Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience

This executive order establishes the Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area to protect marine ecosystems and Alaska Native subsistence communities from climate change impacts. It withdraws specified offshore areas from oil and gas leasing, creates an interagency task force and tribal advisory council, mandates consideration of traditional knowledge in federal decisionmaking, and directs the Coast Guard to develop shipping route protections and update spill response plans.

Federal Register Open PDF 81 FR 90669

Impact dates

Dec 31, 2018
Coast Guard to submit proposed routing measures to International Maritime Organization
Sep 9, 2017
Bering Task Force to provide AESC recommendations on vessel pollution measures
Jun 9, 2017
Bering Intergovernmental Tribal Advisory Council to be established
Dec 30, 2016
U.S. Coast Guard shall publish preliminary Bering Sea PARS findings in Federal Register

Key directives

Withdraw Norton Basin Planning Area and specified St. Matthew-Hall lease blocks from OCS oil/gas leasing indefinitely
Establish Bering Task Force co-chaired by Interior, NOAA, and Coast Guard under AESC
Establish Bering Intergovernmental Tribal Advisory Council within 6 months
All agencies shall consider traditional knowledge in decisions affecting the resilience area
Coast Guard to publish preliminary Bering Sea PARS findings in Federal Register no later than December 30, 2016
Coast Guard to submit proposed IMO routing measures by 2018
Coast Guard to update Area Contingency Plans and include local spill response training
NOAA to maintain existing prohibitions on commercial non-pelagic trawl gear

Timeline

Immediate

Withdrawal of Norton Basin and St. Matthew-Hall areas from OCS leasing takes effect
Federal Register publication of preliminary Bering Sea PARS findings due by December 30, 2016

Near term (90d)

Bering Intergovernmental Tribal Advisory Council to be established within 6 months (by June 9, 2017)
Bering Task Force recommendations on vessel pollution due within 9 months (by September 9, 2017)

Long term

Coast Guard to submit proposed routing measures to IMO by 2018
Ongoing coordination of agency activities in resilience area
Continued maintenance of commercial non-pelagic trawl prohibitions

Risks & tensions

Indefinite OCS withdrawal without expiration date may face legal or political challenges under subsequent administrations
IMO routing measure submission by 2018 is vague—no specific month or day specified
Section 11(b) 'subject to availability of appropriations' may limit implementation if Congress does not fund
Coordination burden across 10+ agencies with potentially competing mandates
Traditional knowledge integration lacks specific procedural standards, creating implementation uncertainty