Bills for Delaware River Basin, Kelp Forests, Great Lakes Mapping, and Using Oil and Gas Rigs as Artificial Reefs

House Natural Resources Committee
   Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee
1324 Longworth

21/03/2024 at 10:00AM

On Thursday, March 21, 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. 1395 (Rep. Fitzpatrick), “Delaware River Basin Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2023”, to amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act to reauthorize Delaware River Basin conservation programs;
  • H.R. 5487 (Rep. Huffman), “Help Our Kelp Act”, to require the Secretary of Commerce to establish and carry out a grant program to conserve, restore, and manage kelp forest ecosystems;
  • H.R. 6814 (Rep. Graves of LA), “Marine Fisheries Habitat Protection Act”, to require the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to assess certain offshore oil and gas platforms and pipelines for potential use as artificial reefs; and
  • H.R. 7020 (Rep. McClain), “Great Lakes Mapping Act”, to direct the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to conduct high-resolution mapping of the lakebeds of the Great Lakes

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

  • Clay Porch, Director, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [All bills]
  • Jennifer Boehme, Chief Executive Officer, Great Lakes Observing System [H.R. 7020]
  • Chris Horton, Senior Director, Fisheries Policy, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Bismarck, AR [H.R. 6814]
  • Kelly Knutson, Director, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed, Princeton, NJ [H.R. 1395]
  • Deb Self, Senior Director of Restoration and Partnerships, Greater Farallones Association, San Francisco, CA [Minority Witness, H.R. 5487]