Arctic Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning
and the Role of the Arctic People

Co-sponsored by the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission and the
Environmental Law Institute

The Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission and the Environmental Law Institute bring together representatives of Arctic communities and federal agencies to begin a national conversation about U.S. Arctic coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP). The discussion will center on the rights, traditions, and experiences of the Arctic people; existing co-management practices; competing management imperatives; and how to build from the existing system toward an Arctic marine spatial planning framework. Click here for a summary of the event.

Welcome and Coffee (8:30 - 8:45 am)

• Kathryn Mengerink, Director, Ocean Program, Environmental Law Institute

• Harry Brower, Chair, Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission

Session 1. Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning: Purpose and Concept (8:45 - 10:00 am)

In this first session, panelists set the stage for the subsequent discussions. They introduce the scientific rationale for developing a CMSP framework, the Task Force CMSP framework recommendations, and will consider the unique nature of the Arctic that must be taken into account when implementing regional CMSP. The presentations establish the framework for discussing how to build from existing management approaches to Arctic CMSP throughout the day.

mp3 recording

Moderator: Kathryn Mengerink, Director, Ocean Program, Environmental Law Institute

• Paul Sandifer, National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration PowerPoint

• Kate Moran, Senior Policy Analyst, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President PowerPoint

• Eleanor Huffines, Manager, US Arctic Program, Pew Charitable Trusts

Session 2. The Arctic: A Unique People and a Unique Region Requires a Unique Approach (10:00 - 11:00 am)

In this session panelists provide the context within which CMSP will develop. In particular, panelists discuss the history of the region and the people and the critical role that traditional ecosystem knowledge plays when managing resources. The discussion following the presentations focuses on the linkage between traditional knowledge and CMSP.

mp3 recording

Moderator: Anne Henshaw, Program Officer, Environmental Program, Oak Foundation

• George Noongwook, Commissioner, Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission PowerPoint

• Craig George, Senior Wildlife Biologist, North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management PowerPoint

• Caleb Pungowiyi, Arctic Rural Liaison/Senior Advisor, Oceana PowerPoint

Session 3. Integrating Competing Imperatives in the Co-Managed Arctic Ocean: The Management Challenge (11:15 am - 12:30 pm / 2:00 - 3:30 pm)

In this two-part session, panelists discuss the role and rights of the subsistence community in co-managing Arctic resources. Within the context of this co-management system, panelists discuss the competing imperatives: development, transportation, conservation, and techniques for protecting local uses. Following the presentations, the panelists and audience engage in dialogue about how to move from the existing management framework towards CMSP.

mp3 recording Part 1

mp3 recording Part 2

Moderator: Timothy Ragen or Michael Gosliner, Marine Mammal Commission

• Harry Brower, Chair, Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission

• Vera Metcalf, Director, Eskimo Walrus Commission PowerPoint

• Monica Medina, Senior Advisor, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration PowerPoint

• Captain James J. Fisher, Chief, Office of Policy Integration, United States Coast Guard PowerPoint

• Jessica Lefevre, Counsel, Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission

• Jim Kendall, Chief Scientist, Minerals Management Service, Department of the Interior PowerPoint

• Eugene Brower, President, North Slope Borough Assembly PowerPoint

• Fenton Rexford, Tribal Administrator, Village of Kaktovik (invited)

Click here for more information on ELI’s Ocean Seminar Series
This meeting is made possibly by generous support from the Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation and the Oak Foundation.