[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 120 (Tuesday, August 10, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1545]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CONSOLIDATED LAND, ENERGY, AND AQUATIC RESOURCES ACT OF 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 30, 2010

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3534) to 
     provide greater efficiencies, transparency, returns, and 
     accountability in the administration of Federal mineral and 
     energy resources by consolidating administration of various 
     Federal energy minerals management and leasing programs into 
     one entity to be known as the Office of Federal Energy and 
     Minerals Leasing of the Department of the Interior, and for 
     other purposes:

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Chair, BP's Deepwater Horizon oil disaster is the worst 
environmental catastrophe in United States history.
  Change must be made for the future of our ocean, and they must be 
made now. Today, by voting yes to CLEAR, we can at last revolutionize 
our approach to how we use our ocean and coastal resources.
  I am a fifth generation Californian who represents one of the most 
majestic meetings of land to sea in the world. My district encompasses 
the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which spans of 276 miles of 
shoreline and is the largest marine sanctuary in the system. It is home 
to one of Earth's most diverse marine ecosystems, making it a 
nationally recognized center for marine science. For these reasons and 
many more, I have been entrenched in ocean policy reform since I served 
in the California State Legislature over two decades ago.
  The National Oceans Conference, which took place in Monterey in 1998, 
kick-started a nationwide movement to review the status of our ocean 
resources. I helped pass the Oceans Act of 2000 to establish the U.S. 
Commission on Ocean Policy and formed the House Oceans Caucus to 
promote ocean issues and advance recommendations by the commission.
  Since the 108th Congress I have introduced the Ocean Conservation, 
Education, and National Strategy for the 21st Century Act (Oceans-21) 
to establish a comprehensive National Ocean Policy, create a regional 
ocean governance structure, and setup a trust fund for the ocean. In 
addition, since the president established his Interagency Ocean Policy 
Task Force over a year ago, I have pressed the Administration to come 
forth with a strong National Ocean Policy. As you know, a few weeks ago 
President Obama demonstrated his commitment to the ocean health by 
signing an executive order that establishes a comprehensive, integrated 
National Policy for the stewardship of our ocean and coasts.
  Today, my hard work on behalf of the ocean and its resources 
culminates in this oil spill response package. I am proud to say the 
Act sets forth both a regional ocean governance structure and an ocean 
trust fund that are central components of my Oceans-21 legislation. The 
CLEAR Act makes the necessary reforms needed for the health and 
sustainability of our ocean and it, coupled with the President's recent 
executive order, realizes the policies and principles of Oceans-21.
  In short, with the passage of CLEAR, our ocean is better positioned 
for future sustainable management, protection, conservation and 
resiliency than ever before.
  It is important to take a moment to note just how monumental it is 
that CLEAR contains a provision that will create a new trust fund for 
the ocean. A fund for the ocean has been recommended for years by 
leading voices in ocean management, including the U.S. Commission on 
Ocean Policy, the Pew Oceans Commission and my Oceans-21 legislation. 
Finally, funds raised from drilling in our ocean will go toward 
protecting and improving our ocean. We generate a great deal of revenue 
and benefits from the ocean and coasts; however, we reinvest only a 
fraction of the benefits we receive back into those resources.
  We devalue our ocean and coasts each day that we continue to fail to 
invest in them, and today we can change that.
  I am proud that my many years of hard work for the ocean are 
producing real results. It is high time we step up to protect ocean 
health just as we have done in the past for clean air and clean water. 
Today we must support the president and his recently enacted National 
Ocean Policy by enacting strong policies and regulations for our ocean.
  As I said, leadership is about getting results, and the only way to 
get results for the ocean today is to vote aye to H.R. 3534.

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