[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 9, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H637-H638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    JOHN H. CHAFEE COASTAL BARRIER RESOURCES BOUNDARIES SYSTEM MAP 
                               REVISIONS

  Mr. MacARTHUR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 890) to correct the boundaries of the John H. Chafee Coastal 
Barrier Resources System Unit P16, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 890

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. REPLACEMENT OF JOHN H. CHAFEE COASTAL BARRIER 
                   RESOURCES SYSTEM MAP.

       (a) In General.--The maps subtitled ``Cape Romano Unit P15, 
     Tigertail Unit FL-63P'' and ``Keewaydin Island Unit P16'' 
     included in the set of maps entitled ``Coastal Barrier 
     Resources System'' referred to in section 4(a) of the Coastal 
     Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3503(a)) and relating to 
     certain John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System units 
     in Florida are hereby replaced by other maps relating to the 
     units subtitled ``Cape Romano Unit P15/P15P'', ``Keewaydin 
     Island Unit P16/P16P, Tigertail Unit FL-63P'', and 
     ``Keewaydin Island Unit P16/P16P'', respectively, and dated 
     April 10, 2015.
       (b) Availability.--The Secretary of the Interior shall keep 
     the replacement maps referred to in subsection (a) on file 
     and available for inspection in accordance with section 4(b) 
     of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3503(b)).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. MacArthur) and the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Grijalva) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MacARTHUR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MacARTHUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  This bipartisan bill corrects Coastal Barrier Resources System 
boundary errors in Collier County, Florida. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, which administers the coastal barriers system program, has 
acknowledged the need to correct these errors and has since remapped 
the area.
  The agency sent the new maps to the Congress, which has the sole 
authority to change the boundaries and codify the correct maps in this 
case. This is what the bill, as amended, achieves. I urge its adoption.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, or CBRA, requires the 
identification of hazardous areas on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and 
makes Federal subsidies off limits to people who choose to develop 
these lands.
  Particularly in this time of rising sea levels and increased storm 
surge brought on by global warming, CBRA is critical to protecting 
American taxpayers and sensitive coastal ecosystems.
  H.R. 890 would adjust the boundaries of several Coastal Barrier 
Resources System units in Florida. These changes have been carefully 
mapped by the Fish and Wildlife Service and reflect improvements in 
technology that have allowed us to show with great accuracy which 
parcels of land do and do not constitute coastal barrier resources 
under the law.
  As a result, numerous properties that were originally included by 
mistake will be removed, and other properties that have been identified 
as at risk will be included. These changes to the CBRS are protective 
of private property rights, the environment, and the taxpayers.
  I urge support of this bipartisan legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, having no other Members to address this legislation on 
my side, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MacARTHUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Clawson).
  Mr. CLAWSON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to 
present H.R. 890, which adopts new Coastal Barrier Resources System 
maps for the southern part of my district, Florida 19, in southwest 
Collier County, Florida.

[[Page H638]]

  A special thanks to my fellow Members--Don Beyer, Mario Diaz-Balart, 
and Chairman Rob Bishop--for their support and helping me push this 
through. I urge support of the passage.
  On a personal note, it has been my lifelong concern for the 
environment and involvement in water quality issues in my hometown of 
Bonita Springs, Florida, that led me to Congress on an unknowing path 
really. So introducing this bill, to me, today is really special and 
personal.
  A special note of thanks to those who helped--so many folks--
particularly Bob and Jack for their perseverance. Perseverance paid 
off. Also, I thank Cherie for her abiding inspiration and to Yodi.
  The CBRS was created by Congress with the 1982 Coastal Barrier 
Resources Act. This initiative preserves the ecological integrity of 
coastal areas while still protecting private property rights. This 
initiative preserves the ecological integrity of coastal areas that 
serve as important barriers against wind and tidal forces caused by 
coastal storms, and reduces further development in these sensitive 
areas. In other words, it creates a perpetual protected area for our 
wonderful Gulf wildlife.
  These new maps have passed public review, OMB review, and have been 
released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
  This is the southern part of my district. The new maps correct errors 
from 40 years ago, which seriously hurt some 1,600 of our constituents 
and hurt their access to flood insurance, home mortgages, and 
refinancing.
  These new maps also add 17,000 acres in perpetuity to CBRS, 17,000 
acres principally in this zone right here, between Naples and Marco 
Island and also a little bit south. Keewaydin Island--that you see 
right here, just south of Naples--and Cape Romano are part of the 
pristine, picturesque Ten Thousand Islands chain that begins 20 miles 
of Naples. These newly preserved areas highlighted on these charts 
cover five geographical units, part of now over 40,000 continuous acres 
that will be permanently protected.
  This is government doing something right for all stakeholders and for 
all the generations that will follow us.
  H.R. 890, protecting 15 miles of natural coastal barriers, is sound 
economics. It is a piece of what needs to be done toward growing 
southwest Florida's multibillion dollar private and commercial real 
estate values and south Florida's tourism industry, which brings in 
over 5 million visitors to my district. It also employs one out of 
every five people in the local workforce.
  I am proud to report that this bill will create the largest grouping 
of CBRS units nationwide, protecting our unique Florida Everglades and 
ecosystem, aquatic plants and animals, other wildlife, and also 
protecting private properties from storms and floods.
  Keewaydin Island right here, just south of Naples, is one of the 
largest, if not the largest, sea turtle nesting areas in Florida and in 
the United States. Depending on the time of year, these are the nests 
that we see throughout our district on the beach. Also in this area, we 
see lots of the beautiful spoonbill that you can't find in too many 
different places.

  The Florida Everglades are a natural treasure. It is home to wildlife 
and plants that are unique in our Nation: fish, tortoises, reptiles, 
and insects. It is our duty to protect these species. This bill will 
have a permanent, positive impact on preserving this fragile ecological 
area and quality of life.
  Three years ago, I waded into the Gulf of Mexico with my folks. They 
urged me to get involved in local politics, hoping that I could have 
just a small impact and make a small, positive difference in the health 
of the waters of southwest Florida. My mom is gone now, but she always 
hoped that a moment like this would come.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. MacARTHUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Florida.
  Mr. CLAWSON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, this is a moment that we can 
accomplish something positive for our constituents, positive for our 
economy, and positive for our waters of south Florida. I am very 
appreciative to have a small role, and I acknowledge that we have so 
much more to do to conserve the beauty of southwest Florida for 
generations to come.
  Mr. MacARTHUR. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers.
  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. MacArthur) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 890, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to revise 
the boundaries of certain John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources 
System units in Florida.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________