[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 32 (Monday, March 21, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 21, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1300
 
           NATIONAL COASTAL RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1993

  Mr. STUDDS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2063) to amend existing law relating to the National Coastal 
Resources Research and Development Institute.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2063

       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 ``National Coastal Resources 
     Development Act of 1993''.

     SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS RELATING TO NATIONAL COASTAL RESOURCES 
                   RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE.

       (a) Administration of Institute.--Section 201(a) of the Act 
     entitled ``An Act to authorize appropriations to carry out 
     the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 for fiscal years 
     1985 through 1988, and for other purposes'' (16 U.S.C. 
     1463b(a)) is amended by striking ``by the Oregon State Marine 
     Science Center'' and inserting ``by the Oregon State System 
     of Higher Education''.
       (b) Functions of Institute.--Section 201(b) of such Act (16 
     U.S.C. 1463b(b)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(b) The Institute shall promote the economic growth and 
     prosperity of the United States by transferring research and 
     technology into applications to improve the economic, 
     environmental, and social well-being of the Nation's coastal 
     communities and the competitiveness of coastal businesses.''.
       (c) Membership of Board of Governors.--Section 201(c)(1) of 
     such Act (16 U.S.C. 1463b(c)(1)) is amended to read as 
     follows:
       ``(c)(1) The policies of the Institute shall be determined 
     by a Board of Governors composed of--
       ``(A) 1 representative appointed by the Chancellor of the 
     Oregon State System of Higher Education; and
       ``(B) 1 representative of each of the following regions, 
     appointed jointly by Governors of the States comprising that 
     region:
       ``(i) The Alaska region, consisting of Alaska.
       ``(ii) The Northwest Pacific Coast region, consisting of 
     Oregon and Washington.
       ``(iii) The Southwest Pacific Coast region, consisting of 
     California.
       ``(iv) The Pacific Islands region, consisting of Hawaii, 
     American Samoa, and Guam.
       ``(v) The Great Lakes region, consisting of Pennsylvania, 
     Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
       ``(vi) The Gulf Coast region, consisting of Texas, 
     Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
       ``(vii) The South Atlantic and Caribbean region, consisting 
     of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the 
     U.S. Virgin Islands.
       ``(viii) The Mid-Atlantic region, consisting of Delaware, 
     Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.
       ``(ix) The North Atlantic region, consisting of New Jersey, 
     New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New 
     Hampshire, and Maine.''.
       (d) Advisory Council.--Section 201(d)(1) of such Act (16 
     U.S.C. 1463b(d)(1)) is amended by inserting ``and leaders in 
     coastal communities and businesses'' after ``community''.
       (e) Conforming Amendment.--Section 201(e) of such Act (16 
     U.S.C. 1463b(e)) is amended by striking ``Oregon Board of 
     Higher Education'' and inserting ``Oregon State System of 
     Higher Education''.
       (f) Reports.--Section 201(g) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 
     1463b(g)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(g) The Institute shall report to the Congress on its 
     activities annually, and shall report to the Secretary of 
     Commerce in a like manner biennially.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Montgomery). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Studds] will be recognized for 20 
minutes, and the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Fields] will be recognized 
for 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Studds].
  Mr. STUDDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2063 was introduced by our colleague, Ms. Furse, to 
fine tune the mission of the National Coastal Resources Research and 
Development Institute [NCRI]. Since 1984, NCRI has supported research, 
education, and technology transfer to promote the responsible 
development of coastal resources.
  The bill seeks to emphasize the role of the Institute in promoting 
the economic and environmental well-being of coastal communities 
through research and technology transfer. NCRI currently is overseen by 
a Board of Governors that represents only Pacific coastal States. H.R. 
2063 requires a Board with representation from all the coastal regions 
of the United States, making the program truly national in scope. In 
addition, the bill improves oversight of the Institute by adding a 
requirement for it to report annually to Congress on its activities.
  Let me emphasize that we are not creating a new program here; we are 
simply making improvements to an existing one. The Institute has done 
fine work in Massachusetts and around the country. The bill is not 
controversial and I urge the House to support its adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FIELDS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. FIELDS of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FIELDS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, while I will not object to H.R. 
2063, I must admit that I remain unconvinced as to the justification 
and overall need for the National Coastal Resources Research and 
Development Institute.
  In the last ten years, the Institute has kept a low profile, funding 
small projects which took basic coastal research conducted under other 
Federal programs and applying it in the real world, with an emphasis on 
economic invigoration of our coasts. The program has been criticized, 
though, as lacking a clear focus and restricting its funds to the 
Pacific Northwest.
  Therefore, I applaud the changes stipulated in Congresswoman Furse's 
bill. H.R. 2063 reconstitutes the Board of Governors, which sets the 
policies of the Institute and gives final approval of any projects, to 
include representatives from nine coastal regions. Current Board 
membership is limited to six persons appointed by the Governors of 
Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. This change 
recognizes that the program is a national one despite its Oregon base. 
I know that the Institute has funded several recent aquaculture and 
tourism projects in Gulf States, although unfortunately none were 
located in Texas. It is my hope that with a seat on the Board, this can 
be remedied in the future.
  I also support two other changes to the existing program made by H.R. 
2063. The first tightens the language setting forth the purposes of the 
Institute to emphasize the need for economic growth of coastal 
communities and improving the competitiveness of coastal businesses. 
These are areas now overlooked by Federal research and development 
programs, and clearly differentiate the Institute's role in coastal 
issues from that of the National Sea Grant College Program.
  The second brings coastal community and business leaders into the 
Advisory Council, which advises the Board of Governors on funding 
proposals. Because the focus of the Institute's program is really on 
real-world coastal economic development, these are the people who 
really should be involved in the decision-making process, rather than 
those from the academic field who now make up the Council.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the bill's adoption and I reserve the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. STUDDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from Oregon, [Ms. Furse], for a brief and concise statement 
by the author of the bill.
  Ms. FURSE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my sincere 
appreciation to Chairman Studds and Chairman Ortiz for their assistance 
in guiding this important piece of legislation through committee and 
bringing it to the House floor.
  The subject of H.R. 2063 is the National Coastal Resources Research 
and Development Institute, more commonly referred to as NCRI. Created 
by Congress in 1984, NCRI's mission is to help strengthen and diversify 
coastal economies through partnerships between local businesses and the 
scientific community. My bill will expand and strengthen the work of 
this important Institute.
  Since its creation, NCRI has invested more than $6 million in 81 
projects throughout 25 coastal States. These projects apply and 
evaluate innovative technologies and economic strategies in a 
aquaculture, business and community development, coastal tourism and 
recreation, commercial fisheries, and marine and seafood technology and 
product development. Examples of NCRI projects along Oregon's coast 
include creating a spring chinook fishery in Young's Bay, using new 
approaches for water front revitalization in Warrenton, creating new 
products from Pacific whiting, and advancing a new, cost effective 
welding technology for ship repair. NCRI has been similarly useful 
elsewhere in the coastal United States, through such projects as the 
evaluation of harvesting techniques needed to support a sustainable 
urchin fishery in the Gulf of Maine, the creation of a self-sustaining 
tourism marketing program for rural Louisiana communities, and the 
development of a management framework for the Chesapeake Bay 
aquaculture industry.
  Extrapolating from those past successes, every dollar invested in 
NCRI can be expected to yield an estimated $400 increase in coastal 
revenues within a 10 to 15 year period. In this time of tight budgets, 
that's the kind of cost effective assistance businesses and communities 
want and need.
  I introduced H.R. 2063, the National Coastal Resources Development 
Act of 1993, last May to strengthen and broaden the services that NCRI 
provides. Specifically, my bill will clarify the Institute's mission: 
broaden its Board of Directors to include a more national membership; 
expand its advisory Council to include coastal community leaders and 
businesses; direct NCRI to report periodically to Congress and the 
Secretary of Commerce on its activities; and make several technical 
corrections.
  By making these changes, H.R. 2063 will allow NCRI to more 
effectively accomplish its important mission throughout all of coastal 
America.
  Today's consideration of H.R. 2063 is very timely--last week we 
received the devastating news that there will not be any commercial 
salmon fishery season this year along the northern Oregon and 
Washington coastline due to our rapidly dwindling salmon populations. 
This is particularly bad news when our coastal communities are already 
struggling to cope with ongoing cutbacks in the fishing and timber 
industries. I know the Northwest experience is not unique and that 
other coastal regions are facing similar declines in their fisheries. 
More than ever, our coastal communities need the assistance that 
programs like NCRI's can provide--to help them diversify their 
economies, adopt innovative technologies and develop new products.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting NCRI's work and our 
Nation's coastal businesses and residents by voting ``yes'' for H.R. 
2063.
  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend 
my remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2063, the National Coastal Resources Development 
Act amends existing law relating to the National Coastal Resources 
Research and Development Institute. The Institute provides grants to 
transfer marine research and technology to the commercial sector.
  The bill clarifies the Institute's mission and expands the membership 
of the Board of Governors and the Advisory Council. The effect of the 
bill is to make the Institute more national in scope by having a Board 
of Governors with nationwide membership.
  I think that H.R. 2063 is a good bill. I congratulate my colleague 
from Oregon, Ms. Furse, for her efforts in this regard, and I urge the 
House to support the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FIELDS. of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. STUDDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Studds] that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2063.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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