GOVERNMENT UPDATEArctic Taskings for the Coast GuardBY DENNIS L. BRYANTn January 30, 2014, the White House released the Imple-mentation Plan for the Na-Otional Strategy for the Arctic Region. The purpose of the Implemen-tation Plan is to put ? esh on the bones of the May 10, 2013 National Strategy for the Arctic Region. The National Strat-egy had identi? ed three lines of effort to address challenges posed by the chang-ing Arctic environment. The Implemen-tation Plan sets forth the methodology, process, and approach for executing the Strategy. Most importantly, though, the Implementation Plan assigns lead agen-cies and supporting agencies for each of 36 identi? ed taskings. For each tasking, there are de? ned objectives, next steps DNV GL(with speci? c timelines), and method-ologies for measuring progress toward extensive scienti? c research assets, also its lack of a deepwater port – requiring speci? c taskings in the Plan, the U.S. completion of the task. important for completion of the Imple- use of barges to transship the ore. Other Coast Guard is designated as the lead The Congressional Research Service mentation Plan. mines operate in islands of the Canadian agency for seven and as a supporting (CRS), the nonpartisan think-tank for In July 2013, the Center for Strategic Arctic Archipelago and are being opened agency for 19. the Legislative Branch, has written four and International Studies (CSIS) issued in Greenland and Siberia. These devel- The most important of the USCG task-reports on Changes in the Arctic and a thoughtful study entitled “Arctic Eco- opments will increase traf? c in Arctic ings, and a force-multiplier for all other consequent issues confronting the Con- nomics in the 21st Century” regarding waters by large commercial carriers. taskings, is the requirement to sustain gress. The most recent report noted that choices Arctic states (and particularly Traf? c through the Northern Sea Route the federal capability to conduct mari-the United States is an Arctic nation and the United States) will have to make in is already increasing in both volume and time operations in ice-impacted waters has substantial economic, security and coming years regarding development of duration. In 2013, we witnessed the ? rst of the Arctic. In order to ensure that the environmental interests in the region. Of Arctic economic resources and protec- full transit of the Northwest Passage United States maintains icebreaking and the ? ve Arctic coastal nations, four are in tion of its fragile ecosystem. To date, when a dry bulk carrier undertook a voy- ice-strengthened ship capability with the process of preparing Arctic territorial Canadian and American interventions in age from British Columbia to Finland. suf? cient capacity to project a sovereign claims for submission to the United Na- the Arctic have been economically driv- We are also seeing voyages to Arctic wa- U.S. maritime presence, support U.S. tions Commission on the Limits of the en and have centered heavily on extrac- ters, including transits of the Northwest interests in the polar regions and facili-Continental Shelf. The United States tive industries. As a consequence, both Passage, by passenger vessels – not all tate research that advances the funda-is not currently preparing such a claim nations have very limited infrastructure of which are ice-strengthened. In addi- mental understanding of the Arctic, the because only it has not acceded to the in the Arctic and limited polar icebreak- tion, the Arctic waters of North America Department of Homeland Security and United Nations Convention on the Law ing assets. While oil and gas extraction are one of the last remaining frontiers for the Coast Guard are directed to develop of the Sea (UNCLOS). will continue to be challenging and ex- the ? shing industry. a document by the end of 2014 that lists The Russian Federation has a sub- pensive (particularly given that oil and There is minimal infrastructure in the the capabilities needed to complete the stantial ? eet of polar icebreakers and gas prices are not expected to rise in the Arctic. Aids to maritime navigation are tasking. More importantly, by the end of carries out extensive activities in the foreseeable future), extraction of rare largely nonexistent. Assets for search 2017, they are directed to develop long-polar region, including regular voy- earths and other strategic minerals from and rescue and for response to spills of term plans to sustain federal ability to ages to the geographic North Pole. The the Arctic region has signi? cant and cur- oil and hazardous material are located physically access the Arctic with suf? -United States has one operational polar rent economic potential. almost a thousand miles away. There cient capability to support U.S. interests. icebreaker, the USCGC Polar Star, and The Red Dog mine on the Alaska coast are also no deepwater ports in the U.S. In my opinion, this can only be done that icebreaker has exceeded its intended north of the Bering Strait is the world’s Arctic. Most landings there are on un- through the construction of at least three 30-year service life. Another vessel, largest source of zinc and a signi? cant improved beaches. new, more powerful polar icebreakers. USCGC Healy, is considered a medium source of lead, despite its current abil- The new Implementation Plan at- The other taskings for which the Coast icebreaker. While it has less icebreak- ity to load ore onto bulk carriers only tempts to address all of these issues and Guard is designated the lead agency also ing capability than Polar Star, Healy has during a 100-day shipping season and more. It is noteworthy that, of the 36 re? ect traditional Coast Guard missions. 20 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • MARCH 2014MR #3 (18-25).indd 20 MR #3 (18-25).indd 20 3/5/2014 9:42:55 AM3/5/2014 9:42:55 AM