[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4284 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4284

  To prohibit commercial offshore wind energy development in Lobster 
    Management Area 1 in the Gulf of Maine, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 22, 2023

 Mr. Golden of Maine introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To prohibit commercial offshore wind energy development in Lobster 
    Management Area 1 in the Gulf of Maine, 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 ``Northeast Fisheries Heritage 
Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON COMMERCIAL OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN 
              LOBSTER MANAGEMENT AREA 1.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The New England fishing industry has been an integral 
        part of the history, culture, and economy of the region for 
        over 400 years.
            (2) In 2021, New England commercial fisheries landed an 
        estimated 501,143,142 pounds of catch, valued at 
        $1,968,086,375, which supports thousands of fishermen, their 
        families, and communities that depend on these ocean resources.
            (3) The United States lobster fishery, with Maine and 
        Massachusetts producing 93 percent of the lobster harvest, is 
        one of the most valuable fisheries in the country with 
        commercial landings totaling 134,700,000 pounds valued at 
        $925,000,000.
            (4) Lobster Management Area 1 in the Gulf of Maine is a 
        critical and highly productive fishing ground for halibut, 
        tuna, flounder, redfish, black sea bass, monkfish, mackerel, 
        rock and sand crab, mussels, hardshell and softshell clams, 
        oysters, scallops, conchs, squid, and lobster.
            (5) The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management recently 
        published ``Commercial Leasing for Wind Power Development on 
        the Gulf of Maine Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)-Call for 
        Information and Nominations'' (88 Fed. Reg. 25427; published 
        April 26, 2023), which invites public comment on potential 
        commercial wind energy development in the Gulf of Maine.
            (6) The Call identifies approximately 9,800,000 million 
        acres to site potential commercial offshore wind projects in 
        the Gulf of Maine, including Lobster Management Areas 1 and 3 
        and other areas that are closed to fishing either permanently 
        or seasonally in an effort to protect the endangered North 
        Atlantic right whale.
            (7) Siting offshore wind development outside of Lobster 
        Management Area 1 would avoid conflict with the New England 
        commercial and recreational fishing industries and preserve a 
        vital fishing ground for future generations.
    (b) Prohibition on Commercial Offshore Wind Development in Lobster 
Management Area 1.--Notwithstanding section 8 of the Outer Continental 
Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337), no lease, license, permit, or other 
authorization may be issued for the development of commercial offshore 
wind energy in Lobster Management Area 1.
    (c) Gulf of Maine Offshore Wind Project Environmental Review 
Process Study.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this section, the Comptroller General shall 
        conduct a study to assess the sufficiency of the environmental 
        review processes of the national Marine Fisheries Service, the 
        Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and any other relevant 
        Federal agency for offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Maine 
        in place as of the date of enactment of this section.
            (2) Contents.--The study required under paragraph (1) shall 
        include consideration of the following:
                    (A) The impacts of offshore wind projects in the 
                Gulf of Maine on--
                            (i) marine mammals, including whales;
                            (ii) finfish;
                            (iii) benthic resources;
                            (iv) the commercial and recreational 
                        fishing industries, including marine equipment 
                        retailers, onshore processors, fish markets, 
                        and other shoreside businesses;
                            (v) air quality and greenhouse gas 
                        emissions;
                            (vi) cultural, historical, and Tribal 
                        resources;
                            (vii) marine invertebrates;
                            (viii) essential fish habitat (as that term 
                        is defined in section 3 of the Magnuson-Stevens 
                        Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 
                        U.S.C. 1802));
                            (ix) plankton abundance and distribution;
                            (x) recreation and tourism; and
                            (xi) fisheries-dependent communities.
                    (B) How each agency described in paragraph (1) 
                determines which stakeholders to consult with regard to 
                offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Maine and if a 
                timely, comprehensive comment period is provided for 
                local representatives and interested parties with 
                regard to such offshore wind projects.
    (d) Lobster Management Area 1 Defined.--In this section, the term 
``Lobster Management Area 1'' has the meaning given the term ``EEZ 
Nearshore Management Area 1'' in section 697.18 of title 50, Code of 
Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation).
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