Coast Guard: Efforts to Identify Arctic Requirements Are Ongoing, but More Communication about Agency Planning Efforts Would Be Beneficial
Highlights
The retreat of Arctic sea ice combined with expected increasing human activity in the area--in shipping traffic and oil and gas exploration--has increased the strategic interest that the United States and other nations have in the Arctic. As a result, the Coast Guard is expected to acquire increased responsibilities in the region. GAO was asked to examine the extent to which the Coast Guard is: (1) coordinating with stakeholders on Arctic issues and operations and what, if any, further opportunities exist to enhance coordination; (2) taking action to identify requirements for future Arctic operations; and (3) taking steps to identify and mitigate challenges to meet current and future Arctic requirements. GAO reviewed Coast Guard documents that described efforts to plan for increased Arctic activity. GAO conducted a site visit to Alaska and interviewed federal officials, Alaska state officials, Alaska Native stakeholders, as well as private or nonprofit organizations representing Arctic interests. These observations are not generalizable, but provided insights on Coast Guard activities and actions.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| United States Coast Guard | To maintain effective communication and relationships with stakeholders central to the Coast Guard's future Arctic operations, the Commandant of the Coast Guard should ensure that the agency communicates with these stakeholders on the process and progress of its Arctic planning efforts. |
In May 2013, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) released its Arctic Strategy. This document is intended to guide the USCG's efforts in the region for the next 10 years. The Arctic Strategy consists of three main objectives: Improving Awareness, Modernizing Governance, and Broadening Partnerships. Beyond these three objectives, there are a number of additional factors that the USCG believes will position them for long-term success including building national awareness of the Arctic and its opportunities, strengthening maritime regimes, improving public-private relationships through a national concept of operations, seeking necessary authorities, and identifying future requirements and resources to shape trends favorably. The Coast Guard is actively working to share the priorities and plans within the Arctic Strategy with all stakeholders in various forums. There are a number strategic actions listed within the three priority objectives that require partnering with Arctic stakeholders in order to ensure successful implementation. To aid in this effort, the Coast Guard hired an Arctic Specialist in 2013. One of the key responsibilities of this position is to coordinate D17 outreach with tribal, industry, federal and state partners. Additionally, this position works closely with the D17 tribal liaison specialist to engage native interest groups. Both of these positions are involved in working with Arctic stakeholders to develop collaborative approaches to Arctic activities. Finally, in 2012, as part of "Arctic Shield 12" D17 participated in 55 outreach events in 26 different communities to discuss its operations in the Arctic, provide training, conduct safety exams and to listen to, and address concerns. Coast Guard documents show meetings with a variety of Arctic stakeholders including state, industry, tribal, federal and international organizations. Similar outreach was planned and conducted in 2013. This recommendation has been implemented.
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