[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 29, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1746-S1747]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. SNOWE (for herself, Mr. Kerry, Mr. McCain, and Mr. 
        Hollings):
  S. 241. A bill to amend the Coastal Zone Management Act; read the 
first time.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to support the Coastal Zone 
Enhancement Reauthorization Act of 2003. I am pleased to have 
bipartisan support for this bill and to be joined by the chair and 
ranking Democrats of the Commerce Committee and the Subcommittee on 
Oceans and Fisheries. Senators McCain, Hollings, and Kerry have been 
instrumental in developing the wide range of support for this bill, and 
I appreciate their interest in improving the way we manage our Nation's 
valuable coastal and marine resources.
  In 1972, Congress responded to concerns over the increasing demands 
being placed on our nation's coastal regions and resources by enacting 
of the Coastal Zone Management Act. These pressures have greatly 
increased since the act was originally authorized.
  Although the coastal zone only comprises 10 percent of the contiguous 
U.S. land area, nearly 53 percent of all Americans live in these 
coastal regions, and more than 3,600 people are relocating there 
annually. This small portion of our country supports approximately 361 
sea-ports, contains most of our largest cities, and serves as critical 
habitat for a variety of plants and animals.
  This bill reauthorizes and makes a number of important improvements 
to the Coastal Zone Management Act. Under the authorities in this act, 
coastal States can choose to participate in the voluntary Federal 
Coastal Zone Management Program. States then design individual coastal 
zone management programs, taking their specific needs and problems into 
account, and then receive federal matching funds to help carry out 
their program plans. State coastal zone programs manage issues ranging 
from public access to beaches, to protecting habitat, to coordinating 
permits for coastal development.
  As voluntary program, the framework of the CZMA provides guidelines 
for State plans to address multiple environmental, societal, cultural, 
and economic objectives.
  The health of our coastal zone is vitally important not only to the 
multitude of plants and animals that inhabit this area, but also to the 
people and communities that are dependent on it for their livelihood. 
For example, coastal areas provide habitat for more than 75 percent of 
the U.S. commercial fisheries and 85 percent of the U.S. recreational 
fisheries. In turn, the commercial fishing industry, along with value-
added services included, contributes $40 billion to the U.S. economy 
each year. Recreational fishing adds another $25 billion to the 
economy.
  The Coastal Zone Management Program can be used to help balance the 
conservation of fish stocks with the demands that we place on coastal 
areas. In my State of Maine, a $150,000 study of the State's cargo 
needs led to a $27 million bond issue for cargo port improvements. As a 
result, Bath Iron Works built a new $45 million facility, creating 
1,000 new jobs. Similar work needs to be done with our fishing ports so 
that when fisheries stock rebound, the fishermen will be able to 
realize the returns.

  Unfortunately our precious coastal resources are being threatened by 
environmental problems, including non-point source pollution. Although 
the States are currently taking action to

[[Page S1747]]

address this problem under existing authority, the Coastal Zone 
Enhancement Reauthorization Act of 2003 encourages, but does not 
require, them to take additional steps to combat these problems through 
the Coastal Community Program.
  This initiative provides States with the funding and flexibility 
needed to deal with their specific nonpoint source pollution problems. 
The States will have the ability to implement local solutions to a 
broad array of local problems. Many States are actively engaged in 
nonpoint source pollution programs and all can benefit from this new 
tool I am proud to say that Maine has risen to the challenge and 
already spends close to 30 percent of its funding on such activities. 
This has led to the reopening of hundreds of acres of shellfish beds 
and the restoration of fish nursery areas. Even with these successes, 
Maine is looking forward to this new opportunity to do more.
  The Coastal Community Program in this bill also aides States in 
developing and implementing creative initiatives to deal with problems 
other than nonpoint source pollution. It increases Federal and State 
support of Local community-based programs that address coastal 
environmental issues, such as the impact of development and sprawl on 
coastal uses and resources. This type of bottom-up management approach 
is critical.
  The Coastal Zone Enhancement Reauthorization Act of 2003 
significantly increases the authorization levels for the Coastal Zone 
Management Program, allowing States to better address their coastal 
management plan goals. The bill authorizes $135.5 million for fiscal 
year 2004, $141 million for fiscal year 2005 and increases the 
authorization levels by $5.5 million each year through fiscal year 
2008. This increase in funding is necessary to allow the coastal 
programs to reach their full potential.
  Additionally, the Coastal Zone Enhancement Reauthorization Act of 
2003 increases authorization for the National Estaurine Research 
Reserve System, NERRS, to $13 million in fiscal year 2004 with an 
additional $1 million increase each year through fiscal year 2008. 
NERRS is a network of reserves across the country that are operated as 
a cooperative Federal-State partnership.
  Currently, there are 25 reserves in 22 States. They provide an 
important opportunity for long-term research and education in these 
ecosystems. Additional funds will help strengthen this nationwide 
program which has not received increased funding commensurate with the 
addition of new reserves.
  I wish to address a very serious problem facing the Coastal Zone 
Management Program that we have tried to rectify in this bill. The 
Administrative Grant Program, section 306, serves as the base funding 
mechanism for the States' coastal zone management programs. The amount 
of funding each State receives is determined by a formula that takes 
into account both the length of the coastline and the population of 
each State.
  However, sine 1992, the Appropriations Committee has imposed a $2 
million dollar cap per State on administrative grants. This was an 
attempt to ensure equitable allocation to all the participating States. 
Over the past 8 years, appropriations for administrative grants have 
increased by $19 million, yet the $2 million cap has remained. The 
result has been an inequitable distribution of these new funds. By 
fiscal year 2000, 13 States had reached this arbitrary $2 million cap. 
These 13 States account for 83 percent of our Nation's coastline and 76 
percent of our coastal population.
  It is not equitable to have the 13 States with the largest coastlines 
and populations stuck at a $2 million dollar cap, despite major overall 
funding increases. While smaller States have enjoyed additional 
programmatic success due to an influx of funding, some of the larger 
States have stagnated.
  In an attempt to reassure members of the Appropriations Committee 
that a fair distribution of funds can occur without this hard cap in 
place, I have worked with Senator Hollings to develop language that has 
been included in this bill that directs the Secretary of Commerce to 
ensure equitable increases or decreases between funding years for each 
State. It further requires that States should not experience a decrease 
in base program funds in any year when the overall appropriations 
increase.
  I thank Senator Hollings for his assistance in resolving this matter 
and his commitment over the years to ensuring that the states are 
treated fairly.
  The Coastal Zone Management Program enjoys wide support among all of 
the coastal States due to its history of success. This support has been 
clearly demonstrated by the many members of the Commerce Committee who 
have worked with me to strengthen this program over the past several 
years.
  I thank Senator Kerry, the ranking Democrat of the Oceans and 
Fisheries Subcommittee, for his hard work and support of this bill. I 
would also like to express my appreciation to Senator McCain, the 
chairman of the Commerce Committee, and Senator Hollings, the ranking 
Democrat of the Committee, for their support of this measure and for 
their willingness to discharge this bill out of the committee so that 
we may begin working with our colleagues in the House of 
Representatives to enact this critical piece of legislation.
  This is a solid, reasonable, and a realistic bill that enjoys 
bipartisan support on the Commerce Committee. It is time that we now 
turn to legislation reauthorizing a program with a long track record of 
preserving our coastal environment while allowing sensible development.
  I am pleased to support this legislation that will provide the States 
with the necessary funding and framework to meet the challenges facing 
our coastal communities in the 21st Century. I urge my colleagues to 
support.
                                 ______