Transcript North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management

The Arctic:
Opportunities and
Challenges
US-Canada Northern Oil and Gas
Forum
November 13, 2012
Fran Ulmer, Chair
U.S. Arctic Research Commission
The Arctic: an ocean surrounded by 8 nations
Arctic Boundary as defined by the Arctic Research and Policy Act (ARPA)
All United States and foreign territory north of the Arctic Circle and all United States territory north and west of the boundary formed by the Porcupine,
Yukon, and Kuskokwim Rivers; all contiguous seas, including the Arctic Ocean and the Beaufort, Bering and Chukchi Seas; and the Aleutian chain.1
Acknowledgement: Funding for this map was provided by the National Science Foundation through the Arctic Research Mapping Application (armap.org) and Contract
#0520837 to CH2M HILL for the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC).
Map author: Allison Gaylord, Nuna Technologies. May 27, 2009.
1. The Aleutian chain boundary is demarcated by the 'Contiguous zone' limit of 24-nautical miles.
Climate change is being felt more intensely in the Arctic
and has direct consequences on global climate
Summer 2002
Summer 2012
Oil and Gas potential: high
4
Shipping and Navigation
Hammerfest LNG set sails for
Japan via Arctic route
Subsistence cultures depend on healthy ecosystems
Arctic Challenges
• Remote, cold, dark, stormy,
dangerous environment
• Infrastructure (rare and unique)
• Knowledge gaps
• Climate & environment
changing rapidly
• High cost operations
• Cumulative impacts
• Lack of consensus about future
• National security
Arctic Opportunities
• Natural resources: oil & gas
• International cooperation
• Local cooperation and
knowledge sharing –
strengthening resilience
• Shipping
• Tourism
• Fisheries
• Adaptive planning and design
• National security
Meeting the challenges and opportunities requires a
comprehensive Arctic Strategy, including:
1. An Integrated Arctic Management Plan
2. Investment in infrastructure & development
3. Participation in international agreements (LOS & PolarCode)
4. Research and information sharing
5. Improved charting and mapping
6. Development of Best Practices for technology and Arctic
design and operations
National Strategies for the Arctic
•U.S. National Security Presidential Directive 66 on
Arctic Region (adopted January 2009)
•US Navy Arctic Road Map
•NOAA’s Arctic Vision and Strategy
•National Ocean Council’s Strategic Action Plan for
Changing Conditions in the Arctic
•Canada’s Northern Strategy
Alaska Interagency Working Group
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Integrated Arctic Management Approach
National Security Council
Arctic Strategy for the USA
Arctic Council Chairmanship: Canada, USA
US Arctic Research Commission
Research Priorities
• Environmental Change
• Civil Infrastructure
• Natural Resource
Assessment & Earth
Science
• Arctic Human Health
• Indigenous Languages,
Identities, Cultures
• New USARC Oil Spill White
Paper
• National Academies of Science
study on oil spill response in
Arctic marine environments
debuts on December 17th
• ICCOPR is working on a major
update to its 1997 Research
and Technology Plan
• Joint Industry Project on Oil
Spill Response in Ice
• USARC Arctic Science Data
Portal (coming in 2013)
Arctic Daily Update
www.arctic.gov
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