Margareta Wahlstrom and Craig Fugate spoke at a conference on the impact and response of natural and man-made disasters, along with environmental challenges, to help develop recommendations and solutions for scientists and policymakers. Mr. Fugate warned that budget constraints would make it difficult to get federal aid after a disaster. He emphasized the need for local communities to have better tools to manage risk. 
These were the opening keynote addresses of 13th National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment, titled “Disasters and Environment: Science, Preparedness, and Resilience,” held for three days in the Ronald Reagan Building by the National Council for Science and the Environment.