Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve Boundary Modification Act

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlelady for yielding me time.

I introduced H.R. 905, the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve Boundary Modification Act, to expand the boundaries of the preserve. I want to thank the bill's cosponsors, my Michigan colleagues, Congressmen Kildee, McCotter and Ehlers. Their support has been instrumental in moving this legislation.

In 1975, Michigan State University, in response to local interest, collected an inventory of shipwrecks located within Lake Huron's Thunder Bay. What they found was that Thunder Bay potentially contained the largest number of historical shipwrecks in the country.

This discovery warranted the establishment of an underwater ``reserve,'' and in 1981, the State of Michigan declared Thunder Bay Michigan's first Great Lakes bottomland preserve.

Following this State recognition, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration designated the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in 2000, making it the first sanctuary in the Great Lakes.

The sanctuary is a Federal-State partnership with a unique focus on preserving the large collection of underwater cultural resources. These resources consist of 100 shipwrecks spanning more than 200 years of Great Lakes shipping history. In order to study and preserve the cultural resources present at Thunder Bay, in 2005 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the State of Michigan established the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Michigan in Alpena, Michigan.

The Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center allows visitors to learn about Great Lakes maritime history, explore shipwrecks via live video feeds, and see how archaeologists continue to preserve these historic sites. To continue this positive outcome, the Thunder Bay Sanctuary Advisory Council, a 15-member group representing local interests such as fishermen, the business community, educational institutions and local government, have passed a resolution recommending the sanctuary be expanded.

This legislation is supported by the State of Michigan, the local units of government, and the local chambers of commerce of each county that is affected.

H.R. 905 would extend the sanctuary's boundaries to include the waters off Alcona, Alpena and Presque Isle counties in Michigan and extend the sanctuary east to the international boundary with Canada.

Currently, the sanctuary covers 448 square miles of water and 115 miles of shoreline, protecting 116 shipwrecks. H.R. 905 would increase this area to 3,722 square miles of water and 226 miles of shoreline, adding an additional 180 shipwrecks to the sanctuary. In addition, the legislation would direct NOAA to produce updated charts of the newly designated areas and apply the protection and preservation provisions in the existing management plan to the newly added areas.

By authorizing an expansion of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the affected local communities would receive the benefits of having additional historical resources highlighted and preserved, as well as increased tourism, which is an important driver for economic growth of this part of northeastern lower Michigan.

I urge my colleagues to support my legislation. I thank the chairperson and the ranking member for their help and support on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 905) to expand the boundaries of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is the only national marine sanctuary located in the Great Lakes. The sanctuary provides protection for more than 100 nationally significant historic shipwrecks in an area of Lake Huron known as ``shipwreck alley,'' but an equal number of historic wrecks lie immediately north and south of the existing sanctuary boundary.

The pending measure would extend the sanctuary's boundary to encompass more than 100 additional shipwrecks and submerged resources and afford to these historic resources the protection, research, education and public outreach capabilities of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act.

This bipartisan legislation, introduced by our colleague, Representative Bart Stupak of Michigan, is strongly supported by the administration, the State of Michigan, the affected counties, the communities, the local chambers of commerce, and the Thunder Bay Sanctuary Advisory Council.

So I ask Members on both sides of the aisle to support its passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak), the author of this legislation, such time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I inquire if the minority has any additional speakers.

Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support this important bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, according to testimony on H.R. 905, the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve Boundary Modification Act, there appears to be broad local support for this expansion. In addition, the legislation does not include any new statutory prohibitions which would prohibit or restrict activities within the sanctuary. However, there have been concerns voiced on this side of the aisle about the potential increased costs of this boundary expansion that expands the current sanctuary by almost nine times its current size.

While the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is entirely within the waters of the State of Michigan, concern has been raised that the cost of this expansion and any future needs will fall on the Federal Government. Not only will this increase the Federal costs for managing the resources that are entirely within State waters, but it could also have a negative effect on the other national marine sanctuaries.

With that, though, Mr. Speaker, we do thank Mr. Stupak for his efforts in preserving national marine sanctuaries.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, we have no additional speakers, and with that I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, because I was unavoidably detained with constituents, I would like to acknowledge that my vote would have been ``aye'' in roll call vote No. 737, the Medicare Premium Fairness Act, on Thursday, September 24, 2009.

Likewise, I was unavoidably detained in a meeting with the Vice President, and I would like to indicate that my votes today on passage of H.R. 905, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve Boundary Modification Act, roll call vote No. 740, would have been ``aye''; H. Res. 16, supporting the goals and ideals of the National Life Insurance Awareness Month, roll call vote 741, would have been ``aye''; and adoption of motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 2997, Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010, roll call vote 742, would have been ``no.''

Madam Speaker, I was unable to cast votes on the following legislative measures on September 29, 2009. If I were present for rollcall votes, I would have voted Yea on each of the following:

Roll 740, September 29, 2009: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended:

H.R. 905, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve Boundary Modification Act.

Roll 741, September 29, 2009: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree: H. Res. 16, Supporting the goals and ideals of National Life Insurance Awareness Month.

Roll 742, September 29, 2009: On Motion to Instruct Conferees: H.R. 2997, Making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, and for other purposes.