WASHINGTON - Today, the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) signed a joint agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve climate science and services needed for long-range planning and forecasting for severe storms, droughts, floods, tropical cyclones, and wildfires to the 19 western States and U.S. Pacific Islands. The bi-partisan Memorandum of Understanding was signed by NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco, and Governors C.L. “Butch" Otter (Idaho) and Christine Gregoire (Wash.), the Chair and Vice Chair of the WGA. Focusing on two priority areas, the WGA and NOAA committed to improve the coordination and dissemination of climate information needed to reduce the risks of disaster from extreme events, and to better support the management of resilient coastal communities and the ecosystems on which they depend.
“Coping with the uncertainties raised by climate change is one of our nation’s most serious challenges now and in the foreseeable future," said Rep. Markey, the Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee.“I applaud NOAA and the Western Governors’ Association for coming together to recognize the critical need for scientifically-based strategic planning as we face a future in a changing global climate. During a spring full of extreme storms, floods, drought, and fire, NOAA’s predictions provided the States critical time to prepare and avoid the most dire impacts of these events."
The agreement underscores the important need for the dissemination of climate information to states, which would be facilitated by NOAA’s proposed Climate Service reorganization. The reorganized Climate Service would provide all states with climate information to make planning decisions for infrastructure, natural resources, and communities and would encourage an enterprise with private sector companies, which can tailor climate information to specific users. U.S. homebuilding associations save $300 million per year in residential construction costs alone using NOAA’s freeze and frost predictions.
Despite their efforts, the Agency has come under fire by Congressional Republicans looking to dismantle efforts to study the climate, cutting funding to science agencies, including NOAA, by 13 percent from the president’s 2012 budget request.
“Given the economic and environmental value of these vital information services, Republican leaders in Washington should stop denying the existence of global climate change and start supporting services that will better help states prepare for its impacts," said Rep. Markey.
