1998 Year of the Ocean Impacts of Global Climate Change 



National Sea Grant College Program Act 33 U.S.C. §§ 1121 et seq. 



The Sea Grant Act authorizes the award of grants and contracts to initiate and support programs 

 at Sea Grant colleges and other institutions for research, education, and advisory services in any 

 field related to the conservation and development of marine resources. The Sea Grant Act also 

 established graduate and post-graduate fellowship programs related to ocean, coastal and Great 

 Lakes resources. 



Through the mid-1980's, the Sea Grant Program received funding to strengthen the marine 

 research and development capabilities of developing nations. Budget pressures eventually 

 brought an end to the international program's appropriation. However, the current authorizing 

 legislation at 33 U.S.C. §1 124a provides for the conduct of an international program, although no 

 funds are directly appropriated for this purpose. The current legislation is considerably broader in 

 scope than the original program which was limited to providing technical assistance. The Sea 

 Grant international program encourages and promotes international research, educational 

 activities and technology transfers related to ocean and coastal issues; promotes the exchange of 

 information and data with respect to conservation of these resources; and encourages 

 international collaboration with respect to marine scientific research, including activities which 

 improve understanding of global oceanic and atmospheric processes. Sea Grant colleges which 

 include projects with international components should be encouraged, as they may serve as pilot 

 projects for developing a new international initiative within the National Sea Grant College 

 Program. 



National Weather Service Organic Act , 15 U.S.C. §§ 313 



The Organic Act provides the basic authority for all National Weather Service activities. The 

 Secretary of Commerce (as delegated to the Assistant Administrator for Weather Services) is 

 directed to forecast the weather, issue storm warnings, collect and transmit marine intelligence 

 for the benefit of commerce and navigation, report temperature and rainfall conditions, and take 

 such meteorological observations as may be necessary to establish and record the climatic 

 conditions of the United States. The Organic Act also provides authority for the operation of 

 weather satellites. 



NFIRA Section 577: Evaluation of Erosion Hazards 



The Upton/Jones amendment to the National Flood Insurance Act of 1 968 (NFIP) was enacted 

 into law in 1988, and then repealed a few years later. This amendment allowed payment of flood 

 insurance claims to relocate or demolish buildings immediately threatened by erosion, prior to 

 the actual damages. In order to administer the program, accurate erosion rate data was required. 

 FEMA began in 1988 to acquire copies of existing erosion rate data and to a limited extent 

 generate new erosion rate data. 



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