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Federal budget has Arctic funds, money for infrastructure upgrades
The year-end federal budget bill, signed by President Obama on Dec. 18, contains a number of funding items specific to the Arctic, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said in a Dec. 22 press release. Arctic funding approved for the 2016 financial year will help pay for a number of Arctic initiatives such as Arctic infrastructure improvements, including preparatory work for the construction of a new heavy-duty U.S. icebreaker.
“The Arctic is a national asset and should be treated as a national priority,” Murkowski said. “As new possibilities and opportunities emerge in the Arctic, it is imperative that we invest today in the infrastructure and the assets that will be critical to supporting our Arctic strategy. While the United States chairs the Arctic Council for the next two years, we have not only a big role but a tremendous opportunity to be a global leader in the region, and I believe we are heading in the right direction.”
The general lack of a supporting infrastructure has been a continuing issue for those interested in commercial development, including resource development, in the Arctic region. And the fact that the United States only possesses two operational icebreakers - the Healy and the Polar Star - tends to figure large in U.S. Arctic infrastructure concerns. In fact, of these two vessels, only the Polar Star, an aging ship commissioned in 1976, is a heavy duty icebreaker, capable of cutting through particularly thick polar ice.
The new federal spending bill Includes $7.2 million in funding towards the eventual construction of a new icebreaker, Murkowski said. The money will be spent on pre-acquisition activities, such as hiring staff, finalizing requirements and preparing requests for proposals, according to Murkowski’s office.
In September President Obama, during a trip to Alaska, pledged that his administration would accelerate the acquisition of additional icebreakers to enable the United States to operate safely in the Arctic. The president said that he would take action to enable a new U.S. icebreaker to go into service in 2020, rather than 2022 as previously planned.
New Coast Guard cutter Arctic infrastructure funding in the federal budget also includes $640 million for the construction of a ninth national security cutter for the U.S. Coast Guard, and $480,000 for an Army Corps of Engineers investigation of a small boat harbor at Kotzebue, Murkowski said.
When it comes to maritime activities in Arctic seas, accurate maps and marine charts become critical to both safety and efficiency. Accurate weather forecasting is also critically important for marine operations.
The approved federal budget includes funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to conduct hydrographic surveys or sonar mapping of the U.S. coastline. Murkowski said that she had attached to that funding a provision that emphasizes the importance of Arctic mapping and sets deadlines for federal agencies responsible for the Arctic region. She also said that she has included a provision for investigating the benefits of deploying electronic navigation buoys for the assistance of vessels transiting Arctic waters.
Weather forecasting The funding bill also requires the National Weather Service to identify any disparities between weather forecasting in Alaska and forecasting in the Lower 48, and to identify the resources needed to correct these disparities. Despite having some of the harshest weather in the United States, Alaska sees less comprehensive weather forecasting that do the Lower 48 states, Murkowski said.
In terms of the military presence in Arctic Alaska, the new federal budget includes $2.5 million for the development of new Arctic camouflage for the U.S. Army. And the budget has set U.S Coast Guard funding at $10.8 billion, $1 billion more than the amount that President Obama requested, Murkowski said. The Coast Guard funding will improve the agency’s readiness; enable the modernization of vessels and aircraft; and improve the quality of life for service members, she said.
The budget bill directs the Department of the Interior to work cooperatively with local stakeholders to enhance economic opportunities for the people who live and work in the Arctic. The bill also requests the National Science Foundation to produce a biennial report on federal activities in the Arctic, to enable lawmakers and the public to better understand work being done in the Arctic, and to identify information gaps and opportunities for better coordination, Murkowski said.
- ALAN BAILEY
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