U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation nomination hearing of Dr. Mark E. Schaefer for Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans & Atmosphere for the U.S. Dept. of Commerce

the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation held a hearing on the nomination of Dr. Mark E. Schaefer to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere for the U.S. Department of Commerce.

You can watch the hearing by clicking here. Please note footage actually begins at 14:48, Dr. Schaefer’s statement begins at 19:24, and Senator Ayotte brings up the Northeast groundfish fishery at 44:13.  Dr. Schaefer’s background and statements suggest an improvement in the direction of greater collaboration with stakeholders in the avoidance and resolution of disputes.

Dr. Mark E Scaefer background, courtesy of WhiteHouse.gov:

Dr. Mark Schaefer is currently Deputy Executive Director for Environmental Conflict Resolution at the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, a position he has held since 2008.  From 2007 to 2008, he served as an independent consultant, providing advice on environmental science and technology policy to various organizations, including the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.  Prior to this, he was Chief Executive Officer of the Global Environment and Technology Foundation.  Dr. Schaefer was Chief Executive Officer of NatureServe from 2000 to 2006.  He served at the U.S. Department of Interior from 1996 to 2000 as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science.  From 1993 to 1996, Dr. Schaefer served as the Assistant Director for Environment in the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the Executive Office of the President. From 1989 to 1993, he was a Senior Staff Associate with the Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology, and Government.  He was a Congressional Science Fellow in the Office of Technology Assessment at the U.S. Congress from 1987 to 1989.  Dr. Schaefer has served on the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall Foundation and the National Research Council Board on Earth Sciences and Resources within the National Academy of Sciences.  Dr. Schaefer received a B.A. from the University of Washington and a Ph.D. from Stanford University.