Copyright 1999 Federal Document Clearing House, Inc.
Federal Document Clearing House Congressional Testimony
March 18, 1999
SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING TESTIMONY
LENGTH: 4268 words
HEADLINE:
TESTIMONY March 18, 1999 JAMES BAKER DOCTOR OCEANS AND ATMOSPHERE NATIONAL
OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION HOUSE RESOURCES
FISHERIES, WILDLIFE AND OCEANS COSTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT
BODY:
TESTIMONY OF DR. D. JAMES BAKER UNDER
SECRETARY FOR OCEANS AND ATMOSPHERE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC
ADMINISTRATION BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES CONSERVATION, WILDLIFE AND
OCEANS COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 18, 1999 Thank
you, Mr. Chairman, and members of the Subcommittee, for this opportunity to
testify on the President's FY 2000 Budget Request for the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). I am accompanied today by Terry Garcia,
Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, Scott D. Gudes, Deputy Under
Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, and Paul F. Roberts, Chief Financial
Officer/Chief Administrative Officer. Before I begin, let me state that because
of investments championed by this subcommittee, NOAA is a world leader in
oceanography, coastal and marine resources management, and sustainable use of
the coast. I am especially proud of our partnership role in the historic
Headwaters agreement concluded just two weeks ago. The agreement preserves
approximately 10,000 acres of giant redwoods in Northern California and protects
a salmon habitat on another 210,000 acres. This proposed budget is a good budget
for NOAA; this is a good budget for the Department of Commerce; this is a good
budget for America. NOAA's FY 2000 request is for $2.6 billion in total budget
authority which includes $2.5 billion in discretionary budget authority. This
request collectively represents a 12.90-o increase over the total budget
authority appropriated for FY 1999. The request is predicated on the need to
ensure the continued delivery of essential science, technology and services to
the Nation. The President's Budget Request also allows NOAA to perform an
essential role in a number of Departmental, interagency and Presidential
initiatives, including the Lands Legacy Initiative and other
important components of the Ocean 2000 Initiative, the Natural Disaster
Reduction Initiative, the Climate in the 21st Century Initiativei@-_-,_and
building the capacity of the Nation's Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs). Let me take a moment to say a few words about these
important activities. Ocean 2000 Ocean and coastal resources are the foundation
of the Nation's coastal and regional economies. One-third of the U.S. GDP and
one-half of the Nation's jobs are produced in the coastal zone through
industries such as fishing, tourism, and marine transportation. With increasing
national attention on the value of the ocean and coastal resources and the
important role of ocean navigation and shipping, our coastal and marine
resources are under stress. As increased numbers of people move to coastal
areas, coastal resource habitat is disappearing. The $317.6 million Ocean 2000
initiative will increase the protection, restoration and sustainable use of the
Nation's ocean and coastal resources. The Ocean 2000 crosscut integrates the
Administration's Lands Legacy programs and initiatives supporting the Year of
the Ocean (YOTO), resource protection, South Florida ecosystems restoration and
research, and implementation of NOAA's responsibilities under the Clean Water
Action Plan. Lands Legacy Initiative NOAA's FY 2000 budget
requests $105 million of new funding to fulfill the environmental goals outlined
in the Administration's Lands Legacy Initiative through
expanding partnerships with state and local communities. The economic and
environmental well-being we derive from the abundant and essential natural
resources and the beauty provided by coastal ecosystems is being undermined by
the very critical economic and aesthetic uses that make these diverse areas so
valuable to the Nation. Escalating losses and degradation of coastal wetlands, f
isheries habitat, and coral reef ecosystems must be reversed. NOAA has the
vision, expertise and partnerships to successfully confront this challenge. This
request includes the development funding to expand partnerships with states and
localities in targeted investment areas. These partnership programs will
strengthen and expand protection of the Nation's most significant ocean and
coastal areas; restore critical coastal habitat and vibrant coral reef
ecosystems; and provide states and coastal communities with the tools and
resources for environmentally-sound and economically-sustainable "smart growth."
Some examples of our investments include: $32.0 million for Coastal Zone
Management of which: a.$28.0 million will help states and localities through
Section 310 of the Coastal Zone Management Act, to implement community-based
solutions to restore or enhance coastal resources and community revitalization.
b.$2.0 million for coastal non-point pollution control program development; and
C.$2.0 million for Section 309 Grants for coastal non-point pollution control
program implementation. NOAA will work with 32 Coastal Zone Management state
partners and coastal communities by providing grants and technical assistance to
improve land use and address impacts of increased development and urban sprawl
on coastal resources. An increase of $15.0 million will be used to strengthen
the Nation's largest system of marine protected areas, the National Marine
Sanctuary Program. The Sanctuary System will be enhanced by bolstering
operational capabilities at the twelve existing sites, expanding Sanctuary
educational and outreach opportunities, and positioning the System for the
future by beginning the planning process in consultation with states and
communities to identify possible new sites. This represents growth in the Marine
Sanctuary Program funding by a factor of four since FY 1993 (a total of $29.0
million). In addition, an increase of $14.7 million will be used to enhance the
protection of critical estuaries by providing funds to states and communities
for the acquisition of lands from willing sellers in and around the existing
National Estuarine Research Reserves System ($19 million total) , as well as
strengthening existing management and upgrading facilities at these sites. More
than 95 percent of U.S. overseas trade by tonnage (excluding Mexico and Canada)
passes through U.S. ports and harbors. It is often necessary for our ports and
harbors to dredge deeper channels to accommodate larger and larger cargo ships-
Such efforts must be undertaken in a way that protects the environment,
including a continued commitment to environmentally sound dredging and safe
disposal or reuse of dredged materials- New funding of $10.0 million is
requested for NOAA to work with the Corps of Engineers, other federal and state
agencies, and coastal communities to help them avoid costly delays in the
dredging process and to determine ways to use material dredged from ports and
shipping channels to restore important coastal habitats. Coral reefs are
exquisite yet endangered ecosystems which sustain tourism, recreation and
fishing industries worth billions of dollars in economic activity. An increase
of $10.0 million will enable NOAA, by working with states and other agencies, to
restore injured reefs in Puerto Rico, Florida, Hawaii, U.S. territories and the
commonwealths. Funding will be provided for: development and implementation of
emergency restoration activities; restoration of small to moderate-sized injured
sites; development of coral nurseries to provide donor material for restoration
projects; monitoring to evaluate restoration effectiveness; and the transfer of
restoration technologies to other coastal stewards. This request complements and
supports the $2 million Coral Reef Protection increase requested under the Year
of the Oceans Initiative. Finally, under this Initiative, NOAA requests $22.7
million to increase the number and geographical scope of community- based
habitat restoration efforts that generate quality habitat essential to
commercial and recreational fisheries nation-wide. It is the intention of the
Administration that the Lands Legacy Initiative be financed
from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The President's budget recognizes
that several existing, authorized programs in the Departments of the Interior,
Agriculture and Commerce (NOAA) serve conservation purposes similar in nature to
those currently funded out of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and that it
makes sense to fund them out of the OCS receipts. The general purposes of the
Land and Water Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4601-4) provide that the Fund is to
assist in preserving, developing, and assuring accessibility to all U.S.
citizens to outdoor recreation resources by (1) providing funds for Federal
assistance to the states for planning, acquisition and development of land and
water areas and facilities, and (2) providing funds for the Federal acquisition
and development of certain lands and other areas. The NOAA programs to be funded
by the fund all serve purposes similar in nature to those currently funded out
of the Fund. Both the Department of the Interior and case law have broadly
defined what constitutes outdoor recreation resources. In addition, sections
4601-5(c) (2) states that moneys from receipts under the Outer Continental Shelf
Lands Act shall remain in the fund until appropriated by the Congress to carry
out purposes of this Act. Through the appropriation process, NOAA's programs may
be funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Year of the Ocean At the 1998
National Ocean Conference in Monterey, California, the President launched a
series of major initiatives to explore, protect and restore America's vital
ocean resources. Highlighting the important role the ocean plays in the daily
lives of all Americans, the Administration introduced measures to promote new
scientific insight into the oceans, sustain use of fisheries and other marine
resources, provide new opportunities for economic growth, and protect fragile
coastal communities and ecosystems, such as coral reefs, from damage and
environmental degradation. NOAA's FY 2000 budget request ($78.1 million) for the
Year of the Ocean (YOTO) Initiative includes: $5.2 million to promote safe and
efficient navigation through balanced investment that will improve the
competitiveness of U.S. ports and exports while lowering the risk of marine
accidents and resulting pollution. within this amount, an increase of $2.75
million will enable NOAA to fully develop and implement quality assurance and
modernization capabilities required to support the installation of additional
Physical oceanographic Real-Time Systems (PORTS) through cost sharing
partnerships. $4.0 million to the National Ocean Partnership Program to better
understand the role of oceans in shaping our weather and climate. Finer
measurements of ocean data are needed to track climate shifts, understand the
interaction of the oceans and atmosphere, and predict severe weather and the
regional impacts of global climate change. Funds will be used to construct,
deploy and operate an array of 1000 profiling autonomous floats for data
collection in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. $58.2 million for Fisheries Data
Collection Capacity, Stock Assessments and Fisheries Conservation, and
Management, including: $51.6 million to construct the first of four new
state-of-the-art research vessels necessary to conduct essential stock
assessment surveys and monitor fish and marine mammal species, assess ecological
changes and provide the best available data to rebuild sustainable fisheries.
These new ships will be both calibrated and acoustically quiet to mitigate
disturbance of sea- life under study. The ships will complement our increasing
charters with research partners in industry and academia and will modernize
NOAA's aging fleet of research vessels. $2.6 million for NOAA to carry out
requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
$2.0 million for enhanced observer coverage to carry out increased observer
workload mandated in the Act. $2.0 million to support work on fisheries
oceanography to improve stock predictions by identifying and assessing critical
environmental processes controlling long-term trends in the Nation's fishery
production. A network of bio-physical moorings in the North Pacific Ocean will
provide data on key oceanographic indicators and give greater insight into
environmentally-induced shifts in the productivity of commercially important
fish stocks. $4.6 million for NOAA, in cooperation with industry, Federal, and
State partners, to develop and promote an environmentally friendly and
commercially viable domestic marine aquaculture industry. $2.0 million in order
to work with the states, U.S. territories and commonwealths, and local
communities, to carry out important research, monitoring, management and mapping
of the Nation's coral reef system- These funds will be used to address-issues
identified by the National Coral Reef Task Force, which is made up of state and
federal coral experts. $4.1 million to unravel deep-sea mysteries, discover new
opportunities in the ocean, and better understand how to protect marine
resources. These funds will launch a program to map and explore U.S. ocean
waters with advanced underwater technology, support the Sustainable Seas
Expedition and support an economic evaluation of the contribution that the
oceans vast resources provide to the Nation's economy and environment. Resource
Protection Development is posing an increasing threat to numerous marine species
and their habitat. The number of species either listed by NOAA under the
Endangered Species Act(ESA) or under consideration for listing is growing.
Stemming this crisis of extinction is one of NOAA's greatest challenges. NOAA is
committed to preventing the extinction of at-risk marine species, and restoring
their habitat and ecosystems. Our ongoing efforts to protect and conserve our
natural resources include establishing greater public involvement in
conservation planning, creating incentives for landowners and states to protect
species and their habitat in order to prevent the need to list, and entering
into long-term conservation plans with landowners. NOAA's FY 2000 budget request
includes over $130 million to support the Resource Protection Initiative,
including: $100.0 million to establish a Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery account
for grants that will bolster salmon recovery through a new partnership agreement
that will double the federal dollars with matching non-federal 12 contributions.
The Presidential initiative focuses on improving federal conservation activities
and building crucial federal-state-tribal partnerships to share limited
resources while improving scientific information to ensure a lasting recovery of
salmon. Many salmon runs are at risk of extinction in California, Oregon, and
Washington. Because of the State of Alaska's important role in pacific salmon
recovery, it will also receive a portion of this funding. $2.6 million to
characterize and map biodiversity and protected species habitat. These efforts
will permit the identification of crucial habitat for the conservation of
at-risk species and will identify increased conservation efforts under the ESA.
$27.5 million for Endangered Species Act Recovery Planning to stem the decline
of highly endangered species including Atlantic and Pacific Salmon, leatherback
and loggerhead turtles, Hawaiian monk seals, and North Atlantic right whales
through protecting and restoring critical habitat, eliminating incidental take
in commercial fisheries and conducting research and monitoring to determine
species status and habitat requirements. South Florida NOAAIS FY 2000 budget
request includes $5.1 million to address issues related to the South Florida
Everglades Restoration effort - an increase of $1.6 million over FY 1999 to
support an integrated effort among federal, tribal, state and non-governmental
partners to halt the degradation and restore the healthy function of the South
Florida ecosystem. NOAA supports the portion of the South Florida Everglades
Initiative exclusively devoted to restoring and protecting the coastal and
marine portions of the South Florida ecosystem such as fisheries habitat and
coral reefs. The Initiative has already produced significant accomplishments in
this area. Continued investment is necessary to restore and maintain the marine
ecosystem and the associated economies of South Florida Bay, and the Florida
Keys. Clean Water Initiative NOAA's FY 2000 budget request includes a total of
$22.0 million to support the Administration's Clean Water Initiative, an
increase of $5.8 million over FY 1999. This Initiative will help protect coastal
communities from toxics 14 and reduce the 'flow of pollution into coastal waters
from nonpoint sources (e.g., runoff from agricultural fields, city streets, and
other areas). Polluted runoff is now a major source of coastal water pollution
and one of the primary factors associated with outbreaks of harmful algal blooms
(e.g., pfiesteria) and the spread of hypoxic zones in U.S. coastal waters.
Communities, businesses and human health are increasingly threatened by polluted
runoff and the symptoms of polluted coastal waters. For example, every year
degraded water quality causes warnings or closures of thousands of beaches
resulting in losses to tourism and recreation industries. Degraded water quality
continues to close or restrict the use of nearly 30 percent of U.S. shellfish
growing areas. This includes 4.5 million acres or 50 percent of the shellfish
growing area in the Gulf of Mexico, the Nation's top shellfish-producing region.
Over the past 20 years, harmful algal blooms have affected nearly every coastal
state and produced an estimated $1.0 billion in economic losses. The increasing
frequency and magnitude of these problems suggests that significant action is
required now to reduce the costs and symptoms of non- point source pollution,
and improve the quality of U.S. coastal waters. An increase of $4.0 million
under the Clean Water Initiative (also presented under the Lands Legacy
Initiative CZM component), will address polluted runoff by providing
CZM states with additional resources to develop and implement coastal non-point
control programs. An increase of $1.8 million will enable NOAA to expand its
role in national pfiesteria research and monitoring. The increase will also
allow NOAA to assist states, universities and communities in the development of
detection and assay technologies essential for pfiesteria and other types of
harmful algal bloom outbreaks. Each of these components, integrated in the Ocean
2000 Initiative, is essential for ensuring the long-term health of our Nation's
oceans and coastal areas. The FY 2000 budget reflects NOAA's commitment to
meeting these needs and fulfilling our mission as the Nation's leader in ocean
and coastal stewardship. Natural Disaster Reduction Initiative Under the
Department of Commerce's Natural Disaster Reduction Initiative (NDRI), NOAA is
seeking an increase of $1.0 million to expand work with coastal states and
communities to develop coastal risk atlases and provide new remote sensing data
in a more timely and effective manner. This will enable coastal communities to
better prepare for and recover from hurricanes and other natural disasters. In
addition, the NDRI includes an increase of $1.5 million to improve the accuracy
and lead-time for predicting hurricane landfall location. This information is
essential to coastal emergency managers, ultimately saving lives and property
along our coasts. Climate in the 21st Century NOAA requests an additional $19.1
million to meet the Nation's climate information needs. Much of this funding
will be spent on oceanography, continuing research into (1) El Nifio-La Niha,
(2) other circulation patterns such as the North Atlantic Oscillation and the
North Pacific Oscillation, and (3) the role of the oceans in long-term climate
change. We are finding that changing ocean circulation patterns, in addition to
affecting climate, have a profound effect on fisheries resources. For example,
changing circulation patterns may affect the salmon and pollock fisheries off
Alaska. Infrastructure This budget demonstrates our commitment to meeting our
responsibilities for investing in and maintaining our infrastructure. The
challenge of investing strategically in the Nation's future requires continuing
investments in NOAA's infrastructure, including investments in our people. The
FY 2000 budget request includes essential funding to meet these investment
needs. Most notably, the budget request: - includes funding to address our data
acquisition needs by providing for the first of four new Fisheries Research
Vessels (FRVs), while at the same time increasing the number of days-at-sea by
245 for University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) ship time
for critical data collection needs for the Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics
(GLOBEC) and Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Bloom (ECOHAB) programs;
- provides recurring lease and/or operations costs at a number of NOAA
facilities coming on-line in FY 1999 and FY 2000, such as the Santa Cruz and
Kodiak Fisheries Laboratories, the Marine Environmental Health Research
Laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina and the David Skaggs Federal Building
in Boulder, Colorado. At the same time, funds are requested to continue the
current scoping work for the eventual formal design and construction of a new
state-of-the-art NMFS research facility near Juneau, Alaska; - provides
adjustments-to-base for pay related and inflationary cost increases; - reflects
the Administration's intent to restructure and maintain the NOAA Corps and
includes.-Payments for Retired Pay for Commissioned Officers as mandatory
funding; -as part of a Commerce-wide capacity building effort, includes $1.0
million to establish educational training relationships through a joint
partnership with a consortium of Historically Black Colleges and Universities
.These efforts would not only result in the education of new marine, atmospheric
and environmental scientists, but would also assist many coastal communities in
the development of new business and environmental engineering alternatives to
support sustainable economic development, -and provides funds to accelerate the
implementation of the Commerce Administrative Management System (CAMS), which is
critical to meeting NOAA's financial management requirements. We, at NOAA, know
that performance is what counts! Therefore, our FY 2000 budget includes measures
that track results to the level of investment. Accomplishments Before I
conclude, I would like to provide the Committee with some examples of the
enormous strides NOAA made in FY 1998 to promote safe navigation, build
sustainable fisheries, recover protected species and sustain healthy coasts.
Some of the accomplishments are listed below. -Increased the production of new
nautical chart editions from 338 to 368 and decreased data-to-chart production
time from twenty months to eight months; -Worked with state and local
governments to restore over 14,000 acres of coastal wetlands; -Responded to over
92 spills of hazardous materials in coastal waters; Published the National
Standard Guidelines for Fishery Conservation and Management; -Published the NMFS
Strategic Research Plan as part of our efforts to implement the Sustainable
Fisheries Act; -Developed a NOAA Aquaculture Policy to develop and promote
marine aquaculture, -Pioneered innovative federal-state partnerships through the
Endangered Species Act to recover marine species at risk; -Led federal efforts
to assist state and coastal communities in assessing, monitoring and responding
to harmful algal bloom outbreaks, such as pfiesteria; -Continued innovative
partnerships with the states of Washington, Oregon and California to protect and
recover Pacific salmon and steelhead species; -Ensured the long-term protection
of habitat essential for rebuilding our Pacific salmon species on 210,000 acres
owned by the Pacific Lumber Company, and created a stronghold for these species
through the preservation of the Headwaters Forest; -and Reduced human-induced
mortality of North Atlantic right whales through an early warning system that
reduced ship strikes and by implementing strategies to reduce incidental
mortality from interaction with commercial fishing operations. Conclusion In
conclusion, Mr. Chairman, the FY 2000 request builds on the progress we have
made, with your assistance and support over the years. NOAA's environmental
stewardship and assessment missions are essential to securing our Nation's
success in the 21st Century. In meeting our mission, NOAA continues to focus the
efforts of Government on what matters to the American people. Success in this
changing world increasingly depends on partnerships with business and industry,
universities, state and local governments and international parties. NOAA
continues to develop these partnerships to leverage resources and talent, and
provide the means for meeting program requirements more effectively. The FY 2000
budget is an investment for the 21st century, a step toward a more viable,
economically sound, and ecologically sustainable future where environmental
stewardship, assessment and prediction serve as keystones to enhancing economic
prosperity and quality of life, better protecting lives and property, and
strengthening U.S. trade. Thank you again for the opportunity to appear. I would
be pleased to respond to any questions members of the Subcommittee may have.
LOAD-DATE: April 13, 1999 
