Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73not60

§3147 Arctic Research Study

Title 16 › Chapter 51— ALASKA NATIONAL INTEREST LANDS CONSERVATION › Subchapter III— FEDERAL NORTH SLOPE LANDS STUDIES, OIL AND GAS LEASING PROGRAM AND MINERAL ASSESSMENTS › § 3147

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Energy must carry out a study of the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory (NARL) at Point Barrow, Alaska. The study must look at what NARL has done, how it is run, and how it helps Arctic research. It must assess NARL’s future role in several areas, including making scientific information about the Arctic, helping public services work in Arctic conditions, reducing harm from resource development to the environment and Native cultures, promoting international cooperation, studying oil and gas effects on wildlife, improving safe and efficient design and operations for Arctic oil and gas (including offshore), learning more about ice and oil spill response, and helping shape a Federal Arctic policy that balances development with the needs of the environment and Native people. After the study, the Secretaries must recommend changes in NARL’s mission, management, which Federal agency should run it, ways to involve State and private groups, and the right level of Federal research funding. They must consult Navy, NOAA, NSF, the Smithsonian, the State of Alaska, local governments, research groups, and Native Village and Regional Corporations. The public must be allowed to comment on the draft report, and local recommendations must be included. The study and recommendations must be sent to Congress no later than one year after December 2, 1980. Until then, the President must keep NARL operating at the funding level provided for in fiscal year 1979.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §3147

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Energy shall initiate and carry out a study of the mission, facilities and administration of the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory (NARL), at Point Barrow, Alaska. The study shall review the historical responsibilities carried out at NARL and their contribution to applied and basic Arctic research. The study shall specifically address and the Secretary shall make recommendations on the need for redirecting the United States Arctic research policy and the role of the NARL facilities in developing and implementing that policy.

(b)The Secretaries shall assess the future use of NARL in—

(1)developing relevant scientific information on the Arctic environment and utilizing applied research to (A) deal with the unique problems the Arctic presents in providing public services; (B) minimize the impact of resource development on the environment and the culture of the Native people; and (C) promote international cooperation among the Nations which share responsibility for the Arctic environment;

(2)assessing the impact of oil and gas exploration, development, and transportation on the Arctic environment, including impact on fish, marine and land mammals, and migratory waterfowl;

(3)developing advanced design technologies, operational practices, and transportation systems to improve the environmental safety and efficiency of oil and gas exploration and production in the Arctic, including offshore activities;

(4)enlarging the body of knowledge on Arctic ice conditions and developing practical and efficient means of dealing with potential oil spills and other hazards associated with resource development in Alaska’s Arctic; and

(5)developing a comprehensive Arctic policy for the Federal Government that will accommodate the need for development and use of Arctic resources with appropriate recognition and consideration given to the unique nature of the Arctic environment and the needs of its Native residents.

(c)After completion of the study, the Secretaries shall make recommendations on—

(1)changes in the mission and management of NARL necessary to accomplish the research and policy goals addressed in the study;

(2)the appropriate Federal agency or agencies that should have primary responsibility for management of NARL;

(3)changes in the organizational structure of NARL that would allow greater involvement by State and private organizations in the use, management and/or funding of NARL; and

(4)the appropriate level of Federal funding for scientific and technological research on the Arctic environment and its uses.

(d)In the course of the study, the Secretaries shall consult with representatives of the Department of Navy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution, the State of Alaska, local governments, representatives of public and private institutions conducting Arctic research, and Native Village and Regional Corporations in the areas now affected by the activities of NARL. The Secretaries shall provide an opportunity for public review and comment on the draft report and proposed recommendations prior to final approval, and shall include any recommendations of the local community in the final study.

(e)The Secretaries shall submit the study and their recommendations to the Congress no later than one year after December 2, 1980.

(f)Pending submission of the study to the Congress, the President is directed to continue the operation of NARL at the level of funding provided for in fiscal year 1979.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 3147

Title 16 — Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60