{"id":8740,"date":"2013-05-03T15:49:34","date_gmt":"2013-05-03T20:49:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/?p=8740"},"modified":"2013-05-03T15:49:34","modified_gmt":"2013-05-03T20:49:34","slug":"esa-policy-news-may-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/2013\/05\/03\/esa-policy-news-may-3\/","title":{"rendered":"ESA Policy News: May 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here are some highlights from the latest ESA Policy News by Science Policy Analyst Terence Houston.\u00a0 Read the full Policy News\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

NSF: SCIENCE COMMITTEE LEADERS WEIGH IN ON BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH INVESTMENT<\/b><\/p>\n

A letter to National Science Foundation (NSF) Acting-Director Cora Marrett from House Science, Space and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) received a sharp rebuttal from Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX).<\/p>\n

In his letter, Chairman Smith expressed concern with how NSF prioritizes scientific research. \u201cBased on my review of NSF-funded studies, I have concerns regarding some grants approved by the foundation and how closely they adhere to NSF\u2019s \u2018intellectual merit\u2019 guideline,\u201d he wrote.\u00a0 \u201cTo better understand how NSF makes decisions to approve and fund grants, it would be helpful to obtain detailed information on specific research projects awarded NSF grants.\u201d He then cited several social science studies, including research projects entitled \u201cPicturing Animals in National Geographic,\u201d \u201cComparative Network Analysis: Mapping Global Social Interactions,\u201d and \u201cRegulating Accountability and Transparency in China\u2019s Dairy Industry\u201d as \u201cstudies of interest\u201d to the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.<\/p>\n

Ranking Member Johnson\u2019s response letter addressed to Chairman Smith came the following day. \u201cLike you I recognize that NSF grants have a responsibility back to the taxpayers,\u201d she noted. \u201cBut I also believe that: 1) the progress of science itself \u2013 across all fields, including the social and behavioral sciences \u2013 is in the interest of the taxpayer; and 2) that NSF\u2019s Broader Impact criterion is the right way to hold the individual grantee accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her letter included a sharp criticism of the chairman\u2019s move as entirely unprecedented in modern history. \u201cIn the history of this committee, no chairman has ever put themselves forward as an expert in the science that underlies specific grant proposals funded by NSF. In the more than two decades of committee leadership that I have worked with \u2013 Chairmen Brown, Walker, Sensenbrenner, Boehlert, Gordon, and Hall \u2013 I have never seen a chairman decide to go after specific grants simply because the chairman does not believe them to be of high value.\u201d<\/p>\n

To view Chairman Smith\u2019s letter, click here<\/a>.\u00a0To view Ranking Member Johnson\u2019s rebuttal letter, click here<\/a>.\u00a0To view President Obama\u2019s recent remarks before the National Academy of Sciences, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

SENATE: APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE REVIEWS EPA FY 2014 BUDGET REQUEST<\/b><\/p>\n

On April 24, the Senate Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee convened for a hearing examining the Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s (EPA) budget request for FY 2014.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m disappointment with the overall budget level. This is the fourth year in a row that the agency\u2019s budget request has contracted,\u201d noted Subcommittee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI). Chairman Reed cited clean and drinking water state revolving funds, beach cleanup, brownfields clean up, and environmental education programs as troubling proposed cuts that would endanger public health and stifle economic and infrastructure productivity. While acknowledging that more funding is needed for water infrastructure overall, Perciasepe noted that past investment, including funding through the Recovery Act, has helped sustain funds. EPA will continue to work with states and local agencies to make better use of the funds, given current fiscal concerns, said Perciasepe.<\/p>\n

Subcommittee Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) expressed concern with certain EPA rulemakings and asserted that she hears more complaints from Alaskans about the agency than about any other federal agency. She asked about the status of Alaska\u2019s Bristol Bay Watershed assessment, which seeks to identify the impacts of large scale mining on the Bay. Murkowski specifically inquired when the agency would be able to provide the committee with the overall cost of the assessment. Her concerns about getting the overall assessment completed in a timely fashion were echoed by Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK). Perciasepe said that a cost assessment should be available sometime in May.<\/p>\n

View the full hearing here<\/a>.\u00a0Additional information on the Bristol Bay assessment is available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

HOUSE: SCIENCE SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING REVISITS CLIMATE CHANGE<\/b><\/p>\n

On April 25, the House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Environment convened for a hearing entitled \u201cPolicy Relevant Climate Issues in Context.\u201d The hearing was the first of the subcommittee to focus on climate science for the 113th<\/sup> Congress.<\/p>\n

Environment Subcommittee Chairman Chris Stewart (R-UT) re-emphasized the contention among some congressional Republicans that there is debate as to the degree to which the planet is warming and the factors at play. \u201cThe number and complexity of factors influencing climate\u2014from land and oceans to the sun and clouds\u2014make precise long-term temperature predictions an extremely difficult challenge.\u00a0 Contrary to the predictions of almost all modeling, over the past 16 years there has been a complete absence of global warming,\u201d said Stewart. \u201cWhen we encounter those who claim to know precisely what our future climate will look like, and then attack any who may disagree with them, we have stepped out of the arena of science and into the arena of politics and ideology.\u201d<\/p>\n

Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamci (D-OR) illustrated various examples, peppered with a local perspective, of how climate change is affecting the economy. She noted the role of wine grapes in Oregon\u2019s economy and how even minor temperature changes can adversely impact production of pinot noir wine grapes. She also pointed to the negative impacts of increased ocean acidification, caused by climate change, on the Pacific Northwest shellfish industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a nation, we are becoming too familiar with the consequences of waiting until the eleventh hour to develop solutions to the problems we face,\u201d stated Bonamici. \u201cLet\u2019s not make that mistake with something as serious as climate change. And even though we may have differences of opinion about what is causing climate change, but we can still discuss the economic gains we can make by investing in a clean energy economy, modernizing our infrastructure, and seeking energy independence.\u201d<\/p>\n

View the full hearing, here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

WHITE HOUSE: OBAMA ANNOUNCES NOMINATION FOR NEW COMMERCE SECRETARY<\/b><\/p>\n

On May 2, President Obama announced Chicago billionaire Penny Pritzker\u00a0as his pick to lead the US Department of Commerce. Pritzker, a longtime fundraiser for Obama, is also the daughter of the founder of the Hyatt Hotel chain. If confirmed, Pritzker would be the wealthiest secretary in Obama\u2019s cabinet, with a net worth of $1.85 billion.<\/p>\n

Pritzker currently serves as Chief Executive of PSP Capital Partners and its affiliate, Pritzker Realty Group. She has previously served as a member of the president\u2019s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness and also worked on the administration\u2019s Skills for America\u2019s Future initiative, an effort to improve industry partnerships with community colleges to develop job skills for students. Pritzker attended Harvard University and received law and business degrees from Stanford.<\/p>\n

As Commerce Secretary, Pritzker would oversee the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, one of the federal government\u2019s key science agencies and the single largest federal bureau under the department\u2019s jurisdiction. Several key positions have remained vacant at NOAA in the time between the final year of the administration\u2019s first term and the onset of his second-term. Foremost among them is the position of NOAA administrator, left vacant by the departure of Jane Lubchenco, a former president of the Ecological Society of America.<\/p>\n

FWS: GRAY WOLF TO BE DELISTED FROM ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT PROTECTIONS<\/b><\/p>\n

The US Fish and Wildlife Service recently began efforts to remove the gray wolf from protection under the Endangered Species Act.<\/p>\n

Federal protections would be removed for most wolves across the continental United States. Protection would remain in place, however, for a subspecies of Mexican wolves in Arizona and New Mexico. The removal would be the culmination of a series of regional and state efforts that have been enacted in recent years. Members of Congress from western states that represent hunters and ranchers have also frequently pushed delisting efforts over recent years.<\/p>\n

Environmental groups have expressed dismay regarding FWS\u2019s intention. In a press statement, Defenders of Wildlife President and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark accused the Obama administration of \u201cgiving up on gray wolf recovery before the job is done.\u201d Defenders of Wildlife contends the move is premature given that recovery efforts in the Pacific Northwest are just beginning and the fact that there are no wolves in the states of Colorado and Utah. \u201cGray wolves once ranged in a continuous population from Canada all the way down to Mexico, and we shouldn\u2019t give up on this vision until they are restored,\u201d contended Clark.<\/p>\n

To view the Defenders of Wildlife press release, click here<\/a>.\u00a0For additional information on FWS gray wolf recovery and monitoring efforts, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

ESA: SOCIETY\u2019S DIVERSITY PROGRAM RECEIVES NSF AWARD<\/b><\/p>\n

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded the Ecological Society of America\u2019s (ESA) \u201cDiverse People for a Diverse Science\u201d project with a $183,158 grant.<\/p>\n

The ESA initiative seeks to increase diversity participation in the field of ecology. In addition to funding existing program components such as research fellowships, the grant will also support an independent evaluation of ESA\u2019s Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability (SEEDS) program.<\/p>\n

The professional evaluation will assess SEEDS program activities between 2002-2012, documenting outcomes, effectiveness of program components and identifying opportunities to strengthen the program. The evaluation will determine to what degree program participants\u2019 knowledge of ecology as increased, how it has buttressed career opportunities and influenced ESA members who have served as mentors during its existence.<\/p>\n

Formative Evaluation Research Associates (FERA) is conducting the SEEDS program evaluation. FERA is a woman-owned firm with experience evaluating NSF-supported and other science education programs focused on engaging underrepresented groups.<\/p>\n

PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITY: NOAA\u2019S FIVE YEAR RESEARCH PLAN RELEASED<\/b><\/p>\n

On May 3, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its five year research and development (R&D) plan.<\/p>\n

The plan provides a roadmap for research implementation at NOAA from 2013-2017 in support of goals related to monitoring the status of climate, weather, oceans and coastal areas. The plan will help NOAA and partnering organizations understand how to adapt and respond to change, provide a common understanding between NOAA and its various stakeholders of the purpose of NOAA R&D as well as develop a framework for making mission-oriented decisions and setting targets on how to measure progress and the degree of stakeholder engagement.<\/p>\n

For additional information on the plan, click here<\/a>.\u00a0To provide comments go here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITY: PROTECTIONS PROPOSED FOR WESTERN AMPHIBIANS<\/b><\/p>\n

On April 24, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it was considering adding new amphibians in the Sierra Nevada region for protection under the Endangered Species Act.<\/p>\n

The Yosemite toad and the mountain yellow-legged frog would be listed as \u201cthreatened\u201d under the proposed rule. The distinct population segment of the Sierra Nevada yellow frog would be included in this listing. FWS cites these three species as being threatened by \u201chabitat degradation, predation, climate change, and inadequate regulatory protection.\u201d The proposal would also designate a combined two million acres of critical habitat for the animals, largely across California and 16 counties in the Sierra Nevada.<\/p>\n

Public comments will be accepted through June 24, 2013. Comments can be submitted via email at\u00a0http:\/\/www.regulations.gov<\/a> using docket number FWS\u2013R8\u2013ES\u20132012\u20130100 for the listing and docket number FWS\u2013R8\u2013ES\u20132012\u20130074 for the critical habitat rule. \u00a0Comments can also be mailed to the following address:<\/p>\n

Public Comments Processing
\nAttn:\u00a0 FWS\u2013R8\u2013ES\u20132012\u20130100 or FWS\u2013R8\u2013ES\u20132012\u20130074
\nDivision of Policy and Directives Management
\nU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
\n4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042-PDM
\nArlington, VA 22203<\/p>\n

For additional information, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here are some highlights from the latest ESA Policy News by Science Policy Analyst Terence Houston.\u00a0 Read the full Policy News\u00a0here. NSF: SCIENCE COMMITTEE LEADERS WEIGH IN ON BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH INVESTMENT A letter to National Science Foundation (NSF) Acting-Director Cora Marrett from House Science, Space and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) received a sharp rebuttal from Ranking Member Eddie…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,91],"tags":[38,155,1444,158,60,1086,61,106,93,473,236,474,1430,1168,66,113,67,68,1468,69,598,1547,872,1195,74,947],"class_list":["post-8740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ecology-in-policy","category-policy-news","tag-alaska","tag-amphibians","tag-bristol-bay","tag-budget","tag-climate-change","tag-climate-science","tag-coastal","tag-environmental-education","tag-epa","tag-esa","tag-fish-and-wildlife-service","tag-global-warming","tag-government","tag-interior","tag-national-science-foundation","tag-noaa","tag-nsf","tag-obama-administration","tag-ocean","tag-ocean-acidification","tag-public-comment","tag-regulations","tag-seeds","tag-u-s-fish-and-wildlife-service","tag-wildlife","tag-wolves"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8740"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8740\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}