Following the Xlth Consultative Meeting, the Department 

 of State prepared and distributed a Draft Environmental 

 Impact Statement (DEIS) on the Negotiation of an International 

 Regime for Antarctic Mineral Resources. The Marine Mammal 

 Commission commented on the DEIS and helped the Department 

 of State prepare for the first session of the Special Consultative 

 Meeting to begin elaboration of a minerals regime which was 

 held in Wellington, New Zealand, on 14-25 June 1982. The 

 Commission's Scientific Program Director participated in 

 that meeting as an advisor to the Head of the U.S. Delegation. 



It is likely that a number of additional formal and 

 informal sessions of the Special Consultative Meeting will 

 be needed to elaborate an acceptable minerals regime, and 

 one informal and one formal session have been scheduled. 

 The informal session is to be held in Wellington from 17-28 

 January 1983 and the formal session is to be in Bonn, West 

 Germany, in the summer of 1983. As before, the Marine 

 Mammal Commission will help to prepare for those meetings 

 and, as requested, provide experts to advise the U.S. 

 representative at the meetings. 



Reaffirmation of U.S. Interest in Antarctica 



The National Science Foundation's Division of Polar 

 Programs is responsible, among other things, for development 

 and operation of the U.S. national program in the Antarctic. 

 On 5 February 1982, President Reagan reaffirmed U.S. interests 

 in Antarctica, and directed that the U.S. Antarctic Program 

 be maintained at a level providing an active and influential 

 presence designed to support the range of U.S. interests. 

 The President further directed that this presence shall 

 include the conduct of scientific activities in relevant 

 disciplines and the year-round occupation of the South Pole 

 and two coastal stations. 



According to the President's decision, the National 

 Science Foundation will: continue to budget for and manage 

 the entire U.S. national program in Antarctica; fund university 

 research and Federal agency programs related to Antarctica; 

 draw upon the logistic support capabilities of other government 

 agencies on a cost-reimbursable basis; and use commercial 

 facilities as necessary. Other agencies will be able to 

 fund and undertake directed, short-term programs of scientific 

 activity, subject to review and approval of the Antarctic 

 Policy Group chaired by the Department of State. 



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