NOAA Awards $8.4 Million to BTS Professional Services to Study Climate Change

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration granted $8,400,000 to BTS Professional Services to help finance the Barrow Global Climate Change Research Facility in Alaska. NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The grant will finance a project to undertake design and preliminary work toward ultimate development of a major research facility, and actual construction of the first portion of the facility to assist the needs of the scientific community in the U.S. Arctic. New research facilities are needed to replace aging and unsafe facilities now in use. The demand for these facilities in Barrow, Alaska is expected to grow as the role of Arctic processes in climate change is better recognized. Work will include engineering field reconnaissance, topographic and boundary surveys, schematic design, preparation of construction documents, and construction of a 7,000 to 8,000 square foot research facility.

“This grant demonstrates our commitment to building a sound base of scientific knowledge about global climate change,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “NOAA and the Bush Administration are working to improve the understanding of our environment and to strengthen local and regional climate change initiatives like those in Barrow. I’d especially like to thank Senators Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski for their leadership on this project. NOAA has an vital presence in Alaska and will continue to do so because of their hard work.”

Each year, NOAA awards approximately $900 million in grants to members of the academic, scientific and business communities to assist the agency in fulfilling its mission to study the Earth’s natural systems in order to predict environmental change, manage ocean resources, protect life and property, and provide decision makers with reliable scientific information. NOAA’s goals and programs reflect a commitment to these basic responsibilities of science and service to the nation for the past 34 years.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources. To learn more about NOAA, please visit: http://www.noaa.gov.