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PRESIDENT'S BUDGET
FOR NOAA FOCUSES ON STEWARDSHIP AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
President
Bush's proposed 2003
budget for the Commerce Department's
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration provides $3.3 billion for research and monitoring
of the atmosphere, coastal ecosystems, oceans, and satellite
operations. Meeting the directive to moderate growth and fund
national priorities, this budget request is $45.4 million below
2002 funding levels. Targeted programs receive boosts of $148.8
million while duplicative programs are trimmed.
"I'm pleased that the President's
request of more than $3.3 billion strongly supports NOAA's mission
to understand, protect and preserve our atmosphere, coastal ecosystems
and oceans," said NOAA Administrator Conrad
C. Lautenbacher. "NOAA's products and services provide
environmental support to the domestic security and global competitiveness
of the United States, and have a positive effect on the lives
of citizens every day."
Examples of the budget increases
are described below, with NOAA budget document categories in
parenthesis.
Environmental & Economic
Stewardship
(Modernization of NOAA Fisheries)
- $9.9 million to upgrade marine
fisheries stock assessments, provide 260 more research days at
sea, and for biologists and staff recruitment and training.
- $12 million for implementation
measures of the Columbia River Biological Opinion and assess
achievements during performance milestones in 2003, 2005 and
2008.
- $1.9 million for Regional
Fishery Management Councils to meet fisheries management
measures workload.
- $5.4 million to modernize ocean
fisheries and protected species enforcement and surveillance
programs by expanding the satellite vessel management system.
(Improving Extreme Weather Warning
and Forecasts)
- $6 million to develop and deploy
a high resolution satellite imaging sensor to monitor coastal
ocean areas for harmful algae blooms, coral reef deterioration,
pollution changes, fisheries management and navigation.
(Coastal Conservation)
- $2 million to improve restoration
of coastal habitats through local and regional partnerships.
(People and Infrastructure)
- $4 million to significantly
advance the environmental restoration efforts on the Pribilof
Islands in Alaska.
Climate Research
(Climate Services)
- $18 million to establish the
U.S. Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) to address areas
of scientific uncertainty, identify research priorities and foster
continuous evaluation of management strategies and choices.
- $5 million for a climate modeling
center.
- 4 million for a multi-national
climate atmospheric observing system.
- $4 million to initiate a global
ocean observing system.
- $2 million to the interagency
National Aerosol-Climate Interactions Program.
- $2 million to augment North
America carbon monitoring capabilities.
- $2 million for the study of
the Arctic environment.
- $5.4 million for NOAA laboratories
conducting climate research.
- $1.8 million for an improved
climate data and information service.
Extreme Weather - Public Safety
(Improving Extreme Weather Warnings and Forecasts)
- $1 million for the U.S.
Weather Research Program to improve inland flood forecasts,
associated with landfalling hurricanes and tropical storms.
- $1 million to develop new tornado
and severe weather forecasting.
- $4.7 million for the Advanced
Hydrologic Prediction Services in coastal watershed areas
of New Hampshire, Vermont, Virginia, North Carolina and South
Carolina.
- $2.5 million for a seven-year
plan to improve U.S. aviation safety and economic efficiencies.
- $79.9 million for the new tri-agency
(NOAA, Department of Defense,
NASA) polar
environmental satellite program.
- $3.1 million for the continuity
of critical satellite product processing and distribution capabilities.
- $2 million to improve weather
prediction and hazard information processing and distribution.
- $1.6 million to develop a new
generation of Web accessible climate information and statistics
for use by the energy industry.
Technological Innovations
(Modernization of NOAA Fisheries)
- $45.5 million for a new fisheries
research vessel in the North Atlantic.
(Improving Extreme Weather Warnings
and Forecasts)
- $6.2 million to make the next
generation weather and climate supercomputing system operational.
- $2 million to replace and modernize
the upper air radiosonde network.
- $8.4 million to upgrade reconnaissance
instruments aboard NOAA's Gulfstream-IV hurricane hunter aircraft.
Homeland Security
- $9.9 million to expand ocean
charting capacity for the safe movement of material through the
nation's seaports.
- $2.8 million to provide backup
for all critical satellites in the event of a catastrophic outage.
- $2.3 million for enhanced security
at NOAA satellite ground stations in Alaska and Virginia.
- $3 million for enhanced backup
for mission critical NOAA's National Weather Service telecommunications.
- $7.2 million for operational
backup systems for NWS weather and climate supercomputer.
Energy Programs
- $6.1 million to improve weather
and hydrologic forecasts to U.S. energy sector.
- $2.0 million for a streamlined
energy permit review process.
The entire budget summary is
available online http://www.ofa.noaa.gov/~nbo.
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