U.S. Agency Releases Arctic Action Plan

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration releases a national plan to coordinate U.S. action on preserving the Arctic region.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has unveiled its Arctic Action Plan, “a document that provides NOAA scientists, stakeholders and partners a roadmap to make shared progress in monitoring, understanding, and protecting this vast, valuable, and vulnerable region.”

The plan responds to President Obama’s call for greater coordination in this ever-changing region, NOAA stated in announcing the plan’s April 21 release.

“Climate change is making the Arctic a greener, warmer, and increasingly accessible place for economic opportunity,” NOAA said. “However, climate impacts such as sea ice loss and rising ocean acidification are straining coastal community resilience and sound resource stewardship. Impacts are also being studied outside the Arctic, as NOAA scientists and colleagues work to better understand the region’s influence on global weather and climate patterns.”

The plan offers an integrated overview of NOAA’s diverse Arctic programs and shows how these missions, products and services support the goals set forth in the president’s strategy. It also lists more than 80 actions that NOAA plans to take in 2014 and 2015 to support Arctic-related missions and mandates and to further scientific understanding of the region.

NOAA's Arctic Action Plan (PDF, 5MB) is available on the NOAA website.