[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H788-H796]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROMOTING UNITED GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO SAVE OUR SOUND ACT
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 2247) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act
to provide assistance for programs and activities to protect the water
quality of Puget Sound, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2247
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 ``Promoting United Government
Efforts to Save Our Sound Act'' or the ``PUGET SOS Act''.
SEC. 2. PUGET SOUND COORDINATED RECOVERY.
Title I of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33
U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``SEC. 124. PUGET SOUND.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section, the following
definitions apply:
``(1) Coastal nonpoint pollution control program.--The term
`Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program' means the State
of Washington's Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program
approved by the Secretary of Commerce as required under
section 6217 of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization
Amendments of 1990.
``(2) Director.--The term `Director' means the Director of
the Program Office.
``(3) Federal action plan.--The term `Federal Action Plan'
means the plan developed under subsection (d)(2)(B).
``(4) International joint commission.--The term
`International Joint Commission' means the International
Joint Commission established by the United States and Canada
under the International Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 (36
Stat. 2448).
``(5) Pacific salmon commission.--The term `Pacific Salmon
Commission' means the Pacific Salmon Commission established
by the United States and Canada under the Treaty between the
Government of the United States of America and the Government
of Canada Concerning Pacific Salmon, signed at Ottawa,
January 28, 1985 (commonly known as the `Pacific Salmon
Treaty').
``(6) Program office.--The term `Program Office' means the
Puget Sound Recovery National Program Office established by
subsection (c).
``(7) Puget sound action agenda; action agenda.--The term
`Puget Sound Action Agenda' or `Action Agenda' means the most
recent plan developed by the Puget Sound National Estuary
Program Management Conference, in consultation with the Puget
Sound Tribal Management Conference, and approved by the
Administrator as the comprehensive conservation and
management plan for Puget Sound under section 320.
``(8) Puget sound federal leadership task force.--The term
`Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task Force' means the Puget
Sound Federal Leadership Task Force established under
subsection (d).
``(9) Puget sound federal task force.--The term `Puget
Sound Federal Task Force'
[[Page H789]]
means the Puget Sound Federal Task Force established in 2016
under a memorandum of understanding among 9 Federal agencies.
``(10) Puget sound national estuary program management
conference; management conference.--The term `Puget Sound
National Estuary Program Management Conference' or
`Management Conference' means the management conference for
Puget Sound convened pursuant to section 320.
``(11) Puget sound partnership.--The term `Puget Sound
Partnership' means the State agency that is established under
the laws of the State of Washington (section 90.71.210 of the
Revised Code of Washington), or its successor agency, that
has been designated by the Administrator as the lead entity
to support the Puget Sound National Estuary Program
Management Conference.
``(12) Puget sound region.--
``(A) In general.--The term `Puget Sound region' means the
land and waters in the northwest corner of the State of
Washington from the Canadian border to the north to the
Pacific Ocean on the west, including Hood Canal and the
Strait of Juan de Fuca.
``(B) Inclusion.--The term `Puget Sound region' includes
all of the water that falls on the Olympic and Cascade
Mountains and flows to meet Puget Sound's marine waters.
``(13) Puget sound tribal management conference.--The term
`Puget Sound Tribal Management Conference' means the 20
treaty Indian tribes of western Washington and the Northwest
Indian Fisheries Commission.
``(14) Salish sea.--The term `Salish Sea' means the network
of coastal waterways on the west coast of North America that
includes the Puget Sound, the Strait of Georgia, and the
Strait of Juan de Fuca.
``(15) Salmon recovery plans.--The term `Salmon Recovery
Plans' means the recovery plans for salmon and steelhead
species approved by the Secretary of the Interior under
section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
``(16) State advisory committee.--The term `State Advisory
Committee' means the advisory committee established by
subsection (e).
``(17) Treaty rights at risk initiative.--The term `Treaty
Rights at Risk Initiative' means the report from the treaty
Indian tribes of western Washington entitled `Treaty Rights
at Risk: Ongoing Habitat Loss, the Decline of the Salmon
Resource, and Recommendations for Change' and dated July 14,
2011, or its successor report, which outlines issues and
offers solutions for the protection of Tribal treaty rights,
recovery of salmon habitat, and management of sustainable
treaty and nontreaty salmon fisheries, including through
tribal salmon hatchery programs.
``(b) Consistency.--All Federal agencies represented on the
Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task Force shall act
consistently with the protection of Tribal, treaty-reserved
rights and, to the greatest extent practicable given such
agencies' existing obligations under Federal law, act
consistently with the objectives and priorities of the Action
Agenda, Salmon Recovery Plans, the Treaty Rights at Risk
Initiative, and the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control
Program, when--
``(1) conducting Federal agency activities within or
outside Puget Sound that affect any land or water use or
natural resources of Puget Sound and its tributary waters,
including activities performed by a contractor for the
benefit of a Federal agency;
``(2) interpreting and enforcing regulations that impact
the restoration and protection of Puget Sound;
``(3) issuing Federal licenses or permits that impact the
restoration and protection of Puget Sound; and
``(4) granting Federal assistance to State, local, and
Tribal governments for activities related to the restoration
and protection of Puget Sound.
``(c) Puget Sound Recovery National Program Office.--
``(1) Establishment.--There is established in the
Environmental Protection Agency a Puget Sound Recovery
National Program Office to be located in the State of
Washington.
``(2) Director.--
``(A) In general.--The Director of the Program Office shall
be a career reserved position, as such term is defined in
section 3132(a)(8) of title 5, United States Code.
``(B) Qualifications.--The Director of the Program Office
shall have leadership and project management experience and
shall be highly qualified to--
``(i) direct the integration of multiple project planning
efforts and programs from different agencies and
jurisdictions; and
``(ii) align numerous, and often conflicting, needs toward
implementing a shared Action Agenda with visible and
measurable outcomes.
``(3) Delegation of authority; staffing.--Using amounts
made available pursuant to subsection (i), the Administrator
shall delegate to the Director such authority and provide
such staff as may be necessary to carry out this section.
``(4) Duties.--The Director shall--
``(A) coordinate and manage the timely execution of the
requirements of this section, including the formation and
meetings of the Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task Force;
``(B) coordinate activities related to the restoration and
protection of Puget Sound across the Environmental Protection
Agency;
``(C) coordinate and align the activities of the
Administrator with the Action Agenda, Salmon Recovery Plans,
the Treaty Rights at Risk Initiative, and the Coastal
Nonpoint Pollution Control Program;
``(D) promote the efficient use of Environmental Protection
Agency resources in pursuit of Puget Sound restoration and
protection;
``(E) serve on the Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task
Force and collaborate with, help coordinate, and implement
activities with other Federal agencies that have
responsibilities involving Puget Sound restoration and
protection;
``(F) provide or procure such other advice, technical
assistance, research, assessments, monitoring, or other
support as is determined by the Director to be necessary or
prudent to most efficiently and effectively fulfill the
objectives and priorities of the Action Agenda, Salmon
Recovery Plans, the Treaty Rights at Risk Initiative, and the
Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program consistent with
the best available science and to ensure the health of the
Puget Sound ecosystem;
``(G) track the progress of the Environmental Protection
Agency towards meeting the Agency's specified objectives and
priorities within the Action Agenda and the Federal Action
Plan;
``(H) implement the recommendations of the Comptroller
General, set forth in the report entitled `Puget Sound
Restoration: Additional Actions Could Improve Assessments of
Progress' and dated July 19, 2018;
``(I) serve as liaison and coordinate activities for the
restoration and protection of the Salish Sea, with Canadian
authorities, the Pacific Salmon Commission, and the
International Joint Commission; and
``(J) carry out such additional duties as the Administrator
determines necessary and appropriate.
``(d) Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task Force.--
``(1) Establishment.--There is established a Puget Sound
Federal Leadership Task Force.
``(2) Duties.--
``(A) General duties.--The Puget Sound Federal Leadership
Task Force shall--
``(i) uphold Federal trust responsibilities to restore and
protect resources crucial to Tribal treaty rights, including
by carrying out government-to-government consultation with
Indian tribes when requested by such tribes;
``(ii) provide a venue for dialogue and coordination across
all Federal agencies on the Puget Sound Federal Leadership
Task Force to align Federal resources for the purposes of
carrying out the requirements of this section and all other
Federal laws that contribute to the restoration and
protection of Puget Sound, including by--
``(I) enabling and encouraging the Federal agencies
represented on the Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task Force
to act consistently with the objectives and priorities of the
Action Agenda, Salmon Recovery Plans, the Treaty Rights at
Risk Initiative, and the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control
Program;
``(II) facilitating the coordination of Federal activities
that impact the restoration and protection of Puget Sound;
``(III) facilitating the delivery of feedback given by
Federal agencies to the Puget Sound Partnership during the
development of the Action Agenda;
``(IV) facilitating the resolution of interagency conflicts
associated with the restoration and protection of Puget Sound
among the agencies represented on the Puget Sound Federal
Leadership Task Force;
``(V) providing a forum for exchanging information among
agencies regarding activities being conducted, including
obstacles or efficiencies found, during Puget Sound
restoration and protection activities; and
``(VI) promoting the efficient use of government resources
in pursuit of Puget Sound restoration and protection through
coordination and collaboration, including by ensuring that
the Federal efforts relating to the science necessary for
restoration and protection of Puget Sound are consistent, and
not duplicative, across the Federal Government;
``(iii) catalyze public leaders at all levels to work
together toward shared goals by demonstrating interagency
best practices coming from the members of the Puget Sound
Federal Leadership Task Force;
``(iv) provide advice and support on scientific and
technical issues and act as a forum for the exchange of
scientific information about Puget Sound;
``(v) identify and inventory Federal environmental research
and monitoring programs related to Puget Sound, and provide
such inventory to the Puget Sound National Estuary Program
Management Conference;
``(vi) ensure that Puget Sound restoration and protection
activities are as consistent as practicable with ongoing
restoration and protection and related efforts in the Salish
Sea that are being conducted by Canadian authorities, the
Pacific Salmon Commission, and the International Joint
Commission;
``(vii) establish any necessary working groups or advisory
committees necessary to assist the Puget Sound Federal
Leadership Task Force in its duties, including public policy
and scientific issues;
``(viii) raise national awareness of the significance of
Puget Sound;
``(ix) work with the Office of Management and Budget to
give input on the crosscut budget under subsection (h); and
[[Page H790]]
``(x) submit a biennial report under subsection (g) on the
progress made toward carrying out the Federal Action Plan.
``(B) Puget sound federal action plan.--
``(i) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the date of
enactment of this section, the Puget Sound Federal Leadership
Task Force shall develop and approve a Federal Action Plan
that leverages Federal programs across agencies and serves to
coordinate diverse programs on a specific suite of priorities
on Puget Sound recovery.
``(ii) Revision of puget sound federal action plan.--Not
less often than once every 5 years after the date of
completion of the Federal Action Plan described in clause
(i), the Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task Force shall
review, and revise as appropriate, the Federal Action Plan.
``(C) Feedback by federal agencies.--In facilitating
feedback under subparagraph (A)(ii)(III), the Puget Sound
Federal Leadership Task Force shall request Federal agencies
to consider, at a minimum, possible Federal actions designed
to--
``(i) further the goals, targets, and actions of the Action
Agenda, Salmon Recovery Plans, the Treaty Rights at Risk
Initiative, and the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control
Program;
``(ii) implement and enforce this Act, the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, and all other Federal laws that
contribute to the restoration and protection of Puget Sound,
including those that protect Tribal treaty rights;
``(iii) prevent the introduction and spread of invasive
species;
``(iv) prevent the destruction of marine and wildlife
habitats;
``(v) protect, restore, and conserve forests, wetlands,
riparian zones, and nearshore waters that provide marine and
wildlife habitat;
``(vi) promote resilience to climate change and ocean
acidification effects;
``(vii) conserve and recover endangered species under the
Endangered Species Act of 1973;
``(viii) restore fisheries so that they are sustainable and
productive;
``(ix) preserve biodiversity;
``(x) restore and protect ecosystem services that provide
clean water, filter toxic chemicals, and increase ecosystem
resilience; and
``(xi) improve water quality and restore wildlife habitat,
including by preventing and managing stormwater runoff,
incorporating erosion control techniques and trash capture
devices, using sustainable stormwater practices, and
mitigating and minimizing nonpoint source pollution,
including marine litter.
``(3) Participation of state advisory committee and puget
sound tribal management conference.--
``(A) In general.--The Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task
Force shall carry out its duties with input from, and in
collaboration with, the State Advisory Committee and Puget
Sound Tribal Management Conference.
``(B) Specific advice and recommendations.--The Puget Sound
Federal Leadership Task Force shall seek the advice and
recommendations of the State Advisory Committee and Puget
Sound Tribal Management Conference on the actions, progress,
and issues pertaining to restoration and protection of Puget
Sound.
``(4) Membership.--
``(A) Qualifications.--Members appointed under this
paragraph shall have experience and expertise in matters of
restoration and protection of large watersheds and bodies of
water or related experience that will benefit the restoration
and protection effort of Puget Sound.
``(B) Composition.--The Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task
Force shall be composed of the following members:
``(i) Secretary of agriculture.--The following individuals
appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture:
``(I) A representative of the National Forest Service.
``(II) A representative of the Natural Resources
Conservation Service.
``(ii) Secretary of commerce.--A representative of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration appointed by
the Secretary of Commerce.
``(iii) Secretary of defense.--The following individuals
appointed by the Secretary of Defense:
``(I) A representative of the Corps of Engineers.
``(II) A representative of the Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
``(III) A representative of the Navy Region Northwest.
``(iv) Director.--The Director of the Program Office.
``(v) Secretary of homeland security.--The following
individuals appointed by the Secretary of Homeland Security:
``(I) A representative of the Coast Guard.
``(II) A representative of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency.
``(vi) Secretary of the interior.--The following
individuals appointed by the Secretary of the Interior:
``(I) A representative of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
``(II) A representative of the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service.
``(III) A representative of the United States Geological
Survey.
``(IV) A representative of the National Park Service.
``(vii) Secretary of transportation.--The following
individuals appointed by the Secretary of Transportation:
``(I) A representative of the Federal Highway
Administration.
``(II) A representative of the Federal Transit
Administration.
``(viii) Additional members.--Representatives of such other
agencies, programs, and initiatives as the Puget Sound
Federal Leadership Task Force determines necessary.
``(5) Leadership.--The Co-Chairs shall ensure the Puget
Sound Federal Leadership Task Force completes its duties
through robust discussion of all relevant issues. The Co-
Chairs shall share leadership responsibilities equally.
``(6) Co-chairs.--The following members of the Puget Sound
Federal Leadership Task Force appointed under paragraph (5)
shall serve as Co-Chairs of the Puget Sound Federal
Leadership Task Force:
``(A) The representative of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
``(B) The representative of the Puget Sound Recovery
National Program Office.
``(C) The representative of the Corps of Engineers.
``(7) Meetings.--
``(A) Initial meeting.--The Puget Sound Federal Leadership
Task Force shall meet not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of this section--
``(i) to determine if all Federal agencies are properly
represented;
``(ii) to establish the bylaws of the Puget Sound Federal
Leadership Task Force;
``(iii) to establish necessary working groups or
committees; and
``(iv) to determine subsequent meeting times, dates, and
logistics.
``(B) Subsequent meetings.--After the initial meeting, the
Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task Force shall meet, at a
minimum, twice per year to carry out the duties of the Puget
Sound Federal Leadership Task Force.
``(C) Working group meetings.--Meetings of any established
working groups or committees of the Puget Sound Federal
Leadership Task Force shall not be considered a biannual
meeting for purposes of subparagraph (B).
``(D) Joint meetings.--The Puget Sound Federal Leadership
Task Force shall offer to meet jointly with the Puget Sound
National Estuary Program Management Conference and the Puget
Sound Tribal Management Conference, at a minimum, once per
year. A joint meeting under this subparagraph may be
considered a biannual meeting of the Puget Sound Federal
Leadership Task Force for purposes of subparagraph (B), if
agreed upon.
``(E) Quorum.--A majority number of the members of the
Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task Force shall constitute a
quorum.
``(F) Voting.--For the Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task
Force to pass a measure, a two-thirds percentage of the
quorum must vote in the affirmative.
``(8) Puget sound federal leadership task force procedures
and advice.--
``(A) Advisors.--The Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task
Force, and any working group of the Puget Sound Federal
Leadership Task Force, may seek advice and input from any
interested, knowledgeable, or affected party as the Puget
Sound Federal Leadership Task Force or working group,
respectively, determines necessary to perform its duties.
``(B) Compensation.--A member of the Puget Sound Federal
Leadership Task Force shall receive no additional
compensation for service as a member on the Puget Sound
Federal Leadership Task Force.
``(C) Travel expenses.--Travel expenses incurred by a
member of the Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task Force in
the performance of service on the Puget Sound Federal
Leadership Task Force may be paid by the agency or department
that the member represents.
``(9) Puget sound federal task force.--
``(A) In general.--On the date of enactment of this
section, the 2016 memorandum of understanding establishing
the Puget Sound Federal Task Force shall cease to be
effective.
``(B) Use of previous work.--The Puget Sound Federal
Leadership Task Force shall, to the extent practicable, use
the work product produced, relied upon, and analyzed by the
Puget Sound Federal Task Force in order to avoid duplicating
the efforts of the Puget Sound Federal Task Force.
``(e) State Advisory Committee.--
``(1) Establishment.--There is established a State Advisory
Committee.
``(2) Membership.--The committee shall consist of up to 7
members designated by the governing body of the Puget Sound
Partnership, in consultation with the Governor of Washington,
who will represent Washington State agencies that have
significant roles and responsibilities related to Puget Sound
recovery.
``(f) Federal Advisory Committee Act.--The Puget Sound
Federal Leadership Task Force, State Advisory Committee, and
any working group of the Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task
Force, shall not be considered an advisory committee under
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.).
``(g) Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task Force Biennial
Report on Puget Sound Recovery Activities.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this section, and biennially thereafter, the
Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task Force, in collaboration
with the Puget Sound Tribal Management Conference and the
State Advisory Committee, shall submit to the President,
Congress, the Governor of Washington, and
[[Page H791]]
the governing body of the Puget Sound Partnership a report
that summarizes the progress, challenges, and milestones of
the Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task Force on the
restoration and protection of Puget Sound.
``(2) Contents.--The report under paragraph (1) shall
include a description of the following:
``(A) The roles and progress of each State, local
government entity, and Federal agency that has jurisdiction
in the Puget Sound region toward meeting the identified
objectives and priorities of the Action Agenda, Salmon
Recovery Plans, the Treaty Rights at Risk Initiative, and the
Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program.
``(B) If available, the roles and progress of Tribal
governments that have jurisdiction in the Puget Sound region
toward meeting the identified objectives and priorities of
the Action Agenda, Salmon Recovery Plans, the Treaty Rights
at Risk Initiative, and the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution
Control Program.
``(C) A summary of specific recommendations concerning
implementation of the Action Agenda and Federal Action Plan,
including challenges, barriers, and anticipated milestones,
targets, and timelines.
``(D) A summary of progress made by Federal agencies toward
the priorities identified in the Federal Action Plan.
``(h) Crosscut Budget Report.--
``(1) Financial report.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this section, and every 5 years
thereafter, the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget, in consultation with the Puget Sound Federal
Leadership Task Force, shall, in conjunction with the annual
budget submission of the President to Congress for the year
under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, submit
to Congress and make available to the public, including on
the internet, a financial report that is certified by the
head of each agency represented by the Puget Sound Federal
Leadership Task Force.
``(2) Contents.--The report shall contain an interagency
crosscut budget relating to Puget Sound restoration and
protection activities that displays--
``(A) the proposed funding for any Federal restoration and
protection activity to be carried out in the succeeding
fiscal year, including any planned interagency or intra-
agency transfer, for each of the Federal agencies that carry
out restoration and protection activities;
``(B) the estimated expenditures for Federal restoration
and protection activities from the preceding 2 fiscal years,
the current fiscal year, and the succeeding fiscal year; and
``(C) the estimated expenditures for Federal environmental
research and monitoring programs from the preceding 2 fiscal
years, the current fiscal year, and the succeeding fiscal
year.
``(3) Included recovery activities.--With respect to
activities described in the report, the report shall only
describe activities that have funding amounts more than
$100,000.
``(4) Submission to congress.--The Director of the Office
of Management and Budget shall submit the report to--
``(A) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on
Natural Resources, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the
House of Representatives; and
``(B) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on
Environment and Public Works, and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate.
``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to any
other funds authorized to be appropriated for activities
related to Puget Sound, there is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each
of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.
``(j) Preservation of Treaty Obligations and Existing
Federal Status.--
``(1) Tribal treaty rights.--Nothing in this section
affects, or is intended to affect, any right reserved by
treaty between the United States and 1 or more Indian tribes.
``(2) Other federal law.--Nothing in this section affects
the requirements and procedures of other Federal law.
``(k) Consistency.--Actions authorized or implemented under
this section shall be consistent with--
``(1) the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Salmon
Recovery Plans of the State of Washington;
``(2) the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 and the
Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program;
``(3) the water quality standards of the State of
Washington approved by the Administrator under section 303;
and
``(4) other applicable Federal requirements.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Higgins of New York). Pursuant to the
rule, the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano) and the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
General Leave
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2247, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2247 would establish a new program office within
EPA to enhance rehabilitation efforts for Puget Sound in Washington
State. Introduced by the gentlemen from Washington, Mr. Heck and Mr.
Kilmer, H.R. 2247 builds off an existing program for the Sound under
EPA's National Estuary Program.
The bill authorizes $50 million annually over 5 years to establish a
Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task Force that will be responsible for
coordinating the wide-ranging priorities for recovery of the region.
We heard in our subcommittee hearing in June that human development
has degraded the water quality and habitat of the Sound. We need to do
more to protect our iconic waters, like Puget Sound, on which 4.5
million people rely for food, clean water, and other ecosystem
services.
We also know that the health of these waterways impacts critical
species, such as salmon and the orca whales and a variety of other
wildlife across the State. The Sound has been a member of the National
Estuary Program since 1988, engaging in a wide range of habitat
protection, water quality improvement and monitoring, but a recent GAO
study found that the threat the Sound faces outpace efforts to combat
them. In short, we must support a more directed approach to helping the
entire Puget Sound recover.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2247, and I include
in the Record letters of support from Northwest Indian Fisheries
Commission, Puget Sound Partnership, and the National Audubon Society.
Northwest Indian
Fisheries Commission,
Olympia, Washington, August 22, 2019.
Re NWIFC Support for H.R. 2247--Promoting United Government
Efforts to Save Our Sound Act.
Hon. Peter DeFazio,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Sam Graves,
Ranking Member, Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman DeFazio, Ranking Member Graves, and Honorable
Members of the Committee: The Northwest Indian Fisheries
Commission wishes to express our support for H.R. 2247 and
respectfully requests passage of this important bill referred
to your committee. The Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
is comprised of the 20 treaty Indian tribes in western
Washington, who have constitutionally protected, federally
adjudicated, treaty-reserved rights to harvest, manage, and
consume salmon and shellfish in their usual and accustomed
areas. These treaty-reserved resources are inextricably
linked to the health of Puget Sound. If we cannot recover
Puget Sound, we will not recover salmon, we will not maintain
our culturally and economically significant shellfish
fishery, and we will not protect our treaty-reserved rights.
We support H.R. 2247 because it recognizes the role of
tribes as sovereign governments working collaboratively to
restore our shared waters. The bill also provides a logical
approach to Puget Sound recovery, by encouraging a more
efficient use of government through improved federal agency
coordination on Puget Sound actions. It is only logical that
government agencies would align their related activities to
compliment the significant contribution of federal funding
directed toward restoration and not undermine those
investments or our treaty-reserved rights.
We also support H.R. 2247 because it authorizes much needed
increases to Puget Sound funding. We greatly appreciate the
Geographic Program-Puget Sound appropriations Congress
continues to provide. However, funding for Puget Sound
recovery needs to be significantly increased to address the
numerous threats that the Sound and our reserved-rights face.
For these reasons, we respectfully request you support
passage of H.R. 2247 and thank you for taking the time to
consider the bill and the important issues it addresses. We
also extend our gratitude to Representative Heck for his
leadership in introducing H.R. 2247, recognizing the
important role of tribes and treaty rights in Puget Sound
recovery, and taking the initiative to advance Puget Sound
recovery as a national priority.
Sincerely,
Lorraine Loomis,
Chairperson.
[[Page H792]]
____
August 13, 2019.
Hon. Peter DeFazio,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Sam Graves,
Ranking Member, Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman DeFazio and Ranking Member Graves: We, the
undersigned, are writing to urge your support to pass H.R.
2247, the ``Promoting United Government Efforts To Save Our
Sound'' (PUGET SOS) Act, introduced earlier this year by
Congressman Denny Heck and Congressman Derek Kilmer to
strengthen federal support for actions that are essential to
Puget Sound recovery.
Puget Sound is a complex ecosystem encompassing mountains,
farmlands, cities, rivers, forests, and wetlands. Sixteen
major rivers flow to Puget Sound and 20 treaty tribes call
the region home.
Currently, 4.5 million people live in the Puget Sound area,
with another 1.3 million expected to live here by 2040. In
May, the Seattle Times reported that Seattle was the second
fastest growing city in the nation in 2018, and the fastest
in 2017. We are a region of innovators and entrepreneurs: 11
Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in the Puget Sound
area, many of which have shaped 21st century life. Our
economy is roaring, and the region's natural beauty and
recreational opportunities help businesses and companies
attract top talent.
On the surface, Puget Sound looks healthy and inviting,
but, in fact, Puget Sound is in grave trouble. Southern
Resident orcas, Chinook salmon, and steelhead are all listed
under the Endangered Species Act. Toxic chemicals and
pharmaceuticals continue to pollute our waterways, and
shellfish beds are routinely closed to commercial and
recreational harvest due to fecal contamination. Despite a
significant investment of energy and resources from federal,
tribal, state, and local governments, habitat degradation
continues to outpace restoration.
While this situation at times seems impossibly gloomy, the
hundreds of passionate people who are devoted to seeing the
return of a healthy and resilient Puget Sound give us hope.
Scientists say that we can still recover Puget Sound, but
only if we act boldly now. We know what we need to do. The
primary barriers between us and more food for orcas, clean
and sufficient water for people and fish, sustainable working
lands, and harvestable shellfish are funding and political
fortitude.
The single greatest step we could take to ensure a durable,
systematic, and science-based effort for Puget Sound recovery
is to fully fund the implementation of habitat protection and
restoration, water quality protection, and salmon recovery
programs.
The PUGET SOS Act (H.R. 2247) would authorize up to $50
million in funding for Puget Sound recovery, a significant
and very welcome jump from the $28 million per year that
Congress has appropriated for the last several fiscal years.
The PUGET SOS Act also aligns federal agency expertise and
resources. These are tremendous assets. Ensuring that federal
agencies are coordinated, setting goals, and holding each
other accountable will help increase their effectiveness and
provide yet another boost to Puget Sound recovery.
Establishing the Puget Sound Program Office at the EPA and
codifying a Federal Task Force promises that these goals will
be met.
Passage of the PUGET SOS Act would demonstrate to the
nation that Puget Sound is vital to the economic, cultural,
and environmental security of the United States. By investing
significantly in the health and wellbeing of Puget Sound,
federal decision-makers demonstrate to the nation that Puget
Sound is worth saving.
Thank you for your past support of Puget Sound recovery. We
urge you to support H.R. 2247, the PUGET SOS Act, to ensure
that the federal government is a viable, willing partner in
this race against time.
Sincerely,
Laura L. Blackmore,
Executive Director,
Puget Sound Partnership.
Eoin Doherty, Independent Contractor; Nicholas Georgiadis,
PhD, Sr. Research Scientist, Puget Sound Institute,
University of Washington; Tansy Schroeder, Island County
Planning & Community Development; Steve Dubiel, Executive
Director, EarthCorps; Jeanette Dorner, Chair, Pierce
Conservation District; Jesse Salomon, Senator, 32nd
Legislative District; Dave Somers, Snohomish County
Executive; Diane Buckshnis, Edmonds City Council Position #4,
WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery Council; Stephanie Wright, Snohomish
County Councilmember.
Katherine Walton, Livable Communities Coordinator,
Futurewise; Helen Price Johnson, Board of Island County
Commissioner; Dennis McLerran, Cascadia Law Group; Terry
Williams, Co-chair, Snohomish Basin Salmon, Recovery Forum;
James W. Miller; Co-chair, Snohomish Basin Salmon, Recovery
Forum; Norm Dicks, Former United States Representative, House
Appropriations Committee, Defense Sub; Mark Phillips, City of
Lake Forest Park Councilmember, Vice Chair of WRIA 8 Salmon
Recovery Council; Stephanie Solien, Co-chair, Southern
Resident Orca Task Force; Will Hall, Mayor for City of
Shoreline.
John Hoekstra on behalf of Mountains to Sound Greenway
Trust; Denis Law, Mayor, City of Renton; Teresa Mosqueda,
Seattle City Councilmember; Stephanie Buffum, Executive
Director, Friends of the San Juans; Teresa Mosqueda, Seattle
City Councilmember; John Stokes, City of Bellevue
Councilmember, Chair of WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery Council;
Jacques White, Executive Director, Long Live the Kings;
Commissioner Janet St. Clair, Board of Island County
Commissioners, District 3; John Wiesman, DrPH, MPH,
Secretary, Department of Health.
Stephanie Wright, Executive Director, RE Sources for
Sustainable Communities; Shari Tarantino, Board President,
Orca Conservancy; Robert Davidson, President & CEO, Seattle
Aquarium; David Baker, Mayor, City of Kenmore; Director
Alison Studley on behalf of Skagit Fisheries Enhancement
Group; Allan Elkberg, Mayor, City of Tukwila; Mindy Roberts,
Program Director, WA Environmental Council; Kathy Lambert,
King County Councilmember.
Nancy Backus, Mayor, City of Auburn; Howard Garrett, Orca
Network President; Dow Constantine, King County Executive;
David O. Earling, Mayor, City of Edmonds; Lunell Haught,
President, League of Women Voters of Washington; Wendy D.
McDermott, Director, Rivers of Puget Sound-Columbia Basin;
Hilary Franz, Commissioner of Public Lands; Charlotte
Garrido, Kitsap County Commissioner; Stephanie Bowman,
Commission President, Port of Seattle.
Clare Petrich, Commission President, Port of Tacoma, Co-
Chair, The Northwest Seaport Alliance; Maia D. Belion,
Director, WA State Department of Ecology; Gail Gatton on
behalf of Audubon Washington, Executive Director and Vice
President; Senator Derek Stanford, Washington State Senate,
1st Leg District; Jamie Stephens, San Juan County Council
Chair; Jay Manning, Chair, Leadership Council, Puget Sound
Partnership; Mayor Jim Ferrell on behalf of City of Federal
Way; Councilmember Keith Scully, City of Shoreline; Chairman
Jeromy Sullivan on behalf of Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe;
John Marchione, Mayor, City of Raymond.
Matt Pina, Mayor, City of Des Moines; Joshua Morris, Urban
Conservation Manager, Seattle Audubon Society; Kelly
Susewind, Director, WA Department of Fish and Wildlife;
Colleen Weiler, Jessica Rekos Fellowship, Whale and Dolphin
Conservation; Sam Merrill, Chair, Conservation Committee,
Black Hills Audubon Society; Jimmy Matta, Major, City of
Burien; Representative Cindy Ryu, Washington House of
Representatives, 32nd Leg District; Victoria R. Woodards,
Mayor, City of Tacoma; Jeff Wagner, Mayor, City of Covington.
Penny Sweet, Mayor, Kirkland City Council; Michael Dawson,
Water Quality Manager, Jefferson County Public Health; Matt
Deniston, Managing Partner, Sitka Tech Group; President
Arthur Campbell, N. Central Washington Audubon Society;
Director Rachel Vasak on behalf of Nooksack Salmon
Enhancement Assoc.; Karen Larkin, Chair, Tacoma Public
Utility Board; Austin Bell, Deputy Mayor, City of
Burien; Secretary Kurt Fremont, Puyallup River Watershed
Council on behalf of President Carrie Hernandez and the
Board of Directors for the Puyallup River Watershed
Council; Nancy Tosta, Councilmember, City of Burien,
Chair, Burien Airport Committee; Bob Edgar, Councilmember,
City of Burien.
Lucy Krakowiak, Councilmember, City of Burien; Nate
Nehring, Councilmember, Snohomish County; Representative
Steve Tharinger, Washington State House of Representatives,
24th District, Co-Chair of the Strait Ecosystem Recovery
Local Integrating Organization; Krystal Marx, Councilmember,
City of Burien; Pedro Qlguin, Councilmember, City of Burien;
Deborah Jensen, Principal, D Jensen & Associates; Jessie
Israel, Director, Puget Sound Conservation, The Nature
Conservancy in Washington; Karen Affeld, Executive Director,
N. Olympic Peninsula Resource Conservation & Dev. Council;
Commissioner Kate Dean, Jefferson County, Co-Chair of Strait
Ecosystem Recovery Network Local Integrating Organization.
Other Individuals and Organizations:
Richard Brocksmith, Executive Director, Skagit Watershed
Council; Zero Waste Washington; Liz Christeleit, Sitka
Technology Group; Peggen Frank, Executive Director, Salmon
Defense; Michael Messina, Director, Market Development &
Business Affairs, Whooshh Innovations; Jennifer Grathwol
Thomas, MES Principal Ecologist Water & Land Natural Resource
Consulting; Heidi M. Kirk, Processing Manager, Evergreen Home
Loans; Jim Wilcox, Wilcox Farms; Rebecca Benjamin, Executive
Director, North Olympic Salmon Coalition; Aaron Peterson,
Managing Director, Regional Fisheries Coalition; Auburn City
Council.
Diana Gale, Puget Sound Partnership, Board of Directors,
2007-2016; Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society; Dana C. Ward,
Co-Chair Conservation Committee on behalf of Lower Columbia
Basin Audubon Society; Bill Blake, Co-chair, Stillaguamish
Watershed; Bill Dewey, Taylor Shellfish Farms; Cindy Spiry,
Snoqualmie Tribe, on behalf of Snoqualmie Watershed Forum;
Neala Kendall, PhD, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife;
Tessa Francis, University of Washington; Larry Franks,
Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery; Don Hunger,
Executive Director, Northwest Straits Foundation; David
Bestock, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association;
Laurie Gogic, Whale Scout.
Chris Garcia, City Council--City of North Bend; Jim Ribail,
Carnation City Council, Position 2; Terry Ryan, Snohomish
County Council Chair; Puget Soundkeeper Alliance; Toby
Murray, Leadership Council Member,
[[Page H793]]
Puget Sound Partnership; Robert Kaye, Conservation Committee
Chair, North Cascades Audubon; John Burk, Division Manager,
City of Tacoma; Nan McKay, Member, Northwest Straits
Commission, Member, Northwest Straits Foundation Board of
Directors, Past Chair, Puget Sound Action Team, Past
Executive Director, Puget Sound Water Quality Authority;
Rodney Pond, Executive Director, Sound Salmon Solutions;
Mendy Harlow, Executive Director, Hood Canal Salmon
Enhancement Group; Lance Winecka, Executive Director, South
Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group; Jan Newton, Co-
Director, Washington Ocean Acidification Center; Terrie
Klinger, Co-Director, Washington Ocean Acidification Center;
Alan Clark, Chair, Northwest Straits Commission; Snohomish
Conservation District; Jeff Osmundson, President, Skagit
Audubon Society; Deborah Stinson, Mayor, City of Port
Townsend.
Private Citizens:
Elizabeth Chapple, Donna J. Nickerson, Kimi Izzi, Natasha
Lozano, Holly Powers, Jennifer Stock, Phil Arminger, Linda
Studley, Lynn Stansbury, Raven Skyriver, Fred Rowley, Angela
Liljegren, Tamara Stepas, Leah Zuckerman, James Nichols,
Kathy Jacobs, Joan Alworth, JP Kemmick, Jessica Baird, Sheida
Sahandy, Gina Abernathy, Dany Border, Betsy Adams, Joni K.
Dennison, Richard Noll, Scott Patrick, Annika Fain, Cat
Martinez, Rebecca Canright, Mary Simkin-Maass, Joan Miller,
Katie Devlin, Desi Nagyfy, Barbara Rosenkotter, Pam Barber,
Kate Pflaumer, Matt Nunn, Sharon Truax, Emily Norland,
Marjorie Millner.
Stacey McKinley, Brenda Michaels, Chris Tompkins, Curtis
Cawley, Jane Jaehning, Randy Collins, Amy Mower, Anne
Hawkins, Chris Marrs, Matt McKenna, John Smith, David Taft,
Bea Kelleigh, Peg Peterson, Julia Buck, Donna Mason, Pamela
Harris, John Koblinsky, Tamara Wood, Marian Wineman, Sue
Froeschner, Ashley Song, Rich Bergner, Walt Tabler, MaryJane
Gasdick, Benjamin Premack, Richard Kimball, Brie Gyncild,
John Pottle, Lynn Barker, Charles Barker, Roseann Seeley, Ara
Biji Kobara, Dorrie Jordan, Jeanette Kors, Brandon Herman,
Lyle Anderson, Mike Snow, Shannon Markley, John Lundquist,
Doris Wilson.
Vicky Gannon, Corinne Salcedo, Pam Borscope, Tom Putnam,
Rebecca Putnam, Joanne Mayhew, Maradel Gale, Donielle
Stevens, Aaron Hussmann, Barbara Stevenson, Linda Story,
Shane Kostka, Mary Jo Wilkins, Phyllis Farell, Fay Payton,
Anne Ryland, Philip Ratcliff, Joe Ginsburg, Carey Falter,
Jeffrey Pancier, Hilary Thomas, Matthew Hilliard, Jennifer
Nelson, Mark D. Blitzer, Katherine Balles, Delorse Lovelady,
Cornelia B Teed, Natalie Chapin, Kristin Felix, Nikki
Nichols, Robert Hannigan, Tess Morgan, Katie Stansell,
Michael Hoffman, Laurie Kadet, Miranda Marti, Serena Winham,
Len Elliot, Matt Anderson, Norman Baker, Patrick Conn, Margot
Rosenberg.
Elizabeth Shoemaker, Ronnie Bush, Francis Lenski, Paul
Roberts, Aaron Flaster, Marco Constans, Ginny Davis, Marilyn
Smith, Richard Horner, Vanessa Jamison, Ann Lazaroff, Donna
Alexander, Phyllis Oshikawa, Emily Rahlmann, Robert Triggs,
Don Thomsen, Sandra Boren, Alex Logan, Chris Burdett, Cathy
O'Shea, Julie Lakey, Mary Cunningham, Kathleen Schaeffer,
Richard Weiss, Janice Sears, Linda Massey, Paul Shelton, Jim
McRoberts, Maria DeLeo, Rebecca Sisson, Terence McDonald,
George Keefe, Connie Nelson, Janet Wynne, Yolanda Sayles,
James Hipp, Michael Garten, Liz Campbell, Pike Oliver, Jonny
Layesky, Laurette Culbert.
Danielle Zitomer, Valerie Chu, Jim Pierson, Jennifer Lutz,
Suzanne Steel, Thomas Keefer, Lyn Gardner, Kenneth Davis,
Charlie Butt, Barbara Vigars, Neeyati Johnson, David Law,
Carol Fillman, Jenna Judge, Dan Calvert, Hayley Mathews,
Janet Williams, Derek Buchner, Kanit Cottrell, Mona McNeil,
Lina Gleason, Cherie Warner, Susann Daley, Karina Morgan,
Toni Howard, Brendan DeMelle, Patrick Hickey, Alexandra
Stote, Michael Tucker, Warren Wilkins, Priscilla Martinez,
Tracey Ouellette, Glen Anderson, Walter Gerber, Mary Gerber,
Bonnie Rochman, Peggy Printz, Ashley Couch, Ivan Storck,
Elizabeth F. Nedeff, Sherrell Cuneo.
Bob Zeigler, Eleanor Dowson, Carole Henry, Chris Knoll,
Deborah Gandolfo, Jonathan Frodge, Deborah Engelmeyer, Stuart
Mork, Susan MacGregor, Thom Peters, Sherry McCabe, Amanda Sue
Rudisill, Margot Rosenberg, Linda Ellingboe, Asphodel
Denning, Katrina Sukola, Glen Anderson, Sylvie Karlsda, Mona
McNeil, Bill McFerren, Todd W Currie, Sylvie C Currie,
Sharron Coontz, Tonya Stiffler, Matt Anderson, Gordon Wood,
Robert Jensen, Jeni Woock, Sarah McCoy, Roger Martin, Sheliah
Roth, Jacqueline Jacoby, Peter Marshall, Bill Lavely, Janet
Walworth, Robert Richards, James Grimes, Pam Borso, Kathryn
Jean Seymour, Sandra Gehri Bergman, Natalie Van Leekwijck,
Sabine Doenninghaus.
Ann Seiter, Laura Ferguson, Marta Green, Steve Tholl, Brent
Barnes, Denise Ross, Jon Bridgman, Jeff Parsons, Carrie
Byron, Leah Kintner, Michael Johnson, Don Gourlie, Stephanie
Suter, Heather Saunders, Kristin Hayman, Todd Hass, Kari
Stiles, Nathalie Hamel, Kaitlin Harris, Leska Fore.
____
Audubon, National and
International Programs,
Washington, DC, September 18, 2019.
Hon. Peter DeFazio,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Sam Graves,
Ranking Member, Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, Washington, DC.
Hon. Grace Napolitano,
Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Bruce Westerman,
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Water Resources and
Environment, Washington, DC.
On behalf of the National Audubon Society's more than 1
million members, our mission is to protect birds and the
places they need for today and tomorrow. We write to offer
our support for the following bills related to important
coastal and water conservation issues that will be the
subject of the September 19, 2019 Markup before the Committee
on Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
HR 4031--Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019
The Great Lakes are home to 30 million people and 350
species of birds, but increasing challenges are on the
horizon for the world's largest body of freshwater.
Fluctuating water levels exacerbated by climate change,
invasive exotic species and excess nutrients are putting even
more stress on this ecosystem that is so important for birds
and people. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has helped
clean up toxic pollutants, protect wildlife by restoring
critical habitat, and help combat devastating invasive
species.
HR 4031 would increase funding for conservation projects to
$475 million over five years, by increasing the Great Lakes
Restoration Initiative's authorization incrementally from
$300 million per year to $475 million per year.
HR 1132--San Francisco Bay Restoration Act
The San Francisco Bay Area, home to the Pacific Coast's
largest estuary, is also home to a rapidly growing population
of 8 million people, and provides for a host of social and
economic values through ports and industry, agriculture,
fisheries, archaeological and cultural sites, recreation, and
research. However, San Francisco Bay has lost 90% of its
tidal wetlands and more than 50% of its eelgrass and mudflat
habitat. Climate change exacerbates these conditions through
drought that alters the salinity balance, ocean acidification
that reduces species abundance and diversity, increasing
water temperatures, and rising seas causing flooding that
eliminates living shorelines and puts communities at risk.
Many species of waterbirds forage in the San Francisco Bay,
including Brant Geese and Surf Scoters, underscoring the
value of this ecosystem.
HR 1132 would authorize a San Francisco Bay Restoration
Grant Program in EPA and funding of up to $25m per year to
support the restoration of this estuary.
HR 1620--Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act
Salt marshes are special places to birds and other
wildlife, but sea level rise has elevated the waters in the
Chesapeake Bay by one foot during the 20th century and is
accelerating due to climate change. Salt marshes provide
valuable ``ecosystem services'', including nurseries for the
Chesapeake Bay's commercially important fish, a buffer
protecting coastal communities against storm surge, a filter
that stops nutrient and sediment pollution from entering the
Bay, and a recreational resource attracting visitors who
contribute millions of dollars to local economies. Chesapeake
Bay's salt marshes host globally significant populations of
both Saltmarsh Sparrow and Black Rail.
HR 1620 would increase the authorization of appropriations
for the Chesapeake Bay Program to more than $90m per year.
HR 2247--Promoting United Government Efforts to Save Our Sound Act
Despite significant investments in Puget Sound ecosystem
health by state, federal, tribal and local governments,
concerned members of the public, and conservation
organizations, progress towards ecosystem recovery targets
remains slow. The number of marine birds wintering in Puget
Sound has declined significantly in the last 30 years and
migratory, fish-eating birds appear to be at the greatest
risk.
HR 2247 would authorize up to $50 million in funding for
Puget Sound recovery. The PUGET SOS Act also aligns federal
agency expertise and resources, ensuring that federal
agencies are coordinated, setting goals, and holding each
other accountable will help increase their effectiveness and
provide a boost to Puget Sound recovery.
HR 3779--Resilience Revolving Loan Fund Act of 2019
Pre-disaster planning can help communities adapt to the
changing flood patterns that threaten people and birds
species dependent on shoreline and riverine areas. These
changes have led to more frequent instances of ``nuisance
flooding,'' as well as catastrophic events. NOAA has found
that ``nuisance'' or ``sunny day'' flooding is up 300% to
900% than it was 50 years ago. In addition, catastrophic
flooding events have increased in both frequency and
intensity. These trends have been particularly pronounced in
the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains, where the
amount of precipitation in large rainfall events has
increased more than 30 percent above the average observed
from 1901-1960. As sea level rise accelerates, it only
exacerbates these impacts, which further compounds
vulnerability in flood-prone communities.
[[Page H794]]
HR 3779 would amend the 1988 Stafford Act to offer low-
interest loans to states for ``disaster mitigation
projects'', including investments in natural infrastructure
projects, which would help communities prepare and recover
from natural disasters.
We urge you to support and advance the bills listed above.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
Sincerely,
Julie Hill-Gabriel,
Vice President, Water Conservation,
National Audubon Society.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2247.
H.R. 2247 represents good governance by codifying the Environmental
Protection Agency's restoration activities in the Puget Sound. The
Puget Sound is the Nation's second largest estuary, supporting more
than 4.5 million people, more than $365 million in gross domestic
product, and a wide variety of species.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 7 minutes to the gentleman from
Washington (Mr. Heck).
Mr. HECK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California.
Mr. Speaker, I do indeed rise in strong support of H.R. 2247, the
Promoting United Government Efforts to Save Our Sound, or the PUGET SOS
Act.
As indicated, Puget Sound is, in fact, located in western Washington,
but it is a national treasure. Indeed, to modify just slightly what my
friend from Florida suggested, by water volume it is actually the
largest estuary in the United States of America.
Puget Sound and its tributaries are one of the most ecologically
diverse in all of North America, and it is, as has been indicated, the
economic engine for the western part of our State, supporting maritime
industry, commercial and recreational fishing, shellfish growers,
tourism, and recreation.
But it is more than that. It is also absolutely critical to the
Tribes that reside in Washington State who have stewarded it for
literally millennia. And need I remind you; they have treaty-reserved
rights to its natural resources.
Above and beyond that, it is central to the identity of anyone from
western Washington. I ask you this: For those of you who have been to
Seattle and have made the comment or a post from an August visit, it is
beautiful. What is the image that comes to your mind? It is of Mount
Rainier, above the shimmering waters of the Puget Sound. Or--and more
about this later--it is of that magnificent black and white fish, the
orca, breaching the surface of the water.
But here is the deal, Puget Sound is dying. Slowly but surely, it is
under serious threat. Water and air pollution, sediment contamination,
and water flow disruption continue to devastate the fish, marine,
mammal, bird, and shellfish populations of Puget Sound.
Indeed, that orca, the Southern Resident orca, population is down to
72, arguably not sustainable because we need to save the Sound. And if
these trends continue, we will lose much of what makes Puget Sound a
national treasure so special. And that should concern us all.
Fortunately, there have been many people across the Puget Sound
region that have been treating these deteriorating conditions as a call
to action. Tribes, State governments, local groups and private sector
people are investing in recovery efforts.
Back in 2013, I teamed up with my good friend, roommate and
colleague, Congressman Kilmer, to establish the Puget Sound Recovery
Caucus to promote Puget Sound preservation at the Federal level.
And in 2016, the Obama administration created the Puget Sound Federal
Task Force, by executive action, to coordinate recovery efforts more
efficiently among the Federal agencies. Still, we must bring more
attention to bear on Puget Sound recovery, and that is why we
introduced the PUGET SOS Act.
The bill will simply codify the Federal task force to ensure that
coordination among Federal agencies continue--and we all want that--
into the future and it also creates the Puget Sound Recovery National
Program office at the EPA, elevating Puget Sound recovery efforts and
putting them on a par with those deservedly of the Great Lakes and
Chesapeake Bay.
And for the first time, the bill authorizes funding for Federal Puget
Sound recovery actions. This is a product of years of collaboration
between Tribal, State, and local stakeholders, including private sector
investors.
Specifically, I thank the members of the committee. I especially
thank my friend, Congressman Kilmer. And I most especially thank my
friends across the aisle, who joined in cosponsorship in support of
this.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and
the Puget Sound Partnership for their effort. The threats facing the
Puget Sound are numerous and they are existential, but I believe that
with a strong Federal partnership role and smart investments, we can
act before it is too late. We can help recover the Puget Sound and
preserve its ecological, economic, and cultural significance for
generations to come.
The PUGET SOS Act is a strong first step towards recovery, and I
encourage my colleagues to support the bill.
And again, I extend my gratitude to all of those who have put your
shoulders to the wheel and gotten it this far in the process.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse).
Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman.
We are all saddened, and deeply frustrated, to see the iconic Puget
Sound continue to devolve into a dumping ground of human waste and
sewage. It is no wonder, the species in our Nation's largest estuary
are facing increasing odds of extinction. We must do more to address
this environmental crisis.
An aquatic toxicologist working with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration has found that growth rates for salmon
species in Puget Sound are stunned, metabolisms are distorted to the
point of starvation, and physiological functions are disrupted when
exposed to high levels of Prozac, caffeine, cholesterol medication,
ibuprofen, bug spray, cocaine, birth control pills, and dozens of other
drugs and personal care products present in Puget Sound.
Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to see my friends from the west side of
the State, Mr. Heck, who has spent a great deal of his illustrious
career working on this issue, as well as Mr. Kilmer, who has also spent
an inordinate amount of time working on this very, very important
issue, working to address the debilitating impact the environmental
degradation in Puget Sound is having on shellfish, on the endangered
salmon, and on steelhead. And, as was mentioned, on our iconic Southern
Resident killer whales, which are truly on the verge of extinction.
{time} 1330
As my colleague Cathy McMorris Rodgers and I have been saying for
years, we must focus on solutions that the science tells us will
directly aid fish species now and not waste our precious resources and
time on political motivations like the efforts to tear down our dams.
This is a deadly distraction from the actual science-based solutions to
support salmon recovery.
I want to continue to work with my colleagues to address problems
facing endangered fish species throughout our region in a comprehensive
manner. The challenges are many:
We must continue to tackle the pinniped issue, the avian predation
issue, but we also must ensure that a robust hatchery program is in
place;
We must continue to prioritize the world-class fish passage in our
hydroelectric infrastructure;
We must continue to take a serious and thoughtful look at fishing and
other human-caused impacts; and
We must build upon the habitat improvements and greater ecological
conservation measures.
Mr. Speaker, we must focus on the science, not the politics. We must
focus on the facts, not ideology or emotions. While I support the
passage of this legislation--and I do--that we are voting on today, I
believe it can and should only move forward as part of a much more
comprehensive discussion and effort in the Pacific Northwest to address
the needs of our iconic species;
[[Page H795]]
the protection of our environment; the reliability of our clean,
renewable energy infrastructure; and, certainly, the future of our
region's economy and livelihood.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to gentleman from
Washington (Mr. Kilmer).
Mr. KILMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
I rise today in support of the PUGET SOS Act, and I want to thank my
good friend and colleague from the State of Washington, Representative
Heck, for his tireless leadership on this important legislation, and
his partnership in working to recover this iconic body of water.
Those of us who are lucky enough to call Washington State home know
that the Puget Sound is a truly special body of water. Generations of
our friends and neighbors have built their lives and made livelihoods
on Puget Sound. Tribes, since time immemorial, have called the Sound
their home.
We know that Puget Sound is critical to the environment and to our
economic future in our region as well. Our economy is stronger because
of the Sound. Our maritime industry is stronger, our fisheries, tourism
because--listen--people want to come there. They want to boat or kayak
on it. They want to go fishing or crabbing on it. They want to dig for
clams and hike along the Sound's beaches. In fact, those experiences
are vital to people from near and far, including my own family. It is
one of our natural treasures.
Some of our region's most culturally important species, including
salmon and orca and Dungeness crab, rely on a healthy Sound. And
despite years and years of effort to protect and restore Puget Sound,
we still have a lot of work to do to address the significant
challenges, including stormwater runoff and habitat loss and harmful
algal blooms that continue to threaten the crown jewel of our region's
identity and economy. That is why I am proud to see the House advance
this critical bill, which will bring to bear the coordinated Federal
resources necessary to save Puget Sound.
If we are going to recover our salmon and orca populations, if we are
going to ensure future generations can dig for clams, if we are going
to respect and uphold Tribal treaty rights, we need the Federal
Government to step up and support the work already being done by the
State and Tribes and local communities and businesses that all depend
on a healthy Sound. We need all oars in the water rowing in the same
direction. I am proud that, by passing this bill, we will make
meaningful progress toward those goals.
Mr. Speaker, I am not just here speaking on this bill as a
Representative, I am here today as a dad. If future generations,
including my two little girls, are going to have the opportunities to
enjoy these treasures and to build their livelihoods in our region, we
have got to act now and protect and restore the Sound.
So, again, I thank my colleague and friend, Denny Heck, for his
leadership on this issue.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to the
gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Rodgers).
Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this
legislation. I rise in support of the PUGET SOS Act, Save Our Sound
Act, important legislation to clean up the Puget Sound.
I join as someone who represents a district in eastern Washington. My
district actually borders Idaho, but I believe that we need to be
locking arms. We need to be working together to clean up Puget Sound.
For decades, we have invested billions of dollars, billions of
dollars in research and technology, to recover salmon in the Pacific
Northwest and save our orcas, and we need to continue that work to look
for the best science to recover salmon and to save our orcas.
I am proud of the work that we have done. We see salmon returns
improving. When you look at where we started to where we are today, we
are at record levels.
Now, in Washington State, some are suggesting that we need to tear
out our dams in order to save salmon and to save our orcas. It is a
solution that is not backed by science.
The reason that I am in such support of helping save the Sound and
cleaning up Puget Sound is because it is the number one watershed,
right now, for salmon and for saving our orcas.
And if we really want to focus on getting results, we need to come
together and figure out how we clean up Puget Sound, how we get the
salmon returns improved, and, ultimately, how we all save the salmon.
So, for those of us in eastern Washington, we often feel like some in
the State are looking to us. We want to lock arms and figure out how we
actually make a difference, and one of those is going to be cleaning up
the Puget Sound.
So, in eastern Washington, we have been on the forefront of policy to
ensure strong salmon runs and clean up our rivers and lakes. I
represent the city of Spokane, the second largest city in Washington
State.
The people of the city of Spokane have committed to over $300 million
to clean up Spokane River so that we will no longer be dumping raw
sewage. The mayor, David Condon, brought people together for an
innovative water storage system, and President Barack Obama brought him
to the White House to celebrate and honor this innovative approach.
Inland Empire Paper Company has spent nearly a billion dollars on
technology to clean up and ensure that the water that goes into the
Spokane River is clean.
We are spending millions and millions of dollars to clean up Lake
Roosevelt behind Grand Coulee Dam. We are on track to have Lake
Roosevelt meet clean drinking water standards so that we can enjoy Lake
Roosevelt, we can fish, and we can enjoy the beaches.
It breaks my heart, though, when I hear what is going on in Puget
Sound and the impact that Puget Sound is having on recovering salmon
and orcas: In 2009, 10 million gallons of raw sewage spilled into Puget
Sound; in 2017, 250 million gallons of raw sewage spilled into Puget
Sound; in 2019, 4.5 million gallons. We have been warned that
stormwater is killing coho salmon before they even spawn.
As the Seattle Times said during the 2017 failure that spilled 250
million gallons of sewage into the Sound: ``Not a single person from an
environmental group or the public turned out to testify or demand
action on the crippled West Point Treatment Plant, or even take notice
of one of the largest local public infrastructure failures in
decades.''
Mr. Speaker, we are failing. We are failing to meet our obligation
and the high standards that we expect for every body of water; yet,
nearly every week, we have to defend our dams from the same
environmental groups that have refused to look at the facts.
So I am stepping forward today, as a Representative from eastern
Washington, with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, to say let's
focus on what is actually going to get the results, what is going to
recover salmon, and what is going to save our orcas.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman
from Washington (Ms. Schrier).
Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to be standing on the floor
today speaking in support of the PUGET SOS Act. The passage of the bill
in this House is something that our State has been collectively working
toward for years.
I thank Representative Heck and Representative Kilmer and the other
Members of the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus for their leadership.
The challenges facing our Sound are great and are compounded by our
State's growth and climate change. Chinook populations remain far below
recovery goals, despite having been listed as threatened since 1999
under the Endangered Species Act.
As the only member from Washington State on the House Agricultural
Committee, I plan to use my position to highlight the importance of
responsible farming practices, ecosystem recovery, and riparian
habitats.
Mr. Speaker, the narrative that we can have farms or fish is false--
we can have both. State- and county-level agencies are also doing their
part to help both fish and farmers.
The Washington State conservation Commission is doing some amazing
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work in the agricultural world. Our conservation districts work
statewide to implement natural resource improvement projects and build
landowner engagement and commitment.
Just one example is the work that the Pierce County conservation
District did when they partnered with local farmers to address
management practices and were able to have a substantial impact on the
health of 278 acres for shellfish harvesting.
The Puget Sound needs protecting. Other bodies of water like the
Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes have formal program status under the
Clean Water Act, which helps ensure their consistent Federal funding.
The Puget Sound and all of the wildlife in it deserve the same status
under the Clean Water Act.
It is shortsighted and irresponsible to not fight for the Sound and
its future. We owe it to the species whose futures are imperiled
because of human activity. We owe it to our children and generations we
will never know. We absolutely must protect Puget Sound.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close. I urge support of this
important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, with all of the support from the
Washington delegation, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HECK. Mr. Speaker, several important considerations underlie the
purpose and intent of the Puget SOS Act. Puget Sound and its tributary
waters are one of the most ecologically diverse ecosystems in North
America with natural resources that have ecological, economic, and
cultural importance to the United States and the many Tribal nations
that have stewarded it for millennia. The health and productivity of
Puget Sound is not only the cornerstone of the region's quality of life
and vibrant economy, but its worldclass salmon fishery, commercial
aquaculture, agriculture, and port activities ripple throughout the
Nation.
Threats to Puget Sound, such as water pollution, sediment
contamination, environmental degradation, and habitat loss, jeopardize
the economic productivity and natural resources that support the
increasing population of the region. For nearly a decade, State, local,
and Tribal governments, cooperative partnerships, and concerned
citizens have worked together in a deliberate and coordinated way to
direct and manage public resource allocation toward habitat
restoration, improving water quality and shellfish farms, and
developing a body of scientific knowledge, all of which have advanced
the Puget Sound recovery efforts.
Tribal governments with treaty-reserved rights in the natural
resources of Puget Sound have long served as co-managers of fishery
resources, have engaged in Puget Sound Partnership processes and public
forums to encourage a holistic and scientific approach to recovery
efforts, and have continued in their role as stewards of Puget Sound,
including by engaging with multi-faceted restoration and protection
actions, and are thus an indispensable, equal partner in all Puget
Sound recovery actions.
Despite significant and nationally recognized accomplishments, the
rate of damage to Puget Sound still exceeds the rate of recovery. To
outpace mounting pollutants and other cascading negative impacts, the
next step in fortifying the recovery system is to align Federal
recovery and protection efforts seamlessly with State, local, and
Tribal investments, as the Puget SOS Act would do.
Water and air pollution, sediment contamination, habitat loss and
decline, and water flow disruption continue to devastate the fish,
marine mammal, bird, and shellfish populations of Puget Sound,
threatening local economies, and Tribal treaty rights, and contributing
to:
Significant declines in the populations of wild Chinook Salmon, Coho
Salmon, Summer Chum Salmon, Steelhead, and Pacific Herring, which are
essential food sources for humans, fish, seabirds, mammals, and other
wildlife;
Risks to the sustainability of fish arid- shellfish populations, and
their food chains, reproductive cycles, and habitats, which also
threaten Federal obligations to protect Tribal resources, culture,
traditions, and economies;
Marine species being listed as at-risk or vulnerable to extinction,
according to State, Federal, and provincial lists that identify the
species of Puget Sound and surrounding areas, including the iconic
population of southern resident Orca whales;
Sediment contaminated with toxic substances--such as polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs), heavy metals (mercury), and oil (grease)--polluting
Puget Sound, threatening public health, and posing; significant dangers
to humans, fish, and wildlife;
Rivers and beaches failing to meet water quality standards and
becoming unsafe for salmon, as well as business and recreational
activities, such as fishing and swimming;
The closing of shellfish beds from contaminated pollution caused by
sources such as stormwater and agricultural runoff; and
Mortalities and morbidity in shellfish due to the acidification of
Puget Sound.
Puget Sound is a national treasure and its recovery and protection
will significantly contribute to the environmental, cultural, and
economic well-being of the United States and the many Tribal nations
that have stewarded it for millennia.
The PUGET SOS Act underscores the recognition that Federal Government
should align its efforts and resources to fully implement and enforce
the goals of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, including State
implementation of non-point source water quality standards for salmon,
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and all other Federal laws that
contribute to the recovery and protection of Puget Sound. The Act also
recognizes that the Federal Government should uphold Federal trust
responsibilities to restore and protect resources crucial to Tribal
treaty rights--including by carrying out government-to-government
consultation--as well as support regional, local, and Tribal efforts to
address environmental challenges.
The PUGET SOS Act is intended, among other things, to ensure that the
recovery and protection programs, projects, and initiatives that the
Federal Government undertakes in, or that otherwise impact, Puget Sound
shall be actively coordinated and aligned with the protection of Tribal
treaty rights and resources, the Treaty Rights at Risk Initiative,
Salmon Recovery Plans, the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program,
and the Puget Sound Action Agenda.
Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to all stakeholders who have come together
to advocate for the recovery and protection of Puget Sound. The PUGET
SOS Act is an important step towards those goals, and I urge my
colleagues to support its passage.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Keating). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano) that the
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2247, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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