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March 15, 2016
  
Arctic Science Summit Week Arctic Observing Summit, March 12-18, 2016 (Fairbanks, AK, USA). ASSW is the annual gathering of international organizations that support and facilitate long-term planning in Arctic research. In 2016, ASSW will be held in conjunction with AOS, which brings people together to facilitate the design, implementation, coordination and sustained long-term operation of an international network of Arctic observing systems.

Today's Congressional Action:  
The House is not in session. The Senate is expected to consider S.764, the National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2015.

Media  

president signing Obama Rescinds Atlantic Coast Drilling Plan. President Obama is rescinding his proposal to open the Atlantic coast to offshore drilling after encountering strong opposition. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell confirmed Obama's decision Tuesday morning, tweeting that the next five-year leasing plan for offshore oil and natural gas drilling "protects the Atlantic for future generations."... Jewell said that further details of the five-year plan will come later Tuesday. It remains to be seen whether the administration will allow drilling in the Arctic Ocean, where it had proposed lease sales in last year's plan. The Hill
 
Newfound Interest in Arctic May Mean More Crowded Council Meetings. For much of the world, the Arctic used to be overlooked territory, dismissed as an icy and remote wasteland. If applications for Arctic Council recognition are any indication, that is no longer the case. Sixteen governments, nongovernmental organizations and regional groups - some closer to the tropics than to the Arctic Circle - are seeking to join in the Arctic Council family as formally designated observers, said Senior Arctic Official Julie Gourley, who represents the United States at the eight-nation council. Alaska Dispatch News
 
A Glance Into the Future of the Arctic. Throughout the Arctic, ice wedges are thawing at a rapid pace. Changes to these structures, which are very common in permafrost landscapes, have a massive impact on the hydrology of the tundra. This is the result of a study carried out by an international research team in cooperation with the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) which will be published in the journal Nature Geoscience on 14 March. Science Codex
 
Planning the Future of the Arctic. Once little discussed, the Arctic and its future is becoming a popular topic for debate among those who live in it and those who are attracted to its resources. The U.S.-led Arctic Council will meet in Fairbanks during Arctic science summit week. What are the priorities? Alaska Public Radio
 
Nunavut-Based Law Program on Track to Return Next Year. Nunavut's Minister responsible for Nunavut Arctic College, Paul Quassa, says the government is on track to deliver a degree-granting law program beginning September 2017 - more than a decade after 11 students graduated from the four-year Akitsiraq program.
Last June, Nellie Kusugak promised the law program would restart in her commissioner's address, which is equivalent to a throne speech in the Nunavut Legislative Assembly. Now, the government is solidifying a timeline. CBC News

Bering Sea Elders Group Disagrees, Joint US-Canada Statement Developed Based on Direct Input. Contrary to what has been reported in the press, the U.S. - Canada Joint Statement was developed based on direct input from various Tribes and Indigenous residents, according to The Bering Sea Elders Group. During President Obama's visit to Alaska last year, the President met with tribal and non-profit Native leaders from around the state. The messages they delivered, such as applying Indigenous science and traditional knowledge in decisions and respecting the rights of Indigenous peoples in policy, are reflected very clearly in the Joint Statement, according to The Bering Sea Elders Group. SitNews

UAF_logo Scientists, Officials, Researchers Gather in Fairbanks for Arctic Science Summit Week. More than 1,000 scientists, government officials and industry experts have descended on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus to take part in Arctic Science Summit Week - an international gathering focused on the many issues facing the Arctic. The first business meetings began Saturday, but the summit kicked into high gear Monday with a full slate of events and meetings from as early as 8 a.m. to as late as 10 p.m. Arctic Science Summit Week is an annual event put together by the International Arctic Science Committee and planned each year by a different host committee. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Legislative Actionfutureevents  

No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.

Future Events
 
United States Arctic Research Commission's 105th Meeting, March 16, 2016 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA). USARC will host its 105 meeting at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. A draft agenda is available here

Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, March 23-25, 2016 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA). The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons. The Fairbanks workshop aims to explore recent advances and innovations in indigenous science and scholarship in the circumpolar north and its neighbors. The workshop will bring together indigenous experts and researchers from diverse academic and cultural backgrounds to explore the role and contributions of indigenous frameworks and knowledge systems in advancing fields of science and informing global solutions.

Using an Environmental intelligence Framework to Evaluate the Impacts of Ocean Acidification in the Arctic, March 31, 2016 (Washington, DC, USA). The intensity and extent of ocean acidification in the Arctic will increase rapidly as atmospheric CO2 levels continue to rise making the region a bellwether for the global ocean during the next few decades. The environmental changes brought on by ocean acidification could pose a significant threat to Arctic ecosystems that are already facing challenges from changes in sea ice distribution, warming and increased freshwater discharge. New ways of collecting and integrating critical environmental intelligence will be discussed in the context of developing resilience and adaptation strategies for dealing with ocean acidification. This event is sponsored by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States.

Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, March 31-April 2, 2016 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA). The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons. The Juneau Workshop, organized in collaboration with University of Alaska Southeast Department of Social Science, aims to explore the contributions and potentials of Arctic social sciences in the emerging synergies that involve humanities, natural sciences, and engineering. The connections we attempt to foster reach mainly into two directions within the recent history of Arctic research.

15th Annual Arctic Health Science Seminar, April 1, 2016 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). The American Society for Circumpolar Health will host the 15th Annual Arctic Health Science Seminar in Anchorage, Alaska. This event will include the annual meeting of the American Society for Circumpolar Health, the Robert Fortuine Memorial lecture, and the Albrecht Milan Foundation will provide the Albrecht-Milan Emerging Professional Award to one of the Arctic Health Science Seminar presenters. The call for abstracts is open through Monday February 29, 2016.

The American Arctic: The United States as an Arctic Power in Science, Technology and Security, April 1, 2016 (San Francisco, CA, USA). The Association of American Geographers will host a panel discussion on the American Arctic. In 2015 the United States assumed the chairmanship of the Arctic Council. In recent years, the Federal government began to pay closer attention to the Arctic owing to dramatic environmental and social changes and growing economic interest in the region's vast resources. President Obama became the first sitting US President to visit the Arctic this August. US Arctic Research Commission Chair Fran Ulmer is expected to be a panelist.

Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, April 14-16, 2016 (Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA). The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons. This workshop will gather a diverse group of scholars to discuss the state-of-the art in Arctic social sciences and develop visioning scenarios for the future of social science research in the Arctic. The core topics will parallel discussions held at other regional workshops (Portland, OR and Providence, RI), which include: social sciences research and climate change; interdisciplinary research in the Arctic; social sciences and humanities in the Arctic, and applied social sciences research.

Alaska Rural Energy Conference, April 26-28, 2016 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA). The Alaska Rural Energy Conference is a three day event offering a large variety of technical sessions covering new and ongoing energy projects in Alaska, as well as new technologies and needs for Alaska's remote communities. Building on the growing success, the Alaska Energy Authority and the Alaska Center for Energy and Power have joined forces again to organize and sponsor the 10th annual Alaska Rural Energy Conference.   

Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, May 31-June 2, 2016 (Providence, Rhode Island, USA). The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons. The workshop will bring together researchers working on multidisciplinary natural/social science projects addressing issues of contemporary change in the North with social scientists focused on policy development at a global scale. This focus draws on the expertise of Brown University's Watson Center for International Studies (http://watson.brown.edu ), the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES, http://www.brown.edu/academics/institute-environment-society/about), and the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology's (http://www.brown.edu/haffenreffer) six-decade engagement with northern people and northern heritage.

14th IATS Seminar, June 19-25, 2016 (Bergen, Norway).
The University of Bergen (UiB) is honored to host the 14th IATS Seminar in Bergen, Norway, from Sunday 19 to Saturday 25 June 2016 in co-operation with the Network for University Co-operation Tibet-Norway, an academic network with the universities of Oslo, Bergen and Troms� as partners. The convenor is Professor Hanna Havnevik, Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages, University of Oslo, and Chair of the Network.
 
11th International Conference on Permafrost (ICOP 2016), June 20-24, 2016 (Potsdam, Germany). The Alfred Wegener Institute has teamed up with UP Transfer GmbH and the University of Potsdam to organize a great conference for you, permafrost researchers. The conference aims at covering all relevant aspects of permafrost research, engineering and outreach on a global and regional level.

Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, September 23-24, 2016 (Monticello, Rhode Island, USA). The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons.  The event will reassemble the members of the National Steering Committee and a small but diverse selection of representatives from the five regional workshops, to total about 15 people. The aim will be to identify and synthesize the core threads of the previous workshops and public contributions proffered between workshops. The target output for the workshop will be a final report draft and outline of steps leading to the final report release in June 2016. The Jefferson Institute will manage production of the publication.

Second International Conference on Natural Resources and Integrated Development of Coastal Areas in the Arctic Zone, September 27-29, 2016 (Arkhangelsk, Russia).The Conference is organized by FASO of Russia, Russian Academy of Sciences, Government of Arkhangelsk region, Arkhangelsk Scientific Center and International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). Conference is aimed at elaboration of research-based practical measures and instruments for realization of human, natural and transport-logistical potential of the Arctic zone, including development of the Northern Sea Route and implementation of models of integrated coastal areas management. For additional information, please email.
  
Inuit traditions are a repository of Inuit culture and a primary expression of Inuit identity. The theme for the 2016 Inuit Studies Conference invites Elders, knowledge-bearers, researchers, artists, policy-makers, students and others to engage in conversations about the many ways in which traditions shape understanding, while registering social and cultural change. The institutional hosts of "Inuit Traditions," Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Nunatsiavut Government, invite you to contribute to an exchange of knowledge to be held in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, October 7-10, 2016. Presentations on all aspects of Inuit studies will be welcome.
 

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