[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 149 (Tuesday, September 24, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5727-H5729]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                COASTAL HABITAT CONSERVATION ACT OF 2023

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2950) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, through 
the Coastal Program of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to 
work with willing partners and provide support to efforts to assess, 
protect, restore, and enhance important coastal landscapes that provide 
fish and wildlife habitat on which certain Federal trust species 
depend, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2950

       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 ``Coastal Habitat Conservation 
     Act of 2023''.

     SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

       The purpose of this Act is to legislatively authorize the 
     Coastal Program of the Service in effect as of the date of 
     the enactment of this Act to conduct collaborative landscape-
     level planning and on-the-ground coastal habitat assessment, 
     coastal habitat protection, coastal habitat restoration, and 
     coastal habitat enhancement projects in priority coastal 
     landscapes to conserve and recover Federal trust species.

[[Page H5728]]

  


     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Coastal ecosystem.--The term ``coastal ecosystem'' 
     means a biological community of organisms interacting with 
     each other and their habitats in a coastal landscape.
       (2) Coastal habitat assessment.--The term ``coastal habitat 
     assessment'' means the process of evaluating the physical, 
     chemical, and biological function of a coastal site to 
     determine the value of the site to fish and wildlife.
       (3) Coastal habitat enhancement.--The term ``coastal 
     habitat enhancement'' means the manipulation of the physical, 
     chemical, or biological characteristics of a coastal 
     ecosystem to increase or decrease specific biological 
     functions that make the ecosystem valuable to fish and 
     wildlife.
       (4) Coastal habitat planning.--The term ``coastal habitat 
     planning'' means the process of developing a comprehensive 
     plan that--
       (A) characterizes a coastal ecosystem;
       (B) sets protection, restoration, or enhancement goals and 
     identifies the priorities of those goals;
       (C) describes conservation strategies and methodologies;
       (D) establishes a timetable for implementation of the plan; 
     and
       (E) identifies roles of participants and stakeholders.
       (5) Coastal habitat protection.--
       (A) In general.--The term ``coastal habitat protection'' 
     means a long-term action to safeguard habitat of value to 
     fish and wildlife in a coastal ecosystem.
       (B) Inclusion.--The term ``coastal habitat protection'' 
     includes activities to support establishment of a 
     conservation easement or fee title acquisition by Federal and 
     non-Federal partners.
       (6) Coastal habitat restoration.--The term ``coastal 
     habitat restoration'' means the manipulation of the physical, 
     chemical, or biological characteristics of a coastal 
     ecosystem with the goal of returning, to the maximum extent 
     practicable, the full natural biological functions to lost or 
     degraded native habitat.
       (7) Coastal landscape.--The term ``coastal landscape'' 
     means a portion of a coastal ecosystem within or adjacent to 
     a coastal State that contains various habitat types, 
     including--
       (A) a fresh or saltwater wetland in a coastal watershed;
       (B) a coastal river, stream, or waterway;
       (C) a coastal bay or estuary;
       (D) a seagrass bed, reef, or other nearshore marine 
     habitat;
       (E) a beach or dune system;
       (F) a mangrove forest; and
       (G) an associated coastal upland.
       (8) Coastal state.--The term ``coastal State'' means--
       (A) a State in, or bordering on, the Atlantic, Pacific, or 
     Arctic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Long Island Sound, or 1 
     or more of the Great Lakes;
       (B) the District of Columbia;
       (C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
       (D) Guam;
       (E) American Samoa;
       (F) the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
       (G) the Federated States of Micronesia;
       (H) the Republic of the Marshall Islands;
       (I) the Republic of Palau; and
       (J) the United States Virgin Islands.
       (9) Federal trust species.--The term ``Federal trust 
     species'' means migratory birds, threatened species or 
     endangered species listed under the Endangered Species Act of 
     1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), interjurisdictional fish, and 
     marine mammals for which the Secretary has management 
     authority.
       (10) Financial assistance.--The term ``financial 
     assistance'' means Federal funding provided to Federal, 
     State, local, or Tribal governments, nongovernmental 
     institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private 
     individuals and entities through a grant or cooperative 
     agreement.
       (11) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (12) Service.--The term ``Service'' means the United States 
     Fish and Wildlife Service.
       (13) Technical assistance.--The term ``technical 
     assistance'' means a collaboration, facilitation, or 
     consulting action relating to a coastal habitat planning, 
     coastal habitat assessment, coastal habitat protection, 
     coastal habitat restoration, or coastal habitat enhancement 
     project or initiative in which the Service contributes 
     scientific knowledge, skills, and expertise to the project or 
     initiative.

     SEC. 4. COASTAL PROGRAM.

       The Secretary shall carry out the Coastal Program within 
     the Service to--
       (1) identify the leading threats to priority coastal 
     landscapes and conservation actions to address those threats 
     in partnership with Federal, State, local, and Tribal 
     governments, nongovernmental institutions, nonprofit 
     organizations, and private individuals and entities;
       (2) provide technical assistance and financial assistance 
     through partnerships with Federal, State, local, and Tribal 
     governments, nongovernmental institutions, nonprofit 
     organizations, and private individuals and entities to 
     conduct voluntary coastal habitat planning, coastal habitat 
     assessment, coastal habitat protection, coastal habitat 
     restoration, and coastal habitat enhancement projects on 
     public land or private land;
       (3) ensure the health and resilience of coastal ecosystems 
     through adaptive management procedures based on the best 
     available science;
       (4) build the capacity of Federal, State, local, and Tribal 
     governments, nongovernmental institutions, nonprofit 
     organizations, and private individuals and entities to carry 
     out environmental conservation and stewardship measures;
       (5) assist in the development and implementation of 
     monitoring protocols to ensure the success of coastal 
     ecosystem restoration and coastal ecosystem enhancement 
     measures; and
       (6) collaborate and share information with partners and the 
     public relating to best management practices for the 
     conservation, restoration, and enhancement of coastal 
     ecosystems.

     SEC. 5. REPORTS.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
     Secretary, acting through the Director of the Service, shall 
     submit to the Committees on Appropriations and Natural 
     Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committees 
     on Appropriations and Environment and Public Works of the 
     Senate, and make available to the public on the website of 
     the Service, a report on the Coastal Program carried out 
     under this Act.
       (b) Requirements.--Each report submitted under subsection 
     (a) shall assess on regional and nationwide bases--
       (1) Coastal Program work on coastal ecosystems;
       (2) progress made by the Coastal Program toward identifying 
     the leading threats to priority coastal landscapes and 
     conservation actions to address those threats; and
       (3) prospects for, and success of, protecting, restoring, 
     and enhancing coastal ecosystems.
       (c) Inclusions.--Each report submitted under subsection (a) 
     shall include--
       (1) quantitative information on coastal landscapes 
     protected, restored, or enhanced;
       (2) funds appropriated to the Coastal Program that have 
     been expended or leveraged;
       (3) a description of adaptive management practices 
     implemented; and
       (4) a description of emerging challenges or data gaps that 
     hinder the ability of the Coastal Program to achieve the 
     purpose of this Act.

     SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     Act $16,957,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Ocasio-
Cortez) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 2950, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arkansas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Representative Huffman's bill, the Coastal Habitat Conservation Act 
of 2023, congressionally authorizes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service's Coastal Program.
  The Coastal Program was administratively created in 1984 and annually 
receives appropriations even though it has never been statutorily 
authorized. H.R. 2950 would address this currently unauthorized program 
and ensure that the Committee on Natural Resources has increased 
oversight.
  Importantly, it would better enable the Committee on Natural 
Resources to make substantive changes to how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service administers the program should those changes be necessary.
  The Coastal Program is a voluntary, partnership-based program that 
allows the Service to provide technical and financial assistance for 
habitat conservation in coastal watersheds. The committee has heard 
testimony that outlined the successes of this program, which has 
conserved nearly 3 million acres of priority habitat nationwide.
  The bill brings greater congressional oversight over an important 
program for coastal habitat conservation. I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 2950, the Coastal Habitat Conservation Act, 
introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Huffman), the Water, 
Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee ranking member.
  This bill would provide statutory authority for the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service's Coastal Program, including authorizing nearly $17 
million each year from fiscal year 2024 through 2028.
  The Coastal Program is one of the Fish and Wildlife Service's most 
effective voluntary programs for restoring and protecting the habitat. 
It has helped coastal communities and their partners conserve and 
restore coastal ecosystems since 1985. These partnerships have 
benefited people, habitats, and wildlife in 24 priority coastal areas, 
including the Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, Caribbean, Atlantic Ocean, 
and the Pacific Ocean.

[[Page H5729]]

  The program works to create resilient coastal ecosystems, support 
habitat connectivity, recover Federal trust in priority species, and 
promote community stewardship of fish and wildlife resources. It does 
so by providing both technical and financial assistance to States, 
Tribes, coastal communities, and conservation organizations for public 
and private lands.
  This successful program has completed nearly 5,000 projects and 
collaborated with over 6,400 partners, with the outcome of protecting 
more than 2.3 million acres of habitat and improving land and water for 
the people and wildlife that live there.
  Our country and our planet are facing a climate crisis and a 
biodiversity crisis, so efforts like these are essential.
  Authorizing the Coastal Program through H.R. 2950 will enable the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to continue identifying threats to 
coastal landscapes, providing coastal habitat planning and assessments, 
ensuring restoration and protection for resilient coastlines, and 
developing capacity building between private and public partnerships.
  I strongly support the Coastal Habitat Conservation Act and urge my 
colleagues to pass this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Puerto Rico (Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon).
  Mrs. GONZALEZ-COLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2950, the 
Coastal Habitat Conservation Act. I was proud to join Congressman 
Huffman as the co-lead on this bipartisan bill, which would 
congressionally authorize the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal 
Program.
  This program is one of the Service's most effective and proven 
initiatives, bringing together public and private partners on a 
voluntary basis to protect and improve coastal habitats and ecosystems 
across our Nation. These efforts are carried out throughout 24 priority 
coastal areas along the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Gulf of 
Mexico, the Great Lakes, and of course, the Caribbean.
  In 2023, the Coastal Program worked with partners and local 
communities to implement 153 conservation projects across 19 States and 
territories, restoring and protecting more than 87,000 acres. This was 
accomplished by leveraging $3 in partners' contributions for every 
Federal dollar invested in the program.
  In the case of Puerto Rico, we have seen firsthand the success and 
the impact of this program. Between 2010 and 2021, the Coastal Program 
supported 218 voluntary-based projects on the island, which contributed 
to the restoration of almost 2,900 acres of habitat. These include 
projects to restore coastal dunes, wetlands, and mangrove forests. It 
also supported partnerships with local farmers to convert sun-grown 
coffee farms into shade-grown coffee farms which help protect streams 
and coral reefs by reducing sources of sediment and nutrient pollution.
  I trust that formally authorizing the Coastal Program, as H.R. 2950 
seeks to do, will ensure it has the necessary tools to continue 
supporting similar locally driven conservation projects across our 
Nation, coastal States, and of course territories.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2950.

  Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume 
to the gentleman from California (Mr. Huffman), the sponsor of this 
bill.
  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York and 
thank my colleagues for understanding the importance of the Fish and 
Wildlife Service's Coastal Program and for supporting this legislation 
to, for the first time, authorize it in statute.
  Coastal conservation is not just about protecting our environment. It 
is about supporting a thriving economy. However, we do face serious 
threats--climate change, pollution, unsustainable development, and 
other threats--to our coastal habitats, causing rapid deterioration of 
these critical resources.
  I want to be very clear: This is not a local issue. Over 53 percent 
of the United States population lives near coastal watersheds. These 
areas are home to 45 percent of federally listed threatened and 
endangered species. Over 60 million American jobs depend on the health 
of our coasts.
  These coastal habitats are complex, dynamic, and they don't always 
fit neatly within the boundaries that often guide our conservation 
work. The Service's Coastal Program recognizes this, and it allows for 
management flexibility by providing technical and financial assistance 
for coastal land acquisitions. This helps the Service strategically 
conserve coastal habitat beyond the confines of the National Wildlife 
Refuge System.

                              {time}  1945

  The Coastal Program has a great record of success. Since its 
inception in Chesapeake Bay in 1985, the program has expanded to 23 
other priority coastal areas along the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and 
in the Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, and the Caribbean, including 
wetlands, estuaries, beaches, and mangrove forests.
  Within these areas, the Service facilitates a voluntary, partnership-
based relationship with coastal communities to conserve and restore 
coastal ecosystems and benefit fish, wildlife, and people alike.
  While the Coastal Program is designed to help conserve and recover 
priority habitat in coastal areas, it can only be effective with 
adequate resources. That is why the Coastal Habitat Conservation Act of 
2023 provides statutory authority to the program by authorizing $16.9 
million annually over the next 5 fiscal years.
  I am pleased that we are here supporting efforts to bring together 
people and private partners to voluntarily protect and improve coastal 
habitats. This is an approach that helps strike a balance between 
working landscapes and habitat conservation in our coastal communities.
  With this bipartisan bill, we can ensure that this great program will 
continue to drive locally led conservation projects across coastal 
States and territories, preserving the health and resilience of coastal 
habitats to benefit the wildlife communities and economies that depend 
on them for generations to come.
  Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the 
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2950 authorizes the Coastal Program in a fiscally 
responsible manner and provides for increased congressional oversight 
and direction of the program.
  By doing so, we, as Members of Congress, will be better able to 
fulfill our oversight responsibilities. At the same time, this program 
continues its work conserving coastal ecosystems for the benefit of 
species and our constituents.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2950, 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.

                          ____________________