[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15074]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         NATIONAL ESTUARIES DAY

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res 
596, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res 596) to designate September 25, 2010, 
     as ``National Estuaries Day.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed 
to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon 
the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 596) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 596

       Whereas the estuary regions of the United States comprise a 
     significant share of the national economy, with 43 percent of 
     the population, 40 percent of the employment, and 49 percent 
     of the economic output of the United States located in the 
     estuary regions of the United States;
       Whereas coasts and estuaries contribute more than 
     $800,000,000,000 annually in trade and commerce to the United 
     States economy;
       Whereas more than 43 percent of all adults in the United 
     States visit a sea coast or estuary at least once a year to 
     participate in some form of recreation, generating 
     $8,000,000,000 to $12,000,000,000 in revenue annually;
       Whereas more than 28,000,000 jobs in the United States are 
     supported by commercial and recreational fishing, boating, 
     tourism, and other coastal industries that rely on healthy 
     estuaries;
       Whereas estuaries provide vital habitat for countless 
     species of fish and wildlife, including many that are listed 
     as threatened or endangered;
       Whereas estuaries provide critical ecosystem services that 
     protect human health and public safety, including water 
     filtration, flood control, shoreline stabilization and 
     erosion prevention, and the protection of coastal communities 
     during extreme weather events;
       Whereas 55,000,000 acres of estuarine habitat have been 
     destroyed during the 100 years preceding the date of 
     agreement to this resolution;
       Whereas bays once filled with fish and oysters have become 
     dead zones filled with excess nutrients, chemical wastes, 
     harmful algae, and marine debris;
       Whereas sea level rise is accelerating the degradation of 
     estuaries by--
       (1) submerging low-lying land;
       (2) eroding beaches;
       (3) converting wetland to open water;
       (4) exacerbating coastal flooding; and
       (5) increasing the salinity of estuaries and freshwater 
     aquifers;
       Whereas the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 
     1451 et seq.) declares that it is the national policy to 
     preserve, protect, develop, and if possible, to restore or 
     enhance, the resources of the coastal zone of the United 
     States, including estuaries, for current and future 
     generations;
       Whereas scientific study leads to better understanding of 
     the benefits of estuaries to human and ecological 
     communities;
       Whereas Federal, 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 September 25, 2010, has been designated as 
     ``National Estuaries Day'' to increase awareness among all 
     people of the United States, including Federal, State and 
     local 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) designates September 25, 2010, as ``National Estuaries 
     Day'';
       (2) supports the goals and ideals of National Estuaries 
     Day;
       (3) acknowledges the importance of estuaries to the 
     economic well-being and productivity of the United States;
       (4) recognizes that persistent threats undermine the health 
     of the estuaries of the United States;
       (5) applauds the work of national and community 
     organizations and public partners that promote public 
     awareness, understanding, protection, and restoration of 
     estuaries;
       (6) reaffirms the support of the Senate for estuaries, 
     including 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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