International Polar Year JOINT HEARING before the COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION Tuesday, September 26, 2006 Time: 3:15 PM Place: 253 Russell Senate Office Building Presiding: Senator Murkowski & Senator Stevens (Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation)     Witnesses:     Panel 1 Dr. Arden L. Bement, Jr.    Director    National Science Foundation    Arlington, VA Vice Admiral Robert Papp    Chief of Staff    United States Coast Guard    Washington, DC Mr. Mead Treadwell    Chair    U.S. Arctic Research Commission    Anchorage, AK    Panel 2 Dr. Robin Bell    Research Scientist    Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia      University    Palisades, NY Dr. Buck Sharpton    Vice Chancellor    University of Alaska Fairbanks Center for Research      Services    Fairbanks, AK Dr. Alan Parkinson    Deputy Director    Arctic Investigation Program Centers for Disease      Control and Prevention    Anchorage, AK Dr. Thomas Armstrong    Earth Surface Dynamics Program Coordinator    United States Geological Survey    Reston, VA   Witness names in blue are links to the statement given. Statements are only posted if provided electronically by witness.