On the U.S. Antarctic Program External Panel
Statement of
Dr. Neal Lane, Director
National Science Foundation
Before the VA, HUD, & Independent Agencies Subcommitte
House Appropriations Committee
March 12, 1997
I greatly appreciate the dedication, expertise, and
focus of the U.S. Antarctic Program External Panel,
chaired by Mr. Norman R. Augustine, in preparing its
perceptive and timely review.
The National Science Foundation, which funds and manages
America's Antarctic program, established this panel
to examine ways to increase the efficiency and effectiveness
of the program following a 1996 policy review by the
President's National Science & Technology Council,
which had determined that essential elements of U.S.
National and scientific interests are well served
by continued involvement in scientific activity in
the Antarctic.
NSF supports compelling Antarctic scientific research
with a global reach-from studies of the effect of
the ozone hole on life to investigations of the influence
of the continent's massive ice sheets on sea level.
Researchers are exploring the southern ocean, which
influences world climate. At the South Pole, cutting-edge
astronomy projects are using the site's natural features
as an observatory to explore the universe. Across
the natural sciences, Antarctica is contributing valuable
knowledge about our planet
The panel, consisting of 11 distinguished representatives
of the research community, the Federal Government,
and the business community, received approximately
70 briefings and conducted 80 one-on-one meetings
with individuals involved in virtually all aspects
of the Antarctic Program, and it inspected McMurdo
and Amundsen-Scott South Pole Stations in Antarctica.
Its task was to examine a full range of infrastructure,
management, and scientific options for the National
presence in the Antarctic.
The panel has endorsed a strong U.S. scientific presence
in Antarctica, including the three permanent research
stations. After careful investigation, the members
have concluded that the 1970s-era research station
at the South Pole needs to be replaced and that some
of the facilities at McMurdo and Palmer Stations will
require modernization.
NSF will examine how to incorporate the panel's twelve
major recommendations and other findings into its
planning in order to help the agency meet the challenge
of maintaining the strength and excellence of the
Nation's Antarctic program.
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