Sec. 6. Fish, wildlife, and plants adaptation science and information
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/bill/118/s/4752/is/section-6A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Secretary of the Interior, in collaboration with the States, Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and other partner organizations, shall establish a Climate Adaptation Science Center Network. The Network shall consist of a National Climate Adaptation Science Center and a network of Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers (referred to in this section as Centers ) that adequately represent the ecological diversity, climate risks, and adaptation science needs across States and territories of the United States.
The Centers shall assess and develop scientific information, tools, strategies, and techniques to support the Working Group, Federal and State agencies, Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, 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, Native Hawaiian organizations, Federal and private agencies and organizations, individuals, and any other contractor or recipient, to further the duties under paragraph
(3)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 chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Federal Advisory Committee Act ), 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 and local governments; Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations; 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); traditional ecological knowledge; 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 Secretary of the Interior on the establishment, implementation, and evaluation of the Network and the integration of climate adaptation science into the operation of bureaus and programs of the Department of the Interior; 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
(B)to inform the research priorities of the Centers 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. Notwithstanding section 1009 of title 5, United States Code, the Committee may close a meeting of the Committee to the public or redact information from minutes of a meeting of the Committee if a member representing an Indian Tribe or a Native Hawaiian organization on the Committee determines that a meeting or minutes from a meeting, as applicable, will disclose sensitive traditional ecological knowledge. Except as provided in subparagraph (C), information described in subparagraph
(B)shall be exempt from disclosure under section 552(b)(3) of title 5, United States Code. The information referred to in subparagraph
(A)is information that a member representing an Indian Tribe or a Native Hawaiian organization on the Committee— submits to or discusses with the Committee; and designates as sensitive or private according to Native American custom, law, culture, or religion. If a member representing an Indian Tribe or a Native Hawaiian organization on the Committee requests information that the member submitted to the Committee and designated as sensitive or private, as described in subparagraph (B), that member shall receive that information.