WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announced today the witnesses for an Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard Subcommittee oversight hearing on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The full witness list is below.

The hearing will provide an opportunity to address general NOAA oversight issues facing the agency during the remaining session of the 110th Congress, as well as the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2009 budget request. Additionally, this hearing will gather testimony from witnesses regarding current issues facing the National Marine Sanctuaries Program.

Specifically, the testimony will focus on legislation that was introduced earlier this Congress, which seeks to expand three existing National Marine Sanctuaries including the Thunder Bay Sanctuary in Michigan, and the Cordell Bank and the Gulf of the Farallones Sanctuaries in California. These bills were introduced by Senators Levin and Boxer respectively. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Oversight Hearing of 2008
Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard Subcommittee
Date:  Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Time:  10:00 a.m.
Location:  Room 253, Russell Senate Office Building

Witnesses:
Panel I:
Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret.), Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Panel II:
Mr. Jefferson Gray, Superintendent, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Dr. Susan Williams, Director, Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory, University of California - Davis

Ms. Kathy Fosmark, Co-Chair, Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries