The Navy has been in the Arctic for many years, but it’s always challenging, White said. “We operate in the cold weather, we operate in the Baltic and we understand a lot about cold weather, but the Arctic can be quite different – especially in terms of ice accretion and the storms up there. And getting fuel up there, getting any kind of medical supplies or to be able to conduct a medevac, we need to create the infrastructure to be able to do that.”

Alaska Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell said his state looks upon the marine environment as Alaska’s “bread basket,” with its valuable fisheries and resources that need to be protected. Treadwell says the Arctic nations have differing resource interests, and that there is potential for misunderstanding or disagreement. Treadwell called for improved international cooperation for dialogue before issues become serious problems. Maintaining access for oil and gas shipments through the Arctic is an economic and security issue, and requires more infrastructure to support the Coast Guard, including bases and icebreakers in arctic waters to be able to respond quickly to emergencies.

“We need to prepare for a new ocean, but we also need to prepare to do business successfully. We need cooperation and competition,” Treadwell said.

Keeping the Arctic open requires physical access, legal access, and intellectual access (cooperative research), he said.

“We need to prepare for a new ocean, but we also need to prepare to do business successfully. We need cooperation and competition,” Treadwell said.

 

Arctic Council

Murkowski said, “The Arctic is so new to the international arena that we are still in the process of drawing up the rules of the road. As evidenced by the admission of six non-Arctic nations [Japan, China, South Korea, India, Italy, and Singapore] as permanent observers to the Arctic Council at its most recent ministerial, however, it is an area that is starting to garner increased international attention and recognition of its tremendous potential.”

“That makes it even more important that the United States take the lead in guiding international policy decisions relating to the Arctic, particularly as we look to take the Chair of the Arctic Council in 2015. With the admission of these nations, the Arctic Council has been reaffirmed as the primary forum for Arctic cooperation. The council is more than just a regional body – it is setting policies for the Arctic that will be abided by all nations, and the U.S. needs to be at the forefront of the council’s activities,” she said.

Begich said the United States must redouble its efforts or get left behind as other countries prepare to stake their claims to Arctic resources.

Begich said the United States must redouble its efforts or get left behind as other countries prepare to stake their claims to Arctic resources. He cited proposed legislation that would position the United States as a leader in efforts to develop the Arctic, and establish a position of ambassador.

”My Arctic ambassador bill would put the U.S. on equal diplomatic footing with most other nations before the Arctic Council and … will help U.S. leadership and vision in Arctic policy. Six of the eight Arctic nations already have ambassador-level diplomats representing their interests before the Arctic Council. Japan and Singapore now have ambassadors to the Arctic. And they were joined by China, South Korea, India, and Italy in gaining observer level status before the Arctic Council. I welcome their participation. But as the world increasingly turns its attention toward the Arctic, the United States must continue to exert strong leadership at the top of the globe,” Begich said. “And that requires a U.S. Arctic ambassador.”

“The interesting thing about the Arctic is that you have this opportunity to really work together because it’s a large body of water, but it’s a confined body of water and we’re also looking at one another, as you look at the Arctic Ocean,” Neffenger said.