[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 20, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S4632]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 353--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF THE 
    WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 16 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 23, 2023, AS ``NATIONAL 
                            ESTUARIES WEEK''

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, 
Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Carper, Mr. Cassidy, Ms. Collins, Mr. 
Coons, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Hassan, Ms. Hirono, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. 
Kaine, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. King, Mr. Markey, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Murphy, Mr. 
Reed, Mr. Rubio, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Warner, 
Ms. Warren, and Mr. Wyden) submitted the following resolution; which 
was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 353

       Whereas estuary regions cover only 13 percent of the land 
     area in the continental United States but contain nearly 40 
     percent of the population, 39 percent of the jobs, and 47 
     percent of the economic output of the United States;
       Whereas the oceans, estuaries, and Great Lakes of the 
     United States continue to fuel economic growth across the 
     United States with employment from the estuarine and ocean 
     economy growing at 2.6 percent in 2019, compared to the 
     national average employment growth of 1.4 percent;
       Whereas estuary, ocean, and Great Lakes economic sectors 
     created 88,000 new jobs between 2018 to 2019, employed 
     3,500,000 people, and contributed $351,000,000,000 in gross 
     domestic product;
       Whereas employment in the ocean economy has increased by 25 
     percent from prerecession levels in 2007, 3 times the rate of 
     recovery of the United States economy as a whole;
       Whereas the commercial and recreational fishing industries 
     support over 1,700,000 jobs in the United States;
       Whereas, in 2020--
       (1) commercial and recreational saltwater fishing in the 
     United States generated more than $253,000,000,000 in sales 
     and contributed $117,000,000,000 to the gross domestic 
     product of the United States;
       (2) angler trip expenditures totaled nearly 
     $10,200,000,000; and
       (3) saltwater recreational fishing supported over 594,000 
     jobs, generated $98,028,000,000 in sales across the economy, 
     and contributed $54,962,000,000 to the gross domestic product 
     of the United States;
       Whereas estuaries provide vital habitats for--
       (1) countless species of fish and wildlife, including more 
     than 68 percent of the commercial fish catch in the United 
     States by value and 80 percent of the recreational fish catch 
     in the United States by weight; and
       (2) many species that are listed as threatened or 
     endangered species;
       Whereas estuaries provide critical ecosystem services that 
     protect human health and public safety, including water 
     filtration, flood control, shoreline stabilization, erosion 
     prevention, and the protection of coastal communities during 
     hurricanes, storms, and other extreme weather events;
       Whereas, by the 1980s, the United States had already lost 
     more than 50 percent of the wetlands that existed in the 
     original 13 colonies;
       Whereas some bays in the United States that were once 
     filled with fish and oysters have become dead zones filled 
     with excess nutrients, chemical waste, and marine debris;
       Whereas harmful algal blooms are hurting fish, wildlife, 
     and human health and are causing serious ecological and 
     economic harm to some estuaries;
       Whereas changes in sea level can affect estuarine water 
     quality and estuarine habitats;
       Whereas section 320 of the Federal Water Pollution Control 
     Act (33 U.S.C. 1330) (commonly known as the ``Clean Water 
     Act'') authorizes the development of comprehensive 
     conservation and management plans to ensure that the 
     designated uses of estuaries are protected and to restore and 
     maintain--
       (1) the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of 
     estuaries;
       (2) water quality;
       (3) balanced indigenous population of shellfish, fish, and 
     wildlife; and
       (4) recreational activities in estuaries;
       Whereas the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 
     1451 et seq.) provides that the policy of the United States 
     is to preserve, protect, develop, and, if possible, restore 
     or enhance the resources of the coastal zones of the United 
     States, including estuaries, for current and future 
     generations;
       Whereas 28 coastal and Great Lakes States and territories 
     of the United States operate or contain a National Estuary 
     Program or a National Estuarine Research Reserve;
       Whereas scientific study leads to a better understanding of 
     the benefits of estuaries to human and ecological 
     communities;
       Whereas the Federal Government, State, local, and Tribal 
     governments, national and community organizations, and 
     individuals work together to effectively manage the estuaries 
     of the United States;
       Whereas estuary restoration efforts restore natural 
     infrastructure in local communities in a cost-effective 
     manner, helping to create jobs and reestablish the natural 
     functions of estuaries that yield countless benefits; and
       Whereas the week of September 16 through September 23, 
     2023, is recognized as ``National Estuaries Week'' to 
     increase awareness among all people of the United States, 
     including Federal Government and State, local, and Tribal 
     government officials, about the importance of healthy 
     estuaries and the need to protect and restore estuaries: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) expresses support for the designation of ``National 
     Estuaries Week'';
       (2) supports the goals and ideals of National Estuaries 
     Week;
       (3) acknowledges the importance of estuaries to sustaining 
     employment in the United States and the economic well-being 
     and prosperity of the United States;
       (4) recognizes that persistent threats undermine the health 
     of estuaries;
       (5) applauds the work of national and community 
     organizations and public partners that promote public 
     awareness, understanding, protection, and restoration of 
     estuaries;
       (6) supports the scientific study, preservation, 
     protection, and restoration of estuaries; and
       (7) expresses the intent of the Senate to continue working 
     to understand, protect, and restore the estuaries of the 
     United States.

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