[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 25 (Wednesday, March 8, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1325-S1326]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KERRY (for himself, Mr. Hollings, and Mr. Inouye):
  S. 2223. A bill to establish a fund for the restoration of ocean and 
coastal resources, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation.


                        COASTAL STEWARDSHIP ACT

 Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I rise to introduce an amended 
version of the Coastal Stewardship Act, which I offer along with 
Senators Hollings and Inouye. The purpose of introducing this amended 
version is to provide a blueprint for how we believe the Senate should 
address coastal and marine issues in larger proposals that allocate 
revenues from oil and gas exploration in the Outer Continental Shelf 
(OCS) to the States for conservation. This amended version creates the 
Ocean and Coast Conservation Fund with $375,000,000 to address urgent 
needs in our coastal and marine environment, including wetlands, non-
point pollution, fisheries research and management, coral reefs and 
enforcement.
  The bill allocates $100,000,000 to Cooperative Fisheries Research and 
Management. We have a great need to improve our understanding of 
fisheries and the fishing industry. The National Marine Fisheries 
Service, regional fisheries councils, states, the commercial and 
recreational fishing industries and conservationists rely on fishery 
data to make difficult management and investment decisions. Given the 
importance of having sound information, Congress requested the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to assess the

[[Page S1326]]

quality of our fisheries data. NOAA concluded that, ``Despite some 
regional successes, it is clear that the current overall approach to 
collecting and managing fisheries information needs to be re-thought, 
revised, and reworked. The quality and completeness of fishery data are 
often inadequate. Data are often on inaccessible in an appropriate form 
or timely manner. Methods for data collection and management are 
frequently burdensome and inefficient. These drawbacks result in the 
inability to answer some of the most basic question regarding the state 
of the Nation's fisheries . . .'' NOAA added, ``Simply put, to manage 
fisheries at local, state, regional, or national levels requires a much 
better fisheries information system than the one in place.'' I have 
heard a similar refrain from almost every person and group involved in 
our fisheries, whether their interest is fisheries management, 
commercial or recreational harvest or fisheries conservation. With this 
legislation, the Governor of any State represented by an Interstate 
Maine Fishery Commission may make an application to the Secretary of 
Commerce for funding to support projects that address this critical 
need. We will establish comprehensive programs to improve the quality 
and quantity of information available to evaluate stocks, design 
control measures, develop more environmentally-sound gear and include 
the fishing community in the process.
  The Cooperative Enforcement provision allocates $25,000,000 for the 
Secretary of Commerce to enter joint agreements with coastal states to 
enhance our coastal and marine enforcement. As with all our laws, our 
natural resources laws are only effective if they are enforced. These 
joint ventures allow states and local governments to tailor enforcement 
procedures to fit local needs and available resources, and allow for 
collaboration between state and local enforcement agencies and federal 
agencies, including the Coast Guard. The proposal authorizes the 
Secretary of Commerce to delegate its living marine resource 
enforcement authorities to a state marine law enforcement entity and to 
pay state enforcement costs pursuant to the individual agreements 
crafted with each participating state. State enforcement under these 
agreements would extend to requirements of federal or regional 
fisheries management plans, including those of interjurisdictional 
fishery management commissions. When first introduced, this proposal 
was endorsed by the National Association of Conservation Law 
Enforcement Chiefs, the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, the 
Northeast Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Association and others.
  A total of $250,000,000 is dedicated to Coastal Stewardship. This 
flexible program allocates funds to states based on coastline, 
population and need for projects that restore and preserve coastal and 
marine habitat. Projects must be consistent with the Coastal Zone 
Management Act, National Estuary Program, National Marine Sanctuary 
Act, the National Estuarine Research Reserve program and other laws 
governing conservation and restoration of coastal or marine habitat. In 
this program, states set priorities and decide how and when projects 
proceed within broad national goals. The benefits will be enormous. We 
will preserve and restore wetlands, reduce non-point source pollution, 
remove abandoned vessels causing environmental damage, address 
watershed protection, and undertake a range of other projects, all 
aimed at coastal conservation.
  Finally, $25,000,000 is set targeted at Coral Reef Restoration and 
Conservation. We must recognize the importance of maintaining the 
health and stability of coral reefs which possess enormous 
environmental and economic value. With this legislation we will fund 
cooperative projects with States to preserve and restore our coral 
reefs.
  A portion of these authorizations is set aside for the Department of 
Commerce to enhance its National Marine Sanctuaries, coral programs and 
other critically important conservation efforts.
  I want to thank Senator Hollings and Inouye for joining as 
cosponsors. I look forward to working with Senator Bingaman, the 
Commerce Committee, and Senator Landrieu and others who are working to 
pass comprehensive legislation to dedicate revenues from Outer 
Continental Shelf exploration to the conservation of our coastal and 
marine environment.
                                 ______