[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 187 (Tuesday, December 17, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H7266-H7268]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MODERNIZING ACCESS TO OUR PUBLIC WATERS ACT
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 6127) to provide for the standardization, consolidation, and
publication of data relating to public outdoor recreational use of
Federal waterways among Federal land and water management agencies, and
for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6127
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 ``Modernizing Access to Our
Public Waters Act'' or the ``MAPWaters Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Federal fishing restriction.--The term ``Federal
fishing restriction'' means a defined area in which all or
certain fishing activities are temporarily or permanently
prohibited or restricted by a Federal land or water
management agency.
(2) Federal land or water management agency.--The term
``Federal land or water management agency'' means--
(A) the Bureau of Reclamation;
(B) the National Park Service;
(C) the Bureau of Land Management;
(D) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and
(E) the Forest Service.
(3) Federal waterway.--The term ``Federal waterway'' means
any portion of a body of water managed partially or wholly by
1 or more of the relevant Secretaries.
(4) Federal waterway restriction.--The term ``Federal
waterway restriction'' means a restriction on the access or
use of a Federal waterway applied under applicable law by 1
or more of the Secretaries.
(5) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means--
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief
of the Forest Service; and
(B) the Secretary of the Interior.
SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY DATA STANDARDIZATION.
Not later than 30 months after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretaries, in coordination with the Federal
Geographic Data Committee established by section 753(a) of
the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (43 U.S.C. 2802(a)),
shall jointly develop and adopt interagency standards to
ensure compatibility and interoperability among applicable
Federal databases with respect to the collection and
dissemination of geospatial data relating to public outdoor
recreational access of Federal waterways and Federal fishing
restrictions.
SEC. 4. DATA CONSOLIDATION AND PUBLICATION.
(a) Federal Waterway Restrictions.--Not later than 4 years
after the date of enactment of this Act, each of the
Secretaries, to the maximum extent practicable, shall
digitize and make publicly available online, as applicable,
geographic information system data that includes, with
respect to Federal waterway restrictions--
(1) status information with respect to the conditions under
which Federal waterways
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are open or closed to entry or watercraft, including
watercraft inspection, decontamination requirements, low-
elevation aircraft, or diving;
(2) the dates on which Federal waterways are seasonally
closed to entry or watercraft;
(3) the areas of Federal waterways with restrictions on
motorized propulsion, horsepower, or fuel type;
(4) the areas of Federal waterways with anchoring
restrictions, no wake zones, exclusion zones, danger areas,
or vessel speed restrictions;
(5) Federal waterway restrictions on the direction of
travel, including upstream or downstream travel; and
(6) the types of watercraft that are restricted on each
area of a Federal waterway, including the permissibility of--
(A) canoes;
(B) rafts and driftboats;
(C) motorboats;
(D) personal watercraft;
(E) airboats;
(F) amphibious aircraft;
(G) hovercraft;
(H) oversnow vehicles and other motorized vehicles on
frozen bodies of water; and
(I) oceangoing ships; and
(7) citations documenting the source of the restrictions.
(b) Federal Waterway Access and Navigation Information.--
Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this
Act, each of the Secretaries, to the maximum extent
practicable, shall digitize and make publicly available
online, as applicable, geographic information system data
that includes, with respect to Federal waterway access and
navigation information--
(1)(A) the location of boat ramps, portages, and fishing
access sites under the authority of the Federal land or water
management agency; and
(B) the identification of the dates on which the facilities
and sites identified under subparagraph (A) are open or
closed, as applicable; and
(2) bathymetric information and depth charts, as feasible.
(c) Federal Fishing Restrictions.--Not later than 4 years
after the date of enactment of this Act, each of the
Secretaries, to the maximum extent practicable, shall
digitize and make publicly available online geographic
information system data that describes, with respect to
Federal fishing restrictions--
(1) the location and geographic boundaries of Federal
fishing restrictions on recreational and commercial fishing,
including--
(A) full or partial closures;
(B) no-take zones; and
(C) Federal fishing restrictions within or surrounding
marine protected areas;
(2) Federal fishing restrictions enacted pursuant to
section 302(b) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1732(b)); and
(3) Federal requirements with respect to catch and release.
(d) Public Comment.--The Secretaries shall develop a
process to allow members of the public to submit questions or
comments regarding the information described in subsections
(a) and (b).
(e) Updates.--The Secretaries, to the maximum extent
practicable, shall update--
(1) the data described in subsections (a) and (b) not less
frequently than 2 times per year; and
(2) the data described in subsection (c) in real time as
changes go into effect.
(f) Exclusion.--This section shall not apply to irrigation
canals and flowage easements.
(g) Disclosure.--Any geographic information system data
made publicly available under this section shall not disclose
information regarding the nature, location, character, or
ownership of historic, paleontological, or archaeological
resources, consistent with applicable law.
SEC. 5. COOPERATION AND COORDINATION.
(a) Community Partners and Third-party Providers.--For
purposes of carrying out this Act, the Secretaries may--
(1) coordinate and partner with non-Federal agencies and
private sector and nonprofit partners, including--
(A) State, territorial, and District of Columbia natural
resource agencies;
(B) Tribal natural resource agencies;
(C) technology companies;
(D) geospatial data companies; and
(E) experts in data science, analytics, and operations
research; and
(2) enter into an agreement with a third party to carry out
any provision of this Act.
(b) United States Geological Survey.--The Secretaries may
work with the Director of the United States Geological Survey
to collect, aggregate, digitize, standardize, and publish
data on behalf of the Secretaries to meet the requirements of
this Act.
(c) Requirement.--With respect to data developed and
distributed under this Act, the Secretaries shall include a
notice that any geospatial data are subject to applicable
Federal, State, and Tribal regulations.
SEC. 6. REPORTS.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this
Act and annually thereafter through March 30, 2033, the
Secretaries shall submit a report that describes the progress
made by the Secretaries with respect to meeting the
requirements of this Act to--
(1) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the
Senate;
(2) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
of the Senate;
(3) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives;
(4) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives; and
(5) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives.
SEC. 7. EFFECT.
Nothing in this Act--
(1) modifies or alters the definition of the term
``navigable waters'' under Federal law;
(2) affects the jurisdiction or authority of State or
Federal agencies to regulate navigable waters;
(3) modifies or alters the authority or jurisdiction of
Federal or State agencies to manage fisheries; or
(4) authorizes or is intended to result in the closing of
or restriction of access to waters open to hunting, fishing,
or other forms of outdoor recreation as of the date of the
enactment of this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms.
Kamlager-Dove) 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 in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 6127, 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.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6127, the Modernizing Access
to Our Public Waters Act, or MAPWaters Act, sponsored by the gentleman
from Utah (Mr. Moore).
This bill seeks to improve recreational access for our country's
boaters and anglers by requiring agencies to digitize maps of Federal
waterways and information related to the regulations and restrictions
to accessing those waterways. The bill then calls upon Federal land
management agencies to publish this information online and work with
the private sector to make this information easily available to the
public.
This bill is necessary because access to information related to
regulations and restrictions to Federal waterways can often be hard to
come by. The Natural Resources Committee heard testimony about a
specific example of an unfortunate situation that happened at
Yellowstone National Park. A group of backpackers was hiking to a
remote lake in the park where the group planned to fish. Upon arriving
at the lake, they discovered that half the lake was off-limits to
fishing because of nesting swans. It just so happens that the half of
the lake that was closed to fishing was the part of the lake they were
permitted to fish.
This is unacceptable. Passing this bill would prevent incidents like
this by ensuring this information is easily available to the public.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, the MAPWaters Act would improve the
standardization and public access to information about Federal waterway
restrictions, Federal waterway access and navigation, and Federal
fishing restrictions.
By standardizing and digitizing this information, this bill would
give Americans the information and confidence to engage in recreation
without searching for and deciphering information across numerous
agency websites.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Utah (Mr. Moore), the lead sponsor of the bill.
Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill,
the Modernizing Access to Our Public Waters Act, or MAPWaters Act,
which passed the Natural Resources Committee unanimously last month.
The legislation builds upon the success of my MAPLand Act, enacted in
2022, and the MAP Army Corps language included in this year's Water
Resources Development Act to ensure Americans can quickly see the
public resources around them and spend more time recreating on the
water that they love.
[[Page H7268]]
The MAPWaters Act will improve the standardization, consolidation,
and availability of information on the recreational opportunities for
Federal waterways, allowing recreationists in Utah and around the
country to have the most up-to-date information on what is available to
them.
In addition to providing chances for families to experience the
outdoors and instill a love of nature in new generations, recreational
boating and fishing are major drivers of Utah's economy, contributing
over $536 million in 2023.
As our love for the outdoors continues to grow, accessing these
public treasures should be as easy as possible.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta), the
gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Fulcher), and the gentlewoman from Michigan
(Mrs. Dingell), as well as our Senate companions, Senators Barrasso and
King, for partnering with me on this effort.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6127.
Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I again thank the gentleman from Utah
(Mr. Moore) for his work on this bill and his work as a Member of this
body to increase recreational access to our public lands.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and 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. 6127, 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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