North Slope Science Initiative, Science Technical Advisory Panel Overview

 

The purpose of the Science Technical Advisory Panel is to advise the North Slope Science Oversight Group on issues such as identifying and prioritizing inventory, monitoring and research needs, and providing other scientific as requested by the Oversight Group. The Oversight Group consists of the Alaska Regional Directors of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Minerals Management Service, and National Marine Fisheries Service; the BLM-Alaska State Director; The Commissioners of the Alaska Departments of Fish and Game and Natural Resources; the Mayor of the North Slope Borough and the president of the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. Advisory to the Oversight Group are the Regional Executive, U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Director, U.S. Arctic Research Commission, and the Regional Directors of the National Weather Service and U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory.

 

The Science Technical Advisory Panel consists of a representative group of not more than 15 scientists and technical experts from diverse professions and interests, including the oil and gas industry, subsistence users, Alaska Native entities, conservation organizations, and academia, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior. The members will be selected from among, but not limited to, the following disciplines: North Slope traditional and local knowledge, landscape ecology, petroleum engineering, civil engineering, geology, botany, hydrology, limnology, habitat biology, wildlife biology, biometrics, sociology, cultural anthropology, economics, ornithology, oceanography, fisheries biology, and climatology.

 

The duties of the Science Panel are solely advisory to the Oversight Group, which will give direction to the Science Panel regarding priorities for decisions needed for the Department of the Interior’s management. Duties could include the following:

1. Advise the Oversight Group on science planning and relevant research and monitoring projects;
2. Advise the Oversight Group on scientific information relevant to the Oversight Group’s mission;
3. Review selected reports to advise the Oversight Group on their content and relevance;
4. Review ongoing scientific programs of North Slope Science Initiative (NSSI) member organizations on the North Slope at the request of the member organizations to promote compatibility in methodologies and compilation of data;
5. Advise the Oversight Group on how to ensure that scientific products generated through NSSI activities are of the highest technical quality;
6. Periodically review the North Slope Science Plan and provide recommendations for changes to the Oversight Group;
7. Provide recommendations for proposed NSSI funded inventory, monitoring and research activities to the Oversight Group;
8. Provide other scientific advice as requested by the Oversight Group; and
9. Coordinate with groups and committees appointed or requested by the Oversight Group to provide science advice, as needed.

 

The Executive Director, North Slope Science Initiative shall serve as the Designated Federal Officer of the Science Technical Advisory Panel.