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Obama orders Arctic coordination group New steering committee will coordinate federal Arctic policies across government agencies and improve sharing of information Alan Bailey Petroleum News
President Barack Obama has ordered the formation of an Arctic Executive Steering Committee to coordinate the implementation of federal Arctic polices across government departments and agencies. Where applicable the committee will also improve the coordination of Arctic policies across state, local and Native tribal governments, and across other similar Native organizations; academic and research institutions; and the private and non-profit sectors, the president’s order says.
Chaired by the director of the Office of Science and Technology or a designee, the committee will also include the heads or their designees of the Council on Environmental Policy, the Domestic Policy Council and the National Security Council. The deputy secretaries or equivalent officers from a list of 16 federal agencies will also be committee members.
Long-term value The order says that the Arctic has critical long-term strategic, ecological, cultural and economic value.
“It is imperative that we continue to protect our national interests in the region, which include: national defense, sovereign rights and responsibilities; maritime safety; energy and economic benefits; environmental stewardship; promotion of science and research; and the preservation of the rights, freedoms and uses of the sea as reflected in international law,” the order says.
The wording of the order places particular emphasis on the impact of global warming on the Arctic region, where, the order says, higher temperatures have led to a dramatic reduction in sea ice, widespread glacial retreat, increasing coastal erosion and other impacts.
“The United States has the responsibility to strengthen international cooperation to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change; understand more fully and manage more effectively the adverse effects of climate change; protect life and property; develop and manage resources responsibly; enhance the quality of life of Arctic inhabitants; and serve as stewards for valuable and vulnerable ecosystems,” the order says.
The new committee will provide guidance and coordination over the implementation of Arctic policies and plans that the president has issued, and will also provide guidance on prioritizing federal activities while the United States chairs the Arctic Council, the ministerial forum of the eight Arctic nations. This year the United States will assume chairmanship of the Arctic Council.
The president’s order also tasks the new committee with establishing a working group by May 1, 2015, to prepare a report on overlaps between different government agencies in the implementation of Arctic policies and to make recommendations on how to reduce duplication of effort and how to address any potential gaps in policy implementation.
In the interests of engaging with stakeholders in the Arctic, including the state of Alaska and Alaska Native tribal governments, as well as the private sector and non-profit organizations, the order requires the new committee to develop processes to improve coordination and the sharing of information with these organizations, and for tribal consultation. The committee must identify a federal point of contact for communication of Arctic matters with the State of Alaska and with Native tribal governments and similar Alaska Native organizations, the order says.
Senators comment In critiquing the president’s order, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, commented on the emphasis on climate change. While the order usefully addresses the need for coordination across federal agencies, the order fails to acknowledge the need and opportunities of the indigenous people of the Arctic and the opportunity to improve the lives of the people who live in the Arctic, Murkowski said.
“Today’s executive order is a good step forward in strengthening the coordination of federal agencies on Arctic policy - and seeks direct input from Alaska’s Arctic stakeholders - but it is unbalanced in what the administration’s Arctic priorities should be,” Murkowski said when the order was released on Jan. 21. “Once again, the president remains focused on climate change. I agree that climate change is an issue facing our nation and my state, but for President Obama and many of his ideological allies, the plan for the Arctic boils down to two words: hands off.”
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, expressed similar sentiments.
“While I am encouraged to see that the federal government is taking steps to coordinate itself in the Arctic arena - I see this as merely a piece of paper,” Sullivan said. “With regard to the Arctic, the State of Alaska is not just another stakeholder as this executive order indicates. We are the other sovereign. Indeed, the sovereign that makes the U.S. an Arctic nation. What is troubling about this executive order is the White House’s continual focus on large, abstract concepts such as climate change. But what is most troubling is that this executive order fails to acknowledge the need to develop our Arctic resources in a responsible manner - which is such a critical issue for Alaska’s future.”
Environmentalist perspective Susan Murray, deputy vice president of Oceana, an environmental organization, expressed her organization’s support for what the president is doing.
“Today’s announcement is another step toward effective stewardship for the Arctic region,” Murray said. “The president is to be congratulated for recognizing the challenges and opportunities in the Arctic and for committing to science, collaboration, and planning. Coordination is an important and necessary step, and we hope that it results in better choices for the Arctic Ocean.”
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