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+ - THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA) FISCAL YEAR 2008 BUDGET PROPOSAL
+
+[House Hearing, 110 Congress]
+[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
+
+
+
+ THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC
+ ADMINISTRATION (NOAA) FISCAL YEAR 2008
+ BUDGET PROPOSAL
+=======================================================================
+ HEARING
+
+ BEFORE THE
+
+ SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND
+ ENVIRONMENT
+
+ COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
+ HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
+
+ ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS
+
+ FIRST SESSION
+
+ __________
+
+ MARCH 22, 2007
+
+ __________
+
+ Serial No. 110-16
+
+ __________
+
+ Printed for the use of the Committee on Science and Technology
+
+
+ Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/science
+
+ ______
+
+ U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
+
+34-014 PDF WASHINGTON DC: 2007
+---------------------------------------------------------------------
+For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
+Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866)512-1800
+DC area (202)512-1800 Fax: (202) 512-2250 Mail Stop SSOP,
+Washington, DC 20402-0001
+
+
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+
+
+
+ COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
+
+ HON. BART GORDON, Tennessee, Chairman
+JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois RALPH M. HALL, Texas
+EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER JR.,
+LYNN C. WOOLSEY, California Wisconsin
+MARK UDALL, Colorado LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas
+DAVID WU, Oregon DANA ROHRABACHER, California
+BRIAN BAIRD, Washington KEN CALVERT, California
+BRAD MILLER, North Carolina ROSCOE G. BARTLETT, Maryland
+DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan
+NICK LAMPSON, Texas FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma
+GABRIELLE GIFFORDS, Arizona JUDY BIGGERT, Illinois
+JERRY MCNERNEY, California W. TODD AKIN, Missouri
+PAUL KANJORSKI, Pennsylvania JO BONNER, Alabama
+DARLENE HOOLEY, Oregon TOM FEENEY, Florida
+STEVEN R. ROTHMAN, New Jersey RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas
+MICHAEL M. HONDA, California BOB INGLIS, South Carolina
+JIM MATHESON, Utah DAVID G. REICHERT, Washington
+MIKE ROSS, Arkansas MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas
+BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky MARIO DIAZ-BALART, Florida
+RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri PHIL GINGREY, Georgia
+CHARLIE MELANCON, Louisiana BRIAN P. BILBRAY, California
+BARON P. HILL, Indiana ADRIAN SMITH, Nebraska
+HARRY E. MITCHELL, Arizona
+CHARLES A. WILSON, Ohio
+ ------
+
+ Subcommittee on Energy and Environment
+
+ HON. NICK LAMPSON, Texas, Chairman
+JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois BOB INGLIS, South Carolina
+LYNN C. WOOLSEY, California ROSCOE G. BARTLETT, Maryland
+DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois JUDY BIGGERT, Illinois
+GABRIELLE GIFFORDS, Arizona W. TODD AKIN, Missouri
+JERRY MCNERNEY, California RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas
+MARK UDALL, Colorado MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas
+BRIAN BAIRD, Washington MARIO DIAZ-BALART, Florida
+PAUL KANJORSKI, Pennsylvania
+BART GORDON, Tennessee RALPH M. HALL, Texas
+ JEAN FRUCI Democratic Staff Director
+ CHRIS KING Democratic Professional Staff Member
+ SHIMERE WILLIAMS Democratic Professional Staff Member
+ ELAINE PAULIONIS Democratic Professional Staff Member
+ STACEY STEEP Research Assistant
+
+
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+
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+ C O N T E N T S
+
+ March 22, 2007
+
+ Page
+Witness List..................................................... 2
+
+Hearing Charter.................................................. 3
+
+ Opening Statements
+
+Statement by Representative Nick Lampson, Chairman, Subcommittee
+ on Energy and Environment, Committee on Science and Technology,
+ U.S. House of Representatives.................................. 8
+ Written Statement............................................ 9
+
+Statement by Representative Bob Inglis, Ranking Minority Member,
+ Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, Committee on Science
+ and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives.................. 9
+ Written Statement............................................ 10
+
+Prepared Statement by Representative Jerry F. Costello, Member,
+ Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, Committee on Science
+ and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives.................. 10
+
+ Witnesses:
+
+Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr. (U.S. Navy, Ret.), Under
+ Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA
+ Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
+ U.S. Department of Commerce
+ Oral Statement............................................... 11
+ Written Statement............................................ 13
+ Biography.................................................... 19
+
+Dr. Len Pietrafesa, Associate Dean, Office of External Affairs;
+ Professor of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, College of
+ Physical and Mathematical Sciences, North Carolina State
+ University
+ Oral Statement............................................... 20
+ Written Statement............................................ 22
+ Biography.................................................... 33
+
+Discussion
+ National Weather Service Operations............................ 33
+ National Polar Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite
+ System (NPOESS).............................................. 35
+ Wildfire and Drought Warnings.................................. 35
+ Insufficient Funding Levels.................................... 36
+ Law Enforcement Capability..................................... 37
+ Research Capability............................................ 38
+ National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)....................... 39
+ Satellite Capability........................................... 42
+ International Collaboration.................................... 44
+ More on the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)........... 45
+ Climate Change................................................. 46
+ More on the NPOESS............................................. 47
+ Water Monitoring Programs...................................... 49
+ New Programs................................................... 49
+ Hurricane Forecasting.......................................... 51
+ More on Insufficient Funding................................... 53
+ Water Conservation............................................. 54
+
+ Appendix 1: Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
+
+Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr. (U.S. Navy, Ret.), Under
+ Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA
+ Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
+ U.S. Department of Commerce.................................... 60
+
+Dr. Len Pietrafesa, Associate Dean, Office of External Affairs;
+ Professor of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, College of
+ Physical and Mathematical Sciences, North Carolina State
+ University..................................................... 62
+
+ Appendix 2: Additional Material for the Record
+
+Statement by Dr. Braxton C. Davis, Director, Science and Policy
+ Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management,
+ South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.. 66
+
+
+THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA) FISCAL YEAR
+ 2008 BUDGET PROPOSAL
+
+ ----------
+
+
+ THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2007
+
+ House of Representatives,
+ Subcommittee on Energy and Environment,
+ Committee on Science and Technology,
+ Washington, DC.
+
+ The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 2:00 p.m., in
+Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Nick
+Lampson [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
+
+[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
+
+ hearing charter
+
+ SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
+
+ COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
+
+ U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
+
+ The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
+
+ Administration (NOAA) Fiscal Year 2008
+
+ Budget Proposal
+
+ thursday, march 22, 2007
+ 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
+ 2318 rayburn house office building
+
+Purpose
+
+ On Thursday, March 22, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. the House Committee on
+Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Energy and Environment will
+hold a hearing to examine the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
+Administration (NOAA) fiscal year 2008 (FY08) budget proposal.
+
+Witnesses
+
+Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr., Under Secretary of Commerce for
+Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator, National Oceanic and
+Atmospheric Administration
+
+Dr. Len Pietrafesa, Associate Dean, Office of External Affairs,
+Professor of Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, College of Physical &
+Mathematical Sciences, North Carolina State University
+
+Background
+
+ The President's FY 2008 budget request for the National Oceanic and
+Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is $3.96 billion, 2.7 percent below
+the FY 2006 appropriated funding.
+ NOAA's mission includes weather forecasting, climate prediction,
+management of fisheries and coastal and ocean resources. In addition,
+NOAA is responsible for mapping and charting our coastal areas and
+providing other navigation support services through programs of the
+National Ocean Service (NOS). NOAA also conducts research in support of
+these missions including atmospheric sciences, coastal and oceanic
+science, climate and air quality research, ecosystem research, and
+fisheries and marine mammal research. NOAA also operates a
+constellation of satellites that monitor and transmit data for weather
+forecasting, climate prediction, space weather forecasting, and Earth
+and ocean science research through the National Environmental Satellite
+Data and Information Service (NESDIS).
+ The President's requests for NOAA routinely exclude funding for a
+wide array of Congressionally-mandated projects with some of this
+funding is re-directed to Presidential priorities. However, much of
+this funding is simply cut from the NOAA budget resulting in a lower
+funding request for NOAA. This is especially true for accounts in NOS
+which has the highest number of Congressionally-mandated activities.
+ The table below shows the six primary accounts of the agency's
+budget. The only line office receiving a substantial increase in the FY
+2008 request is the National Weather Service (NWS). The FY 2008 request
+would result in funding levels below FY 2006 appropriations for all
+other offices, with NOS receiving the largest reduction of $122
+million, a 21 percent reduction.
+
+[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
+
+
+National Weather Service:
+
+ The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, hydrologic,
+and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, adjacent
+waters, and ocean areas for the protection of life and property. NWS
+provides a national infrastructure to gather and process data worldwide
+from the land, sea, and air.
+ The NWS is the only line office that receives a substantial
+increase in the President's FY 2008 request. The FY 2008 request for
+NWS is 6.5 percent higher than the 2006 enacted levels. Three areas
+account for most (about 84 percent) of the $55.3 million increase:
+mandatory federal pay raises ($18.3 million); operation and maintenance
+of the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS),
+Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS), and Next Generation Weather
+Radar (NEXRAD) ($11.3 million); and the expansion of the Tsunami
+Warning Network ($17.2 million).
+ AWIPS is the specialized software package that enables forecasters
+to prepare accurate, timely forecasts and warnings. ASOS is composed of
+the sensors needed to measure and record significant weather
+conditions. NEXRAD is the radar system that shows patterns and movement
+of weather conditions.
+ The increases for the Tsunami network involves funds to repair one
+of the weather data buoys that add to the enhanced real-time hurricane
+observations and storm monitoring as well as complete the 39 DART buoy
+network system. The completion of the tsunami detection network expands
+NWS's operational capabilities.
+ However, this is the only area where the Administration proposes to
+make an investment in improved forecasting to protect life and
+property. If funds for the mandatory pay raise and tsunami network
+expansion are excluded from the FY 2008 request, the proposed NWS
+budget increase is a little over two percent. The Tsunami Hazard
+Mitigation Program was moved from Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
+(OAR) with a request of $2.1 million.
+ NWS also requests a $1.9 million increase to fund operations,
+maintenance and transition costs associated with the planned frequency
+conversion and technical updating of the NOAA Wind Profiler Network
+(NPN). The NPN improves NWS forecast capability during tornadoes,
+winter storms, and other severe storms improving their ability to
+provide aviation and fire weather warnings. The NPN has been in a
+quasi-operational status. The funds requested will provide for the
+transition of the NPN to full operational status.
+ NOAA requests an increase of $2.3 million for the Space Environment
+Center (SEC) over the FY 2006 enacted funding level. The $6.2 million
+request will support SEC real-time monitoring and forecasting of solar
+and geophysical events. This will support the space weather alerts and
+warnings for disturbances that can affect satellite operations,
+electric utility transmission equipment, astronauts working in the
+space station and people in aircraft flying along polar flight paths.
+ This FY 2008 request increase may not be sufficient to fully cover
+all operational and maintenance requirements for current weather
+forecasting equipment especially if we experience a year with high
+frequency of severe weather events and hurricanes that often result in
+damage or loss to weather monitoring and forecasting equipment. This
+level of funding will not enable NWS to move new monitoring and
+forecasting equipment from research to fully operational mode.
+
+National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS):
+
+ The President's budget FY 2008 budget request would increase the
+overall NESDIS budget increased by three percent ($26 million
+increase). The budget for NESDIS is dominated by the procurement,
+acquisitions and construction (PAC) accounts for the polar and
+geostationary satellite systems.
+ The Operations, Research and Facilities (ORF) account for NESDIS
+contains the programmatic funding for management, processing,
+analyzing, and archiving the data received from all of NOAA's weather
+monitoring equipment--both ground-based and space-based. This program
+account includes funds for data processing and analyses at data centers
+located in Kentucky, North Carolina, Maryland, and West Virginia.
+ This account also supports a number of regional climate centers.
+The FY 2008 request for these accounts is $20 million below the FY 2006
+enacted levels. The FY 2008 request also eliminates $4 million in
+funding for NOAA-NASA Partnerships to facilitate the transfer of
+research to operations. The Data Centers and Information Services
+accounts are reduced by $18 million from the FY 2006 enacted levels.
+NESDIS Procurement, Acquisitions and Construction (PAC) Accounts:
+ NOAA operates two satellite systems that collect data for weather
+forecasting. The polar satellites (Polar-Orbiting Environmental
+Satellites--POES) orbit the Earth and provide information for medium to
+long-range weather forecasts. The geostationary satellites (GOES)
+gather data above a fixed position on the Earth's surface and provide
+information for short-range warnings and current weather conditions.
+Both of these systems are scheduled for replacement through the NPOESS
+and GOES-R programs, respectively. Because of the long time period
+required to design and develop new satellite series, the procurement of
+a new series begins years before the current series has completed its
+production cycle. Therefore, NOAA's procurement budget in this area
+includes both funds to complete and launch current weather satellites
+(POES and GOES) and funds to design and develop the next generation of
+weather satellites (NPOESS and GOES-R).
+ The current series of Geostationary Operational Environmental
+Satellites (GOES-N, O and P) are nearing completion. GOES-N was
+launched last May. The FY 2008 request of $80.4 million will support
+the continued development, procurement and launch of the remaining GOES
+satellites scheduled for April 2007 and October 2008, respectively. The
+request for GOES-R, the new series of geostationary satellites ($279
+million) has been reduced from the original FY 2008 estimate ($532
+million) to reflect changes in the program's content (reducing the
+number of instruments and planned number of satellites) and to provide
+additional time to re-structure the program.
+ The current series of Polar-Orbiting Environmental Satellites
+(POES) is nearing the end of its production cycle. There is one
+remaining satellite in this series to be launched (POES N-Prime). This
+satellite was damaged in production in 2003. Problems with the new
+series of polar satellites, National Polar Orbiting Environmental
+Satellite System (NPOESS) has resulted in a delay for the first launch
+of an NPOESS satellite. To decrease the risk of gaps in weather data
+from these satellites, the last POES satellite will now be launched in
+2009. The original planned request for POES in FY 2008 was $62 million.
+The FY 2008 request is $43 million above the original estimate for FY
+2008 provided in the FY 2007 request. The extra funds are to cover
+costs for rebuilding and storage costs for N-Prime, support for testing
+of a European satellite, installation of NOAA instrumentation on a
+European satellite, and to restore N-Prime funding that was re-directed
+to POES-N due to an unplanned delay in the launch of the POES-N
+satellite.
+ The request for NPOESS, the new polar satellite series, is $331
+million. This is $13 million less than the planned FY 2008 request
+included in the FY 2007 budget. The funding will cover the continued
+development, production and risk reduction activities for the four key
+instruments to be included on the test satellite, the NPOESS
+Preparatory Project (NPP), scheduled for launch in 2010. Funding for
+this program will be officially re-evaluated and estimated and the
+prime contract will be re-negotiated later this year.
+
+Oceanic and Atmospheric Research:
+
+ The office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) is the primary
+research arm of NOAA that provides the scientific information and tools
+needed for better understanding of the oceans and atmosphere. OAR
+conducts the scientific research, environmental studies, and technology
+development needed to improve NOAA's operations. OAR consists of seven
+internal research laboratories and manages extramural research at 30
+National Sea Grant colleges and universities. Therefore, OAR contains
+over half of the research programs at NOAA. These programs are reduced
+by nearly $11 million below the FY 2006 enacted levels an approximate
+three percent reduction.
+ NOAA's FY 2008 budget request for Climate Research increases by $23
+million (13.5 percent) over FY 2006 enacted funding. Most of this
+increase is in the competitive research program and is accomplished by
+redirection of funds from Congressionally-mandated projects. This
+includes $50 million for Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes and
+Climate Data and $133 million for the Competitive Research Program. A
+portion of this increase of $5 million will enhance our understanding
+of the link between ocean currents and rapid climate change. An
+additional $1 million in funding will provide additional computational
+support for assessing abrupt climate change.
+ The Administration's FY 2008 NOAA budget reflects an increase in
+requested funds for ocean activities included in the Ocean Action Plan
+(OAP) and the recently released Ocean Research Priorities Plan (ORPP).
+The FY 2008 NOAA budget includes $143 million to support three major
+areas outlined in the OAP: (1) Enhanced ocean science and research; (2)
+Protection and restoration of sensitive marine and coastal areas; and
+(3) Ensuring sustainable use of ocean resources.
+ The FY 2008 budget includes funding for several important ocean and
+coastal programs for the first time and the FY 2008 budget request is
+higher than the FY 2007 request. However, the $143 million provided in
+the Ocean Action Plan represents a decrease of over $200 million from
+the FY 2006 request for ocean, Great Lakes, and fisheries programs at
+NOAA. The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) receives a request
+of $11.5 million for regional observations.
+ The Administration's budget once again cuts the Ocean, Coastal, and
+Great Lake Research account below previous years' funding. The FY 2006
+appropriation level is reduced from $127 million to $105 million, a 17
+percent decrease for these programs.
+ Sea Grant receives a very small increase ($166 thousand), and the
+Administration requests an increase for Ocean Exploration of about $14
+million. The Administration proposed last year to merge the National
+Undersea Research Program (NURP) with the Ocean Exploration Program.
+The budget appears to reflect this proposal. All funding for NURP is
+eliminated ($9 million). Again, the largest reduction comes through the
+elimination of Congressionally-mandated projects under the category of
+Other Partnership Programs.
+ The FY 2008 budget request for programs authorized in the Harmful
+Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act (HABHRCA) is $8.9
+million, a $9.5 million decrease from FY 2006 funding. HABHRCA
+authorizes funding for research on harmful algal blooms (HABs) and
+hypoxia to advance scientific understanding and our ability to detect,
+assess, predict, control, and mitigate these events.
+ Weather and Air Quality research accounts are reduced in the FY
+2008 request by $21 million dollars (30 percent decrease) from the FY
+2006 enacted levels. The Laboratories and Joint Institutes would
+receive about $6 million above FY 2006 enacted levels, but the other
+Partnership Programs are reduced by $25 million with the elimination of
+over a dozen Congressionally-mandated projects.
+ The OAR budget also contains funding for the High-Performance
+Computing and Communication (HPCC) program. NOAA relies upon
+sophisticated computer models to make major improvements in NOAA's
+ability to forecast the weather and climate and to model ecosystems and
+ocean processes. The FY 2008 budget request proposes $12.97 million, a
+$6.6 million increase for this program.
+
+National Ocean Service:
+
+ The National Ocean Service (NOS) protects the National Marine
+Sanctuaries and is an advocate for coastal and ocean stewardship. It
+also introduced electronic nautical charts which they combine with
+Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to enhance the safety and efficiency
+of navigation of U.S. waterways. The President's FY 2008 request for
+NOS would reduce funding for NOS programs by over 20 percent. The
+largest reductions are in the Ocean Assessment program ($36 million)
+and in the Response and Restoration program ($13 million) of the Ocean
+Resources, Conservation and Assessment accounts.
+ Funding for Navigational Services including mapping and charting
+and geodetic surveys (measuring and monitoring the size and shape of
+the Earth and locating points on its surface) would be reduced by over
+$5 million in the FY 2008 request.
+ The Ocean and Coastal Zone Management accounts would receive about
+$4 million additional in funding primarily through an increase in the
+request for funds in the Marine Sanctuary program.
+
+Program Support:
+
+ The Program Support account includes funding for corporate services
+and agency management. This is the Under Secretary's office, the office
+of the Chief Financial Officer, and the Program, Planning and
+Integration Office.
+ The Program Support account also includes the NOAA Education
+Program. Overall, the Program Support account is reduced by about 10
+percent as compared to the FY 2006 enacted level. Most of this
+reduction is due to a reduction in the procurement accounts.
+ However, the proposed funding for NOAA education programs is also
+reduced significantly below the $38 million enacted for these programs
+in FY 2006 to a proposed funding level of $19 million (48 percent
+reduction). NOAA plans to provide lower funding levels for the Hollings
+Scholarship ($3.7 million); the Nancy Foster Scholarship ($400,000);
+JASON Education and Outreach ($1 million) and the Education Partnership
+Program ($14 million).
+ With a nearly fifty-percent cut to the Education Program, the
+promotion of careers in environmental sciences to ensure future
+workforce in disciplines critical to NOAA's mission is undermined.
+ Chairman Lampson. I will call this meeting to order. I wish
+everyone a good afternoon. Welcome everyone to today's
+Subcommittee hearing on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
+Administration Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Request. This important
+agency provides warnings to our citizens of severe weather,
+charts our seas and skies, guides the management of our ocean
+and coastal resources and conducts research to improve our
+understanding of the environment.
+ NOAA is a diverse agency with many important missions and
+responsibilities. However, issuing watches and warnings of
+severe storms may be the role for which NOAA is most famous. In
+Texas we experience storms every year in the form of tornadoes
+and hurricanes. In 2005, the Gulf Coast experienced one of the
+worst natural disasters in American history when Hurricanes
+Katrina and Rita slammed into our coastline back to back. Texas
+was hit especially hard by Rita causing billions of dollars in
+damage. Fortunately, many lives were saved as a result of the
+forecasting done by NOAA's National Hurricane Center and the
+local forecasting offices of the National Weather Service.
+ Accurate prediction of hurricanes and other severe storms
+and sound management of our ocean and coastal resources can
+only be achieved through sound investments in the personnel,
+equipment, and research at NOAA.
+ While there are some encouraging features of this year's
+budget request for NOAA, the Administration has once again
+requested less funding for 2008 than Congress appropriated in
+past years. The Administration's budget provides few
+opportunities to expand NOAA capacity to fulfill its diverse
+missions. If NOAA is to advance its capabilities to forecast
+the weather, if we are to restore our fisheries and coastal
+ecosystems to a productive and healthy state, if we are to
+advance our understanding of the oceans and the atmosphere, we
+must invest additional funds in this agency. I have said it a
+thousand times that an investment will give us significant
+return when we make those investments, if they are done right.
+ We continue to be concerned about the procurements for the
+new polar and geostationary weather satellite systems. It is
+essential that we have these new systems completed and
+delivered in time to avoid any gaps in coverage of weather
+data. I am also concerned about the long-term implications of
+the cost overruns in the polar satellite program, NPOESS, for
+NOAA's budget in the future. The Committee will continue to
+follow both of these procurements closely.
+ On the positive side, the Administration included funding
+for an integrated ocean observing system, funding for the
+National Integrated Drought Information System, NOAA's wind
+profilers, and funding to complete the Tsunami Warning Network.
+I also support the provision of funds to cover the cost of pay
+raise for NOAA employees. The work NOAA does every day impacts
+our everyday lives and supports our economy.
+ I look forward to hearing the testimony of our witnesses
+who are here today, and I thank you very much, your views on
+the Administration's budget proposal, and your recommendations
+for improving NOAA's capabilities in the atmospheric and ocean
+sciences.
+ At this time I'd like to recognize our distinguished
+Ranking Member, Mr. Inglis, of South Carolina, for his opening
+statement.
+ [The prepared statement of Chairman Lampson follows:]
+ Prepared Statement of Chairman Nick Lampson
+ Good Afternoon. I want to welcome everyone to today's Subcommittee
+hearing on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration FY 2008
+budget request.
+ This important agency provides warnings to our citizens of severe
+weather; charts our seas and skies; guides the management of our ocean
+and coastal resources; and conducts research to improve our
+understanding of the environment.
+ NOAA is a diverse agency with many important missions and
+responsibilities. However, issuing watches and warnings of severe
+storms may be the role for which NOAA is the most famous.
+ In Texas we experience severe storms every year in the form of
+tornadoes and hurricanes. In 2005, the Gulf Coast experienced one of
+the worst natural disasters in American history when Hurricanes Katrina
+and Rita slammed into our coastline back-to-back.
+ Texas was hit especially hard by Rita, causing billions of dollars
+in damage. Fortunately, many lives were saved as a result of the
+forecasting done by NOAA's National Hurricane Center and the local
+forecasting offices of the National Weather Service.
+ Accurate prediction of hurricanes and other severe storms and sound
+management of our ocean and coastal resources can only be achieved
+through sound investments in the personnel, equipment, and research at
+NOAA.
+ While there are some encouraging features of this year's budget
+request for NOAA, the Administration has once again requested less
+funding for NOAA in 2008 than Congress appropriated in past years. The
+Administration's budget provides few opportunities to expand NOAA's
+capacity to fulfill its diverse missions.
+ If NOAA is to advance its capabilities to forecast the weather, if
+we are to restore our fisheries and coastal ecosystems to a productive
+and healthy state, if we are to advance our understanding of the oceans
+and the atmosphere, we must invest additional funds in this agency.
+ We continue to be concerned about the procurements for the new
+polar and geostationary weather satellite systems. It is essential that
+we have these new systems completed and delivered in time to avoid any
+gaps in coverage of weather data.
+ I am also concerned about the long-term implications of the cost-
+overruns in the polar satellite program--NPOESS--for NOAA's budget in
+the future. The Committee will continue to follow both of these
+procurements closely.
+ On the positive side, the Administration included funding for an
+integrated ocean observing system, funding for the National Integrated
+Drought Information System, NOAA's wind profilers, and funding to
+complete the Tsunami Warning Network. I also support the provision of
+funds to cover the cost of the pay raise for NOAA employees.
+ The work NOAA does everyday impacts our everyday lives and supports
+our economy.
+ I look forward to hearing your testimony, your views on the
+Administration's budget proposal, and your recommendations for
+improving NOAA's capabilities in the atmospheric and ocean sciences.
+
+ Mr. Inglis. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for
+being here today with us. Good afternoon. This hearing about
+the President's fiscal year 2008 request for the National
+Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is an important part of
+what we do here at the Science Committee. This is a tight
+budget climate, and given all the competing demands for federal
+resources, this appears to be a balanced budget request for
+NOAA. It maintains ongoing operational needs while providing
+for some new initiatives that have been recommended by the U.S.
+Commission on Ocean Policy.
+ I am particularly interested in the budget for the National
+Weather Service. This arm of NOAA provides vital services that
+our citizens and economy depend on every day. My state of South
+Carolina faces threats from hurricanes, occasional ice storms,
+if you can believe it, and flooding just to name a few. Without
+the timely and accurate forecast and warnings provided by the
+Weather Service, we would be in the dark about these dangers,
+and so I want to make sure that the Weather Service continues
+to have the resources to do its great work.
+ NOAA also provides important information services for other
+parts of our coastal communities or other aspects for our
+coastal communities. While I recognize that many in the ocean
+community would like to see an even larger budget for NOAA, I
+would give the Admiral credit for the new initiatives in the
+Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Request that reflect priorities in the
+President's Ocean Action Plan. At a time when many agencies
+face flat or declining budgets, he convinced the Administration
+to invest $123 million in programs that will improve our
+understanding of stewardship of coastal and ocean resources. We
+are grateful for your work on that, Admiral.
+ Thank you to both of you for being here, and we look
+forward to hearing more of the details of the NOAA proposed
+budget for 2008. And I yield back the balance of my time, Mr.
+Chairman.
+ [The prepared statement of Mr. Inglis follows:]
+ Prepared Statement of Representative Bob Inglis
+ Good afternoon. Thank you, Chairman Lampson, for holding this
+hearing about the President's Fiscal Year 2008 request for the National
+Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
+ Outside this committee, we don't hear much about NOAA, but that's
+not because NOAA isn't doing much. The services NOAA provides have
+broad applications and impacts, and it's vital that these services have
+the resources necessary to continue to do the best job possible.
+ Take the National Weather Service for example. This arm of NOAA
+provides vital services that our citizens and economy depend on every
+day. One of those citizens and businessmen is my brother, who operates
+a shrimping boat in Bluffton, South Carolina. The timely and accurate
+forecasts and warnings provided by the Weather Service enable my
+brother to profit from the best weather, and avoid the worst. It's
+vital that this, and other services, have the resources necessary to
+continue to do the best job possible.
+ NOAA also provides important information and services for coastal
+communities. While I recognize that many in the ocean community would
+like to see an even larger budget for NOAA, I want to give Admiral
+Lautenbacher credit for the new initiatives in the FY 2008 budget
+request that reflect priorities in the President's Ocean Action Plan.
+At a time when many agencies face flat or declining budgets, he
+convinced the powers that be to invest $123 million in programs that
+will improve our understanding and stewardship of coastal and ocean
+resources. We should not overlook his good work on that issue.
+ I thank our witnesses for being here today and look forward to
+learning more details about NOAA's proposed FY 2008 budget.
+ I yield back the balance of my time.
+
+ Chairman Lampson. Thank you, Mr. Inglis. I ask unanimous
+consent that all additional opening statements, and we have so
+many Members here today, submitted by the Subcommittee Members
+be included in the record. Without objection so ordered.
+ [The prepared statement of Mr. Costello follows:]
+ Prepared Statement of Representative Jerry F. Costello
+ Good afternoon. I would like to thank the witnesses for appearing
+before our subcommittee today to discuss the President's fiscal year
+2008 (FY08) budget proposal for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
+Administration (NOAA).
+ The National Weather Service (NWS) is under the jurisdiction of
+NOAA and it plays a significant role in providing weather forecasting
+for a variety of sectors. Specifically, the NWS's weather products and
+data are a vital component of the Federal Aviation Administration's
+(FAA's) air traffic control system, providing timely and accurate
+weather information to local, regional, and national air traffic
+management, navigation, and surveillance systems. To ensure our
+nation's aviation weather technologies and services are accurate, cost
+effective, and efficient, I am pleased the Government Accountability
+Office (GAO) is in the process of evaluating the NWS's efforts to
+implement recommendations to improve aviation weather services and I
+look forward to hearing from our witnesses on the current status of the
+Nation's aviation weather technologies and services.
+ In addition to NWS's role in providing weather services to the
+aviation community, the agency within NOAA is also involved in
+forecasting weather for our communities. In Southwestern Illinois,
+there have been a series of bad weather-related storms causing
+significant damage and destruction to communities in the congressional
+district I am privileged to represent. As a result, several of the
+counties were declared federal disaster areas by the President, and our
+region has been eligible for assistance to rebuild and restore homes,
+schools, businesses, and local infrastructures. Before any storm hits,
+it is critically important to have accurate and timely information on
+weather forecasts in order to prepare.
+ While I recognize that weather forecasting is not 100% correct,
+computer modeling and weather forecasting programs continue to advance
+in order to reduce the margin of error. The President's FY08 proposed
+budget provides for a 6.5 percent increase than the 2006 enacted levels
+for the National Weather Service (NWS). I am pleased the Next
+Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD), a radar system that shows patterns
+and movements of weather conditions, received an $11.3 million
+increase.
+ However, I have concerns that the FY08 increase for the NWS may not
+be sufficient to fully cover all operational and maintenance
+requirements for current weather forecasting equipment, especially if
+we experience a year with severe weather events and hurricanes that
+often result in damage or loss to weather monitoring and forecasting
+equipment.
+ I look forward to hearing the testimony of our witnesses.
+
+ Chairman Lampson. We do have one small problem. I think we
+can get our opening statements out of the way in convenient
+time, but we will have a vote that will come up probably
+sometime in the next five, maybe less than 10, minutes. We have
+got adequate time, I believe, to have both of your statements
+made, and then if you all will forgive us, we will run off and
+make our way back as quickly as we possibly can.
+ It is a pleasure to introduce the excellent panel of
+witnesses that we have with us here this afternoon. Vice
+Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher is the Under Secretary of Commerce
+for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator of NOAA and Dr. Len
+Pietrafesa is the Associate Dean of External Affairs and
+Professor of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at North Carolina
+State University and is the former Chair of NOAA's Science
+Advisory Board.
+ So we welcome both of you very much. You will each have
+five minutes for your spoken testimony. Your full, written
+testimony will be included in the record for the hearing. And
+when each of you have completed your testimony, we will begin
+with questions, and each Member will have five minutes to
+question the panel and we will rotate as normal.
+ Admiral Lautenbacher, would you please begin?
+
+STATEMENT OF VICE ADMIRAL CONRAD LAUTENBACHER, JR. (U.S. NAVY,
+ RET.), UNDER SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR OCEANS AND ATMOSPHERE
+ AND NOAA ADMINISTRATOR, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC
+ ADMINISTRATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
+
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good
+afternoon, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Inglis, members of the
+staff. We appreciate very much this opportunity to be able to
+testify on behalf of the 2008 budget. We thank this committee
+for its continuing support. This committee has been very
+important to the ability of NOAA to carry out its mission, and
+we look forward to working with you to build the best budget
+possible for the country.
+ This year I think everyone is aware NOAA is celebrating 200
+years of science, service, and stewardship to the Nation. The
+precursor of NOAA was the first scientific agency in the United
+States Government, seen fit to be brought into existence by
+President Thomas Jefferson and the Congress in those days.
+Since that point, we have been joined by the Weather Bureau,
+Commission on Fish and Fisheries in the 1870's and up until
+today where we have satellites and a fabulous research branch
+that works for us. So it has been a long road. Our folks are
+very proud of their contributions, and we are looking forward
+to celebrating this legacy this year.
+ I have a couple of details on the 2008 request. Allow me to
+mention just a couple of the accomplishments that have occurred
+in the past year thanks to the support of Congress. In June,
+the President designated the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as a
+Marine National Monument encompassing nearly 140,000 square
+miles. This monument includes 4,500 square miles of relatively
+undisturbed coral reef habitat that is home to more than 7,000
+species, a quarter of which do not exist anywhere else on
+Earth. And for the first time, NOAA will play a leading role in
+managing a national monument. It is an exciting and important
+opportunity for NOAA.
+ We have also increased the security of our nation's folks
+living around the coastlines. We have a combination of new
+tsunami buoys and around-the-clock warning capability thanks to
+support from Congress. NOAA has 23 special buoys around the
+U.S. coast. Plans call for the U.S. Tsunami Warning Network to
+include 39 buoy stations by mid-summer 2008 with 32 in the
+Pacific and seven in the Atlantic. NOAA has also achieved 24-7
+operation of the Nation's two Tsunami Warning Centers located
+in Alaska and Hawaii which provide warnings and alerts to our
+nation and to the nations in the Pacific rim.
+ NOAA collaborated with federal partners to place a NOAA
+weather radio in every public school in America, and the
+support of this committee has been very important to NOAA
+weather radio. That is more than 97,000 radios to aid in
+protecting our children. Our weather radios, All Hazards,
+provide automatic alerts for severe weather, man-made disasters
+such as chemical spills and terrorism threats as well as Amber
+Alerts for missing children.
+ My written testimony presents the details of the budget. It
+is aligned in several priority areas. First of all, sustaining
+critical operations and then supporting our U.S. Ocean Action
+Plan mentioned previously, improving weather warnings and
+forecasts and climate monitoring and research are all important
+to today's society and economy. I will highlight just a few of
+the key increases in these areas.
+ The total request is $3.8 billion which represents a $131
+million, or 3.4 percent, increase over the fiscal year 2007
+request. But as mentioned, it is a $96 million decrease from
+the fiscal year 2006 enacted level. The budget does provide
+modest new investments in priority areas while maintaining
+critical services. Approximately $54 million in net increases
+will support our workforce which is mentioned again as a
+critical part of what we provide to the country and pay for
+regular inflation costs. Continued implementation of the
+President's Ocean Action Plan, which follows on the Ocean
+Policy Commission and the Pew Commission, remains a priority
+for the Administration. As mentioned, the budget requests $123
+million increase to support the plan, $60 million for ocean
+science and research, $38 million to protect and restore marine
+and coastal areas, and $25 million to ensure sustainable use of
+our oceans. And specifically the budget requests $16.4 million
+for the Integrated Ocean Observing System, or IOOS, for
+development of regional systems and improved data management
+and communications. It also includes $8 million for enforcement
+and management activities in the newly designated Northwestern
+Hawaiian Islands National Marine Monument.
+ To improve weather forecast and warnings, our budget
+requested an increase of $5 million to support operations and
+maintenance of hurricane data buoys and research on hurricane
+intensity that will ultimately save lives. More than $23
+million in total is requested to continue strengthening the
+U.S. Tsunami Warning System, which is including an increase of
+about $2 million for additional deep-ocean buoy stations.
+Climate monitoring and research increases of $9.4 million will
+support the development of an integrated drought early warning
+forecast system that will enhance our nation's food security by
+providing earlier and more accurate drought forecasts.
+ I appreciate the efforts again of this committee in passing
+the NIDIS legislation last year.
+ Let me conclude briefly by talking briefly about two
+oversight issues which I know are of importance to this
+committee and certainly to NOAA. There have been many
+challenges with our satellite programs and NPOESS in
+particular. Let me assure the Committee that I am doing
+everything, along with my organization, to ensure this program
+stays on track. We have made numerous personnel changes, we are
+implementing every recommendation from the GAO and the
+Department of Commerce Inspector General and I meet with the
+Under Secretary of the Air Force and the NASA Administrator
+once a quarter and more often, if necessary, to review this
+program. Satellites are complex and risky tools, but they are
+vital to all aspects of NOAA's mission.
+ I also want to assure the Committee that the Department of
+Commerce is in the final stage of updating its communication
+policy which will ensure our scientists have, for the
+foreseeable future, the freedom to speak openly, communicate
+their science to the media and public. Open and free scientific
+debate is an important principle that I maintain personally and
+within the organization.
+ Again, thank you for this opportunity to present the
+budget. I look forward to your questions.
+ [The prepared statement of Vice Admiral Lautenbacher
+follows:]
+ Prepared Statement of Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr.
+ Madam Chairwoman and Members of the Subcommittee, before I begin my
+testimony I would like to thank you for your leadership and the
+generous support you have shown the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
+Administration (NOAA). Your continued support for our programs is
+appreciated as we work to improve our products and services for the
+American people. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on the
+President's Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Budget Request for NOAA.
+ The FY 2008 President's Budget supports NOAA's priority to advance
+mission-critical services. The FY 2008 request is $3.815 billion, which
+represents a $131 million or 3.4 percent increase over the FY 2007
+request. This request includes the level of resources necessary to
+carry out NOAA's mission, which is to understand and predict changes in
+the Earth's environment, and conserve and manage coastal and marine
+resources to meet our nation's economic, social and environmental
+needs. At NOAA we work to protect the lives and livelihoods of
+Americans, and provide products and services that benefit the economy,
+environment, and public safety of the Nation. Before I discuss the
+details of our FY 2008 budget request, I would like to briefly
+highlight some of NOAA's notable successes from the past fiscal year
+(2006).
+
+FY 2006 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
+
+President Designates Largest Fully-Protected Marine Area on Earth
+
+ Recognizing the continuing need for resource protection, President
+Bush designated the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as a marine national
+monument on June 15, 2006. Encompassing nearly 140,000 square miles,
+the monument covers an area larger than all of our national parks put
+together, including 4,500 square miles of relatively undisturbed coral
+reef habitat that is home to more than 7,000 species. The creation of
+the largest fully-protected marine area in the world is an exciting
+achievement and recognizes the value of marine resources to our nation.
+
+Successful Launch of NOAA Satellite GOES-13 and New Satellite
+ Operations Facility Ensure Continuity of Improved
+ Data Collection
+
+ On May 24, 2006, officials from NOAA and the National Aeronautics
+and Space Administration (NASA) confirmed that a new geostationary
+operational environmental satellite, designed to track hurricanes and
+other severe weather impacting the Nation, successfully reached orbit.
+Upon reaching final orbit, the satellite was renamed GOES-13. This is
+the first in a new series of satellites featuring a more stable
+platform enabling improved instrument performance. NOAA instruments
+were also launched on the European MetOp-A polar-orbiting satellite in
+October 2006. Combined with NOAA and Department of Defense (DOD)
+operational satellites, MetOp-A will help provide global data for
+improving forecasts of severe weather, disaster mitigation, and
+monitoring of the environment. This launch ushered in a new era of
+U.S.-European cooperation in environmental observing.
+ In 2006, NOAA satellite operations and data processing groups began
+moving into the new NOAA Satellite Operations Facility (NSOF). The NSOF
+will house the NOAA satellite command and control functions and data
+and distribution activities that are central to NOAA's mission. The
+NSOF will also house the U.S. Mission Control Center for the Search and
+Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking (SARSAT) program and the National Ice
+Center (NIC), a joint NOAA/DOD mission to track ice floes and issue
+warnings to the Nation's maritime force. The NSOF will become fully
+operational in Spring 2007.
+
+Enhancements to NOAA's Fleet of Ships and Aircraft
+
+ Significant progress is being made in modernizing NOAA's fleet.
+NOAA took delivery of the Fisheries Survey Vessel (FSV) HENRY B.
+BIGELOW, the second of four new FSV, on July 25, 2006. The BIGELOW has
+high-tech capabilities that make it one of the world's most advanced
+fisheries research ships. These ships will be able to perform hydro-
+acoustic fish surveys and conduct bottom and mid-water trawls while
+running physical and biological oceanographic sampling during a single
+deployment--a combined capability unavailable in the private sector
+that will enable research and assessment to be carried out with greater
+accuracy and cost efficiency. NOAA also took delivery from the Navy of
+a ``retired'' P-3 aircraft in response to the hurricane supplemental
+bill attached to the FY 2006 Defense appropriations legislation.
+Rehabilitation of the P-3 is expected to be completed by the start of
+the 2008 hurricane season.
+
+Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Reauthorized
+
+ Congress reauthorized the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
+Management Act (MSA) in December, 2006, and it was signed into law by
+President Bush on January 12, 2007. The MSA is the guiding legislation
+that authorizes fishery management activities in federal waters.
+Enactment of this bill was one of the top priorities of the U.S. Ocean
+Action Plan. The reauthorized MSA strengthens NOAA's ability to end
+overfishing, rebuild fish stocks, and work collaboratively on
+conservation.
+
+U.S. Tsunami Warning System Improved
+
+ NOAA designed easy to deploy Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of
+Tsunamis (DART)-II technology, which provides two-way communication
+between the buoys and NOAA facilities. This technology allows engineers
+to troubleshoot these systems from the lab and repair the systems
+remotely when possible. This functionality can minimize system downtime
+and save money by not requiring a ship be deployed to make minor
+repairs. The U.S. Tsunami Warning Program also created tsunami impact
+forecast models for nine major coastal communities, providing
+information for inundation maps. With the December 11, 2006 deployment
+of DART #23 in the Western Pacific Ocean, NOAA achieved initial
+operating capability (IOC) of the planned expanded U.S. Tsunami Warning
+Program. NOAA also achieved full 24/7 operations of the Nation's two
+Tsunami Warning Centers. Plans call for the U.S. Tsunami Warning
+Network to total 39 DART-II buoy stations by mid-summer 2008 (32 in the
+Pacific, seven in the Atlantic).
+ NOAA also continued to monitor sea height through a network of
+buoys and tide gauges, collecting information critical to understanding
+the time of arrival and the height of tsunami waves. In 2006, NOAA
+completed the installation of eight new National Water Level
+Observation Network (NWLON) stations to fill gaps in the detection
+network, bringing the two-year total to 15. The 15 stations were
+installed in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and
+the Virgin Islands. These and other new stations brought the NWLON to
+200 stations by the end of calendar year 2006. In addition, NOAA
+continued to upgrade the entire NWLON to real-time status by replacing
+over 50 data collection platforms.
+
+Red Tide Monitoring Protects Human Health and Coastal Economics in New
+ England
+
+ In the wake of the 2005 New England red tide crisis that forced the
+closure of most shell fisheries in the region, NOAA provided additional
+emergency funding in 2006 to provide timely and critical information to
+state managers to build upon long-term research supported by the
+Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Bloom, and Monitoring and
+Event Response for Harmful Algal Bloom programs at the Woods Hole
+Oceanographic Institution, as well as other partner institutions. In
+the spring of 2006, NOAA-sponsored monitoring detected rapid
+escalations of the bloom, which subsequently closed shell fisheries in
+Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Additional NOAA efforts allowed
+New England managers to make more strategic sampling and shellfish bed
+closures/openings to protect human health and minimize the economic
+impacts of harmful algal blooms.
+
+National Estuarine Research Reserve System Adds 27th Reserve
+
+ On May 6, 2006, Commerce and Congressional officials dedicated the
+newest site in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System in Port
+Aransas, TX, bring the total to 27 reserves. This new reserve
+introduces a new biogeographic area type into the system, and adds
+185,708 acres of public and private land and water. The reserves are
+federal-State partnerships, where NOAA provides national program
+guidance and operational funding. These reserves serve as living
+laboratories for scientists and provide science-based educational
+programs for students and the public.
+
+Wide Application Potential of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Demonstrated
+
+ In 2006, NOAA worked with federal and private sector partners to
+successfully demonstrate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) technology.
+NOAA is interested in UAS as a tool to explore and gather data to help
+us reach new heights in our ability to understand and predict the world
+in which we live. Use of UAS could help NOAA achieve our mission goals
+and provide cost-effective means to: enforce regulations over NOAA's
+National Marine Sanctuaries, conduct long endurance flights for
+weather, conduct research over areas that pose significant risks to
+pilots, validate satellite measurements, provide counts of marine
+mammal populations, monitor atmospheric composition and climate, and
+hover above hurricanes and gather critical data for input into
+hurricane models. NOAA will continue to examine how UAS can assist in
+the collection of environmental data.
+
+Protecting Habitat Essential to Fish
+
+ In 2006, over 500,000 square miles of U.S. Pacific Ocean habitats
+were protected from damage by fishing practices, particularly bottom-
+trawling. Combined, these areas are more than three times the size of
+all U.S. national parks. The historic protections, implemented by NOAA
+with the support and advice of the regional fishery management
+councils, fishing industry, and environmental groups, made the
+protection of essential fish habitat and deep coral and sponge
+assemblages a significant part of management efforts to conserve
+fisheries in the Pacific Ocean.
+
+NOAA Continues Efforts to Assist with Gulf Coast Recovery Following
+ 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
+
+ In addition to providing the forecasts and immediate response
+assistance in 2005, following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, NOAA has
+continued to assist with Gulf Coast recovery efforts in FY 2006.
+ NOAA ships and aircraft provided critical response and recovery
+capabilities in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. NOAA Ship
+THOMAS JEFFERSON completed obstruction surveys in the Gulf of Mexico so
+that busy ports and shipping lanes could be re-opened to traffic.
+NOAA's Citation aircraft flew post-storm damage assessment surveys
+along the coasts of the Gulf States. This imagery was downloaded on the
+NOAA website, enabling emergency managers, local officials and average
+citizens to inventory damage and prioritize recovery efforts.
+ NOAA mounted a multi-pronged effort to address fishery-related
+impacts in the Gulf of Mexico in FY 2006. In August, 2006, NOAA awarded
+$128 million to the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission to reseed
+and restore oyster beds and conduct fisheries monitoring in the Gulf.
+In addition, NOAA Ship NANCY FOSTER conducted a seafood contamination
+survey for NOAA Fisheries near the Mississippi Delta to spot potential
+safety issues. This research monitored the seafood coming in from the
+Gulf to ensure it was safe for public consumption (free of PCBs,
+pesticides, and fossil fuels).
+
+Collaboration Enables a NOAA Weather Radio to be Placed in Every Public
+ School in America
+
+ NOAA and the Departments of Homeland Security and Education worked
+to get 97,000 NOAA weather radios placed in every public school in
+America to aid in protecting our children from hazards, both natural
+and man-made. In many cases, local Weather Forecast Office staff
+provided expertise in programming the radios to select specific hazards
+and geographic areas for which the school wanted to be alerted. This
+multi-month effort required close collaboration between the Departments
+of Homeland Security, Education, and Commerce (NOAA). This effort
+enabled schools to connect to part of the Nation's Emergency Alert
+System and greatly increases environmental situational awareness and
+public safety.
+
+World Ocean Database 2005
+
+ NOAA's National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) released a major
+upgrade to its World Ocean Database product. World Ocean Database 2005
+(WOD05) is the largest collection of quality-controlled ocean profile
+data available internationally without restriction. All data are
+available on-line for public use. Data are available for 29 ocean
+variables, including plankton data. The database includes an additional
+900,000 temperature profiles not available in its predecessor. The
+database provides the ocean and climate science communities with
+research-quality ocean profile data sets that will be useful in
+describing physical, chemical and biological parameters in the ocean,
+over both time and space. This database is a crucial part of the
+Integrated Ocean Observing System and the Global Earth Observation
+System of Systems.
+
+New Arctic Observatory Established for Long-Term Climate Measurements
+
+ NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, in
+conjunction with our Canadian counterparts, established a research site
+located on Ellesmere Island to make long-term climate measurements of
+Arctic clouds and aerosols. This observatory supports NOAA's activities
+for the 2007-2008 International Polar Year.
+
+NOAA Scientists Identify Carbon Dioxide Threats to Marine Life
+
+ A report co-authored by NOAA research scientists documents how
+carbon dioxide is dramatically altering ocean chemistry and threatening
+the health of marine organisms. The research also uncovered new
+evidence of ocean acidification in the North Pacific. The report
+resulted from a workshop sponsored by NOAA, the National Science
+Foundation, and the U.S. Geological Survey.
+
+First Operational Satellite Products for Ocean Biology
+
+ In June, 2006, NOAA began to process and distribute ocean biology
+products for U.S. coastal waters, using satellite observations. This
+activity represents a successful transition of NASA research to NOAA
+operations. These products (e.g., chlorophyll concentration) represent
+the first satellite-derived biological products generated by NOAA for
+coastal and open ocean waters. These products are useful in detecting
+and monitoring harmful algal blooms, assessing regional water quality,
+and locating suitable habitat for fish and other important marine
+species. Development of these products prepares NOAA for generating and
+distributing ocean biology products in the global ocean after 2010.
+
+FY 2008 BUDGET REQUEST HIGHLIGHTS
+
+Supporting the U.S. Ocean Action Plan
+
+ Coastal and marine waters help support over 28 million jobs, and
+the value of the ocean economy to the United States is over $115
+billion. The commercial and recreational fishing industries alone add
+over $48 billion to the national economy each year. The FY 2008
+President's Budget requests $123 million in increases for NOAA to
+support the President's U.S. Ocean Action Plan. This oceans initiative
+includes $38 million to protect and restore marine and coastal areas,
+$25 million to ensure sustainable use of ocean resources, and $60
+million to advance ocean science and research.
+ New investments in ocean science are aimed at monitoring and better
+understanding marine ecosystems. Increased funding of $16 million is
+included for the Integrated Ocean Observing System to enhance models
+and information products through development of regional systems and
+improved data management and communications. A total increase of $20
+million is provided for NOAA research on four near-term priorities
+established through the national Ocean Research Priorities Plan. An
+additional $8 million will support exploring and defining areas of the
+continental shelf that are adjacent to, but currently outside of, U.S.
+jurisdiction. This work will enable a U.S. claim to these areas and the
+potential $1.2 trillion worth of resources they are estimated to
+contain.
+ The FY 2008 President's Budget builds on NOAA's strong record of
+investing in projects that embody the spirit of cooperative
+conservation. Projects to protect and restore valuable marine and
+coastal areas include funding of $8 million for enforcement and
+management activities in the recently designated Northwestern Hawaiian
+Islands Marine National Monument, and $10 million for a project to
+restore nearly 1,000 stream miles of habitat for endangered Atlantic
+salmon and other fish species. A total of $15 million is provided for
+the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program, to assist State
+and local partners in the purchase of high priority coastal or
+estuarine lands or conservation easements. Increased funding of $3
+million is also included to support Klamath River salmon recovery
+projects. Finally, an increase of $5 million will support competitive
+grant programs focused on the Gulf of Mexico Alliance coastal resource
+priorities, as identified in the Governors' Action Plan for Healthy and
+Resilient Coasts.
+ Finally, the FY 2008 NOAA budget provides support to ensure
+sustainable access to seafood through development of offshore
+aquaculture and better management of fish harvests. The Administration
+will propose legislation to establish clear regulatory authority and
+permitting processes for offshore aquaculture. An increase of $3
+million is included to establish the regulatory framework to encourage
+and facilitate development of environmentally sustainable commercial
+opportunities. In addition, $20 million in increases are provided to
+improve management of fish harvests, including $6.5 million in
+increases to implement the new and expanded requirements of the
+Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization
+Act of 2006, $3 million for observer programs, and $6 million for
+market-based approaches to fisheries management. Market-based
+approaches--such as Limited Access Privilege Programs (LAPPs) that
+provide exclusive privileges to harvest a quantity of fish--move
+fisheries management away from cumbersome and inefficient regulatory
+practices and have been shown to lead to lengthened fishing seasons,
+improved product quality, and safer conditions for fishermen. The
+Administration has set a goal of doubling the number of LAPPs in use by
+the year 2010, and the increased funding of $6 million for LAPPs in
+this request supports that goal. Finally, an additional $2 million in
+funding is provided to meet the management challenges of assessing and
+mitigating the impacts of sound from human activities, such as national
+defense readiness and energy exploration and development, on marine
+mammals.
+
+Sustaining Critical Operations
+
+ As always, I support NOAA's employees by requesting adequate
+funding for our people, infrastructure, and facilities. NOAA's core
+values are science, service, and stewardship, as well as people,
+ingenuity, integrity, excellence, and teamwork. Our ability to serve
+the Nation and accomplish the missions outlined below is determined by
+the quality of our people and the tools they employ. Our facilities,
+ships, aircraft, environmental satellites, data-processing systems,
+computing and communications systems, and our approach to management
+provide the foundation of support for all of our programs.
+Approximately $54.6 million in net increases will support our workforce
+inflation factors, including $44.9 million for salaries and benefits
+and $6.6 million for non-labor related adjustments such as fuel costs.
+ This year, we focus on the operations and maintenance of NOAA
+vessels and necessary enhancements to marine safety, facility repair,
+and modernization. A funding increase of $8.3 million will be used to
+support marine operations and equipment, including $5.6 million for new
+vessel operations and maintenance and $1.7 million to implement a more
+effective maritime staff rotation and safety enhancements. This funding
+will support the operations maintenance for the OKEANOS EXPLORER,
+NOAA's first dedicated Ocean Exploration vessel. Increased funding of
+$5.5 million will support operations and maintenance for NOAA's third
+P-3 aircraft. NOAA is also moving forward this year with increases in
+funding for unmanned vehicles, with $0.7 million in support of
+Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) and an increase of $3 million in
+funding to support the further use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
+With this increase, NOAA will evaluate the benefits and potential of
+using UAS to collect data crucial for climate models, weather research,
+fisheries enforcement, and coastal zone studies.
+ The backbone of the NOAA infrastructure is our integrated Earth
+observation effort. NOAA, NASA and the Office of Science and Technology
+Policy (OSTP) serve as the lead agencies for the Federal Government in
+developing our U.S. integrated Earth observing strategy. In addition, I
+serve as one of four intergovernmental co-chairs of the effort to
+develop the Global Earth Observation System of Systems. Building and
+maintaining state of the art satellite programs is an important
+component of NOAA's integrated observation efforts. An increase of $25
+million in the Polar Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) program
+continues support for development and acquisition of polar-orbiting
+weather satellites to improve weather forecasting and our understanding
+of the climate. This increase will allow NOAA to complete acquisition
+of this series of polar satellites and install and maintain instruments
+important to U.S. Government interests on the European MetOp partner
+satellite. Following the completion of the POES program, it will be
+replaced by the tri-agency National Polar-orbiting Operational
+Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS). This transition is expected in
+2013. We will continue to partner with the Europeans on their MetOp
+satellite as NPOESS replaces our current POES satellites.
+
+Improving Weather Warnings & Forecasts
+
+ Severe weather events cause $11 billion in damages and
+approximately 7,000 weather-related fatalities yearly in the United
+States. Nearly one-third of the economy is sensitive to weather and
+climate. Realizing this, NOAA seeks to provide decision makers with key
+observations, analyses, predictions, and warnings for a variety of
+weather and water conditions to help protect the health, lives, and
+property of the United States and enhance its economy. Increased
+funding of $2 million will accelerate research to improve hurricane
+intensity forecasts through targeted research for new models and
+observations. Another $3 million will support the operations and
+maintenance of 15 hurricane data buoys in the Caribbean, Gulf of
+Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean. Finally, NOAA continues to strengthen
+the U.S. Tsunami Warning Program with an increase of $1.7 million to
+deploy additional deep ocean buoy (DART) stations. Strengthening the
+U.S. Tsunami Warning Program provides effective, community-based
+tsunami hazard mitigation actions including required inundation flood
+mapping, modeling, forecasting efforts and evacuation mapping, and
+community-based public education/awareness/preparedness for all U.S.
+communities at risk.
+
+Climate Monitoring & Research
+
+ Society exists in a highly variable climate system, and major
+climatic events can impose serious consequences on society. The FY 2008
+Budget Request contains investments in several programs aimed at
+increasing our predictive capability, enabling NOAA to provide our
+customers (farmers, utilities, land managers, weather risk industry,
+fisheries resource managers and decision makers) with assessments of
+current and future impacts of climate events such as droughts, floods,
+and trends in extreme climate events. NOAA is building a suite of
+information, products and services to enable society to understand,
+predict, and respond to changing climate conditions. These activities
+are part of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and are being
+conducted in collaboration and coordination with our important
+interagency partners including NASA, NSF, and the Department of Energy.
+We will continue to expand and improve access to global oceanic and
+atmospheric data sets for improved climate prediction and development
+of climate change indicators. NOAA will support the critical National
+Integrated Drought Information System with increases of $4.4 million to
+develop an integrated drought early warning and forecast system to
+provide earlier and more accurate forecasts of drought conditions. This
+request also supports the Administration's efforts to create a U.S.
+Integrated Earth Observation System. With an increase of $0.9 million,
+we will support research on water vapor to refine climate models. In
+support of the Ocean Research Priorities Plan, NOAA will enhance our
+understanding of the link between ocean currents and rapid climate
+change with an increase of $5 million in support of research on this
+topic. Finally, an additional $1 million in funding will provide
+additional computational support for assessing abrupt climate change.
+
+Critical Facilities Investments
+
+ The FY 2008 President's Budget Request also includes important
+increases for critical facilities, necessary to provide a safe and
+effective working environment for NOAA's employees.
+ Of particular importance this year is the $3 million funding
+increase to begin design of a replacement facility at the La Jolla
+Southwest Fisheries Science Center. NOAA is also requesting $20.3
+million for continued construction of the new Pacific Region Center on
+Ford Island in Honolulu, Hawaii. This increase in funding will allow
+NOAA to complete the exterior renovation of one of the Ford Island
+buildings, a crucial next step in the construction process.
+
+CONCLUSION
+
+ NOAA's FY 2008 Budget Request provides essential new investments in
+our priority areas while maintaining critical services, reflecting
+NOAA's vision, mission, and core values. The work NOAA accomplished in
+2006 impacted every U.S. citizen. We will build on our successes from
+last year, and stand ready to meet the challenges that will surface in
+FY 2008 and beyond. NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security
+and national safety through research and accurate prediction of weather
+and climate-related events, and to providing environmental stewardship
+of our nation's coastal and marine resources. That concludes my
+statement, Madam Chairwoman. Thank you for the opportunity to present
+NOAA's FY 2008 Budget Request. I am happy to respond to any questions
+the Committee may have.
+
+ Biography for Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr.
+ A native of Philadelphia, Pa., retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C.
+Lautenbacher, Ph.D., is serving as the Under Secretary of Commerce for
+Oceans and Atmosphere. He was appointed Dec. 19, 2001. Along with this
+title comes the added distinction of serving as the eighth
+Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
+He holds an M.S. and Ph.D. from Harvard University in applied
+mathematics.
+ Lautenbacher oversees the day-to-day functions of NOAA, as well as
+laying out its strategic and operational future. The agency manages an
+annual budget of $4 billion. The agency includes, and is comprised of,
+the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Services;
+National Marine Fisheries Service; National Ocean Service; National
+Weather Service; Oceanic and Atmospheric Research; Marine and Aviation
+Operations; and the NOAA Corps, the Nation's seventh uniformed service.
+He directed an extensive review and reorganization of the NOAA
+corporate structure to meet the environmental challenges of the 21st
+century.
+ As the NOAA Administrator, Lautenbacher spearheaded the first-ever
+Earth Observation Summit, which hosted ministerial-level representation
+from several dozen of the world's nations in Washington July 2003.
+Through subsequent international summits and working groups, he worked
+to encourage world scientific and policy leaders to work toward a
+common goal of building a sustained Global Earth Observation System of
+Systems (GEOSS) that would collect and disseminate data, information
+and models to stakeholders and decision-makers for the benefit of all
+nations individually and the world community collectively. The effort
+culminated in an agreement for a 10-year implementation plan for GEOSS
+reached by the 55 member countries of the Group on Earth Observations
+at the Third Observation Summit held in Brussels February 2005.
+ He also has headed numerous delegations at international
+governmental summits and conferences around the world, including the
+U.S. delegation to 2002 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Ocean
+Ministerial Meeting in Korea, and 2002 and 2003 meetings of the World
+Meteorological Organization and Intergovernmental Oceanographic
+Commission in Switzerland and France, as well as leading the Commerce
+delegation to the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in South
+Africa.
+ Before joining NOAA, Lautenbacher formed his own management
+consultant business, and worked principally for Technology, Strategies
+& Alliances Inc. He was president and CEO of the Consortium for
+Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE). This not-for-profit
+organization has a membership of 76 institutions of higher learning and
+a mission to increase basic knowledge and public support across the
+spectrum of ocean sciences.
+ Lautenbacher is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy (Class of
+1964), and has won accolades for his performance in a broad range of
+operational, command and staff positions both ashore and afloat. He
+retired after 40 years of service in the Navy. His military career was
+marked by skilled fiscal management and significant improvements in
+operations through performance-based evaluations of processes.
+ During his time in the Navy, he was selected as a Federal Executive
+Fellow and served at the Brookings Institution. He served as a guest
+lecturer on numerous occasions at the Naval War College, the Army War
+College, the Air War College, The Fletcher School of Diplomacy, and the
+components of the National Defense University.
+ His Navy experience includes tours as Commanding Officer of USS
+HEWITT (DD-966), Commander Naval Station Norfolk; Commander of Cruiser-
+Destroyer Group Five with additional duties as Commander U.S. Naval
+Forces Central Command Riyadh during Operations Desert Shield and
+Desert Storm, where he was in charge of Navy planning and participation
+in the air campaign. As Commander U.S. Third Fleet, he introduced joint
+training to the Pacific with the initiation of the first West Coast
+Joint Task Force Training Exercises (JTFEXs).
+ A leader in the introduction of cutting-edge information
+technology, he pioneered the use of information technology to mount
+large-scale operations using sea-based command and control. As
+Assistant for Strategy with the Chief of Naval Operations Executive
+Panel, and Program Planning Branch Head in the Navy Program Planning
+Directorate, he continued to hone his analytic skills resulting in
+designation as a specialist both in Operations Analysis and Financial
+Management. During his final tour of duty, he served as Deputy Chief of
+Naval Operations (Resources, Warfare Requirements and Assessments) in
+charge of Navy programs and budget.
+ Lautenbacher lives in Northern Virginia with his wife Susan who is
+a life-long high school and middle school science teacher.
+
+ Chairman Lampson. Thank you, Admiral Lautenbacher. I would
+now call on Dr. Pietrafesa.
+
+ STATEMENT OF DR. LEN PIETRAFESA, ASSOCIATE DEAN, OFFICE OF
+EXTERNAL AFFAIRS; PROFESSOR OF OCEAN AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES,
+ COLLEGE OF PHYSICAL AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES, NORTH CAROLINA
+ STATE UNIVERSITY
+
+ Dr. Pietrafesa Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Inglis,
+thank you for this opportunity to participate in this hearing
+regarding NOAA and its budget proposal for fiscal year 2008.
+ Today I am appearing on behalf of the Friends of NOAA
+Coalition consisting of over 40 very diverse entities, all NOAA
+stakeholders. A copy of a letter sent by the Friends Coalition
+to this committee in support of an adequate budget for NOAA for
+fiscal year 2008 is attached to my testimony.
+ At the $4.5 billion level, which is $15 per American
+annually, NOAA would be able to better serve our nation. The
+American people need and deserve the most comprehensive,
+objective, accurate, and timely environmental information
+possible. The value of these services to the Nation, save for
+D-Day, has never been greater.
+ What is the broad brush economic importance of NOAA to the
+Nation? Department of Commerce statistics show that weather and
+climate sensitive industries account for more than one-third of
+the Nation's GDP. Seventy-five percent of the Nation's gross
+State product comes from the coastal States, and 50 percent of
+the Nation's economy derives from the coastal counties where
+NOAA roles support the significant economic activities.
+Annually there are 1.5 million highway accidents, and 700,000
+deaths that are weather related. $4.5 billion is lost annually
+just due to weather-related air traffic delays such as the
+3,600 canceled flights this past weekend. Investments in road
+and aviation, weather infrastructure, and research would
+greatly reduce these numbers and economic impacts.
+ Total annual federal spending for weather information is
+about $25 per household. Aquaculture represents a $1 billion a
+year industry for U.S. fish farmers and $6 billion per year in
+retail sales. Yet, we presently import 80 percent of the fish
+we consume. As the Nation's appetite for seafood grows, the
+U.S. will need an additional $4.5 billion pounds per year. Here
+NOAA must lead this effort.
+ The recently released NRC report, the Decadal Survey,
+points out that the U.S. Earth integrated observation
+capability is lacking and puts our nation's global economic
+competitiveness at risk. Lloyds of London has stated that we
+cannot afford to deny climate trends that may likely lead to
+$100 billion individual mega catastrophes in insured losses and
+that U.S. environmental observing assets and products that
+should be provided are crucial and critical to avoiding these
+industry-threatening costs. Long-term sustained aid is needed
+to quantify climate trends. Here the NOAA National Climatic
+Data Center's archive of data and information is critical for
+all federal agencies and for its huge economic worth to
+industry.
+ But chronic under funding prevents us from capitalizing on
+new advances in knowledge, new technology, and innovative
+ideas; and in this context, disarray and delay in developing
+our Earth-observing systems makes no sense to me.
+ The cost of an integrated ocean observing system that
+builds on the essential federal monitoring backbone in the
+coastal waters, including the Great Lakes, will be $250 million
+a year. But the value to the Nation of greatly improved
+forecasts, including ecological, will be in the many billions,
+tens of billions of dollars per year.
+ I, along with the Pew Commission, the U.S. Commission on
+Ocean Policy and many members of the Friends Coalition, believe
+that an organic act would significantly strengthen NOAA. A
+comprehensive NOAA Organic Act should address the following key
+issues: management; assessment, production, operations and
+applications; and research with external partners and
+educational engagement of the public. As this committee knows,
+the idea of making NOAA into an independent agency is not new
+and is controversial. But OMB should assess the NOAA budget in
+the context of other major agencies and departments within its
+natural resource programs directorate. In this context, the
+linkages that exist between NOAA and NASA and NSF must be
+acknowledged and understood. Enactment of a NOAA Organic Act
+provides a useful forum for the consideration of such a
+proposal.
+ In conclusion, the Friends of NOAA Coalition appreciates
+the severe budgetary constraints under which the Congress is
+working. However, we believe that the case for the NOAA budget
+is so compelling that we urge the Congress to support an
+appropriation of at least $4.5 billion and to support the
+legislation which would codify and strengthen the agency. The
+Friends Coalition is deeply grateful for the opportunity to
+participate in this hearing, and I would be happy to respond to
+any question you and the Members of the Committee might have.
+ Thank you.
+ [The prepared statement of Dr. Pietrafesa follows:]
+ Prepared Statement of Len Pietrafesa
+ Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee--thank you for this
+opportunity to participate in this hearing regarding the National
+Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its budget proposal
+for fiscal year 2008.
+ My name is Len Pietrafesa. I am a Professor of Ocean and
+Atmospheric Sciences and an Associate Dean at North Carolina State
+University. I am the immediate past chair of the NOAA Science Advisory
+Board, a member of the Board of Trustees of the University Corporation
+for Atmospheric Research and have been a Governor on the Board of the
+Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education, Chair of the
+National Council on Ocean Affairs and Chair of the National Association
+of State Universities and Land Grant College Board on Oceans and
+Atmosphere.
+ Today, I am appearing on behalf of the Friends of NOAA Coalition.
+The Coalition consists of over 40 different organizations,
+institutions, and groups from the academic community, the environmental
+community and the private sector, including such organizations as the
+Shipbuilders Council of America, the Consortium for Oceanographic
+Research and Education, the Reinsurance Association of America, the
+National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, the Joint Ocean Commission
+Initiative, the Alliance for Earth Observations, the University
+Corporation for Atmospheric Research, the National Association of
+Marine Laboratories, the Red Cross and The Weather Channel--just to
+name a few. Diverse though they are, each one of these organizations
+believes strongly in the effectiveness of NOAA and benefits from the
+products and services provided by the agency. I have attached to my
+testimony a copy of a recent letter sent by the Friends of NOAA
+Coalition to this and other Committees in support of an adequate budget
+for NOAA for FY 2008 (Attachment I).
+ The Coalition was formed last year to educate and inform policy-
+makers and the public about the important role NOAA plays as a supplier
+of environmental data and information products, as the world's greatest
+environmental data archiving agency, as a provider of environmental
+stewardship services, and as a leader in facilitating the conduct and
+integration of scientific research in support of the agency's critical
+missions. These missions are: to operationally, routinely forecast
+atmospheric, marine, space, aviation and road weather and climate, to
+understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment and to
+conserve and manage hydrologic, coastal and marine resources to meet
+our nation's economic, social and environmental needs.
+ The services, products and research results provided by NOAA--from
+forecasting the weather to predicting coastal hazards to monitoring and
+anticipating solar disruptions of communications on Earth, to
+recognizing climate variability and forecasting climate, and from
+managing drought and wildfires and fisheries, to ensuring safe and
+healthy seafood, providing access to navigational information and vital
+community assistance and by facilitating scientific research that
+improves operations and applications--touch the lives of every American
+and every facet of our economy. If funded at the $4.5 billion level
+($15 per person annually) as recommended by the House Oceans Caucus and
+this Coalition, NOAA would be able to continue serving the extensive
+and varied interests and needs of our nation. The American people need
+and deserve the most comprehensive and timely environmental information
+possible. The value of objective, timely, and accurate environmental
+information (save for D-Day) has never been greater.
+ Significant events in recent years--the devastating tsunami
+following the Southeast Asian earthquake in 2004, the extent and
+ferocity of the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, and the persistence
+and impact of the prolonged drought in the western United States--all
+underscore the importance of NOAA's mission to the Nation and the
+world. NOAA's National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center
+issued its forecast for Hurricane Katrina in a very timely manner--a
+forecast that probably saved many tens of thousands of lives. Moreover,
+it is the integration of NOAA's wide range of activities that allowed
+the agency to deliver such valuable life-saving services and
+information to our citizens. This integrated system includes satellites
+in space, buoys at sea, coastal and ocean observatories, weather
+stations found in every state of the Nation with a national radar
+network that is the envy of the world, and the people who provide life
+saving information to those with responsibility for the public's safety
+at State and local levels.
+ A wide variety of government agencies, professional and community
+organizations, and private industry have a vested interest in NOAA's
+ability to meet its mission. Each has its respective role in being
+responsive and effective in serving the Nation's needs for economic
+strength, environmental vitality, and human health and thus relies on
+services from NOAA. As an agency, NOAA has responsibilities for
+maintaining and improving the viability of marine and coastal
+ecosystems, for delivering valuable weather, climate, and water
+information and services, for understanding the science and
+consequences of climate change, and for supporting and enhancing the
+global commerce and transportation upon which we all depend. To do so
+successfully in today's ever changing world, it must have strong
+Presidential and Congressional support and work in concert with its
+partners and stakeholders in Federal, State, and local governments and
+private organizations.
+
+The Importance of NOAA to the Nation
+
+ Let me paint a picture of the economic importance of NOAA to the
+Nation, garnering high returns and greatly reducing losses relative to
+the overall investment in the agency. According to statistics published
+by the Department of Commerce last spring, weather and climate
+sensitive industries, both directly and indirectly, account for about
+one-third of the Nation's GDP ranging from finance, insurance, and real
+estate to services, retail and wholesale trade and manufacturing.
+Industries directly impacted by atmospheric, space and marine weather
+such as agriculture, construction, air, highway and sea travel, energy
+distribution, and outdoor recreation account for nearly 10 percent of
+the Nation's GDP. Six billion dollars is lost annually in economic
+efficiencies as a result of air traffic delays, of which 70 percent is
+attributed to weather; such as the 3600 flights canceled this past
+Saturday due to the ice and snow storm that pummeled the Northeast.
+Approximately seven thousand five hundred deaths and 1.5 million
+highway accidents occur annually across the Nation that are weather
+related. Total annual federal spending for weather information is about
+$25 per household (including aviation and defense, in addition to
+NOAA), which produces an annual benefit-cost ratio of 4.4 to one for
+U.S. households alone or net national benefits of $8.8 billion a year.
+This does not include benefits in agriculture, transportation,
+construction or benefits to households in other countries that rely on
+weather information from the United States.
+ A report about to be issued (by the Centric Consulting Group of
+Savoy, IL) documents an assessment on the value of NOAA to various
+sectors of our society. Using temperature information from the National
+Climatic Data Center, the Homebuilders Association was able to adjust
+its building foundation depth code, resulting in an industry savings of
+$250 M/year. The value of data from GOES-R satellite sensors to the
+U.S. economy includes such sectors as aviation weather, the power
+industry, crop irrigation, recreational boating, tropical cyclone
+forecasting and thus emergency and health and risk management sectors.
+ NOAA's role as the primary management agency for our oceans and
+coasts also helps support the significant economic activity in these
+regions. Seventy-five percent of the Nation's Gross State Product came
+from the coastal states in 2003. Almost half of the national economy
+came from the coastal watershed counties, and more than one-third came
+from those counties in which states operate their Coastal Zone
+Management programs. The near shore area, which is four percent of the
+Nation's land, produces more than 11 percent of the Nation's economic
+output. The portion of the U.S. economy that depends directly on the
+ocean is also large, with 2.2 million people employed and $197 billion
+in output (gross state product) in 2003. Aquaculture represents a $1
+billion per year industry for fish farmers and produces $6 billion per
+year in retail food; yet the Nation is presently importing 80 percent
+of the fish it consumes. Overall, U.S. citizens consume about 16 pounds
+of seafood per capita per year (half the global average) and, as the
+population continues to grow, the U.S. will need to find another two
+million metric tons of high quality seafood each year at a value of
+about $2-8 billion per year. To address this need, by way of examples,
+research and outreach supported by the National Sea Grant College
+Program on Manila clams and blue mussels have resulted in new
+industries worth $19 million annually and a $25M annual hybrid striped
+bass aquaculture industry.
+ Estimates of the economic impacts of harmful algal blooms in the
+United States average $75 million annually. These impacts are the sum
+of different kinds of direct output impacts across four categories of
+effects: public health (divided between fish ciguatera and shellfish
+poisonings); commercial fishing; recreation and tourism; and monitoring
+and management costs. However, individual outbreaks can cause economic
+damage that exceeds the annual average. For example, outbreaks in the
+Chesapeake Bay in 1997 cost the Maryland seafood and recreational
+fishing industries almost $50 million in just a few months. Lost sales
+of shell fish in Maine and Massachusetts due to closures imposed as a
+consequence of 2005 harmful algal bloom were estimated to be $11
+million for the months of May through September. Invasive algal blooms
+along Maui's Kihei coast cause over $20 million in potential revenue
+lost each year to the State of Hawaii--including reductions in property
+value and rental income, and increased clean up costs.
+ NOAA can help mitigate these losses by funding the research
+necessary to uncover the conditions responsible for the blooms and then
+advise on how to eliminate them or how to anticipate them and take the
+necessary actions to reduce their impacts.
+
+Integrated Earth Observation Capabilities and Leadership
+
+ Integrated Earth observation capabilities are vital to American
+competitiveness. The recently released National Research Council (NRC)
+report, the Decadal Survey, helps us realize that the U.S. Earth
+observation capability is not keeping up with expectations and needs
+and puts our nation's global competitiveness is at risk. For example,
+preliminary estimates of the potential economic benefits from new
+investments in an Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) in U.S.
+waters range from $500 million to $1 billion per year, estimated
+largely in terms of increased economic activity and social surplus
+realized as a result of improved information about coastal marine
+conditions.
+ It is likely that this is a gross underestimate of the potential
+value of IOOS as the NOAA Science Advisory Board has issued the report
+Ocean Modeling which claims that interactively coupled atmospheric--
+ocean models with more real time air--sea data available to be
+assimilated into the models will greatly improve NOAA's ability to
+forecast the size, intensity and precipitation content of winter
+storms; such as dreaded Nor'easters which frequently impact the
+Nation's Capitol. The cost of an IOOS that builds out the essential
+federal monitoring backbone in the Nation's coastal waters, including
+the Great Lakes, could well be $250M/year in equipment, maintenance,
+ship and personnel costs. But what is the value to the Northeast from
+Charleston to Nova Scotia of greatly improved forecasts of the timing,
+amount and type of precipitation or of impending catastrophic storms in
+Barrow or the Great Lakes? It must be in the tens of billions per
+annum. Risk management requires investments in national infrastructure.
+ In a January 12, 2007, speech to the World Affairs Council, Lord
+Levene, Chairman of Lloyd's, provided a global insurer's perspective on
+catastrophe trends and climate change. He stated, ``We cannot risk
+being in denial on catastrophe trends. We can expect to see U.S. mega-
+catastrophes with 100 billion dollars insured losses soon. We urgently
+need a radical rethink of public policy, and to build the facts into
+our future planning.'' He added, ``The insurance industry will continue
+to play a vital role as enabler and rebuilder of the U.S. economy.''
+U.S. environmental observing assets and the products provided are
+critical to ensuring that insurance and other sectors have accurate and
+timely information.
+ Currently, the annual economic return to the U.S. economy
+associated with NOAA's El Nino Ocean observing and forecast system is
+between 13 and 26 percent, which is significantly higher than the
+Office of Management and Budget's 5.8 percent minimum rate of return
+specified for federal projects. To wit, we must have the global
+information infrastructure that is critical to our interconnected
+society. Comprehensive science information ensures that decisions will
+be made based on evidence rather than anecdotes. Long-term, sustained
+data is needed to document climate and identify trends. Without U.S.
+long-term climate data, the IPCC assessment would not have been
+possible.
+ Environmental sensors and remote observations improve our
+understanding and response to climate change and can help build
+enabling capacity to sustain U.S. competitiveness. Here again, in
+today's global, flat-Earth economy, innovation is the key to America's
+ability to prosper. The U.S. must stay at the forefront of Earth
+observation and geospatial technologies to better forecast and mitigate
+the impact of climate change, natural disasters and not only lead the
+competition but leave a more sustainable world for our children and
+their children. The motivations and aspirations of the next-generation
+workforce are being shaped today. We should be setting a long-range
+vision in place to encourage today's youth to pursue science, math,
+technology and engineering professions to assure future innovation and
+competitiveness. NOAA can aid and abet that process.
+ While satellites have been viewed as the panacea they are limited
+in their applications. As stated in the NRC report ``Satellite
+observations have spatial and temporal resolution limitations and hence
+do not alone provide a picture of the Earth system that is sufficient
+for understanding all of the key physical, chemical, and biological
+processes.'' Thus, we need a system of space, ground (in-situ),
+airborne and ocean-based (in-situ) sensors, both public and private,
+that can gather complementary information and can be integrated with a
+minimum of duplication. Our commitment today to technology and greater
+knowledge of the Earth would allow us to better protect life and
+property and create unprecedented opportunities to promote economic
+vitality. The right instruments and information systems enable our
+ability to make forecasts that help anticipate outbreaks of infectious
+disease, ensure adequate water availability and quality, or increase
+agricultural productivity. NOAA can aid and abet the build out of the
+required infrastructure.
+ The recommendations by the NRC Decadal Report would enable a global
+view of issues and activities. But a global view alone is not
+sufficient to make policy or decisions. We need researchers, geospatial
+modeling and analysis that integrate NOAA data. We should promote the
+use of established standards and protocols to assimilate data from
+multiple sensors and sources-including commercial providers, State and
+local governments, academia and international partners-and provide the
+data through user-friendly web portals. The NOAA NESDIS National
+Climatic Data Center is the Nation's archive of weather, climate,
+satellite, sea level, radar, precipitation, etc. data that are so
+critical to planning for all federal agencies, including the Department
+of Homeland Security and its Federal Emergency Management Agency, and
+private industry and academia. High quality, scrubbed, reliable data
+are available and can be used to conduct retrospectives and to develop
+disaster risk management based on physical, ecological and social
+sciences diagnostic assessments and prognostications. NOAA data is
+vital to this process.
+ The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, the Pew Commission, and the
+NRC Decadal report all call for increased funding to improve our
+current national Earth monitoring capability. While funding is
+important, what is also needed is clear federal leadership to address
+key questions such as: What is our national vision for Earth
+observations? How are requirements from the federal operational sector
+such as NOAA, USGS, USDA and EPA reflected in our research and
+development programs within NASA and NSF? Are requirements from the
+private sector being addressed? Leadership is essential to: protect
+these critical assets; develop a national Earth observation strategy to
+appropriately addresses climate change and other environmental
+challenges based on evidence over anecdote; assure economy and
+efficiency in agency plans and budgets; allow a smooth transition from
+research to operations to applications; improve U.S. land, atmospheric
+and oceanic -observing capabilities in equal priorities; improve
+capability and cooperation among government, private sector, academia,
+and non-governmental organizations; assure the much needed integration
+of our national and international Earth observation systems; and
+develop the products needed to make the best decisions for our country
+and future generations.
+ The NRC Decadal report recommends that the Office of Science and
+Technology Policy, in collaboration with the relevant agencies, and in
+consultation with the scientific community, should develop and
+implement a plan for achieving and sustaining global Earth
+observations. Then a single point of contact or lead agency--such as
+NOAA--should be designated to assure complementary rather than
+duplicative or fragmented effort for all operational aspects of Earth
+observation and analysis.
+
+Climate Change Science
+
+ Through their capacity to absorb and transport heat and carbon
+dioxide, oceans are key drivers of climate change processes. In
+addition, they are also undergoing significant short- and long-term
+change over both large and small areas as evidenced by the increasing
+acidification of the oceans, climatic shifts associated with El Nino,
+dramatic changes in the amount of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, rising
+sea level rise, and concern about possible abrupt climatic and
+ecological changes, particularly associated with shifts in ocean
+circulation.
+ Unfortunately, chronic under-funding of ocean and atmospheric
+science has prevented us from capitalizing on new technology and
+innovative ideas that would help address huge information gaps and
+significantly advance our understanding of atmospheric and ocean
+processes. Improved understanding of these processes will greatly
+enhance our ability to predict the economic and ecological
+ramifications associated with climate change. This information will be
+essential as Congress balances competing demands in the development of
+new national policies to minimize and adapt to climate changes in the
+coming years and decades.
+ NOAA can provide critical value to the deliberations concerning
+climate change by highlighting the importance of significantly
+improving our knowledge of ocean and atmospheric processes (physical,
+biological, chemical, geological) to provide decision makers with the
+information they need to make intelligent, economic and ecologically
+sound decisions--as well as the capacity to monitor these system to
+evaluate the effectiveness of any new policy mandates. The need to
+reduce our carbon emissions/footprint is important but so is the need
+to improve climate science and to pursue new management approaches to
+adapt to the inevitable environmental changes that will occur in the
+coming years and decades.
+ A recent example of the advances that have been made but of a lack
+of resources to continue the exceptional research results that have
+been developed derives form a NOAA sponsored university cooperative
+partnership called Climate and Weather Impacts on Society and the
+Environment (CWISE). One of the many new advances made is the ability
+to predict in April, the number of hurricanes that will make land fall
+for an upcoming hurricane season on the U.S. eastern seaboard and the
+Gulf of Mexico (as was done in 2006), allowing for advanced planning.
+Unfortunately the program will not be continued, apparently because of
+a lack of NOAA resources to support the next phase of
+ research which, within the next year, would have resulted in bi-
+state level forecasts, from Texas to Maine. How much value would this
+new information be to federal and State agencies, to offshore and
+coastal industries, to insurance and risk management companies and to
+society? This Committee has been out front in leading the fight for
+meeting the Nation's future scientific and technical workforce needs.
+But here, the funding for graduate students, who would be skilled in
+helping NOAA and society deal with future impacts of natural hazards,
+will be terminated and the students will not be allowed to finish their
+degrees.
+
+Stewardship and Environmental Stability
+
+ Beyond the economic benefits that NOAA provides to the Nation, many
+of its activities and duties help to maintain environmental stability,
+help to support human health, and help to enhance national security.
+The conservation and stewardship aspects of NOAA are vital to these
+many benefits provided by the agency. Some examples include:
+
+ NOAA works to preserve the Nation's living marine
+ resources by managing our fisheries and essential fish habitats
+ for safe and sustainable harvesting and consumption, by
+ protecting marine mammals under its jurisdiction, and by
+ helping to implement the Endangered Species Act;
+
+ NOAA protects our underwater treasures through the
+ National Marine Sanctuary System, which maintain, monitor, and
+ enhance the natural biodiversity, historical and cultural
+ heritage, and other unique qualities of these areas, while
+ enhancing public awareness, understanding, and stewardship
+ towards the marine environment; and
+
+ NOAA helps manage the Nation's coastal zones to
+ balance competing demands, maintains a national network of
+ monitoring programs that detect, quantify and forecast changes
+ in coastal environmental quality, and works to protect coastal
+ communities from the occurrence of disastrous oil and hazardous
+ material spills and limiting the effects of spills on coastal
+ resources that are vital to local economies.
+
+NOAA Organic Act
+
+ Many members of the Friends of NOAA Coalition believe that an
+organic act would be very useful to guide the continued development of
+the policies, priorities, and programs of NOAA. I would like to offer
+some suggestions on the issues to be addressed in the hope that
+Congress will move to enact an organic act for NOAA.
+ Both the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Commission
+argued strongly for an organic statute for NOAA. I believe such a bill
+would significantly strengthen the agency by providing a clear mandate
+from Congress to the Nation's lead civilian agency for oceans and
+atmosphere. The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative's recent report, From
+Sea to Shining Sea, also calls on Congress to codify and strengthen
+NOAA and thereby enhance its missions.
+ A comprehensive NOAA organic act should address the following key
+issues--
+
+ Management--including the management of ocean and
+ coastal areas and living and non-living marine resources,
+ including fisheries, ocean and coastal areas, vulnerable
+ species and habitats, and protection from pollution and
+ invasive species;
+
+ Assessment, prediction, and operations for
+ atmospheric, ocean, and coastal atmospheric environments,
+ including mapping and charting, satellite-based and in situ
+ data collection, implementation of the Integrated Ocean
+ Observing System, broadly based data information systems, and
+ climate and weather services and products; and
+
+ Research and education on all aspects of oceanic and
+ atmospheric resources, including a focus on the importance of
+ research and development, the use of scientifically valid
+ technical data throughout the agency and with external
+ partners, and promotion of educational activities at all levels
+ across the agency and with the public.
+
+ Within any NOAA organic act, beginning with a strengthened science
+program and a more service-oriented approach, NOAA should promote
+inclusiveness and a commitment to meaningful partnerships with other
+agencies, states, the private sector, and the academic community. Where
+partnerships are strong, each institution benefits from the strengths
+of the others and the tendency to duplicate similar expertise and
+functions are minimized.
+ Extramural partnerships were stressed in the recommendations from
+the NOAA Research Review Team's Review of the Organization and
+Management of Research in NOAA which said, among other things, ``NOAA
+cannot accomplish its goals without the extramural community,
+specifically the universities and institutions that represent the broad
+range of expertise and resources across the physical, biological, and
+social sciences. Moreover, there is the important issue of maintaining
+a scientific and technologically competent workforce in NOAA and that
+workforce is another `product' of the external research community.'' We
+urge Congress to provide explicit authority and guidance via a NOAA
+Organic Act that will emphasize the development of meaningful
+partnerships with NOAA's stakeholders and partners.
+
+NOAA, NASA, NSF and the Earth Sciences
+
+ No discussion about the role of NOAA is complete without
+recognizing the inextricable linkage that exists between NOAA, NASA and
+NSF. The importance of NOAA research and the unique niche that it fills
+vis-a-vis both NASA and NSF research is very important and is one of
+the areas that is always seemingly misunderstood when it comes to the
+vitally important issue of Earth-observing systems, and of the need for
+end-to end scientific research in support of operations, applications,
+and services needed by multiple sectors of society including private
+industry and society in general.
+ This committee has already heard from the co-chairs of the National
+Academy of Sciences panel that prepared the decadal survey entitled,
+Earth Science and Applications from Space: Urgent Needs and
+Opportunities to Serve the Nation. The panel's interim report made the
+following observations:
+
+ ``The current U.S. civilian Earth observing system centers on
+ the environmental satellites operated by NOAA; the atmosphere-,
+ biosphere-, ocean-, ice-, and land-observation satellites of
+ NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS); and the Landsat
+ satellites, which are operated by a cooperative arrangement
+ involving NASA, NOAA, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
+ Today, this system of environmental satellites is at risk of
+ collapse. Although NOAA plans to modernize and refresh its
+ weather satellites, NASA has no plan to replace its EOS
+ platforms after their nominal six-year lifetimes end (beginning
+ with the Terra satellite in 2005), and it has canceled,
+ descoped, or delayed at least six planned missions, including
+ the Landsat Data Continuity Mission.
+
+ ``. . .a substantial reduction in Earth observation programs
+ today will result in a loss of U.S. scientific and technical
+ capacity, which will decrease the competitiveness of the United
+ States internationally for years to come. U.S. leadership in
+ science, technology development, and societal applications
+ depends on sustaining competence across a broad range of
+ disciplines that include the Earth sciences.''
+
+ In January 2007, the National Academies released the final report
+of the Decadal Survey panel. In the final report, the panel reiterated
+the concerns about the Nation's system of environmental satellites
+being ``at risk of collapse.'' The final report states: ``In the short
+period since the publication of the Interim Report, budgetary
+constraints and programmatic difficulties at NASA and NOAA have greatly
+exacerbated this concern. At a time of unprecedented need, the Nation's
+Earth observation satellite programs, once the envy of the world, are
+in disarray.''
+ At a time when policy-makers worldwide are grappling with the
+important issue of climate change and global warming, allowing such
+disarray to develop in our Earth observing systems makes no sense to
+me. The Coalition supports the continued vigilance of this committee on
+this matter and urge the Administration and the Congress to provide the
+necessary support to move our Earth-observing systems forward rather
+than backward.
+
+An Independent NOAA
+
+ As this committee knows well, the idea of making NOAA into an
+independent agency is not new and remains a controversial proposal. At
+the very least, however, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
+could consider reviewing NOAA's budget within its natural resource
+programs directorate, rather than the general government programs
+directorate. This change would make it easier to reconcile NOAA's
+budget with those of the other major resource-oriented departments and
+agencies, all of which are reviewed as natural resource programs at
+OMB. Enactment of a NOAA Organic Act provides a useful forum for the
+consideration of such a proposal.
+
+Conclusion
+
+ The members of the Friends of NOAA Coalition appreciate the severe
+budgetary constraints under which the Congress is working. However, we
+also believe that NOAA and its partners directly contribute to the
+health, safety, and continued economic competitiveness of our country.
+Therefore, the Coalition urges the Congress to recognize the importance
+of NOAA--and the information it produces and services it provides--by
+fully supporting an appropriation of at least $4.5 billion (again, only
+about $15/American annually) and legislation to codify and strengthen
+the agency as the legislative and congressional budget processes go
+forward over the coming months.
+ On behalf of the dozens of organizations, companies, and
+universities that make up the Friends of NOAA Coalition, we are
+grateful for the opportunity to participate in this hearing. I would be
+happy to try to answer any questions you and the Members of the
+Committee might have.
+ Thank you.
+
+ [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
+
+ Biography for Len Pietrafesa
+ After receiving his Ph.D. in Geophysical Fluid Dynamics in 1973
+from the University of Washington, Dr. Len Pietrafesa joined the
+faculty at North Carolina State University and was made Full Professor
+(of Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences) in 1980. He served as the Head of the
+Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences for over 10 years
+and is presently the Associate Dean for External Affairs at the College
+of Physical and Mathematical Science. Dr. Pietrafesa's research and
+publications are diverse and include: estuary plume dynamics; coastal
+storm induced surge, flood and inundation forecasts; the interaction
+between the atmosphere and ocean in coastal storm genesis and
+intensification; interactive wave-current coupled modeling; the
+climatology of the frequency of occurrence and tracks of tropical; and
+the role of science in public policy. Recent foci are on the linkages
+between weather and climate and human disease, end to end modeling of
+physical through human systems and building a real time reporting
+coastal air-sea observing network offshore of the Carolinas in which
+data is assessed on the fly and assimilated into interactively coupled
+atmospheric-ocean models. He also discovered the mechanisms for the
+topographic deflection of the Gulf Stream at the Charleston Bump and
+the creation of the Charleston Trough, which he discovered and named,
+and coined the air-sea interaction term ``buoyancy stress.''
+ Dr. Pietrafesa is widely published (more than 180 publications) and
+his community service includes being Chair of the NOAA Science Advisory
+Board (eight years total on the Board, five years as the Chair); a
+member of the Board of Trustees of the University Corporation for
+Atmospheric Research (for six years); former Chair of the USA-Peoples
+Republic of China Steering Committee on Virtual Co-Laboratories; former
+Chair of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant
+Colleges Board on Oceans and Atmosphere and Vice Chair of the
+Commission on Environment, Food and Renewable Resource. He was also
+former Chair of the Council on Ocean Affairs, the precursor to the
+Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (an organization he
+helped form). As well as former Chair of the American Meteorology
+Society Educational Advisory Committee, and a member of the American
+Geophysical Union Committee on Public Affairs. He has chaired 25 Ph.D.
+and 25 M.Sc. committees and mentored 15 post-doctoral students. He has
+given written and oral testimony on capitol Hill to committees on
+science in both the House and the Senate regarding such topics as:
+``are we prepared as a nation for severe weather''; ``what were the
+three most important recommendations in the COPS report''; and ``is the
+academic community in support of the American Competitiveness
+Initiative.''
+
+ Discussion
+
+ National Weather Service Operations
+
+ Chairman Lampson. Thank you very much. Let us start in with
+the questioning. As I said before, we will go back and forth
+between each of the sides as normal. There is an old saying
+that we all know. If something is not broken, do not fix it.
+ With that thought in mind, what is the current status of
+NOAA's concept of operations plan for change in the
+configuration of local weather forecasting offices of the
+National Weather Service, Admiral?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. For the past couple of years,
+obviously to try to be as efficient as you possibly can with
+the taxpayer resources, we are looking for ways to be more
+efficient with services from our forecast offices. We have not
+fully fleshed out all of the ideas that I think are relevant in
+that area. We are looking at ways to deal with that, and
+basically the current idea is on hold while we look at ways to
+modify it or change it. But we are going to continue with the
+service that we have today and not make any changes until new
+ideas can be tested and be thoroughly vetted with our unions
+and our personnel.
+ Chairman Lampson. Are you looking at trying to achieve a
+cost savings in the Weather Service operations?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. We need to involve building new
+products. So when I talk about saving money, we are trying to
+figure out how to take care of some of the needs that we have
+that are not covered today by being able to be more efficient
+in the way we do business. I would like to prefer to say it
+that way.
+ Chairman Lampson. And I assume that is a yes?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. Well, we have a lot of need to
+provide climate forecasting, ecosystem forecasting, and
+extensions of our hazardous weather forecasts. So there is more
+that can be done, that needs to be done, as the Nation grows;
+and we need ways to be able to accommodate that within our
+program. So looking for ways to deliver that service in a more
+efficient way is one of the things that we are trying to work
+on.
+ Chairman Lampson. Has there been any effort to try to look
+at in terms of a percentage or dollar terms as to what kind of
+savings you might be interested in trying to achieve?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. Our target is to be more
+efficient but maintain the service that we have to date with
+room for more service. There is no target. There is no, you
+must save five percent, you must save 10 percent. We have found
+that in an area where you are providing 24-7 emergency coverage
+for the Nation is not the right way to go about delivering
+those services. Arbitrary cuts generally don't work.
+ Chairman Lampson. In the agency briefing to staff in
+January on the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) plan, General
+Johnson indicated that NOAA would ``demonstrate operability,
+performance, and effectiveness before committing to changes.''
+What activities are you planning to demonstrate operability,
+performance, and effectiveness?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. Well, right now they are looking
+at ways to set up a testing process. I haven't approved the
+final testing process yet, so I can't sit here and tell you
+exactly how that will be done, but we have to do a test in a
+way that is fair, that doesn't eliminate any service, and that
+goes along with the congressional advice on indications on what
+we should do with our spending. So we intend to honor those
+indications that we have from Congress.
+ Chairman Lampson. Is the agency planning to obtain comments
+from the outside community of the National Weather Service
+stakeholders', State and local emergency managers, for example,
+who rely on local forecasting office personnel for information
+and assistance?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. Absolutely. I run an active
+forum with our stakeholders as well as General Johnson, and any
+changes we make are always discussed with our stakeholders.
+ Chairman Lampson. Are NOAA's employees fully informed of
+the agency's plans and are they being included in the planning
+and demonstration of the proposed changes?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. Yes, they are and they will be.
+
+ National Polar Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite
+ System (NPOESS)
+
+ Chairman Lampson. This committee has been following the
+NPOESS program closely for years now, and it is well over
+budget and behind schedule.
+ The risk of a gap in our weather data is still quite high.
+The estimate for the procurement of the new geostationary
+satellite series is well-above the previous estimate, but there
+is no indication in this budget or in any recent budgets that
+the Administration has presented to this Congress that any
+adjustments are being made to accommodate the budget realities
+associated with the true cost of your satellite procurement
+programs. It looks like the administration's plan is to pass
+the bill for all of this onto the next administration. Even a
+small cost overrun by satellite procurement standards
+translates into significant amounts of money where NOAA's other
+programs are concerned.
+ Where are the additional funds that are needed to continue
+support for the existing essential programs at NOAA?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. The funding that is in our
+budget and that is projected, which we provided as Congress
+asked for the next five years, is the restructured NPOESS
+program. That represents a fully funded program that will
+deliver the Nunn-McCurdy Review Program which was briefed to
+the Committee. The numbers for this year that are there is 100
+percent of the funding that is needed to maintain this program
+on track and to minimize the risk, and the numbers that we have
+in the out years, 2009, 2010, are the projections. We intend to
+work hard to ensure that the funding remains on track and that
+the program that we brief to you will be delivered at this
+point on track; and I will fight for the funds to try to do
+that.
+ Chairman Lampson. Even in the outyears?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. Even in the outyears. I am a
+shameless advocate of these programs, and I will continue to
+fight to get what I think is right, sir.
+ Chairman Lampson. Thank you very much. I will now recognize
+the Ranking Member, Mr. Inglis, for five minutes.
+
+ Wildfire and Drought Warnings
+
+ Mr. Inglis. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We were talking about
+a number of things recently when you and I had an opportunity
+to get together, and I am particularly interested in wildfires
+and planning for droughts and how NOAA might be helpful in that
+way. Is that something that you currently do?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. Yes, we do. We are involved in
+providing warnings for wildfires. We use satellites to help us
+get the information where wildfires might be starting and then
+we use the atmospheric information that we get from the
+satellites as well as ground-based information to plot smoke
+plumes, and we provide tailored forecasts to firefighters on
+scene. And when there is a significant fire, we deploy what we
+call an I-MET, a well-trained meteorologist with a field
+computer receiving station right to the command post on-site in
+the firefighting to provide, which is the most important thing
+you can do for firefighters is to give them an idea what is
+happening locally with winds and precipitation and
+temperatures. That is what we do, and that is a normal service
+and we intend to try to make it better.
+ We are looking at doing better models, we are looking at
+improving the links with our satellites and the use of more
+information and working with the Department of Agriculture, the
+Forestry Service, and the other folks, the states and the local
+emergency managers. It is an important part of our mission.
+ Mr. Inglis. How about the long-range aspects of that? Any
+ability to predict a drought in this planting season, for
+example, such that it wouldn't be wise to plant somewhere
+because we see that this is coming? Are we that good or is that
+a ways away still?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. It is not far away, and thanks
+to the bill in Congress that you all helped pass last year, the
+NIDIS Bill, the Integrated Drought Information System is going
+to create a network that uses the federal networks as well as
+local networks, private networks, to build a much finer scale
+of information that can be brought in to produce models that
+will give us a much better handle on predicting the future. We
+believe that with the integrated ocean observing system that
+was just talked about in addition to the new sensors on
+satellites, that we will be able to do things like accurately
+forecasting seasonal conditions so that planting and crop
+rotation and management of livestock can be done on a much more
+economically sound basis taking into account environmental
+conditions. I believe that we are at the threshold of being
+able to do that.
+
+ Insufficient Funding Levels
+
+ Mr. Inglis. Dr. Pietrafesa, you testified I believe that
+the funding level you would recommend is $4.5 billion. As I
+understand it we are at $3.8 billion in this request. And
+climate change is obviously a significant topic around here. Do
+you think that the $3.8 billion is sufficient to have NOAA be
+gathering the information that we need or how do you think we
+will fare at the $3.8 billion level?
+ Dr. Pietrafesa. I don't believe we will fare very well and
+the reason is in various parts of NOAA, there are activities
+that will contribute to our better understanding of climate,
+but for lack of the distributed observing network, the global
+observing network that is required, let alone the observing
+network in the coastal areas of the United States, the Great
+Lakes, and even over land, we are lacking the data that is
+needed and the precision of the data, the resolution of the
+data that is really required to really detect climate signals.
+That said, our ability to archive and store the data and to
+scrub that data and make that data available in near-real time
+or real time to industry, to university, researchers, and to
+federal agency researchers and information providers is
+compromised because the budgets are so tight.
+ One of the issues that really challenged the Science
+Advisory Board was the fact that NOAA simply can't afford to
+invest as much money as we believe it could or it should rather
+into the data activity. And NOAA has made every effort to
+improve its data archiving and access facilities and
+capabilities, but they are just under capitalized in that area.
+Also, the assessments of those data require different kinds of
+mathematical methodologies, both deterministic and statistical
+and empirical. And that requires an investment not only in the
+computers to be able to analyze those massive data sets but to
+integrate those data sets with each other; and these are
+diverse, different but complementary data sets that need to be
+integrated if one is going to truly resolve what the
+relationships are between different climate factors and the
+weather delivery systems that evolve from these climate
+conditions. That takes people, it takes personnel, that takes
+extramural engagement, that is engagement of the extramural
+community, the university community, private industry, along
+with the NOAA scientists. And that is a considerable
+enterprise.
+ So just in the data area, if we saw another $25 to $50
+million that would go a long way towards improving the
+capability of the agency to deliver more timely climate
+information and better climate information, more advance
+climate information, and in fact to get into the downscaling
+and upscaling of the climate to weather models and vice versa.
+And these are not just weather models--it doesn't end with the
+weather models. It actually could move into the ecological
+area.
+ So one could anticipate ecological impacts from various
+climate conditions, along with socioeconomic impacts. The
+Science Advisory Board believes that it is entirely possible to
+go from physical phenomenon to socioeconomic impacts in a
+seamless way through some complex mathematics and assimilation
+of the data that NOAA has in its archives or should be and
+could be collecting in its archives were it not
+undercapitalized.
+ Chairman Lampson. The gentleman from Washington, the
+Chairman of the Research and Science Education Committee I'll
+recognize for five minutes.
+
+ Law Enforcement Capability
+
+ Mr. Baird. I thank the Chair. Thank you, Gentlemen. Being
+from Washington State we are obviously interested in NOAA's
+activities. Particularly I want to ask a question about the
+resources available. Almost by its nature, NOAA is going to
+have to spend a lot of time in the water. Do you have adequate
+resources and what sorts of resources do you need for two main
+missions, both enforcement and research?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. Those are fully loaded
+questions.
+ Mr. Baird. They are not meant to be loaded. I know they are
+broad.
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. No, no, they are broad. But
+enforcement, I believe that we have the right amount of money
+in our budget to be able to deal with enforcement, and what is
+important about our enforcement budget is that it leverages
+State assets and resources. Part of our budget is designed to
+have cooperative agreements with each of the States that bring
+their Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and DNR people in so
+we have seamless enforcement of our rules between the State
+waters and between the federal waters.
+ Mr. Baird. I have been told that some of your vessels are
+kind of aging to say the least and not up to the task of
+tracking down people who are violating our maritime laws. And
+that is really, on the enforcement side, that is the nature of
+my concern. We have got these wonderful sanctuaries or other
+zones of protection or just natural interest. Do you guys have
+the folks who can track somebody as an intruder? They spend
+time out in the region themselves, in the real world in the
+region, and then if somebody does intrude or violate laws,
+track them down. That is the essence what I am after.
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. I understand your question. The
+sanctuaries have small boats that they do use for enforcement
+activities inside the marine sanctuaries, which of course,
+there is a number on the West Coast. We try to recapitalize
+those boats with what we have. Obviously the fleet is aging,
+but we are able to each year replace a few and try to move on.
+We also use the cooperative agreements again. Fish and Wildlife
+helps us in places where we have adjoining types of preserves
+and national monument areas and national management areas. And
+the states help us as well. But in fact, it is difficult at
+times to maintain full coverage of all of our national marine
+sanctuaries. They have their large areas, and that is true.
+
+ Research Capability
+
+ Mr. Baird. The second question, in particular, Doctor, the
+research side, do we have the kinds of vessels we need. I
+remember talking to somebody a couple years ago, and the nature
+of the vessel--if they wanted to study an area, they weren't
+equipped to go overnight for a couple of days. And so they were
+having to go out, study during the day, and come back; and sort
+of common sense says, one, that is not the most economical way.
+If you have the seakeeping capacity and the berths and whatnot
+to spend a couple days there, you could save all that transit
+time, plus you are in the environment longer. You can do real-
+time continuous observation versus--anyway, any thoughts on
+that?
+ Dr. Pietrafesa. We have been able to in the last couple of
+years with some congressional help to provide some larger
+vessels. There is a new one now at the Monterey Bay Sanctuary
+that allows us to go overnight for several days and do the
+kinds of research activities that you've mentioned. I think
+this new boat is a good prototype for the future. We are
+looking as we can build the capital budgets to be able to put
+more of these in our sanctuaries, but they are an important
+adjunct to research.
+ Mr. Baird. Thank you. Admiral, Doctor, any comments on
+that?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. Yeah, I mentioned earlier the
+integrated ocean observing system, part of the deploying and
+maintaining and recovering and keeping the system alive is
+actually a research activity because the kinds of systems that
+have been deployed in the past are not necessarily real time
+but all of the NOAA assets have been real time. But some of the
+new observing systems are capable of observing for example wave
+spectra, that is, the propagation of waves and also tell you
+not just the amplitude of the waves but which way they are
+moving. And getting that data back in real time is a challenge
+because, you know, you are collecting data every half-second;
+and so you need wide band widths and you need to be able to
+talk to the instruments out in the ocean, so it has to be two-
+way communication.
+ But those sensors are still in developmental stages, and
+NOAA is going to have to develop a strategy to maintain those
+systems once they are shown to be very valuable, particularly
+in predicting things like riptides for example which take so
+many lives per year. And once they get into that game, they are
+going to have to be able to get back out there to service these
+instruments. It is not going to be an annual servicing but
+rather it may have to be every six months.
+ Mr. Baird. So that will need to be in the budget?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. That needs to be in the budget
+as well.
+
+ National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
+
+ Mr. Baird. Admiral, educate me. NMFS is part of your
+budget, correct?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. Yes, it is.
+ Mr. Baird. One of the challenges we face in the northwest
+has been with the listing of salmon steelhead, and those
+species. Permitting times are extraordinarily costly to our
+economy. I recognize the importance of your job in trying to do
+the environmental review process, but when we don't have enough
+personnel to move permits quickly, literally hundreds of
+millions of dollars and significant opportunity costs result.
+ So I would be interested first of all in your comments on
+your budget as it relates to personnel to process permits.
+Secondly I want to commend some of your folks in the district.
+We have really initiated, at my request, some collaborative
+efforts where NMFS works with Fish and Wildlife, Corps of
+Engineers works with EPA, as needed, and with State agencies to
+do simultaneous parallel processing of permits, to work on
+programmatic kinds of permits. Any comments either on that
+approach and/or personnel would be much appreciated.
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. Yes, sir. Thank you very much
+with recognizing the issues that we have with permitting. We
+have some additional money, not a lot, in this budget to help
+improve the permitting system and get a few more people on it.
+It is one of the issues that generally is not recognized as
+important in my view as it ought to be. I am a strong advocate
+for increasing resources in that area. Each year I try to do as
+much as I can to improve both in the marine mammal protection
+area as well as in the fishery permits and the consultations
+that we have to do for various other licensing that occurs for
+power dams and all that other thing.
+ I am a big fan of the streamlining and of simultaneous
+processes. We have tried to make strong bridging agreements
+with the Interior Department and local areas so we can do
+things simultaneously and try to improve, and EPA as well to
+try to improve it. I strongly support all efforts to make that
+a collaborative effort.
+ Mr. Baird. I appreciate that. I know my time has expired.
+The last comment I would make is I personally believe that
+investing in additional permitting personnel would vastly pay
+back the taxpayers in terms of expedited review process.
+ Chairman Lampson. I want to continue a little bit of what
+Mr. Baird was talking about, because while he is having a
+problem with salmon in one place, I am having a problem with
+red fish at another place. And I know how important rebuilding
+stocks are and it is a priority of the administration, but what
+has been requested, $3.96 billion is about 2.7 percent below
+the fiscal year 2006 appropriated funding including $795.9
+million for the National Marine Fishery Service, nearly $8
+million less than what was appropriated in fiscal year 2006.
+ So for the past year, I have been literally beaten up over
+concerns from the Texas Gulf Coast regarding stock assessments,
+especially like when it comes to red snapper. Now, there are
+commercial interest, there are recreational anglers which is a
+significant part of the economy there. In my district and in
+surrounding districts, along with commercial shrimpers, both
+shrimpers and commercial boats have experienced losses in
+recent years with some being literally forced out of business.
+One of the largest and most popular snapper fishing party boats
+just recently announced that he could no longer stay in
+business because of seasons and size restrictions. Anglers have
+to throw back catch that is deemed too small, and one of the
+problems with catching red snapper, which is a fish that goes
+at a very deep water, and if you pull a fish up very quickly as
+one does in fishing and you find out that it is not the right
+size and you have to release it, it is dead.
+ And so we are drawing a good resource. And that means that
+I get to catch more of those fish and pull them up and kill
+them as well. And if they are not the right size, then we throw
+them overboard as well.
+ So we got some serious problems here that have been
+discussed for a long time but don't seem to be reaching the
+point of solution. It results in higher mortality rates and
+consequently, lower stocks. And they are being forced to comply
+with shorter and shorter seasons which is supposed to help in
+rebuilding the stock but I am not convinced that it is.
+ Same question, is this budget request sufficient to perform
+the real research necessary to provide adequate stock
+assessment and management?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. A couple of comments. The
+Magnuson-Stevens Bill under which we manage fishery was just
+reauthorized by Congress last year. So it is a bill that
+includes actually stronger provisions in it to prevent over-
+fishing. The Administration has added another $6.5 million to
+try to accommodate the work that goes on. Some of that is to
+improve the amount of effort that goes into the science so that
+we don't have the debates on what is the right science for
+this.
+ Chairman Lampson. How does that fit with this which has
+been decreased?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. You were talking about the
+section of the National Marine Fishery Service budget, and I
+will point out to you that that is the area that was shall we
+say least reduced from the enacted level. It is almost at the
+same level as Congress had left it in fiscal year 2006. That
+area is not a big change. There are changes if you look
+across----
+ Chairman Lampson. $8 million?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. $8 million out of----
+ Chairman Lampson. $8 million less.
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher.--$800. $8 million out of $800,
+roughly. I mean that is the numbers you are looking at, I
+think, right? Around $790-something, $804? I haven't got it in
+front of me. The Fishery Service of all of our areas is closer
+to being what Congress authorized in previous years. None of
+our areas are up to the level as been pointed out by all of
+you, that we are roughly $100 million down from the enacted
+levels that we are working on this year with the continuing
+resolution, but these are increases over what the
+administration asked for last year. Again, I come before
+Congress with continued offers to work with Congress to make
+sure that the money is put in the right places, that together
+the Nation uses it as well as we can.
+ But we have added more money to help us with Magnuson-
+Stevens which is what you are----
+ Chairman Lampson. Okay.
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher.--commenting on.
+ Chairman Lampson. What about in working with other
+agencies, for example, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department,
+other States' agencies to increase the data collection efforts,
+especially when it comes to licensing of recreational anglers
+and tracking of charter boats. Additional work----
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. There is $3 million to try to
+improve that effort. We recognize that in the National Academy,
+we asked for a National Academy Report, that we need to have
+better information for recreational anglers, that it is
+obviously a major part of our economy and our coastal
+management issues.
+ Chairman Lampson. Would you like to make a comment on this,
+Dr. Pietrafesa? My time is expired, but I think it would be----
+ Dr. Pietrafesa. Sure. This is an area where I believe that
+investments would really be wise and would be very productive.
+As I said in my testimony, the U.S. appetite for seafood is
+such that we are going to need an additional 4.5 billion pounds
+to appear in our supermarkets over the very short term in the
+future. And I see that there are two approaches that could be
+taken. One is that we need to be investing in research that
+looks at the stocks, the strength of the stocks, also the year-
+class strengths of the recruits as relates to climate factors
+and weather conditions, you know, changes in precipitation,
+river discharge and the like, changes in how the loop current
+in your part of the world, how the transport of the loop
+current changes from year to year or even season to season. So
+that is how the wild stock varies as a function of naturally
+occurring phenomenon.
+ On the other side, we need research on creating new
+agricultural industries, and so if you are going to invest $3
+million a year in regulation, it seems to me that centers of
+excellence could be created at least on the order of $6
+million. At least initially that could be located at some key
+locations around the country where agriculture research could
+be done along with climatological weather, ecological research
+that could be done.
+ So one could take a look at the agriculture approach as
+well as the wild stock approach to better understand the
+natural system as well as growing and raising new stocks.
+ Chairman Lampson. I have a personal request, Admiral
+Lautenbacher, and that is you help me find some way that I can
+personally work with the folks in NMFS and see if we can't get
+them to better listen to the tens of thousands of sports
+fishermen who really know particularly the Western Gulf. My
+guess is that many know other areas of the Gulf of Mexico as
+well. But these people truly feel that they are not being heard
+or listened to by this agency. That is a personal request on my
+part, and I would be honored if you would work with me on that.
+ And at this time I will recognize Mr. Inglis.
+
+ Satellite Capability
+
+ Mr. Inglis. I thought you were going to ask him to help you
+identify where the big ones were, or that is what I thought.
+Admiral Lautenbacher, back to the climate change issue. Help me
+understand NOAA's role in all that the Federal Government is
+doing about climate change. I take it you have a fair amount of
+the responsibility for the work that is going on, right? NASA
+is also involved and spends a lot of money on satellites. How
+does that break down? Describe the role of NOAA as compared to
+other agencies that are doing other things?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. We have a very strong interest
+and a strong talent and skills to deal with climate issues. We
+are part of the government-wide Climate Change Science Program.
+In fact, one of our people is the leader of that program, Dr.
+Bill Brennan. We contribute across the full spectrum of climate
+services in general, from research up through products that our
+Weather Service puts out regularly for people which was
+mentioned a little earlier in our experimentation to be more
+efficient.
+ So we have the laboratories to do the modeling. The
+Princeton Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory's model is
+ranked in the top of the models that was used in the IPCC
+Report which just came out earlier in February. We have the
+satellites that are--some of the data is climate quality, a lot
+of it is not. We are at the verge of an era where we need to
+build more climate satellite instruments that provide the right
+kinds of accuracy for climate variables, but what we have NOAA
+provides and uses. We maintain the depository for all of our
+climate information at the Climate Data Center. Basically the
+Library of Congress for Scientific Information on Climate is
+maintained inside NOAA. We have the delivery service, weather
+forecast offices, to provide the products to the people, to the
+public, to emergency managers. So we have a, you might say,
+sort of a full-service range of activities that we are engaged
+in.
+ We also do assessments because of the impact of climate
+change on living marine resources and coastal resources where
+we have, you know, the legislation that requires us to maintain
+activities in those areas for fisheries as we just mentioned.
+ So we are a full-service climate organization. It is one of
+our strategic goals, climate change and planning and reacting
+to climate change for the future. I have organized the whole
+NOAA enterprise into four themes. We have one manager that
+manages climate services and deals with that whole arena. So we
+are very much engaged in it from A to Z.
+ Mr. Inglis. So for example in the satellites, do you pay
+for the satellites that you just mentioned?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. Yeah, we pay--I forgot to
+mention the NASA role. NASA builds the research satellites and
+really most of our climate satellites today are research
+satellites. And so they are a one-of-a-kind research instrument
+that has been put into place, and they are being used to
+further our climate records. NOAA operates and maintains the
+operational satellites. So we have a constellation of
+satellites that ranges from two in a geostationary orbit that
+are constantly looking at both coasts of the United States.
+That is good for hurricanes and severe weather.
+ And then we have polar orbiting satellites that have an
+orbit of 90-some minutes that circle the Earth and provide--
+they are much lower orbit. They are not 23,000, 22,000 miles,
+they are down at 500 miles or so; and they provide much of the
+data that goes into our models. So those are operational
+satellites. And the NPOESS program, which I talked about, is
+sort of the next generation polar orbiting satellite.
+ We are trying to move climate instruments from the research
+into operational, and that is part of the issue of the
+difficulty of building the NPOESS program, the risk involved in
+doing that. We have had to stretch out the movement of those
+instruments from NASA satellites to NOAA operational
+satellites.
+ Let me stop. Does that help?
+ Mr. Inglis. Who pays for the delivery of the satellites
+into space? Does NASA do that or do you have to pay them to do
+that?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. My part of the Commerce
+Department budget contains the money for the operational
+satellites. The research satellites--and we also use that data
+for weather forecasting--are operated and funded by NASA. So we
+feed off and need the Earth-observing part of NASA's budget to
+help us with our climate services and weather services
+delivery.
+ Mr. Inglis. Absent the plus-ups that you hope to get I
+guess as this goes through the process, without those, you do
+all right on the things you have just been describing or do
+those get tight as well as--I know the overhead is particularly
+tight without--in other words, the ability to pay staff is
+particularly difficult without those plus-ups, right?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. It is but let me say I support
+the President's budget, so we have tried to craft a budget
+which includes enough money for payroll raises for all of our
+people. And so my plea generally to Congress and certainly to
+the House has been support the President's budget. We generally
+have been reduced. The House mark has generally been reduced
+for NOAA, not increased. So that has been part of the dynamic
+that shapes our operating from year to year.
+ But the President's budget has been crafted. We have tried
+to craft a budget that will maintain the services with the
+right amount of inflation that funds this year's increment for
+these satellites at exactly what is needed, 100 percent; and
+again, I will fight for the money for next year and the next
+year, and I will keep going until we get these things in place.
+ We have also included, which I think is very important for
+this committee, in the 2007 budget, we have included $19
+million to help return climate sensors to the NPOESS program
+that we have had to stretch. Let us not say to the program
+itself but to find alternative ways if necessary, put them on
+other satellites, free-flying satellites, have other agreements
+with our international partners that launch satellites,
+commercial industries. So we are looking very hard, and there
+is money there to ensure that we don't lose any data continuity
+from the sensors that we have had to stretch out because of the
+NPOESS development difficulties.
+
+ International Collaboration
+
+ Mr. Inglis. You just mentioned something interesting, that
+is the international cooperation. I take it a fair amount of
+the information that you gather is shared with folks around the
+world? So actually it is in effect assistance to the rest of
+the world that we are providing with weather, is that right? I
+mean, do we freely share this information or is it available to
+the world-wide community?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. We do. We share the information
+and we have worked through the World Meteorological
+Organization for some 80 years to build a network around the
+world. It is an example for what I use for a global Earth-
+observing system of systems which we are also working on for
+more areas to be able to share the information because our
+weather comes from China and the Pacific Ocean. In fact, a
+number of years ago, the Europeans loaned us a satellite when
+we had one that had difficulty. We have helped the Japanese
+when their satellite went down with one of our older ones that
+was in orbit. So there is an international group that looks at
+trying to maintain a continuous constellation and weather
+information because everyone needs it, and we all benefit from
+it.
+ Mr. Inglis. How dominant are we in that area? I mean, in
+other words, does the world depend on us or are we depending on
+them or is it mutual or are we the big players or----
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. We are big players, obviously,
+because the United States is big player on everything. And so
+NOAA is a unique concept. The rest of the world has not caught
+up with the NOAA idea, yet which is bringing together Earth,
+atmospheric and ocean organizations together to provide the
+interdisciplinary information for climate change, for ecosystem
+management, for improving warnings, weather and warnings, and
+that sort of thing. But we are dominant in the sense that we
+are a large agency that brings together scientific disciplines
+in a way that other nations have not done yet. But quite
+frankly, we need other nations because we can't observe the
+weather over Russia the same way they can or with their
+geostationary satellite. So that international collaboration is
+very important and actually existed through the Cold War.
+ Mr. Inglis. So that is a constant updating kind of thing
+where we are constantly getting and sharing information,
+getting it and sharing it?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. It is constantly being sent to
+our data centers and then being made available through internet
+and high-speed lines. You can go and look at our center, and
+you can look at a composite of all the satellites, and I invite
+any of the Members to come over to our operations center. It is
+in Suitland. It is not far to go. It is an easy trip. You can
+look at a composite of all the geostationary satellite data in
+one shot, you can go to Europe at EUMETSAT and look at it in
+their headquarters, you can go to Japan, Meteorological in
+JAXA, their science space agency and see similar things. This
+is an extraordinary--when you look at all the other
+international problems we have, this is one that is very
+importantly consummated in the right direction.
+ Mr. Inglis. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
+ Chairman Lampson. You are welcome. Mr. Baird.
+
+ More on the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
+
+ Mr. Baird. Thank you. I want to go back if I may, Admiral,
+and I am not trying to put you on the spot, I am just trying to
+get some numbers actually. Do you have available the numbers in
+terms of where your budget for permitting personnel will be if
+it is broken down that way for this year versus the last
+couple----
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. We have line items that have
+that in there. I don't have that off the top of my head. I will
+be happy to provide you----
+ Mr. Baird. Could you?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher.--the sections where we do
+permitting and what the, you know, our budget loading is in
+those areas.
+ Mr. Baird. Right. That would be helpful. And related to
+that, how is that line item determined? I mean, does someone
+look and say, look, here is what an average human being--not an
+average but you have got exceptional people working for you--so
+an exceptional human being who is processing permits. This is
+what they can do, this is the permitting load as we see it now,
+this is the shortfall, this is the waiting list, this is the
+cost. Does somebody look at that?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. We do that and at the end, given
+the allocations that we have we have to make decisions on how
+much we can put in each of the areas that are worthwhile
+spending money on, and usually this area comes up each year as
+being one that needs and I add money to it.
+ Mr. Baird. That was part of my question. How important is
+this? I can tell you, back home it is very important and I am
+right there with you. I agree that money spent in this area is
+well worth the effort.
+ But my friend from Texas was talking about the issue of
+fish. We have some interesting harvest dynamics in our State.
+We spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year trying to
+restore enlisted salmon. And on their way back they get nailed
+by a host of harvest activities, some human, some non-human;
+but we have actually been working with NMFS on the issue of sea
+lion predation.
+ So we have got a marine mammal, which is not in danger in
+the case of California, the Sea Lion eating two to three
+percent, maybe more, of the return of one dam alone. Three
+percent of the returning endangered listed species, and we are
+working actually with NMFS out in the district to try to
+address that. We are also working with our sports fishermen
+back--I don't know if this applies to your species but there is
+a thing called survival boxes that net fisheries use so that
+when you bring a fish in and it is one of the listed fish, we
+actually clip the fins of the hatchery fish so we can
+distinguish a hatchery fish from a listed natural fish. And if
+you have caught a natural fish in your net--really, we don't
+use a net on the commercial or the troll fishery. If you caught
+a listed fish, you put it in a little box and the box has
+circulating cold oxygenated water and though they look dead
+when you put them in, they rally and have a remarkable survival
+rate after that. And I do not know if it would apply down where
+you are at, but it is a pretty astonishing thing to see.
+ Anyway, I just want to commend NMFS for working on that. I
+think this harvest issue in the Pacific Northwest as we look at
+salmon recovery, we are talking about the four H's as you know,
+Admiral.
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. Yes, sir.
+ Mr. Baird. We talk about habitat, hydro, hatcheries, and
+harvest. I think harvest has not been looked at enough, not to
+say that it hasn't been looked at, but common sense says if
+these fish have managed to survive the rigors of the ocean and
+they are coming back and they are laden with 2,000 or 3,000
+eggs and they are the ones that are going to reproduce and that
+is when we kill them or we let sea lions kill them, that is a
+pretty counterintuitive strategy. It would be like building a
+neonatal intensive care unit and putting snipers on the roof so
+nobody can get in.
+ If we do all these things to restore habitat, and we ask
+landowners and farmers and foresters and cities and governments
+to improve the cleanliness of our water, the temperature of our
+water, the quality of habitat which we do, and then we are not
+as discriminating as we can be in the harvest, then we are
+making a mistake. And I would like to work with you further on
+that. I hear folks out there have been very good to work with,
+but I just wanted to put that marker down. Anything you can do
+to continue to increase the personnel so that we have a--I
+guess at some point I don't expect you to do it here, I would
+like some target in mind of how long we think the average
+reasonable project from application to permit approval should
+we take and then ask the staffing levels of your entity, the
+Corps of Engineers predominantly, because it is really you two
+folks who tend to be--Fish and Wildlife a little bit--but to
+have some reasonable timeframe that we think we can tell our
+consumers this is how long it is going to take to get a permit
+so you can plan that and then hire staff and train staff and
+deploy staff accordingly. That is what I would like us to do,
+and then maybe we can have a dialogue about that.
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. I hear you and I will work with
+you, sir.
+ Mr. Baird. Thank you, Admiral.
+
+ Climate Change
+
+ Dr. Pietrafesa. Mr. Chairman, if I could actually respond
+to or make a comment about Mr. Inglis' question about climate.
+The Friends Coalition, which includes the Red Cross by the way,
+believes that greater investments in climate really need to be
+made. For example, the outbreak and spread of infectious
+diseases that affect human health is of great interest to the
+Friends Coalition. And this is an area where climate and
+weather delivery systems can play a very important role both in
+natural systems like outbreak of mosquitoes and the migration
+of birds that can carry diseases and the like. And NOAA is the
+agency that not only has the data archive that can be mined to
+look for some of these relationships, but NOAA has the national
+radar network that can actually track, you know, the migrations
+of birds and insects, believe it or not. That is data that
+actually contaminates the data that they need to use for winds
+and precipitation, but it actually may be useful for health and
+spreads of diseases.
+ So these are areas where NOAA has the capability and the
+capacity to actually contribute to climate, weather, human
+health but for which there is no funding presently. And you
+know, an investment of $25 to $50 million a year would begin
+that process. And NOAA is the agency that the Friends Coalition
+looks to for climate information, for climate data and
+information.
+ For example, I will turn to another area, sea level. NOAA
+has the repositories, and in fact, NOAA is the agency that has
+maintained the continuous time series of sea level back to the
+early 1900s around the coastal waters of the United States
+including the Great Lakes. And so those data really do
+establish the sea level rise, the sea level trend, and the sea
+level variability record which, believe it or not, if you don't
+know what those overall trends are and you don't know how
+changes in sea level occur from season to season, you can't
+even initialize a surge and inundation model properly, either
+off the North Carolina coast when a hurricane is bearing down
+or on the Texas coast.
+ So these climate activities that could be occurring within
+the agency are not because once again, the Friends Coalition
+believes that the agency is under capitalized.
+ Mr. Inglis. Or figure out whether a ship can make it under
+a bridge as we were talking the other day. By the way, I assure
+you that there are mosquitoes large enough in South Carolina to
+show up on radar.
+ Chairman Lampson. I can assure you they are in Texas as
+well. Before Mr. Baird left, I was going to make an offer to
+him that we each do a little research. He could come down and
+find out some of the problems that we face with some of the red
+snapper problems if he would in turn invite me to come out and
+find out what some of the problems are with those steelhead
+salmon.
+ Dr. Pietrafesa. We will be happy to do that, Mr. Chairman.
+
+ More on the NPOESS
+
+ Chairman Lampson. He might even enlist Mr. Diaz-Balart to
+prove that there are differences between Eastern Gulf and
+Western Gulf in the quality of fish. Let me go back if I may to
+a question about the restriction of NPOESS program. As a result
+of the Nunn-McCurdy restructuring, many sensors vital to
+monitoring weather and climate were eliminated. The weather
+quality data that will be collected from the remaining NPOESS
+sensors won't be precise enough to meet the needs of climate
+change monitoring and science.
+ You provided us with the January 2007 White Paper that NASA
+and NOAA prepared at the direction of Dr. Marburger, the
+Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. And
+you told the Committee last year that NPOESS would be built
+with the capacity to house all the sensors. The January 2007
+White Paper recommended that three sensors be restored to
+NPOESS. Are these sensors going to be restored?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. We have been able to, as I
+mentioned, the allocation within the 2007 budget to put one of
+the sensors back on the OMPS limb sensor, we believe we can put
+that back on right now. We have money to look at how to get the
+others on, but at this point we are still doing cost estimates
+and doing alternatives to be able to handle the replacement or
+the sustainment of the sensors that are mentioned in the study
+that you have that we turned in to Dr. Marburger.
+ Chairman Lampson. What level of funding is required to
+develop it?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. I don't have a precise number at
+this point for it.
+ Chairman Lampson. Could you speculate? Just give me an
+approximate.
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. But over a period of five or six
+years, it is probably a total of $300 or $400 million. I mean
+we are talking--and maybe more. But it is in the hundreds of
+millions, okay, to deal with this over a longer period, not in
+one budget, but it is cost-streamed over a period of time to
+get all of them back into some position, either on NPOESS or on
+another bus.
+ Chairman Lampson. Why would we not include a request for
+that in the 2008 budget, knowing that Congress has really
+pushed for this and wanted it to be done?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. I don't believe we have the
+fidelity to come up here and support nickel by nickel how that
+money would be spend and give you an honest plan that we would
+stand up and say this is going to work. We need to do the work
+we are doing now which is to provide alternatives and look at
+the cost of various--and have a good estimate, an independent
+cost estimate of what it would take to do this.
+ Chairman Lampson. Waiting three, four, five years? Think we
+will be able to have it?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. I plan to do it this year. We
+plan to have assets of alternatives in the next few months.
+ Chairman Lampson. But would we be able to have it almost
+certainly in the fiscal year 2009 budget?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. It is my goal to try to do that,
+yes.
+ Chairman Lampson. As we wait longer, what kind of estimate
+might you guess that it is going to cost additional because of
+the time differential and can we speed it up and save money?
+And would that be wise for us to do?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. I am all for speeding it up as
+quickly as possible. Part of the issue is to not incur the
+risk. The reason they are not on there today is not because we
+do not want the sensors or the data, it is because of the risk
+in building a satellite and having something that will work,
+that will pass the test, and will be launched on time.
+ So we have the issue of ensuring that we don't increase the
+risk to the program in terms of cost and schedule, and given
+that we meet that, then I absolutely agree that we should do it
+as efficiently and as rapidly as technically feasible. We
+should do it efficiently. I am all for it.
+
+ Water Monitoring Programs
+
+ Chairman Lampson. Okay. Let me just squeeze one more
+question in, and then I am going to turn this over to the
+Ranking Member on the Science Committee. Recently, and it has
+probably been two years, maybe two-and-a-half years ago, a
+tragic event occurred down in southeast Texas when a dentist
+was launching a boat I think in Galveston Bay and fell, scraped
+his leg and it got infected by an organism called Vibrio
+vulnificus. It is a bacteria. Lumped in together with other
+organisms, we consider it to be harmful algal bloom organisms
+and he died from that infection within about seven or eight
+days.
+ With respect to our water monitoring programs, are coastal
+waters monitored year round or are the monitoring programs
+restricted to particular times of the year, fishing seasons,
+peak recreation seasons when people are swimming?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. A lot of those monitoring
+systems are operated or connected to an EPA network, and I am
+really not the right guy to tell you exactly how that goes. But
+we, in NOAA, worry continuously about the health generally of
+harmful algal blooms and potentially other life-threatening
+organisms that live in the water. So we use satellites to help
+monitor the color, we have used our radars and our weather
+information, and we actually now put out harmful algal bloom
+forecasts for the Gulf of Mexico, for Florida, and we are
+looking to move that into the Texas area in this next year. We
+believe it is a very important area. There is $9 million for
+harmful algal blooms in our request, and we look to expand our
+ability to provide early warning and actually try to in the
+future pinpoint where they come from and do something to help
+mitigate them.
+ Chairman Lampson. It would be hugely----
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. Very important.
+ Chairman Lampson. A life-threatening situation.
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. It goes to what Dr. Pietrafesa
+mentioned about health and the atmosphere and the ocean. They
+are directly related.
+ Chairman Lampson. Very good. I will recognize Mr. Hall, the
+Ranking Member on the Science Committee. My friend from Texas.
+ Mr. Hall. That is the way it is when you are in the
+minority, nothing works.
+ Chairman Lampson. I knew that. I knew all about that.
+
+ New Programs
+
+ Mr. Hall. I thank you for working with us last year on the
+National Integrated Drought Information System Act. The NIDIS
+program authorized by that law is going to lessen the economic
+and environmental devastation caused by drought by equipping
+our farmers and water resource managers with the tools they
+need to prepare for and respond to drought situations. With
+improved monitoring and forecasting, our economy is going to be
+spared what we think to be billions of dollars in drought-
+related damages every day. NIDIS was a result of a close
+collaboration between NOAA and university scientists and State
+and natural resource managers. It is an excellent example how
+small investment in environmental monitoring and prediction, I
+think it is around $4 million in your fiscal year 2008 budget
+request, can have an enormous benefit to the Nation.
+ Do you have similar programs in the pipeline that would
+address other pressing needs? If so, describe a few of them.
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. First of all, let me thank you
+for your help and your work in passing the NIDIS bill. It was
+extremely valuable to us because we have been working with the
+western governors for a number of years on trying to build the
+kind of a program that would be very useful for the Federal
+Government and the States. We also have worked hard locally
+with air quality monitoring.
+ Air quality is very important. We now have been able to
+provide air quality forecasting for the whole country, and that
+began in the similar partnerships with our research
+universities, with support from this committee, and work with
+the EPA and local jurisdictions. We are working from ozone
+forecasts now into particulate forecasts, or aerosols. That is
+very important for asthma and other types of respiratory issues
+that people have. It will also help us manage our air quality
+in various places because we will be able to tell where it is
+coming from, where it is going, and what the concentrations
+might be. So air quality is very important to us.
+ I mentioned the harmful algal bloom issue, looking at
+health along our coasts. We have, for the first time, the
+Administration did put some money in the Human Health
+Initiative for oceans which the Congress has been a strong
+supporter of and we look forward to working with Congress this
+year with that program.
+ We are looking at improving our ability to monitor
+wildfires and provide better information to the people who
+fight those fires. We are looking at a better carbon network,
+and we just put something called a carbon tracker on our
+website built out in Boulder which will allow everyone to take
+a look at where is the carbon in our air. It is experimental.
+We haven't got a full network yet, but we are building the
+tools to help provide information to individual citizens as
+well as policy-makers.
+ So those are a few of the things we are working on, sir.
+ Mr. Hall. I am sure they help you in monitoring and
+forecasting and helping to plan that can really be meaningful.
+We went through just a terrible drought there in East Texas
+this last time, the worst certainly in my memory and my memory
+is longer than anybody's in here. We were very pleased to
+finally get this bill through, finally to get the President to
+sign it. The one farmer called me and said, ``Well, now, can
+you make it rain?'' This bill does everything short of that,
+but it plans for it.
+ You know, no woman in here and very few of you men remember
+the '30s, but in the '30s during the--from '30 to '40, I was a
+paperboy and I delivered papers. But I read my papers, and I
+read about the weather. It seemed like I was always concerned
+about the weather. I watched radio then a lot. I watched WRR
+radio, it was all we had. But we had a professor on there, I
+think Dr. Archer, but I am not sure what his name was; but he
+would tell us what the weather was every day because he had a
+new breakthrough. He had, of all things and nobody else in the
+world I guess had one, a sling cyclometer. And man, that was up
+to date. And he would say what the weather was going to be at
+6:00 every morning. I would be back in after delivering my
+papers, and I would watch him on radio. And I would listen to
+him. And there was a guy up in Paris, Texas, about 80 miles on
+up northeast or 60 miles, something like that, he would listen
+to him and predict just the opposite every year, and he was
+right about 80 percent of the time.
+ So I don't know if getting all this equipment is good or
+bad, but it is great to have that information and it is great
+to see the years ahead and see how much it is going to benefit
+them. And I thank both of you for your work and your report and
+for being here today, and I thank this Chairman for calling
+this meeting. I yield back.
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. Thank you, sir.
+ Mr. Hall. I don't have to turn it off.
+
+ Hurricane Forecasting
+
+ Chairman Lampson. Thank you, Mr. Hall. It is always a
+pleasure. I certainly did not mean to slight you along the way,
+Dr. Pietrafesa, with all my questions seem to be going to
+Admiral Lautenbacher. But I certainly appreciate both of you
+participating, and I did have a question about the role that
+NOAA's National Hurricane Center played that I would like to
+ask of you. Obviously it has played a critical role during the
+devastating '05 hurricane season, but how can hurricane
+forecasting be improved to better warn the public of such
+disasters? Obviously it is not going to be that piece of
+equipment that Mr. Hall was just referring to, but can we make
+it better and is the budget adequate to achieve the
+improvements in hurricane forecasting that we would all like to
+see happen?
+ Dr. Pietrafesa. I do not think the budget is adequate, but
+NOAA, I would have to compliment the agency and the Admiral for
+the efforts that the agency has put forward. For example, the
+new P3 that is coming on line will allow another degree of
+freedom in terms of being able to make more measurements. It
+turns out the stepped microwave frequency sensor that has been
+deployed over the last year or last several hurricane seasons
+has shown that the winds that are blowing just above the
+surface of the ocean are in fact very different than the winds
+aloft. And those winds are the winds that are actually driving
+the wave field and also driving the surface currents. And if
+one is going to do an adequate job well in advance four to
+three to two days to one day out of a hurricane making
+landfall, one really must know what the wind field is like and
+the wave field that it is driving along with the current field.
+And you have to know not only the speeds and directions of the
+wind, but you have to understand the asymmetries that are built
+into each one of these vortices, these hurricane vortexes.
+There is no symmetric hurricane. They are antisymmetric which
+means that they have a very unusual configuration around their
+eye and beyond where the radius of maximum winds occurs. And
+that is an advance that has occurred through NOAA efforts.
+ Now, that data then needs to be assimilated into the
+hurricane weather research forecast model and into the surge
+and inundation and flood models that ensue. So that is an
+activity that NOAA is moving towards, but once again, we
+believe that they are undercapitalized in that area. The
+observing network that is out there, once again, NOAA is
+building out. It is still in the process of building that
+system out, but that system has to be more complicated than it
+was in the past. We now understand that the water and the air,
+the atmosphere and the ocean and the gulf waters and the loop
+current and the eddies that are shed, the warm core rings, and
+on the east coast of the United States it is the filaments, the
+Gulf Stream filaments, those systems exchange heat, mass, and
+momentum, between the two. They are interactively coupled in
+real time. For example, Katrina went through nine stages of
+change. She went from a zero to a one up to a five and back
+down to a three when she finally beached herself.
+ So if you are an emergency manager or if you are in charge
+of evacuating folks, the models now are capable of actually
+getting down to resolution of 100 feet special resolution on
+land in terms of where and when the inundation is going to
+occur; but if you don't have the forcing, the wind fields,
+correct and you don't know that that event is going to de-
+intensify, you are going to get it wrong. You know, if you are
+going to evacuate areas and put everybody on the highway at the
+same time going in one direction, and you have got four lanes
+and you have to station highway patrol at the on and off ramps
+to make sure that nobody is getting on in the wrong direction,
+you have to have the best information possible, and NOAA can
+provide that but not yet.
+ So the mathematical architectures are there, the new
+hurricane weather research forecast model is there, the
+interactive coupling with the ocean system models has advanced
+to the point where we are actually running one in my own shop.
+But it requires more investment and research, and so the short
+answer is NOAA is still undercapitalized in this area, but it
+is moving in that direction.
+ Chairman Lampson. Excellent. I think those are more
+examples of just how we do get a return on the monies that we
+do invest. I think it is critically important that we push
+ourselves to make those things happen.
+ I know what kind of money was expended in life just in
+evacuating some towns that ultimately didn't have to evacuate.
+Probably the people who were best off were those who got
+frustrated, unfortunately, and went back home and sat the storm
+out. But then that is the wrong message to send to other
+people. Many stories that we have read about people who
+couldn't make the trip from wherever they started to wherever
+they were going ended up dying in the process or at the end of
+it and very tragically so.
+ So it is a great opportunity for us to push as hard as we
+can possibly push to make some of these things happen when we
+know that the technology exists.
+ Mr. Diaz-Balart, you have been awfully quiet over there.
+Can we impose upon you for some words of wisdom or questions?
+Push it and it will come on. Now try.
+ Mr. Diaz-Balart. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Actually, I was
+going to follow up on your question, Mr. Chairman. Doctor, you
+gave a very good explanation. I represent parts of Miami and
+Dade County and parts of Collier, so the ratings for the
+National Hurricane Center broadcast during hurricane season in
+the part of the State that I represent far exceed the NFL's. It
+is the thing to watch. There has been incredible progress on
+the accuracy of where a hurricane is going to strike. But as
+far as the strength of the hurricane, obviously, that is where
+we have some weakness.
+ Doctor, when you were giving this explanation, how far are
+we? We have the same type of really significant advances in the
+ability to track where a hurricane is going to land, and the
+advances there have been just incredible. How far are we to be
+able to really be able to forecast, you know, the strength of a
+hurricane when it is going to land? Is it just a funding issue,
+is it a technology issue, is it a little bit of both?
+ Dr. Pietrafesa. It is both. As I said, the new stepped
+microwave system is really an important new technological
+advance that has been introduced into the capabilities area,
+and NOAA is now flying that in real time.
+ Mr. Diaz-Balart. I know it is not a fair question but is
+there a----
+ Dr. Pietrafesa. Well----
+ Mr. Diaz-Balart. Can we say within two years, five years we
+are going to have--is there any way to do that, any guess?
+ Dr. Pietrafesa. Yeah, actually the NOAA Science Advisory
+Board actually put together at the request of the Admiral an
+external review panel that looked into that issue specifically
+about could we make advances in hurricane intensity
+forecasting, and what kind of time period are we looking at.
+And we are looking at a five-year period of time with
+significant investments in that area. You know, it is a half-
+decade. The mathematical tools are on the shelf. But it takes
+people once again and it takes putting together partnerships,
+both from NOAA itself, from within the agency, and from without
+the agency. So you have got to join the expertise. You have got
+to leverage the expertise of the academic community that is
+external to the agency. And it turns out there are not a lot of
+hurricane modelers and hurricane technologists in the United
+States. It is a very small community of scientists and
+engineers. But they are capable and are willing to work
+together to create this capability and really looking at the
+order of a half-decade which is a very short time. But it is
+going to take, you know, the several tens of millions of
+dollars per year of investment to get this done.
+ Mr. Diaz-Balart. Also, Mr. Chairman, on a separate note I
+represent, as you know, the Everglades; so with all due
+respect, my mosquitoes are bigger than yours.
+
+ More on Insufficient Funding
+
+ Chairman Lampson. I don't know if I would know the
+difference. I have been chewed on by them too many times in my
+lifetime. Even Mr. Hall can remember some big mosquitoes in
+East Texas. Last question I will ask, unless others have some
+desire to wrap up, the impact of NOAA's tight budget. It has
+got to have some impact on the ability to fund both extramural
+research and to do some of the in-house research that is
+necessary to really do the kinds of things that are necessary.
+ Would you comment on the impact of that, Dr. Pietrafesa?
+ Dr. Pietrafesa. Well, given NOAA's present budget from the
+perspective of the external community, NOAA is doing the best
+job it can to maintain the services that it provides presently.
+But in the face of, you know, increases in salaries and having
+to pay for turning lights on and off, you know, it is really
+stretched. And so we understand that when push comes to shove,
+it is the external activities that are most likely to be cut.
+So while we understand that, it is difficult for us to accept
+that, the external community, because if you look at the
+leveraged assets, both intellectual and physical assets that
+the external community brings to the table, there is an
+enormous amount of people power and intellectual power and
+compute power and technological power that the external
+community brings to the table. And the external community has
+got a long and rich tradition of partnering with the agency
+which has, in fact, led to many of the advances from research
+to operations to applications that we have experienced.
+ But in fact when the Weather Forecast Office at the
+Raleigh/Durham Airport--I come from Raleigh, North Carolina--
+was moved to the NC State Campus, within two years, NOAA
+headquarters gave that Weather Forecast Office an award called
+a NOAA Unit Citation Award; and that Citation Award recognizes
+outstanding research and then transitioned from creating new
+research tools to moving them to new operational forecast
+tools. Papers were published, papers were given at conferences,
+but the point was that the forecasts that were emanating from
+that office improved so dramatically that NOAA headquarters
+gave that forecast office this award. And that is an award for
+advances for research and operations which is very unusual. It
+was the first forecast office to ever receive that award.
+ It shows what can be done if you put NOAA scientists and
+staff together with the external community and you leverage the
+assets. You challenge the external community, you become
+engaged, you engage them in interesting problems, and you bring
+students to the table. And in fact, that ensures that NOAA will
+have the workforce that it is going to need for the future when
+you engage students. And that is one issue we are seriously
+concerned about is that when external funds are cut, the first
+to go are the students. And so you compromise the future of
+this agency, the scientific and technological excellence of the
+agency because the workforce that could become engaged, that
+would become engaged is lost. And so that is a serious issue.
+ Chairman Lampson. Thank you. Mr. Hall.
+
+ Water Conservation
+
+ Mr. Hall. I want to talk about the future and conservation,
+and this may be wild and crazy but it has been something that
+has been on my mind for a long time and maybe you could give us
+some advice on it or guidance. But we have to start conserving
+our water. If we are not going to get the rain as we predict
+them or as we expect them where over the last 50 years or
+something. How unreasonable is it to think that we ought to be
+studying, create some kind of a study today, maybe not a paid
+study but a study of maybe two people from your agency, two
+from some other, that would be unpaid that would meet maybe
+four times a year or quarterly to talk about the future; and I
+am thinking in terms of--Texas is a typical State, I guess.
+Every state has its own variances of mountains and hills and
+tributaries and all that. But Texas has mountains that get
+water. It goes down, trickles down, gets finally to one of the
+tributaries and then to the ocean and washes away. How
+unreasonable is it to think in terms of one day, when I say
+this as a good bottle of water costs as much as a good bottle
+of beer now and you got to go to really thinking about the
+value of water, but how unreasonable is it to have a million-
+dollar subterranean tanks in the desert at the foot of the
+hills or in strategic places to capture this water and not let
+it go all the way down to the sea? Too expensive now to do it
+but there was a time when it was too expensive to put an escape
+module in the NASA vehicle, but we are going to put one in
+there now with the deaths and the losses we have. If we have a
+different day and time and the rains come at a different time
+or they don't come or they do come but not with more time
+between them, why not capture that water and keep it? Think
+about it and have somebody study it, and I won't be here and
+none of us in this room will be here when you will ever need
+something like that; but someone is going to be here to think
+in terms of studying and maybe have huge underground tanks to
+collect that water and not let it go off to the sea. How
+impractical is that?
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. I agree----
+ Mr. Hall. I don't want to get put away for recommending
+something like that or people getting a net after me.
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. I would have to go with you if
+you got put away because I think you are right on.
+ Mr. Hall. But somebody ought to be studying that.
+ Vice Admiral Lautenbacher. And I agree. I asked my staff
+when I took over to give me their top 10 problems for the
+environment for the future. Forget what we do, forget our
+budget, tell me what are problems are. And when I tabulated
+that, water. And so that is why we have in NOAA now, weather
+and water. Water is one of our four major themes, and we are
+trying to work the problem you talked about, the watershed
+management down to the ocean. How do we deal with that? And my
+crazy idea is that we are going to need a water distribution
+system at some point. So that would include tanks, it would
+include pipes, it would include pumps. I mean, we are going to
+need water. I agree with you, and I think we all need to start
+thinking about the future and how we deal with water. It is a
+precious commodity.
+ Mr. Hall. I have even thought about it at my home. I put a
+2,000 gallon tank at the back of my home at the end of my
+series of garages there, and you would be surprised at how much
+water comes off of your roof. It goes into that tank, and then
+for the swimming pool in front, I have a 450-gallon tank, it
+catches it. It will save about $100 a month there with filling
+it up with evaporation things for the pool. It makes sense, and
+I think some day everybody will have that.
+ I had a little guy come out from the city about three weeks
+ago. I was watering on a day when it wasn't my day to water,
+and that is kind of embarrassing, you know. But one of my
+neighbors, and I got a few Democratic neighbors there that will
+call in on me every now and then; and you know, my wife and I
+are fighting too loud or we are having arguments or something.
+But I was watering out there on Friday, and that guy's calendar
+said it was Monday, you know. And he came up to me and said,
+``Congressman, I sure hate to come out there;'' and I said,
+``Well, what is the problem?'' He said, ``Well, you are not
+supposed to be watering.'' I said, ``Well, I think I have a
+right to be watering.'' He said, ``Congressman, you don't have
+a right to be watering, and my dad is going to kill me if I
+have to give you a ticket.'' Anyway, he went on and on like
+that a little bit. Pretty soon I said, ``I tell you I am
+different than other people.'' He said, ``Congressman, you are
+not any different to us, now. You are just Ralph Hall down here
+but you have to comply the same rules that everybody else
+does.'' I said, ``Well, here.'' I handed him my hose. He
+wouldn't take it. And I made him take it, and I said, ``Now,
+come on, follow this hose.'' He followed it back around the
+house and got up to the tank there where it was my tank, my
+water that I was watering with. He said, ``God, I was never so
+glad to see anything. I thought I was going to have to go home
+and tell my dad I had given you a ticket.''
+ I think everybody is going to--I am thinking about going
+into that business of putting those in and let people pay them
+out. The Chairman and I may put that together.
+ Chairman Lampson. Is that----
+ Mr. Hall. Need a bunch of money, but I have got the idea,
+he ought to furnish the money for it.
+ Chairman Lampson. Would that be considered new technology?
+ Mr. Hall. Well, not terribly new but it makes sense and
+keeps you from getting a ticket, too. I probably would have
+been watering whether it was my day or not.
+ Dr. Pietrafesa. Mr. Hall, you raise a very interesting
+point. You are a man of deep wisdom. Of every quart of water on
+this planet, if you just take all the water on this planet and
+fit it into a quart, there are only four drops of that water
+that is available for our use, fresh water, only four drops.
+And of those four drops, only one is available on land, on the
+surface of land. So that is how precious that supply of water
+actually is. So you know, if you would use that analogy. So you
+have really hit on a key, key issue, availability of fresh
+water in the future. So we must manage our water resources, you
+know, in a very, very careful way.
+ So when we alter the environment and we pave the natural
+environment, particularly the coastal environment over, and we
+go from having a system that can absorb the water at a 100
+percent level and retain the fresh water as fresh water lenses
+under the Barrier Island, and we allow it then--once we pave it
+over, we go from a 100 percent capability of retaining the
+water to down to a five percent. And we give it up, and we
+shouldn't do that. We need to have better management of our
+water systems, our coastal systems and our land-based systems,
+and we must pay more attention to the availability of fresh
+water.
+ Mr. Hall. The Chairman and I may set up a study for
+something, to look at it and study it for a while and then
+maybe get some people from different agencies that would give
+some times quarterly to start a plan and start thinking in
+terms of that because I think it is important.
+ I yield back my time. Thank you.
+ Chairman Lampson. Thank you, Mr. Hall. I think it is
+tremendous. And I remember as a kid the cistern that was at my
+grandparents' house, and I know that my grandmother would never
+wash her hair with anything other than rainwater that had been
+captured.
+ Mr. Hall. You know, out front there we had that same
+cistern. We had a stock tied around the faucet there. That was
+to catch the wiggle worms that came through there. And we
+finally wised up and just poured a little coal oil on top and
+that killed the mosquitoes when they laid the eggs. So we were
+innovative even back in 1910.
+ Chairman Lampson. Well, see, there we could be. Thank you.
+I think this has been fascinating. Thank you both for coming to
+us today, and before I close I want to say that obviously your
+testimonies have been very thoughtful and insightful and most
+helpful.
+ If there is no objection, the record will remain open for
+additional statements from Members and for answers to any
+follow-up questions the Committee may ask of the witnesses.
+ Without objection, it is so ordered. This hearing is now
+adjourned. Thank you all.
+ [Whereupon, at 3:48 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]
+ Appendix 1:
+
+ ----------
+
+
+ Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
+
+
+
+
+ Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
+Responses by Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr. (U.S. Navy, Ret.),
+ Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA
+ Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
+ U.S. Department of Commerce
+
+Questions submitted by Chairman Nick Lampson
+
+Q1. There are increasingly problems associated with harmful algal
+blooms (HABs) in our coastal areas including more events of greater
+duration and intensity. In the FY 2008 budget, the Administration's
+requested funding for this program is less than current appropriated
+levels. What specific activities that are now funded will be eliminated
+if the HAB program is funded at the requested level?
+
+A1. The President's FY 2008 budget provides approximately $8.9M on
+research related to harmful algal blooms (HABs) and hypoxia. This $8.9M
+provides the tools necessary for managers to respond and predict HAB
+and hypoxia events such as those affecting the New England, Florida,
+Pacific NW and California coasts as well as the Great Lakes every year.
+HAB and hypoxia events threaten human health, kill marine animals,
+impact fisheries, and cost millions of dollars each year.
+ In addition, the FY 2008 President's budget provides $20M for near-
+term priorities projects included in the report Charting the Course for
+Ocean Science in the United States in the Next Decade: An Ocean
+Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy. These funds will
+be used in part to develop in situ sensors for rapid detection of
+pathogens, harmful algae and their toxins in coastal areas. Also, an
+increase is requested for Gulf of Mexico Partnerships. This funding may
+be used to support coastal communities in their efforts to address
+harmful algal blooms and hypoxia events through competitive grants.
+
+Q2. NASA develops sensors that generate new data streams that NOAA
+begins to incorporate into their operational missions. Some of the
+current examples of NASA satellites that are improving our forecasting
+abilities are the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and the
+Quick Scatterometer (QuickSCAT) satellite used in tropical storm
+forecasting. However, there is still a serious problem providing a
+smooth transition from research to operations for instrumentation that
+proves useful in improving weather forecasting and climate monitoring.
+What is being done to address this problem?
+
+A2. NOAA and NASA have a long history of collaborating on Earth
+observation systems. Many of the sensors that fly on NOAA's
+geostationary and polar-orbiting operational environmental satellites
+are based on technology developed by NASA to satisfy NOAA operational
+requirements.
+ NASA and NOAA mission coordination was further strengthened with
+the December 2005 formation of the NASA-NOAA Joint Working Group on
+Research and Operations (JWG). This team, formed in response to Section
+306(a) of the NASA Authorization Act of 2005, provides strategic
+oversight of NASA-NOAA collaborative activities and facilitates the
+formation of specific mission transition teams.
+ NOAA and NASA have other collaborative interactions such as:
+
+ NASA-NOAA Executive Roundtable: At the Executive
+ level, a program of conducting ``Roundtable'' meetings has been
+ reinstituted. These meetings are jointly led by the NOAA
+ Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services
+ and the Director of the NASA Earth Science Division.
+
+ Program Management Councils: Both NASA and NOAA have
+ executive-level Program Management Councils (PMCs). These
+ councils provide a regular forum for senior management review
+ of major satellite development activities. NOAA has formally
+ included NASA as members of its Program Management Council.
+ NASA has similarly asked senior NOAA individuals to participate
+ in relevant NASA Program Management Council meetings.
+
+ Data Assimilation: NOAA and NASA currently
+ collaborate on algorithm development commensurate with hardware
+ development through the Joint Center for Satellite Data
+ Assimilation.
+
+ Staff Rotations: Ongoing coordination between NASA
+ and NOAA is being facilitated by the exchange of staff.
+
+ NOAA acknowledges the value of collaboration with NASA, to more
+efficiently transition appropriate research capabilities into
+operations. NOAA has requested the National Academy of Sciences to
+provide additional scientific recommendations on how best to approach
+this issue, in response to the February 2007 report from the National
+Academy of Sciences' National Research Council entitled ``Earth Science
+and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the next Decade
+and Beyond.''
+
+Question submitted by Representative Brian Baird
+
+Q1. Please provide the proportion of full time equivalents (FTEs)
+devoted to permitting at the National Marine Fisheries Service for the
+proposed FY 2008 budget, as well as for the previous four years.
+
+A1. National Marine Fisheries Service issues many different types of
+permits (e.g., commercial fishing, MMPA, ESA) from offices around the
+country. Within NFMS there is not a specific group of employees that
+exclusively issues permits. Of those employees working to issue
+permits, that task only represents a portion of their time and job
+responsibilities, making explicitly answering this question difficult.
+NMFS may be better able to address this question regarding a specific
+type of permit, please let us know.
+
+Questions submitted by Representative Bob Inglis
+
+Q1. Your budget request includes an increase of $2 million for
+research to improve predictions of hurricane intensity. What type of
+work will that money support? When could we expect to see that research
+translate into changes in operational hurricane forecasting and
+warnings? In the past, NOAA has had a hard time translating research
+findings into operational advances. Does NOAA have a plan for using the
+results of this research effort to improve operational hurricane
+forecast products?
+
+A1. In the past 10 years NOAA has made major strides in improving
+(reducing) its hurricane track forecast errors--but has made less
+progress in improving its hurricane intensity and related inundation
+forecast skill. The $2.0M increase will be used to support research
+aimed at improving NOAA's ability to forecast hurricane intensity and
+provide better information for emergency managers and the public.
+Specifically, the money will be used to research physics of intensity
+change in tropical cyclones, flux and sea spray, and to develop
+applications for tropical cyclone forecasting.
+ NOAA is committed to maximizing the value of its research and
+ensuring successful transition of research to application. We have
+taken and continue to take steps to ensure the bridge between research
+and operations is appropriately identified and resourced. This
+commitment is demonstrated by NOAA's adoption of a Transition of
+Research to Application policy and implementation procedures, the
+development of an inter-agency Tropical Cyclone Research Plan
+(www.ofcm.gov), and a Hurricane and Related Inundation Plan. NOAA
+research is annually reviewed to assess readiness for transition. A
+Joint Hurricane Testbed already in place at the National Weather
+Service's National Hurricane Center evaluates competitively chosen
+candidate technology of deemed value to hurricane forecasting. After
+research produces results, NOAA's process for transitioning them into
+forecast operations requires multiple steps to ensure the value and
+quality of changes. This usually takes a minimum of two years.
+ Examples of NOAA research successfully transitioned into forecast
+operations include a statistical-dynamical intensity model, Rapid
+Intensification Index statistical models for the Atlantic and Northeast
+Pacific, improvements to the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory
+model that significantly increased its track and intensity forecast
+skill, and radiometrically-derived surface wind speed data (i.e., the
+Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer) taken from hurricane hunter
+aircraft.
+ Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
+Responses by Len Pietrafesa, Associate Dean, Office of External
+ Affairs; Professor of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, College
+ of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, North Carolina State
+ University
+
+Questions submitted by Chairman Nick Lampson
+
+Q1. In your testimony you describe the Friends of NOAA coalition as
+comprised of a diverse group of organizations that all benefit from
+NOAA's products and services. The coalition is relatively recent in its
+formation. Please provide a few examples to illustrate the breadth of
+membership in the coalition with a few examples of the services and
+applications of NOAA's work that are important to this community. What
+do the diversity of the coalition and the NOAA services they utilize
+tell us about the future workforce the agency needs to provide these
+services?
+
+A1. The Friends of NOAA Coalition was formed in 2006 in an effort to
+bring together a cross section of the diverse communities supported and
+benefited by the products, services and resources provided by the
+National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The coalition's
+purpose is to inform policy-makers about the importance of NOAA to the
+health and well-being of this nation on a variety of levels. Today,
+this ad hoc coalition consists of over 40 different organizations
+including the Shipbuilders Council of America, the Consortium for
+Oceanographic Research and Education, the Reinsurance Association of
+America, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, the Joint Ocean
+Commission Initiative, the Alliance for Earth Observations, the
+University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, the National
+Association of Marine Laboratories, the Red Cross and The Weather
+Channel. A complete list of members of the coalition can be found at
+its website: http://www.friendsofnoaa.org.
+ Let me provide a few examples that demonstrate the value of NOAA's
+outcomes that ultimately benefit the Nation and its citizens. The data
+and forecasts provided by the National Weather Service provide
+lifesaving information to assist State and local officials prepare for
+and respond to severe weather events such as tornadoes and hurricanes.
+Hundreds of thousands of residents of the gulf coast are alive today
+due to the accuracy of the NOAA's National Weather Service forecast for
+Hurricane Katrina. This forecast was based on the transitioned results
+of prior research conducted over several decades. For NOAA to continue
+to develop ever more precise and accurate life saving forecasts will
+require a strong and continuing investment in the Nation's weather
+enterprise, which includes among other issues: applied research;
+technology development; high performance computing; applications; and
+education and training, including public education and outreach.
+ According to the Department of Commerce, preliminary estimates of
+the potential economic benefits from new investments in regional
+coastal ocean observing systems in U.S. waters are in the billions per
+year, estimated largely in terms of increased economic activity and
+social surplus realized as a result of improved information about
+coastal marine conditions. Albeit, it is my opinion that more and
+better observations of both the atmosphere and the coastal ocean at
+every observing site will greatly improve weather forecasts not only
+over the coastal ocean but also over land. For example, the forecasts
+of the spawning or further intensification of extra-tropical cyclones,
+also known as nor'easters, and the amounts and types of precipitation,
+could be greatly improved by the availability of air-sea data from a
+more ambitious observing network along the eastern seaboard from
+Charleston to Lewes. The data would be assimilated in real time into
+interactively coupled ocean-atmosphere models. How much in savings to
+the economy would this advanced capability result in? The savings would
+likely be in the many tens of billions per year as commerce and
+transportation and other societal benefits are derived. Both NOAA and
+its regional coastal partners are heavily invested in the continued
+development of this network of coastal observing systems that will,
+over time, contribute enormous economic benefits and better information
+to mitigate against the loss of lives and property.
+ Finally, the kinds of data, forecasts, and environmental
+predictions provided by NOAA such as long-term weather forecasts and
+regional climate change projections--are of vital importance to the
+insurance industry as they routinely assess risk and provide financial
+protection against future unplanned events to private citizens, State
+and local governments, and industry.
+ NOAA must continue to provide ever more accurate environmental
+information to meet the needs of its stakeholders, such as those in
+this coalition. To do so will require the development of an ever more
+sophisticated and technically trained workforce, a workforce capable of
+integrating a vast and diverse amount of data and information and
+turning it into a form that can be readily used and depended upon by
+federal, State and local policy officials.
+
+Ouestions submitted by Representative Bob Inglis
+
+Q1. In your testimony you state that there is a need for both public
+and private support of Earth observations. What would you recommend the
+balance should be between publicly and privately funded Earth observing
+efforts? What types of observations should be public, what type
+private?
+
+A1. Basic, raw observations of Earth are a ``common good'' that support
+many efforts for the public good, including education, research, and
+protection of life and property. They also support a great many
+industries and commercial efforts. Thus the government has a valid
+responsibility to provide these basic observations. More specialized
+observations for particular applications could be supported by the
+private sector, but they will understandably want to make a profit and
+hence will hold the observations proprietary.
+ In practice, the private sector can perform all of the measurement
+functions currently undertaken by the public sector, and in many cases
+the private sector can do these more effectively than the public
+sector. That said NOAA should take the lead on weather and climate
+observations. But private industry might implement the measurements
+according to NOAA, for example NWS, criteria and standards; because
+industry may be able to make such observations at reduced cost to the
+government at no sacrifice in quality (examples of existing practices
+include lightning data). Of course, these data that private industry
+might collect cannot be proprietary and must be publicly available in
+real time.
+ Improvements in our Earth observing system required to support
+higher-resolution modeling and warnings might best be implemented by
+public-private consortia for at least two reasons. The public sector
+does not have the financial or personnel resources to go it alone, and
+those dense/more comprehensive (e.g., finer scale land or coastal ocean
+observing networks) will serve many applications apart from public
+safety and so should the costs should be shared among the private and
+public sectors.
+ Freeing the public sector from all of the responsibilities of
+observations (by including industry) will enable the public sector to
+focus greater effort on its core activities (e.g., data assimilation
+and nowcasting in support of forecasts, watches and warnings and of
+climate). The Oklahoma Mesonet is an example of a very successful
+public-private observing network. The coastal areas are ripe with like
+opportunities.
+ Appendix 2:
+
+ ----------
+
+
+ Additional Material for the Record
+
+
+
+
+ Statement of Dr. Braxton C. Davis
+ Director, Science and Policy Division
+ Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management
+ South Carolina Dept. of Health
+ and Environmental Control
+ Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: As Director of the
+Science and Policy Division of the South Carolina Coastal Zone
+Management Program, which is carried out by the Office of Ocean and
+Coastal Resource Management in the SC Department of Health and
+Environmental Control (SCDHEC-OCRM), I appreciate the opportunity to
+provide testimony on the importance of the National Oceanic and
+Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in South Carolina. Having formerly
+held a research faculty position at the University of South Carolina, I
+hope that I can offer some insights on the support that NOAA provides
+in both coastal research and coastal management settings.
+ As you may know, South Carolina's eight coastal counties have a
+substantial impact on the economy of the State and the lives of its
+citizens. The resident population of the eight coastal counties in 2005
+was approximately one million (nearly a quarter of the State's total).
+These counties support over $40 billion in economic output annually.
+Tourism and related industries lead the economic markets in coastal
+South Carolina, and are supported by significant and accessible natural
+resources, including over 150 miles of sandy beaches, 500,000 acres of
+salt marsh, and substantial local fisheries. Commercial shipping and
+port activities add more than $9.4 billion annually in statewide
+personal income.
+ South Carolina's coastal areas are experiencing rapid population
+and economic growth. The Myrtle Beach area experienced a 36.5 percent
+population growth in the 1990s and was recently ranked the 13th fastest
+growing area in the Nation. In the Charleston region, the population is
+expected to grow by almost 50 percent over the next two decades with
+the development of 113,000 new homes in planning stages and/or under
+construction. Since 1990, Beaufort and Jasper Counties grew at a rate
+of 40 and 35 percent, respectively, and are expected to continue to
+expand at this pace based on approved developments. Tourism and other
+industries along the coast are also expected to increase substantially.
+ Recognizing the importance of the Nation's coast, in 1972, Congress
+enacted the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA). The Act establishes a
+voluntary federal-State partnership to encourage states to develop and
+implement programs to manage their coastal communities and resources in
+a comprehensive and balanced manner. The CZMA provides both monetary
+and other incentives for participating states. South Carolina entered
+into the CZMA partnership thirty years ago when the state enacted the
+SC Coastal Zone Management Act of 1977 to establish a comprehensive
+program ``to protect and enhance the State's coastal resources by
+preserving sensitive and fragile areas while promoting responsible
+development in the eight coastal counties of the State.''
+ The SCDHEC-OCRM accomplishes this mission through direct regulation
+of developments and alterations in marine and intertidal areas of the
+coast, including estuaries, marshes and beach/dune systems; and through
+certification of other State and federal permits for consistency with
+approved coastal policies. The agency also assists local governments
+with coastal planning issues and improvement projects. Our new Science
+and Policy Division seeks to better integrate coastal science into
+management decisions and policies, and works very closely with other
+NOAA-funded state partners, including the South Carolina Sea Grant
+Consortium, North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
+(NERR), and the ACE Basin NERR.
+
+Priority Coastal Management Issues
+
+ To demonstrate how our state and NOAA are working together on
+coastal and marine issues, I would like to share with you several on-
+the-ground experiences and examples.
+ Some of the most pressing issues associated with the rapid growth
+along South Carolina's coast are the associated impacts on coastal
+water quality. As watersheds become increasingly developed, fresh
+groundwater supplies are declining, and wastewater and surface runoff
+are delivering increased nutrient loads, bacteria, pesticides,
+herbicides, and even pharmaceuticals to rivers, estuaries, and near-
+shore waters. NOAA plays a key role in our ability to understand,
+predict, and respond to these water quality concerns. Our program has
+interacted closely with the NOAA Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML) in
+Charleston, where tools are developed to protect coastal ecosystems by
+understanding environmental indicators and how they relate to human
+health issues. For example, HML has examined the impacts of increased
+urbanization on water quality in tidal creek systems in SC. In
+addition, the NOAA Center for Coastal Environmental Health and
+Biomolecular Research (CCEHBR), also based in Charleston, is testing
+emerging environmental contaminants in our region, including new
+pesticides, herbicides, and pharmaceuticals to predict their effects on
+marine life and habitats.
+ Emerging regional components of the Integrated Ocean Observing
+System (the Carolinas Coastal Ocean Observing and Prediction System,
+Caro-COOPS; the Coastal Ocean Research and Monitoring Program, CORMP;
+and the Southeast Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing System, SEACOOS),
+have also assisted SC researchers and managers in responding to an
+unusual water quality event along the Myrtle Beach Grand Strand that
+occurred in 2004. By partnering with the NOAA-funded IOOS community in
+our state, we now have real-time, continuous monitoring of water
+quality conditions at several piers along the Grand Strand, and we are
+beginning to understand the conditions that led to an unprecedented,
+large-scale fish stranding that year.
+ South Carolina is also vulnerable to the impacts of major
+hurricanes, which have impacted our coast on the order of once every
+twelve years. As evidenced by the 2005 hurricane season, these storms
+can be devastating in terms of lives lost and economic impacts. As a
+researcher with the University of South Carolina, I collaborated with a
+research team who, with NOAA funding, worked to develop improved
+information products for SC emergency managers based on state-of-the-
+art storm surge modeling. These refined model projections for the SC
+coast demonstrate that significant flooding will occur even in Category
+3 hurricane scenarios, and are now being tied to community
+vulnerability studies. Also with NOAA support, our research team
+partnered with local Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) to integrate real-
+time offshore observations from our subregional IOOS components with
+the latest observations, forecasts, and warnings of the NOAA National
+Weather Service (www.weather.gov/carolinascoast).
+ South Carolina is beginning to view many of the issues facing our
+coast through the lens of climate change, given the serious
+implications of the potential for an increase in the rate of sea level
+rise and changes in our regional climate. NOAA provides data that are
+critical to understanding climate variability and change, and the NOAA
+Climate Change Program has increased its focus toward providing data
+and research support for coastal states seeking to adapt to changing
+coastal climates and sea level rise. In South Carolina, the Charleston-
+based NOAA Coastal Services Center (CSC) is providing our coastal
+management program with critical spatial data and technical support in
+our initial efforts to address ongoing and future shoreline changes. We
+also appreciate the leadership that NOAA's CSC is providing to enhance
+community ``resiliency'' to potential impacts of climate change.
+
+Research and Information Needs
+
+ In addition to the support described above, we have continuing
+science needs related to NOAA's future planned activities. First, a
+wide variety of marine and coastal data collection efforts have been
+undertaken over the past several decades, but they are sometimes
+difficult to discover, access and/or merge for a comprehensive
+understanding of environmental health and resource trends. In
+attempting to manage the cumulative impacts of often small-scale
+developments and alterations, it is critical that state resource
+agencies have integrated, synthesis products from NOAA that are easy to
+use and clearly define data limitations, changes in methodologies or
+scales, and ongoing data gaps. In particular, the ecological histories
+of specific coastal areas are often not well documented; and spatial
+data such as coastal topography, bathymetry, and habitat maps are at
+times disconnected or available at irregular intervals.
+ In a related matter, it is often difficult to fund and maintain
+basic environmental monitoring at appropriate spatial and temporal
+scales for resource planning and management. For example, little is
+known about short- and long-term water quality trends in near-shore
+marine and coastal waters outside the boundaries of our National
+Estuarine Research Reserves. Some of the basic questions about the
+status and trends of our coastal resources remain difficult to assess.
+The development of the Integrated Ocean Observing System promises an
+increased density of marine observations, and the potential for
+integration and expansion of existing local, State, and federal
+monitoring programs, which we feel are equally important.
+
+NOAA's FY 2008 Budget Proposal
+
+ Sustained and robust funding for NOAA is critical to South
+Carolina's coasts. The President's budget requests $3.8 billion, an
+increase of $131 million over last year's budget. The budget proposes
+increases for numerous programs important to South Carolina and other
+states, including regional ocean observing systems, mapping and
+charting, implementation of the Ocean Research Priorities Plan,
+regional ocean partnerships, and the Coastal and Estuarine Land
+Conservation Program. While I applaud this increase in funding,
+particularly given these tight fiscal times, the President's budget
+still falls short of what Congress appropriates to NOAA each year. The
+shortfall puts programs at risk and hampers the ability of current
+programs to keep pace with emerging priorities and inflation.
+
+Conclusion
+
+ State coastal zone management programs play a key role in the
+coordination of federal, State, and local activities that affect our
+coast. We are striving to leverage existing funds and programs through
+new partnerships, but we have considerable and ongoing responsibilities
+for managing coastal resources and protecting the public from coastal
+storms and other hazards. NOAA currently supports nearly half of
+SCDHEC-OCRM's annual operating budget, and this funding, along with the
+science and technical support that NOAA provides, is vital to our
+coastal program and to those of many other coastal states and
+territories. State coastal programs should not be considered as
+stakeholders of NOAA--we consider ourselves part of NOAA and look
+forward to continued support from Congress for the priority areas
+identified in NOAA's FY 2008 budget proposal.
+ Thank you again for the opportunity to help inform the Committee
+about NOAA's vital role is assisting our state in managing natural
+resources and reducing the impacts of coastal hazards. I would be happy
+to respond to any additional questions that you may have.
+
+
+
+