House Natural Resources Committee
Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee
Coastal Fishing and Protection Legislation
On Thursday, January 18, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:
- H.R. 897 (Rep. Carl), “Alabama Underwater Forest National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act”;
- H.R. 3925 (Rep. Salazar), “Youth Coastal Fishing Program Act of 2023”;
- H.R. 5441 (Rep. LaLota), “Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act of 2023”; and
- H.R. 6235 (Rep. Bonamici), “Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2023”.
Witnesses:
Panel I- Members of Congress
- Paul M. Scholz, Deputy Assistant Administrator of the National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [H.R. 897, H.R. 3925, and H.R. 6235]
- Mike Lum, Fundraising and Event Coordinator, Captain Rollo’s Kids at Sea [H.R. 3925]
- Chris Pickerell, Marine Program Director, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County [H.R. 5441]
- Ben Raines, Environmental Fellow, Writer and Filmmaker in Residence, University of South Alabama [H.R. 897]
- Dr. Donald Anderson, Senior Scientist and Director, U.S. National Office for Harmful Algal Blooms, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute [H.R. 6235]
- H.R. 897 would establish a sanctuary under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 (P.L. 92-532) at the underwater forest off the coast of Gulf Shores, Alabama, while balancing the other industries that operate in the Gulf of Mexico.
- H.R. 3925 would establish a grant program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that would provide applicants with financial resources to connect America’s youth with fishing activities.
- H.R. 5441 reauthorizes the Long Island Sound Office and additional funding programs, providing both financial resources and critical expertise to preserve and restore the watershed
- H.R. 6235 reauthorizes and revamps the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act, a program that encourages federal agencies, along with state and local governments, to develop best practices to respond to hypoxia events and harmful algal blooms (HABs).