• involvingtheArctic'sindigenouscommunitiesin
decisions affecting them;
• enhancingscientifcmonitoringandresearchinto
local,regional,andglobalenvironmentalissues.
TheCoastGuard,withresponsibilitiesundermostof
theseobjectives,isproactivelyworkingtomeetthe
demandswhileovercomingthechallengespresented
byoperatinginthisremoteandaustereenvironment.
Arctic Operations and Challenges
The retreat of sea ice has not made the area less challenging;rather,CoastGuardcrewsmustcontinueto
overcomesignifcantenvironmental,operational,and
logisticaldiffculties.Eveninthesummer,theenvironmentremainsharsh,dynamic,andunforgiving.
InJuly,theaveragetemperatureinBarrow,Alaska,is
47°Fwiththeoceanremainingfrigidlycold.2Dueto
thetemperaturedifferencesbetweenairandsea,thick
fogisnearlyaconstantpresenceinthearea estrict—r
ingvisibilityandhamperingoperations.Assuch,cutter-basedaviation,boatassets,andtheircrewsmust
bepreparedtosurvive,shouldtheybecomeseparated
fromthecutterduetofogorwhiteoutconditions.
While significant areas of open water exist in the
summermonths,theiceremainingintheArcticmay
become more mobile, presenting unexpected and
A Coast Guard H-65 helicopter, outftted with skis to facilitate landing on snow, conducts an awarthships take off. U.S. Coast Guard
photo by LCDR Kristen Serumgard.
unwelcomeencountersfornon-icestrengthenedvesselsoperatinginthearea.Further,thereductioninice
coverage,coupledwithanincreaseinstormintensity
andseverity,canresultinblizzard-likewhiteoutconditionsandvesselandaircrafticing.Unfortunately,
toolsforsituationalawarenessandweatherforecasting— k ey to predicting environmental situations
T h e A r c t i c : D i d yo u k n o w…
National Ocean Policy
Following the 2009 National Security Presidential
Directive (NSPD 66)/Homeland Security Presidential
Directive (HPSD 25), in July 2010, President Obama signed
an executive order that established the frst comprehensive ocean policy to ensure better stewardship of our
oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes. It also established the
National Ocean Council, in which the Coast Guard plays a
key role.
The policy includes priority objectives focusing on coastal
and marine spatial planning and how the nation should
best respond to the changing conditions in the Arctic.
For more information, visit the National Ocean Council
website at www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/
oceans.
www.uscg.mil/proceedings
President Barak Obama signs an executive order regarding stewardship of the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes. Offcial
White House photo by Pete Souza.
Summer 2013
Proceedings
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