[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 14953-14954]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           FUNDING FOR THE NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1071, 
a bill to increase authorization for the National Sea Grant College 
Program. The idea of the Sea Grant College Program was originally 
suggested by Mr. Athelstan Spilhaus. In a 1964 editorial he wrote, 
``Establishment of the land grant colleges was one of the best 
investments this Nation ever made. That same kind of imagination and 
foresight should be applied to exploitation of the sea.''
  In 1965, Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island introduced 
legislation to establish sea grant colleges on campuses nationwide as 
centers of excellence in marine and coastal studies. With the adoption 
in 1966 of the National Sea Grant College Act Program, Congress 
established an academic industry government partnership intended to 
enhance the Nation's education, economy and environment in the 21st 
century.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, more than 54 percent of our Nation's population 
lives along the coast. But funding for the National Sea Grant College 
Program is only 3 percent of the equivalent Federal funding for the 
Land Grant College Program.
  Like many Members of Congress, I am fully supportive of the Land 
Grant Program. But the point to be made is that the Land Grant receives 
$900 million a year in Federal funding for this program. The Sea Grant 
receives approximately only $60 million. Is it not time for us to 
consider this disparity and increase funding for the National Sea Grant 
College Program?
  Mr. Speaker, in support of increasing funding, I ask my colleagues to 
consider these facts. Since 1960, the square mileage of coastal urban 
lands has increased by over 130 percent. Between 1996 and 2015, U.S. 
coastal population is expected to increase by the equivalent of 5 major 
cities or 25 million people. Every day approximately 1,300 acres of 
coastal lands are developed into urban lands. Every week there are more 
than 14,000 new housing starts in the coastal areas of our Nation. 
Every year more than 180 million people visit the Nation's coasts, 
affecting coastal infrastructure and resources.
  Simply put, the Nation's investment in coastal science has lagged 
behind coastal population and development. Simply put, the Federal 
Government cannot by itself meet the tremendous demand for 
environmental knowledge and services, nor can it maintain expensive in-
house staff, facilities or technologies. Universities are critical to 
the development of the scientific and human resources base needed to 
address coastal issues.
  The National Sea Grant College Program engages the Nation's top 
universities through a network of some 30 Sea Grant programs and 200 
affiliated institutions located in coastal and Great Lakes States and 
Puerto Rico. Sea Grant taps the talents of the pre-eminent university 
scientists who conduct mission-critical research and development in 
state of the art laboratories and facilities. Sea Grant utilizes a 
highly effective network of extension and communications professionals 
to transfer research results to users. Sea Grant has a 30-year track 
record of success and relevance. Sea Grant is nonregulatory and 
maintains a reputation for objectivity and credibility in its research 
and outreach.
  There is no other Federal program that has the combination of 
university-based capabilities, outreach structure, flexibility, cost-
effectiveness and emphasis on coastal resource management. Given the 
importance of the coast to the Nation's economic and social well-being, 
it is for this reason I am introducing H.R. 1071, a bill to increase 
authorization for the National Sea Grant College Program from a mere 
$63 million to $100 million per year.
  Many of my colleagues have joined me in supporting this modest 
increase. As many are aware, the National Sea Grant College Program has 
a broad base of bipartisan support.
  The 105th Congress passed reauthorization for the program without a 
single dissenting vote in either Chamber. I believe this is largely due 
to the fact this is a shoestring budget. Sea Grant continues to expand 
its capabilities in areas of national interest. The Sea Grant Program 
is looking to the sea to find new pharmaceuticals and medicines, and 
maybe even a cure for cancer. Sea Grant is on the cutting edge of 
marine science and aquaculture research.
  As a member of the House Subcommittee on Fisheries, Conservation, 
Wildlife and Oceans, I have always been troubled by the fact that the 
U.S. has to import over $9 billion worth of seafood and shellfish from 
foreign countries. I am convinced if we are committed to more resources 
to the National Sea Grant Program, we might be able to create new 
growth and economic development and become a world exporter rather than 
importer of seafood and shellfish. I am also convinced if we can find 
the means to devote billions of dollars to space, we can certainly find 
a way to add $37 million a year to the National Sea Grant Program.
  Mr. Speaker, if we can find a means now to go to Mars, and we believe 
what is beneath the ocean, I believe it is time to improve the Sea 
Grant Program.

[[Page 14954]]

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1071--a bill to increase 
authorization for the National Sea Grant College Program. The idea of a 
Sea Grant College Program was originally suggested by Athelstan 
Spilhaus. In a 1964 editorial, he wrote:

       Establishment of the land-grant colleges was one of the 
     best investments this nation ever made. That same kind of 
     imagination and foresight should be applied to exploitation 
     of the sea.

  In 1965, Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island introduced 
legislation to establish Sea Grant Colleges on campuses nationwide as 
centers of excellence in marine and coastal studies. With the adoption 
in 1966 of the National Sea Grant College Grant Act, Congress 
established an academic/industry/government partnership intended to 
enhance the Nation's education, economy, and environment in the 21st 
century.
  Today, more than 54 percent of our Nation's population lives along 
the coast. But funding for the National Sea Grant College Program is 
only about 3 percent of the equivalent federal funding for the Land 
Grant College Program.
  Like many Members of Congress, I am fully supportive of the Land 
Grant College Program. But the point to be made is that Land Grant 
receives nearly $900 million in federal funding per year. Sea Grant 
receives approximately $60 million. Isn't it time for us to consider 
this disparity and increase funding for the National Sea Grant College 
Program?
  Mr. Speaker, in support of increased funding, I ask my colleagues to 
consider these facts:
  Since 1960, the square mileage of coastal urban lands has increased 
by over 130 percent;
  Between 1996 and 2015, U.S. coastal population is expected to 
incresae by the equivalent of 5 major new cities, or 25 million people;
  Every day, approximately 1,300 acres of coastal lands are developed 
into urban lands;
  Every week, there are more than 14,000 new housing starts in coastal 
areas; and
  Every year, more than 180 million people visit the Nation's coasts, 
affecting coastal infrastructure and resources.
  Simply put, the Nation's investment in coastal science has lagged 
behind coastal population and development. Simply put, the Federal 
Government cannot by itself meet the tremendous demand for 
environmental knowledge and services, nor can it maintain expensive in-
house staff, facilities, or technologies. Universities are critical to 
the development of the scientific and human resource base needed to 
address coastal issues.
  The National Sea Grant College Program engages the Nation's top 
universities through a network of 30 Sea Grant programs and 200 
affiliated institutions located in coastal and Great Lake States and 
Puerto Rico. Sea Grant taps the talents of pre-eminent university 
scientists who conduct mission-critical research and development in 
state-of-the-art laboratories and facilities. Sea Grant utilizes a 
highly effective network of extension and communications professionals 
to transfer research results to users. Sea Grant has a 30-year track 
record of success and relevance. Sea Grant is nonregulatory and 
maintains a reputation for objectivity and credibility in its research 
and outreach.
  There is no other Federal program that has the combination of 
university-based capabilities, outreach structure, flexibility, cost-
effectiveness, and emphasis on coastal resource management. Given the 
importance of the coast to the Nation's economic and social well-being, 
I introduced H.R. 1071--a bill to increase authorization for the 
National Sea Grant College Program from $63 million to $100 million per 
year.
  Many of my colleagues have joined with me in supporting this modest 
increase. As many are aware, the National Sea Grant College Program has 
a broad base of bipartisan support. The 105th Congress passed 
reauthorization for the program without a single dissenting vote in 
either Chamber.
  I believe this is largely due to the fact that on a shoestring 
budget, Sea Grant continues to expand its capabilities in areas of 
national interest. Sea Grant is looking to the sea to find new 
pharmaceuticals and medicines--and maybe even a cure for cancer. Sea 
Grant is also on the cutting edge of marine science and aquaculture 
research.
  As a member of the House Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, 
Wildlife and Oceans, I have always been troubled by the fact that the 
U.S. imports over 9 billion dollars' worth of seafood and shellfish per 
year. I am convinced that if we committed more resources to the 
National Sea Grant College Program, we might be able to create new 
growth and economic development and become a world exporter, rather 
than importer, of seafood and shellfish.
  I am also convinced that if we can find the means to devote billions 
of dollars to space, we can certainly find a way to add $37 million a 
year to fund the National Sea Grant College Program. For now, Sea Grant 
funds on average less than $2 million per State program. Due to limited 
resources, many geographic regions are not represented--including the 
Western Pacific--which alone has a huge Economic Exclusive Zone. Some 
States like Mississippi and Alabama share funding while other eligible 
States and territories like Pennsylvania, Vermont, and American Samoa 
have no institutional Sea Grant programs.
  Mr. Speaker, I am convinced that it is time for Congress to address 
the issue of increased authorization for the National Sea Grant College 
Program. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1071.

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