Madam Speaker, nearly half of the population of the United States lives along our country's 95,331 miles of ocean and Great Lakes coastline. The 153 million people who live and work in the coastal…
Madam Speaker, nearly half of the population of the United States lives along our country's 95,331 miles of ocean and Great Lakes coastline. The 153 million people who live and work in the coastal zone--roughly 11 percent of the total U.S. land area-- contribute tens of billions of dollars to our national economy. For example, roughly $700 billion in cargo and merchandise moves through our country's ports on an annual basis.
While the country's coastal zone remains intrinsically linked to our entire economy, coastal regions are also home to a variety of incredibly valuable natural resources, such as commercial fisheries, coral reefs, coastal estuaries and wetlands, mineral resources, and vital fish and wildlife habitat. Moreover, at a time when our economy and the environment are both in need of attention, and when cooperation between the Federal government and the States and territories has never been more essential to address future challenges created by a changing climate, it is important for the Congress to reauthorize the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA). Reauthorization of this Act re-emphasizes the importance of maintaining a balanced management approach in this critical geographic area.
The initial passage in 1972 of the Coastal Zone Management Act championed an innovative and forward-thinking strategy to address the complexity of issues, the needs of individual States and territories, and the national interest to ensure the long-term, sensible management of the country's entire coastal zone. The Act was designed as a voluntary federal-state partnership. States and territories receive cost sharing grants to develop and subsequently implement State management programs that comply with broad Federal policies. For example, State and territorial coastal zone management programs encourage comprehensive planning to enable both the protection and development of coastal lands where possible. State and territorial coastal programs also strive to restore and enhance coastal resources, perpetuate water-dependent uses and preserve coastal public access.
States and territories also gained an equal authority, known generally as ``Federal Consistency'' to review all Federal agency activities or Federally-permitted activities for the
coastal zone to ensure compatibility with Federally-approved State or territory coastal programs and policies. While at times controversial, consistency reviews emerged as a remarkably successful tool in facilitating cooperation between the coastal states and territories and the Federal agencies. Although participation in the Coastal Zone Management program is voluntary, 34 out of 35 eligible coastal States and territories are now fully participating in the program, and collectively, 99 percent of U.S. coastlines fall under the Act's authority.
The territory I represent, Guam, proudly participates in the coastal zone management program. Because Guam is an island, our entire land area is considered a coastal zone. Important and unique management issues regarding development frequently arise for our community, including impacts on cultural and historic resource preservation, water quality, and the integrity of coral reef ecosystems and our watershed habitat. For example, under the Guam Coastal Management Program, analysis of damages from coastal hazards led to the development of an Environmental Emergency Response Plan that our community relies upon in preparing for and responding to typhoons. This Plan allowed our community to successfully respond to coastal and environmental challenges arising from recent typhoons that struck our island, including Typhoon Chata'an in July 2002 and Super Typhoon Pongsona in December 2002. This plan is but one example from many that demonstrate the practical and positive impact of the Coastal Zone Management Act for Guam.
Since the Act's enactment in 1972, Congress has amended it on various occasions in order to address changing circumstances and needs. Among such refinements was the establishment of a system of National Estuarine Research Reserves, authorization of the Enhancement Grant Program to help States and the territories address new and emerging issues, and the establishment of the Coastal Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program to address the present and growing threat to coastal waters caused by polluted run-off.
Today, our country is presented with coastal zone challenges that were unforeseen and not addressed in previous reauthorizations of the Coastal Zone Management Act. These challenges include climate change, aquatic nuisance species, increased risk exposure to catastrophic storms and natural hazards, and the preservation of open space in the midst of an expanding human footprint. Many of these challenges were identified by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy in 2004 and the Pew Oceans Commission in 2003. In addition, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Coastal States Organization (CSO) initiated in 2007 a joint comprehensive analysis of the Act to see if and how it might be amended to better address the challenges of the future. I believe it is important to reauthorize this Act with input from the States and territories, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and scientists and coastal community stakeholders. Any reauthorization of the Act should be oriented toward improving our ability to better prepare for and respond to future challenges impacting the health and integrity of the ecosystems within our country's coastal zones.
It is for these reasons that I introduced H.R. 5451, the Coastal Zone Reauthorization Act of 2008, to reauthorize and increase appropriations to implement the Coastal Zone Management Act. I was joined in doing so by other members of the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans. Together we are committed to addressing this reauthorization opportunity and objective in a bipartisan fashion. On February 28, 2008, the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans convened for a hearing on H.R. 5451 and received testimony from the Administration and stakeholders. I fully recognize that this bill is a placeholder and a starting point for a much more substantive dialogue as we begin to address the new realities facing our country's coastal zone. I hope my colleagues will join us in this effort to reauthorize this landmark environmental law, and to ensure that we leave for our children and grandchildren a coastal zone that is vibrant, healthy and welcoming to all.
