[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 60 (Tuesday, May 16, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H2603-H2605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COASTAL BARRIER RESOURCES REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005
Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the Senate bill (S. 1869) to reauthorize the Coastal Barrier Resources
Act, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read as follows:
S. 1869
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 ``Coastal Barrier Resources
Reauthorization Act of 2005''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Otherwise protected area.--The term ``otherwise
protected area'' has the meaning given the term in section 12
of the Coastal Barrier Improvement Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C.
3503 note; Public Law 101-591).
(2) Pilot project.--The term ``pilot project'' means the
digital mapping pilot project authorized under section 6 of
the Coastal Barrier Resources Reauthorization Act of 2000 (16
U.S.C. 3503 note; Public Law 106-514).
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(4) System unit.--The term ``System unit'' has the meaning
given the term in section 3 of the Coastal Barrier Resources
Act (16 U.S.C. 3502).
SEC. 3. DIGITAL MAPPING PILOT PROJECT FINALIZATION.
(a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and
the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives a
report regarding the digital maps of the System units and
otherwise protected areas created under the pilot project.
(b) Consultation.--The Secretary shall prepare the report
required under subsection (a)--
(1) in consultation with the Governors of the States in
which any System units and otherwise protected areas are
located; and
(2) after--
(A) providing an opportunity for the submission of public
comments; and
(B) considering any public comments submitted under
subparagraph (A).
(c) Contents.--The report required under subsection (a)
shall contain--
(1) the final recommended digital maps created under the
pilot project;
(2) recommendations for the adoption of the digital maps by
Congress;
(3) a summary of the comments received from the Governors
of the States, other government officials, and the public
regarding the digital maps;
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(4) a summary and update of the protocols and findings of
the report required under section 6(d) of the Coastal Barrier
Resources Reauthorization Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 3503 note;
Public Law 106-514); and
(5) an analysis of any benefits that the public would
receive by using digital mapping technology for all System
units and otherwise protected areas.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section
$500,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2007.
SEC. 4. DIGITAL MAPPING PROJECT FOR THE REMAINING JOHN H.
CHAFEE COASTAL BARRIER RESOURCES SYSTEM UNITS
AND OTHERWISE PROTECTED AREAS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out a project to
create digital versions of all of the John H. Chafee Coastal
Barrier Resources System maps referred to in section 4(a) of
the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3503(a)),
including maps of otherwise protected areas, that were not
included in the pilot project.
(b) Data.--
(1) Use of existing data.--To the maximum extent
practicable, in carrying out the project under this section,
the Secretary shall use any digital spatial data in the
possession of Federal, State, and local agencies, including
digital orthophotos, color infrared photography, wetlands
data, and property parcel data.
(2) Provision of data by other agencies.--The head of a
Federal agency that possesses any data referred to in
paragraph (1) shall, on request of the Secretary, promptly
provide the data to the Secretary at no cost.
(3) Provision of data by non-federal agencies.--State and
local agencies and any other non-Federal entities that
possess data referred to in paragraph (1) are encouraged, on
request of the Secretary, to promptly provide the data to the
Secretary at no cost.
(4) Additional data.--If the Secretary determines that any
data necessary to carry out the project under this section
does not exist, the Director of the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service shall enter into an agreement with the
Director of the United States Geological Survey under which
the United States Geological Survey, in cooperation with the
heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall obtain
and provide to the Director of the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service the data required to carry out this section.
(5) Data standards.--All data used or created to carry out
this section shall comply with--
(A) the National Spatial Data Infrastructure established by
Executive Order No. 12906 (59 Fed. Reg. 17671); and
(B) any other standards established by the Federal
Geographic Data Committee established by the Office of
Management and Budget circular numbered A-16.
(c) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the
submission of the report under section 3(a), the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
of the Senate and the Committee on Resources of the House of
Representatives a report regarding the digital maps created
under this section.
(2) Consultation.--The Secretary shall prepare the report
required under paragraph (1)--
(A) in consultation with the Governors of the States in
which the System units and otherwise protected areas are
located; and
(B) after--
(i) providing an opportunity for the submission of public
comments; and
(ii) considering any public comments submitted under clause
(i).
(3) Contents.--The report required under paragraph (1)
shall contain--
(A) a description of the extent to which the boundary lines
on the digital maps differ from the boundary lines on the
original maps;
(B) a summary of the comments received from Governors,
other government officials, and the public regarding the
digital maps created under this section;
(C) recommendations for the adoption of the digital maps
created under this section by Congress;
(D) recommendations for expansion of the John H. Chafee
Coastal Barrier Resources System and otherwise protected
areas, as in existence on the date of enactment of this Act;
(E) a summary and update on the implementation and use of
the digital maps created under the pilot project; and
(F) a description of the feasibility of, and the amount of
funding necessary for--
(i) making all of the System unit and otherwise protected
area maps available to the public in digital format; and
(ii) facilitating the integration of digital System unit
and otherwise protected area boundaries into Federal, State,
and local planning tools.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section
$1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 10 of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C.
3510) is amended by striking ``2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and
2005'' and inserting ``2006 through 2010''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Radanovich) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
This legislation, which was introduced by the distinguished chairman
of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, would extend the
authorization of appropriations for the Coastal Barrier Resources Act
until September 30, 2010.
This law, first enacted in 1982, governs the John H. Chafee Coastal
Barrier Resources System, which is made up of coastal barrier units
delineated on maps adopted by Congress. Today this system is comprised
of 856 units and more than 3 million acres of fastland and associated
aquatic habitat.
In addition to allowing the Fish and Wildlife Service to continue to
administer this vital program, the bill authorizes the digital mapping
of the entire coastal barrier system. After more than 20 years of using
outdated and many times inaccurate paper maps, it is time we provided
this agency with the money to utilize modern technology.
According to the Department of the Interior, the Coastal Barrier
Resources Act has saved the taxpayers in excess of $1.2 billion.
Inclusion of this property within the Coastal Barrier Resources System
does not prevent private development of the land, and the Fish and
Wildlife Service is responsible for advising landowners whether their
coastal property is within the boundaries of the system. Due to the
nature of the existing maps, Congress has approved several technical
corrections to the bills that have restored Federal flood insurance to
taxpayers who were unfairly penalized by mapping errors.
I compliment Senator James Inhofe for moving this program into the
21st century. I urge adoption of S. 1869.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KIND. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. KIND asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. KIND. Madam Speaker, as described by the previous speaker, this
legislation would reauthorize the Coastal Barrier Resources Act for
another 5 years.
The very essence of the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources
System is the series of paper maps that identify every undeveloped
coastal barrier land form lying along the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean,
the Gulf of Mexico, and the Great Lakes.
In the quarter century that has elapsed since the time these maps
were first created, there has been a quantum leap in the development of
modern information technologies, especially technologies for utilizing
geographic and other spatial data.
This legislation would authorize the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
to transition from the current series of paper maps to a new, modern,
digital data format. In the end, a digitized database should produce
map products at a lower cost that are far more accurate, accessible,
and easy to use to the general public.
In order to allow the service to begin this overdue process at the
earliest possible date, Fisheries Subcommittee Chairman Wayne Gilchrest
and ranking Democratic member on the Fisheries Subcommittee,
Congressman Frank Pallone, and the respective staffs have worked
closely with the other body to develop this important piece of
legislation.
I commend Mr. Gilchrest and Mr. Pallone for their cooperation, and I
urge Members to support this noncontroversial bill.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by
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the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich) that the House suspend
the rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 1869.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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