[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3223 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3223

 To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to establish a grant 
   program to ensure coastal access for commercial and recreational 
fishermen and other water-dependent coastal-related businesses, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 30, 2007

 Mr. Allen (for himself and Mrs. Capps) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to establish a grant 
   program to ensure coastal access for commercial and recreational 
fishermen and other water-dependent coastal-related businesses, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Keep Our Waterfronts Working Act of 
2007''.

SEC. 2. WORKING WATERFRONT PROGRAM.

    The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 320. WORKING WATERFRONT GRANT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Findings and Purpose.--
            ``(1) The Congress finds the following:
                    ``(A) Water-dependent commercial activities are the 
                economic and cultural heart of many coastal 
                communities. These activities include commercial 
                fishing, recreational fishing, tourism, aquaculture, 
                boat-building, transportation, and many other water-
                dependent businesses.
                    ``(B) Water-dependent commercial activities depend 
                on coastal access in the form of docks, wharfs, lifts, 
                wet and dry marinas, boat ramps, boat hauling, repair, 
                and construction facilities, commercial fishing 
                facilities, and other support structures on, over, or 
                adjacent to navigable bodies of water.
                    ``(C) The coastal zone across the United States is 
                experiencing rising property values and taxes, and 
                related development pressure, as more people move to 
                the coastal zone, and as coastal areas experience a 
                demographic shift favoring older and wealthier 
                citizens.
                    ``(D) Privately owned access areas for water-
                dependent commercial activity in many States are under 
                increasing threat from private residential development 
                and other conversion.
                    ``(E) Loss of access for water-dependent commercial 
                activity would have economically and culturally 
                devastating consequences for many coastal communities.
            ``(2) The purpose of this section is to preserve, protect, 
        and expand coastal access for persons engaged in water-
        dependent commercial activities including commercial fishing, 
        recreational fishing, aquaculture, boat-building, or other 
        water-dependent coastal-related businesses.
    ``(b) Grant Program.--
            ``(1) The Secretary shall establish a Working Waterfront 
        Grant Program, in cooperation with appropriate State, regional, 
        and other units of government, under which the Secretary may 
        make a grant to any coastal state for the purpose of 
        implementing a working waterfront plan approved by the 
        Secretary under subsection (c).
            ``(2) Subject to the availability of appropriations, the 
        Secretary shall award matching grants under the program through 
        a regionally equitable, competitive funding process.
            ``(3) In awarding a grant to an eligible coastal State, the 
        Secretary shall consider--
                    ``(A) the economic and cultural significance of 
                working waterfront to the coastal state;
                    ``(B) the working waterfront and needs of the 
                coastal state as outlined in the working waterfront 
                plan submitted by the coastal state under subsection 
                (c);
                    ``(C) the demonstrated working waterfront needs of 
                the coastal state as outlined by a working waterfront 
                plan approved for the coastal state under subsection 
                (c), and the value of the proposed project for the 
                implementation of such Plan;
                    ``(D) the ability to successfully leverage funds 
                among participating entities, including Federal 
                programs, regional organizations, State and other 
                government units, landowners, corporations, or private 
                organizations;
                    ``(E) the potential for rapid turnover in the 
                ownership of working waterfront in the coastal state, 
                and where applicable the need for coastal states to 
                respond quickly when properties in existing or 
                potential working waterfront areas or public access 
                areas as identified in the working waterfront plan 
                submitted by the coastal state come under threat or 
                become available; and
                    ``(F) the impact of the proposed project on the 
                coastal ecosystem.
            ``(4) The Secretary shall approve or reject an application 
        for such a grant within 30 days after receiving an application 
        for the grant.
    ``(c) Working Waterfront Plans.--
            ``(1) To qualify for a grant under subsection (b), a 
        coastal state must submit and have approved by the Secretary a 
        comprehensive working waterfront plan in accordance with this 
        subsection.
            ``(2) Such plan--
                    ``(A) must provide for preservation and expansion 
                of access to coastal waters to persons engaged in 
                commercial fishing, recreational fishing, or other 
                water-dependent coastal-related business;
                    ``(B) shall include--
                            ``(i) an assessment of the economic, 
                        social, and cultural value of working 
                        waterfront to the coastal state;
                            ``(ii) a description of relevant State and 
                        local laws and regulations affecting working 
                        waterfront in the geographic areas identified 
                        in the working waterfront plan;
                            ``(iii) identification of geographic areas 
                        where working waterfronts are currently under 
                        threat of conversion to uses incompatible with 
                        commercial fishing, recreational fishing, or 
                        other water-dependent coastal-related business, 
                        and the level of that threat;
                            ``(iv) identification of geographic areas 
                        appropriate for working waterfronts where 
                        working waterfronts are not currently 
                        available, and, where appropriate, an 
                        assessment of the environmental impacts of any 
                        expansion or new development of working 
                        waterfronts on the coastal ecosystem;
                            ``(v) identification of other working 
                        waterfront needs including improvements to 
                        existing working waterfronts and working 
                        waterfront areas;
                            ``(vi) for areas identified under clauses 
                        (iii), (iv) and (v), identification of current 
                        availability and potential for expansion of 
                        public access to coastal waters;
                            ``(vii) a strategic and prioritized plan 
                        for the preservation, expansion, and 
                        improvement of working waterfronts in the 
                        coastal state, including where appropriate 
                        provisions for the preservation and expansion 
                        of public access to coastal waters; and
                            ``(viii) a description of the degree of 
                        community support for such strategic plan; and
                    ``(C) may be part of the management program 
                approved under section 306.
            ``(3) A working waterfront plan--
                    ``(A) shall be effective for purposes of this 
                section for the 5-year period beginning on the date it 
                is approved by the Secretary; and
                    ``(B) must be updated and re-approved by the 
                Secretary before the end of such period.
            ``(4) The Secretary may award planning grants to coastal 
        states for the purpose of developing or revising comprehensive 
        working waterfront plans.
    ``(d) Uses, Terms, and Conditions.--
            ``(1) Each grant made by the Secretary under this section 
        shall be subject to such terms and conditions as may be 
        appropriate to ensure that the grant is used for purposes 
        consistent with this section.
            ``(2) A grant under this section may be used--
                    ``(A) to acquire a working waterfront, or an 
                interest in a working waterfront; or
                    ``(B) to make improvements to a working waterfront, 
                including the construction or repair of wharfs, boat 
                ramps, or related facilities.
    ``(e) Public Access Requirement.--A working waterfront project 
funded by grants made under this section must provide for expansion or 
improvement of public access to coastal waters at or in the vicinity of 
a working waterfront, except for commercial fishing or other industrial 
access points where the coastal state determines that public access 
would be unsafe.
    ``(f) Limitations.--
            ``(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a grant awarded 
        under this section may be used to purchase working waterfront 
        or an interest in working waterfront, including an easement, 
        only from a willing seller and at fair market value.
            ``(2) A grant awarded under this section may be used to 
        acquire working waterfront or an interest in working waterfront 
        at less than fair market value only if the owner certifies to 
        the Secretary that the sale is being entered into willingly and 
        without coercion.
            ``(3) No Federal, State, or local entity may exercise the 
        power of eminent domain to secure title to any property or 
        facilities in connection with a project carried out under this 
        section.
    ``(g) Allocation of Grants to Local Governments and Other 
Entities.--
            ``(1) Subject to the approval of the Secretary, a coastal 
        state may, as part of an approved working waterfront plan, 
        designate as a qualified holder any unit of local government or 
        nonprofit organization.
            ``(2) A coastal state or a qualified holder designated by a 
        coastal state that is the recipient of a grant made under this 
        section may allocate to a unit of local government, non-profit 
        organization, fishing cooperative, or other entity, a portion 
        of any grant made under this section for the purpose of 
        carrying out this section, except that such an allocation shall 
        not relieve the coastal state of the responsibility for 
        ensuring that any funds so allocated are applied in furtherance 
        of the coastal state's approved working waterfront plan.
            ``(3) A qualified holder may hold title to or interest in 
        property acquired under this section, except that--
                    ``(A) all persons holding title to or interest in 
                working waterfront affected by a grant under this 
                section, including a qualified holder, private citizen, 
                private business, non-profit organization, fishing 
                cooperative, or other entity, shall enter into a 
                working waterfront covenant;
                    ``(B) such covenant shall be held by the coastal 
                state or a qualified holder designated under paragraph 
                (1);
                    ``(C) if the coastal state determines, on the 
                record after an opportunity for a hearing, that the 
                working waterfront covenant has been violated--
                            ``(i) all right, title, and interest in and 
                        to the working waterfront covered by such 
                        covenant shall, except as provided in 
                        subparagraph (D), revert to the coastal state; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) the coastal state shall have the 
                        right of immediate entry onto the working 
                        waterfront.
                    ``(D) If a Coastal State makes a determination 
                under subparagraph (C), the Coastal State may convey or 
                authorize the qualified holder to convey the working 
                waterfront or interest in working waterfront to another 
                qualified holder.
    ``(h) Matching Contributions.--
            ``(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Secretary 
        shall require that each coastal state that receives a grant 
        under this section, or a qualified holder designated by that 
        coastal state under subsection (e), shall provide matching 
        funds in an amount equal to at least 25 percent of the total 
        cost of the project carried out with the grant.
            ``(2) The Secretary may waive the application of paragraph 
        (1) for any qualified holder that is an underserved community, 
        a community that has an inability to draw on other sources of 
        funding because of the small population or low income of the 
        community, or for other reasons the Secretary considers 
        appropriate.
            ``(3) As a condition of receipt of a grant under this 
        section, the Secretary shall require that a coastal state 
        provide to the Secretary such assurances as the Secretary 
        determines are sufficient to demonstrate that the share of the 
        cost of each eligible project that is not funded by the grant 
        awarded under this section has been secured.
            ``(4) If financial assistance under this section represents 
        only a portion of the total cost of a project, funding from 
        other Federal sources may be applied to the cost of the 
        project. Each portion shall be subject to match requirements 
        under the applicable provision of law.
            ``(5) The Secretary shall treat as non-Federal match the 
        value of a working waterfront or interest in a working 
        waterfront, including conservation and other easements, that is 
        held in perpetuity by a qualified holder, if the working 
        waterfront or interest is identified in the application for the 
        grant and acquired by the qualified holder within 3 years 
        before submission of the application, or within 3 years after 
        the submission of the application and before the end of the 
        grant award period. Such value shall be determined by an 
        appraisal performed at such time before the award of the grant 
        as the Secretary considers appropriate.
            ``(6) The Secretary shall treat as non-Federal match the 
        costs associated with acquisition of a working waterfront or an 
        interest in a working waterfront, and the costs of restoration, 
        enhancement, or other improvement to a working waterfront, if 
        the activities are identified in the project application and 
        the costs are incurred within the period of the grant award, 
        or, for working waterfront described in paragraph (5), within 
        the same time limits described in that paragraph. These costs 
        may include either cash or in-kind contributions.
    ``(i) Limit on Administrative Costs.--No more than 5 percent of the 
funds made available to the Secretary under this section may be used by 
the Secretary for planning or administration of the program under this 
section
    ``(j) Other Technical and Financial Assistance.--The Secretary 
shall---
            ``(1) assist coastal states in identifying and obtaining 
        other sources of available Federal technical and financial 
        assistance for the development and revision of a working 
        waterfront plan and the implementation of an approved working 
        waterfront plan; and
            ``(2) provide technical assistance to States for the 
        development and revision of comprehensive working waterfront 
        plans, which may include, subject to the availability of 
        appropriations, planning grants and assistance and feasibility 
        studies.
    ``(k) Reports.--
            ``(1) The Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) develop performance measures to evaluate and 
                report on the effectiveness of the program under this 
                section in accomplishing the purpose of this section; 
                and
                    ``(B) submit to Congress a biennial report that 
                includes such evaluations, an account of all 
                expenditures, and descriptions of all projects carried 
                out using grants awarded under this section.
            ``(2) The Secretary may submit the biennial report under 
        paragraph (1)(B) by including it in the biennial report 
        required under section 316.
    ``(l) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $25,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2008, $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, and $75,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2010.
    ``(m) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `qualified holder' means a coastal state or 
        a unit of local or coastal state government or a non-profit 
        organization designated by a coastal state under subsection 
        (e).
            ``(2) The term `Secretary' means the Secretary, acting 
        through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
            ``(3) The term `working waterfront' means real property 
        (including support structures over water and other facilities) 
        that provides access to coastal waters to persons engaged in 
        commercial fishing, recreational fishing business, or other 
        water-dependent coastal-related business and is used for, or 
        that supports, commercial fishing, recreational fishing, or 
        other water-dependent coastal-related business.
            ``(4) The term `working waterfront covenant' means an 
        agreement in recordable form between the owner of working 
        waterfront and one or more qualified holders, that provides 
        such assurances as the Secretary may require that--
                    ``(A) the title to or interest in the working 
                waterfront will be held by a grant recipient or 
                qualified holder in perpetuity, except as provided in 
                subparagraph (C);
                    ``(B) the working waterfront will be managed in a 
                manner that is consistent with the purposes for which 
                the property is acquired pursuant to this section, and 
                the property will not be converted to any use that is 
                inconsistent with the purpose of this section;
                    ``(C) if the title to or interest in the working 
                waterfront is sold or otherwise exchanged--
                            ``(i) all working waterfront owners and 
                        qualified holders involved in such sale or 
                        exchange shall accede to such agreement; or
                            ``(ii) funds equal to the fair market value 
                        of the working waterfront or interest in 
                        working waterfront shall be paid to the 
                        Secretary by parties to the sale or exchange, 
                        and such funds shall, at the discretion of the 
                        Secretary, be paid to the coastal state in 
                        which the working waterfront is located for use 
                        in the implementation of the working waterfront 
                        plan of the State approved by the Secretary 
                        under this section; and
                    ``(D) such covenant is subject to enforcement and 
                oversight by the coastal state or by another person as 
                determined appropriate by the Secretary.''.
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