[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 119 (Wednesday, September 4, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1511]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES PRESERVATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 4, 1996

  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3487, the 
National Marine Sanctuaries Preservation Act. This bill contains 
language I introduced in the Committee on Resources to amend the 
boundaries of the Flower Garden Banks Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of 
Mexico to include a nearby area known as Stetson Bank. The Flower 
Garden Banks Sanctuary was established by Congress in 1992, and has 
been a model for the National Marine Sanctuary Program. It is located 
120 miles off the Texas coast and protects the northernmost living 
coral reefs on the U.S. Continental Shelf. The Sanctuary Program has 
demonstrated our ability to preserve and protect valuable marine 
resources, such as the coral reefs of the Flower Garden Banks, while 
sustaining the important multiple uses of the surrounding marine 
environment.
  Stetson Bank is a small coral bank approximately three-quarters of a 
square mile in area. Currently, it is a no activity zone under Mineral 
Management Service regulations which prohibit exploring, developing, or 
producing oil, natural gas, or minerals. Stetson Bank provides habitat 
for a spectacular array of fish and invertebrates and is a feeding 
ground for manta rays, whale sharks, and spotted dolphins.
  These resources have made this area a popular destination for sport 
divers to spearfish and collect shells; activities which have resulted 
in depletion of the natural resources and severe anchor damage to the 
coral formations. These effects have led local scientists and sports 
diving groups to request inclusion of Stetson Bank in the protection 
and preservation measures of the Flower Gardens Bank Sanctuary. This 
will help ensure these valuable resources will be preserved for future 
uses.
  I would like to thank Chairman Young, ranking member Miller and their 
staffs for their help bringing this bipartisan legislation to the 
floor. I would also like to thank the petroleum industry 
representatives for their help. I believe this is a piece of 
legislation that will add to the economic and ecological riches of the 
gulf, and I urge the support of my colleagues.

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