annual revenues. The growth rate of this industry is
estimated to be about 10 percent per year. The vast majority of these
innovations and technological advances are products of our academic
institutions. Researchers, graduate students, and investigators at our
universities are an astounding and innovative resource that, in light
of the linkage between innovation and our economy, should be seen for
what they are--our most valuable national asset. Across the country
there is groundbreaking atmospheric science being done that will power
our economy, save lives, protect our citizens, and impact every single
American in a profound way.
key programs at nsf, noaa, and nasa
UCAR calls out the importance of these agencies supporting
extramural research, particularly with respect NOAA and NASA. Both
agencies place a high value on the partnerships that develop via
collaborative extramural research. This includes such activities as
NOAA's Cooperative Institutes and NASA's research opportunities in
space and earth sciences. Maintaining the extramural portion of these
programs while fostering new extramural efforts in emerging areas will
help these agencies meet their stewardship responsibilities as they
relate to their particular missions. UCAR supports the April 2013 NOAA
Science Advisory Board's report from its Research and Development
Portfolio Review Task Force (PRTF), which said:
NOAA's success in fulfilling its mandate and mission to the
Nation depends upon a well-configured and appropriately
balanced and funded portfolio of research, both intramural and
extramural. The balance is dynamic and will change over time.
The internal investment is required to fulfill the agency's
mandates and to ensure long-term stable funding of key research
and observational programs. The extramural investment allows
greater flexibility and agility in the selection of problems
and problem-solvers and takes on added importance during
periods of severe budgetary constraints. Both the intramural
and extramural components require stability and predictability
in funding levels . . . The PRTF recommends that NOAA
capitalize on the support and skills of the extramural research
community by developing carefully targeted initiatives that
meet the needs of the Next Generation Strategic plan, that are
stable and consistent over time to enable year to year
planning, and that ensure the results are integrated into
NOAA's R&D operations . . .''
Within NSF, NOAA, and NASA, there are a number of specific
initiatives we call to the subcommittee's attention and ask for your
strong support for these initiatives:
--NSF's geoscience directorate, its division of atmospheric and
geospace sciences; and the National Center for Atmospheric
Research (NCAR);
--Key NOAA programs including the Cooperative Institutes, the
Airborne Phased Array Radar program (APAR), and the
Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and
Climate--2 (COSMIC) and its ground station; and
--NASA earth sciences and heliophysics research programs.
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).--NCAR, NSF's only
federally Funded Research and Development Center in the geosciences,
has an exceptional record of leadership, scientific achievement and
effective translation of scientific advances into useful knowledge for
a nation that is highly impacted by atmospheric events that are
sometimes catastrophic. The current Administration has proposed a $350
million reduction in fiscal year 2017 for NSF research activities. Even
greater reductions are expected to be proposed for fiscal year 2018.
There is real and growing concern by the UCAR Board of Trustees that
with these proposed reductions, NCAR will be unable to sufficiently
support its user community by maintaining existing national scientific
capabilities; such as the expanded computing facility operating in
Wyoming or the High-performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for
Environmental Research (HIAPER). These are examples of newly
established capabilities resulting from prior appropriations provided
by this subcommittee now under stress. NCAR is an essential part of the
research capabilities needed by the atmospheric, Earth, and related
sciences community.
NOAA Cooperative Institutes (CI).--The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's CI program helps to provide the research
and development necessary to improve the agency's weather, ocean, and
climate services, living marine resource management and stewardship,
and many more mission responsibilities. These activities provide the
scientific basis for national policy decisions in key environmental
disciplines, such as climate and weather, disaster risk reduction, and
air quality management. CIs provide NOAA with access to a wide
diversity of programs, disciplines, and expertise. Within the last 15
years alone, CIs have enabled NOAA scientists to collaborate with
dozens of universities and thousands of academic scientists, including
multiple Nobel laureates. Additionally, a large number of students and
early-career researchers have gained exposure to NOAA laboratories and
programs through CIs, and some formed long-lasting collaborations with
NOAA or even became NOAA employees. The diversity of the CI program
also extends to the management structure, communications capacity, and
the types of products delivered, reflecting and respecting the cultures
and styles of particular institutions and programs, and the communities
in which they are situated.
Airborne Phased Array Radar (APAR).--Continued support for NOAA's
investment of in the APAR program will enable research and development
of advanced methods of aircraft-based hazardous weather observation,
which provide critical information about severe, tropical and heavy
precipitation storms, for more accurate public warnings and forecasts.
Airborne Doppler radar measurements provide critical location and
intensity information about these storms, especially over open ocean or
rugged terrain, where other radar information does not exist.
Forecasters around the world utilize these radar observations, combined
with satellite data and other environmental observations, to study
storms and generate predictions of storm intensity and direction. The
investment will focus on the research and development of an airborne
radar system which can be utilized on a NOAA aircraft, and will provide
more data, more accurately. Funding will be used to examine the
potential benefits of APAR for providing the real-time data needed for
National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts and warnings and to determine
how APAR's additional, advanced capabilities can improve forecasts in
the future. NOAA Research will work with the research community to
initially develop and demonstrate APAR's feasibility for collecting
airborne radar measurements in hazardous weather environments,
including hurricanes and severe local storms. Additionally, NOAA and
its partners will use these measurements to conduct research to
understand severe storms and improve NOAA's predictions and warnings
for the public. Through this effort, future opportunities to develop
and test other airborne observing systems, besides radar, will emerge
and ensure that NOAA has the best airborne observing platform for
hazardous weather events.
Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and
Climate (COSMIC).--COSMIC is a six-satellite constellation that was
launched to the polar orbit in 2006 in a joint collaboration between
Taiwan, National Science Foundation, NASA, United States Air Force
(USAF), and University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).
COSMIC-2 is a continuation of the partnership between the United States
(NOAA and USAF) and Taiwan to produce an operational constellation of
GNSS RO satellites. The USAF is providing six RO sensors to be launched
in low-inclination (equatorial) orbit, known as COSMIC- 2A. Taiwan will
procure and operate the spacecraft for the GNSS RO satellites. NOAA
will provide the ground reception system for processing data from the
GNSS RO satellites. NOAA intends to leverage this ground system to
acquire other RO data where possible whether from other governmental
organizations or commercial operators. UCAR strongly supports the
COSMIC-2 program. With sufficient funding NOAA intends to complete all
information technology security testing and verification in preparation
for COSMIC-2 launches. UCAR processing functions will be tested and
certified by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. Funding
will support the operational testing and validation of the Numerical
Weather Prediction models for COSMIC-2.
NASA Earth Science.--UCAR requests full funding of the Earth
Science Division and opposes the Administration's proposals to reduce
Earth Science research in fiscal year 2017 and fiscal year 2018.
Adequate funding ensures exciting projects such as the Surface Water
and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission, which will conduct the first-ever
global survey of Earth's surface water. Data from the satellite has
promising uses for flood and drought management at local, regional, and
national levels; improved risk assessments by the insurance industry;
harnessing ocean energy opportunities; and optimizing the efficiency
and effectiveness of both military and commercial marine operations.
Strong funding for NASA Earth Sciences will also support the launch of
Landsat 9 and 10 in a timely manner, which will provide manifest
benefits to municipalities, corporations, and the general public in
land-use planning.
NASA Heliophysics.--UCAR strongly supports NASA's Heliophysics
Science Division which supports research in the study of the sun and
its impact on the Earth. In 1859, a large Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)--
known as the Carrington Event--sent charged plasma to the Earth from
the sun, causing widespread failure of the telegraph system. Recently
smaller events caused localized disruptions in telecommunications and
electricity grid systems, which negatively impacted industry and
military activities, as well as the daily lives of American citizens.
Because of societal reliance on space-based assets, as well as the
electricity grid, and a number of other systems vulnerable to extreme
space weather, the economic impact of another Carrington Event to the
United States alone is $2.6 trillion. As such, we must improve our
ability to understand and predict space weather to mitigate the risks
and costs associated with future threats. Strong funding for the
Heliophysics Division would enable NASA to fully participate in the
cross-agency Space Weather Action Plan that will enable the United
States to better understand, prepare for, and respond to space weather.
concluding thoughts
We recognize the constraints the subcommittee must confront in
developing its fiscal year 2018 appropriations bill. We hope you will
see the investment in the research programs of NSF, NOAA, and NASA as
essential priority investments that will contribute to the Nation's
economic and national security as well as public safety. Thank you for
the opportunity to submit these views.
[This statement was submitted by Dr. Antonio Busalacchi,
President.]