[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 184 (Wednesday, November 30, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S6910]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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    SENATE RESOLUTION 852--RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
 ENACTMENT OF THE MARINE PROTECTION, RESEARCH, AND SANCTUARIES ACT OF 
     1972, WHICH PROVIDED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL MARINE 
                              SANCTUARIES

  Ms. BALDWIN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation:

                              S. Res. 852

       Whereas, on October 23, 1972, the Marine Protection, 
     Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 (33 U.S.C. 1401 et 
     seq.) became law and ushered in a new era of ocean 
     conservation;
       Whereas, as of October 2022, the National Marine Sanctuary 
     System is a nationwide network that conserves spectacular 
     oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes waters;
       Whereas communities across the United States can nominate 
     their most treasured places in marine and Great Lakes waters 
     for consideration as national marine sanctuaries;
       Whereas national marine sanctuaries protect biodiversity, 
     safeguard extraordinary seascapes, historic shipwrecks, and 
     sacred cultural places, and provide abundant recreational 
     opportunities;
       Whereas national marine sanctuaries provide opportunities 
     for community-Tribal partnerships to preserve the traditional 
     ecological resources and cultural sites of local Indigenous 
     peoples;
       Whereas the conservation of marine ecosystems is vital for 
     healthy oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes, addressing climate 
     change, and sustaining productive coastal economies;
       Whereas national marine sanctuaries support coastal 
     communities and generate billions of dollars annually in 
     local economies by providing jobs in the United States, 
     supporting commercial, Tribal, and recreational fisheries, 
     bolstering tourism and recreation, engaging businesses in 
     stewardship, and driving the growth of the blue economy;
       Whereas national marine sanctuaries connect people and 
     communities through science, education, recreation, and 
     stewardship, inspiring community-based solutions that help 
     individuals understand and protect the most spectacular 
     underwater habitats, wildlife, archaeological resources, and 
     cultural seascapes of the United States;
       Whereas national marine sanctuaries are living laboratories 
     to conduct cooperative science and research to improve 
     resource management and advance innovative public-private 
     partnerships;
       Whereas national marine sanctuaries can help make the 
     oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes more resilient by protecting 
     ecosystems that sequester carbon, safeguarding coastal 
     communities from flooding and storms, and protecting 
     biodiversity;
       Whereas the United States is a maritime nation, and the 
     oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes are central to the way of 
     life of the people of the United States; and
       Whereas engaging communities as stewards of the waters 
     protected as natural marine sanctuaries makes natural marine 
     sanctuaries unique and provides a comprehensive, highly 
     participatory approach to conserving marine ecosystems and 
     the Great Lakes for current and future generations: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 
     enactment of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries 
     Act of 1972;
       (2) acknowledges the importance of national marine 
     sanctuaries to supporting community resilience, protecting 
     biodiversity, and increasing access to nature;
       (3) celebrates the ability of the National Marine Sanctuary 
     System to protect nationally significant places in the 
     oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes;
       (4) calls on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration to partner with communities and find consensus 
     on designations of new national marine sanctuaries; and
       (5) encourages Federal agencies to balance priorities and 
     work together to support the priorities of the Marine 
     Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972.

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