I hesitate to post anything from the Fairbanks News Miner because I find it to be a poorly written publication, however; I did see this today and found it appropriate.
http://www.newsminer.com/view/full_story/8858224/article-Obama-assigns-Arctic-science-policy-to-White-House?instance=home_news_window_left_bullets
President Obama has moved arctic science policy oversight to a White House council, according to a news release from the U.S. Arctic Research Commission.Arctic science policy will be organized by Obama’s science adviser, John Holdren, the news release announced Thursday.Holdren is a member of the White House National Science and Technology Council. Under the new organization, the council’s environment and natural resources committee will oversee activities of the federal Interagency Arctic Research and Policy Committee.The interagency committee was created by Congress in 1984 at the urging of then-Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska. It surveys arctic research to help set federal priorities in natural resources, physical and biological sciences and social and behavioral sciences.The same act of Congress established the Arctic Research Commission, a presidentially appointed group that recommends broad arctic policy goals. The commission has seats for four scientists, two private industry representatives and an indigenous leader.“The commission has long encouraged this change, and we’re pleased with the president’s action,” Michele Longo Eder, an Oregon attorney and fishing company owner who is acting chairwoman, said of the president’s reorganization of research oversight. “IARPC needs to draft a new five-year arctic research program plan, and we’re hoping to see it completed in less than a year.”In June, Obama appointed Mary Pete, director of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Kuskokwim campus in Bethel, to the indigenous people’s seat on the commission. Other Alaskans include Helvi Sandvik, president of NANA Development Corp. and Buck Sharpton, UAF’s vice chancellor for research.
It is fascinating how this stuff happens. I can recall Mary being hired....and Buck Sharpton moving from faculty to finding funding for him to start a Geographic Information Systems program that is now alive and well (GINA - http://www.gina.alaska.edu/)... at the time of funding this program at something like $700K for 3 years I had no idea I would be teaching this course or that Buck would be appointed to some presidential council...I guess you just never know. On the policy side, I think it is all good. I couldn't tell if you were concerned about the group or not? The long term truth is that the longer something continues to be important enough to raise the concern of the President, the more likely we will get good information and end up with good decisions, despite how long it might seem to take.
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