Sec. 2. Findings
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/bill/113/s/428/is/section-2A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds the following: There is a pressing national need to prepare for increasing human activity and expanding commerce in the Arctic. Such activity will likely include oil and gas development, fishing, shipping, and tourism. To respond to this increase in activity, there is a need for port facilities in the Arctic that can accommodate deep-draft ships, support search and rescue activities, scientific research, and Arctic oil and gas development, and serve as an Arctic harbor of refuge.
The residents of the Arctic region of the United States are under-served in freight transportation, and deep-draft ports in the Arctic will enhance economic opportunities and quality of life for such residents. Arctic communities rely on subsistence hunting for economic and cultural survival, and it is critical to protect the Arctic environment and maintain subsistence resources. Coordinating and expediting the development of deep-draft ports in the Arctic is in the national interest.