One of our Board members recently contacted Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) regarding concerns about funding for NOAA, and, consequently, for the Reserve – read on for her great response:
Dear Julie,
Thank you for contacting my office about funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). I appreciate hearing from you about this important issue.
I share your commitment to protecting New Hampshire’s coastline and educating future generations on the importance of scientific research. NOAA provides critical support for these and many national priorities, from weather forecasting to fisheries management. Through the work of NOAA, scientists and engineers are able to provide citizens, government officials and businesses with reliable information vital for disaster preparedness and to address climate change. More than one-third of the United States’ gross domestic product is affected by NOAA’s work.
In particular, I am a strong supporter of NOAA’s Sea Grant program, which supports a network of 33 National Sea Grant College programs across the country. As you know, the New Hampshire program is run in cooperation with the University of New Hampshire and conducts important work in our coastal communities including ecosystem and water quality research, education on fisheries assistance and marine workforce development.
I also support the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) program, which creates a partnership between NOAA and coastal states to protect and study wetlands. In New Hampshire, this program directly supports a range of conservation, research and education activities critical for management of our Great Bay Estuary.
I am proud to serve as the lead Democrat of the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over NOAA funding. For the 2017 budget, I was pleased to support strong resources for NOAA including funding for NERRS and for the Sea Grant program. I remain strongly opposed to provisions within the President’s proposed 2018 budget that call for the elimination of key NOAA programs such as NERRS and Sea Grant. Please be assured that I will continue to fight to secure the resources necessary to continue these vital programs.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with me, and please do not hesitate to contact my office with any future concerns.
Sincerely,
Jeanne Shaheen
United States Senator