Sec. 6. Fish, wildlife, and plants adaptation science and information

392 words·~2 min read·/bill/116/s/1482/is/section-6

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The Secretary of the Interior, in collaboration with the States, Indian tribes, and other partner organizations, shall establish a National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center. The Center shall assess and develop scientific information, tools, strategies, and techniques to support the Working Group, Federal and State agencies, tribes, regionally based science and conservation centers, regional coordinating entities, and other interested parties in addressing the effects of extreme weather and climate change on fish, wildlife, and plants.

The Secretary may enter into contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements with State agencies, State cooperative extension services, institutions of higher education, other research or educational institutions and organizations, Tribal organizations, Federal and private agencies and organizations, individuals, and any other contractor or recipient, to further the duties under paragraph

(2)without regard to— any requirements for competition; section 6101 of title 41, United States Code; or subsections

(a)and

(b)of section 3324 of title 31, United States Code. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), the Secretary of the Interior shall establish an Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Natural Resource Sciences. The Committee shall be comprised of 25 members who— represent— Federal agencies; State, local, and Tribal governments; nongovernmental organizations; academic institutions; and the private sector; and have expertise in— biology (including fish, wildlife, plant, aquatic, coastal, and marine biology); ecology; climate change (including, where applicable, ocean acidification, drought, flooding, and wildfire); and other relevant scientific disciplines. The Secretary of the Interior shall appoint a Committee Chair from among the members of the Committee. The Committee shall— advise the Working Group on the state of the science regarding— the ongoing and expected effects of extreme weather and climate change on fish, wildlife, and plants; and scientific strategies and mechanisms for fish, wildlife, and plant adaptation; identify and recommend priorities for ongoing research needs on the issues described in subparagraph

(A)to inform the research priorities of the Center described in subsection

(a)and other Federal climate science institutions; and review and comment on each revised National Strategy before that National Strategy is finalized. The Committee shall collaborate with climate change and fish, wildlife, and plant research entities in other Federal agencies and departments. The advice and recommendations of the Committee shall be made available to the public.