[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 132 (Monday, September 29, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H8066-H8067]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CORAL REEF CONSERVATION ACT OF 1997
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2233) to assist in the conservation of coral reefs, as
amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 2233
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 ``Coral Reef Conservation Act
of 1997''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are the following:
(1) To preserve, sustain, and restore the health of coral
reef ecosystems.
(2) To assist in the conservation and protection of coral
reefs by supporting conservation programs.
(3) To provide financial resources for those programs.
(4) To establish a formal mechanism for collecting and
allocating monetary donations from the private sector to be
used for coral reef conservation projects.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Coral.--The term ``coral'' means species of the phylum
Cnidaria, including--
(A) all species of the orders Antipatharia (black corals),
Scleractinia (stony corals), Gorgonacea (horny corals),
Stolonifera (organpipe corals and others), and Coenothecalia
(blue coral), of the class Anthozoa; and
(B) all species of the order Hydrocorallina (fire corals
and hydrocorals), of the class Hydrozoa.
(2) Coral reef.--The term ``coral reef'' means any reef or
shoal composed primarily of the skeletal material of species
of the order Scleractinia (class Anthozoa).
(3) Coral reef ecosystem.--The term ``coral reef
ecosystem'' means the complex of species associated with
coral reefs and their environment that--
(A) functions as an ecological unit in nature; and
(B) is necessary for that function to continue.
(4) Corals and coral products.--The term ``corals and coral
products'' means any living or dead specimens, parts, or
derivatives, or any product containing specimens, parts, or
derivatives, of any species referred to in paragraph (1).
(5) Conservation.--The term ``conservation'' means the use
of methods and procedures necessary to preserve or sustain
corals and species associated with coral reefs as diverse,
viable, and self-perpetuating coral reef ecosystems,
including all activities associated with resource management,
such as conservation, protection, restoration, and management
of habitat; habitat monitoring; assistance in the development
of management strategies for marine protected areas and
marine resources consistent with the National Marine
Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.) and the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C.
1801 et seq.); law enforcement through community
participation; conflict resolution initiatives; and community
outreach and education.
(6) Fund.--The term ``Fund'' means the Coral Reef
Conservation Fund established under section 5(a).
(7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Commerce.
SEC. 4. CORAL REEF CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary, subject to the availability
of funds, shall use amounts in the Fund to provide grants of
financial assistance for projects for the conservation of
coral reefs for which final project proposals are approved by
the Secretary in accordance with this section.
(b) Project Proposal.--Any relevant natural resource
management authority of a State or territory of the United
States or other government jurisdiction with coral reefs
whose activities directly or indirectly affect coral reefs,
or any nongovernmental organization or individual with
demonstrated expertise in the conservation of coral reefs,
may submit to the Secretary a project proposal under this
section. Each proposal shall include the following:
(1) The name of the individual responsible for conducting
the project.
(2) A succinct statement of the purposes of the project.
(3) A description of the qualifications of the individuals
who will conduct the project.
(4) An estimate of the funds and time required to complete
the project.
(5) Evidence of support of the project by appropriate
representatives of States or territories of the United States
or other government jurisdictions in which the project will
be conducted, if the Secretary determines that the support is
required for the success of the project.
(6) Information regarding the source and amount of matching
funding available to the applicant.
(7) Any other information the Secretary considers to be
necessary for evaluating the eligibility of the project for
funding under this Act.
(c) Project Review and Approval.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall review each final
project proposal to determine if it meets the criteria set
forth in subsection (d).
(2) Consultation: approval or disapproval.--Not later than
6 months after receiving a final project proposal, and
subject to the availability of funds, the Secretary shall--
(A) request written comments on the proposal from each
State or territory of the United States or other government
jurisdiction, including the relevant regional fishery
management councils established under the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et
seq.), within which the project is to be conducted;
(B) provide for the meritbased peer review of the proposal
and require standardized documentation of that peer review;
(C) after reviewing any written comments and
recommendations based on merit review, approve or disapprove
the proposal; and
(D) provide written notification of that approval or
disapproval to the person who submitted the proposal, and
each of those States, territories, and other government
jurisdictions.
(d) Criteria for Approval.--The Secretary may approve a
final project proposal under this section if the project will
enhance programs for conservation of coral reefs by assisting
efforts to--
(1) implement conservation programs;
(2) address the conflicts arising from the use of
environments near coral reefs or from the use of corals,
species associated with coral reefs, and coral products;
(3) enhance compliance with laws that prohibit or regulate
the taking of corals, species associated with coral reefs,
and coral products or regulate the use and management of
coral reef ecosystems;
(4) develop sound scientific information on the condition
of coral reef ecosystems or the threats to such ecosystems;
or
(5) promote cooperative projects on coral reef conservation
that involve foreign governments, affected local communities,
nongovernmental organizations, or others in the private
sector.
(e) Project Sustainability.--In determining whether to
approve project proposals under this section, the Secretary
shall give priority to projects which promote sustainable
development and ensure effective, long-term conservation of
coral reefs.
(f) Project Reporting.--Each grantee under this section
shall provide periodic reports, as the Secretary considers
necessary, to the Secretary. Each report shall include all
information required by the Secretary for evaluating the
progress and success of the project.
(g) Matching Funds.--The Secretary may not approve a
project under this section unless the Secretary determines
that there are non-Federal matching funds available to pay at
least 50 percent of the total cost of the project.
SEC. 5. CORAL REEF CONSERVATION FUND.
(a) Establishment.--There is established in the general
fund of the Treasury a separate account, to be known as the
``Coral Reef Conservation Fund'', which shall consist of
amounts deposited into the Fund by the Secretary of the
Treasury under subsection (b).
(b) Deposits Into the Fund.--The Secretary of the Treasury
shall deposit into the Fund--
(1) all amounts received by the Secretary in the form of
monetary donations under subsection (d); and
(2) other amounts appropriated to the Fund.
(c) Use.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary
may use amounts in the Fund without further appropriation to
provide assistance under section 4.
(2) Administration.--Of amounts in the Fund available for
each fiscal year, the Secretary may use not more than 3
percent to administer the Fund.
(d) Acceptance and Use of Monetary Donations.--The
Secretary may accept and use monetary donations to provide
assistance under section 4. Amounts received by the Secretary
in the form of donations shall be transferred to the
Secretary of the Treasury for deposit into the Fund.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Fund
$1,000,000 for each of fiscal years
[[Page H8067]]
1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 to carry out this Act, which
may remain available until expended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey [Mr. Saxton] and the gentleman from California [Mr. Farr], each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Saxton].
(Mr. SAXTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, we are now considering H.R. 2233, the Coral Reef
Conservation Act of 1997.
The gentleman from Hawaii [Mr. Abercrombie] and I and the gentleman
from California [Mr. Farr] introduced this bill to promote conservation
of coral reef ecosystems.
The Committee on Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation,
Wildlife, and Oceans, which I chair, had two coral-reef-related
hearings this year, and it is very clear that coral reefs are an
important natural resource for coastal nations worldwide and many U.S.
States and territories. Reefs generate significant tourism, provide
habitat for many commercial fisheries, and protect coastlines from
storm damage.
Unfortunately, coral reefs worldwide are also in great danger from
both natural and human-induced causes. In the U.S. waters near Florida,
six new coral reef diseases have been identified in the last 5 years,
and they are spreading rapidly. In the Philippines, an astounding 70
percent of native reef environments have been obliterated by
destructive fishing practices such as, believe it or not, dynamiting
and cyanide fishing.
This bill establishes a coral reef conservation fund which is modeled
after existing programs such as the very successful African elephant
conservation program. This fund will contain both appropriated moneys
and donations. Grants from the fund will support conservation projects
which benefit coral reefs worldwide.
The bill authorizes $1 million to be appropriated into the fund
annually for the next 5 years and requires that all grants be matched
by other funds on a one-to-one basis.
Mr. Speaker, this type of conservation approach has been very
successful for African elephants and other threatened species. I
believe that this bill can make a difference in reducing damage to
coral reefs worldwide. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle
to support the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
(Mr. FARR of California asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 2233. This bill will help provide much
needed funding for research and conservation projects at coral reef
ecosystems. The health of these ecosystems is in decline globally due
to a wide range of threats, including nonsource pollution, destructive
fishing practices, unwise coastal development, and global climate
change. If we do not act decisively and soon, there will be no reefs
left to save in just a few years.
Why is it important to save it? The reefs essentially are the rain
forests of the ocean. That is where most of the biological life live.
If we lose these reefs, we lose much more than just their picturesque
beauty, we lose a world class storehouse of marine biodiversity and a
renewable economic resource that is vital to coastal and insular
nations.
H.R. 2233 is a good first step in addressing these problems. The
amendment before the House requires a match for every Federal dollar so
that research funds can even go further than originally drafted. I
support the amendment. I urge all my colleagues on this side of the
aisle to do so as well.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I would just conclude by saying that the gentleman from California
[Mr. Farr] and I made note of some successes that we have had over the
last decade in terms of protecting the ocean habitat.
While this is one of the great failures of humankind in the way we
have taken the coral reef systems for granted and the practices that we
have continued to perpetuate that have caused great damage to the coral
reef systems, which, as Mr. Farr eloquently pointed out, are immensely
important to the ocean ecosystems and the interdependence of life in
the oceans, when we held our hearings and it was brought to light
publicly that two of the ways, two of the techniques of fishing are
through the use of dynamite and cyanide, I looked at those issues with
some disbelief. But we should not look at those issues with disbelief
because they are, in fact, practices that are used which do cause great
damage not only to the coral reef system but, obviously, to other life
in the oceans as well.
While we have had some successes over the last 10 years, it is pretty
obvious that our work is not completed. Passage of this bill is perhaps
a good first step in addressing the problems that are still to be
addressed.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2233, the
Coral Reef Conservation Act, a bill introduced by our colleagues Jim
Saxton and Neil Abercrombie.
While there may be only a few scattered corals in Alaska, coral reefs
represent a new frontier source for medicines and lifesaving products.
In addition, they provide natural protection for coastlines from high
waves, storm surges, coastal erosion, and accompanying threats to human
life and property.
Furthermore, coral reefs are particularly important in generating
tourism, and they contain some of the world's most productive marine
habitats. These reefs make a real contribution to the economies where
they are located.
This bill is a positive effort to protect our Nation's coral reefs,
and I am confident that the Department of Commerce will effectively
manage the Coral Reef Conservation Fund.
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Saxton] that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2233, as amended.
The question was taken.
Mr. CONDIT. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not
present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
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