Senate Passes Critical Ocean Legislation
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Today, the U.S. Senate passed S.22, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which contained five landmark ocean bills: Ocean Exploration and NOAA’s Undersea Research Program Act; Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act; Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009; Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009; and Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program.
“The oceans cover more than two-thirds of our planet and include some of the most productive natural systems in the world,” said Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), who chairs the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard. “As our climate changes, we are finally beginning to understand the important role oceans play in shaping our climate and weather patterns — impacting inland areas far beyond the coast. Passage of these bills is a major victory that will provide research tools to monitor our oceans, help protect our local wildlife habitats and help our country get a handle on the impacts of climate change on our coastal areas.”
“Today marks a major victory for the advancement of ocean science,” said Senator Snowe (R-ME), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmospheres, Fisheries, and Coast Guard. “The creation of these ocean and coastal research programs will enhance our understanding of the marine world and improve our ability to predict ocean conditions and climate trends. I applaud the swift action of Congress to approve these critical programs that will spur economic growth and science-based environmental conservation in coastal regions and throughout the nation.”
“The ocean science community has been working for more than a decade on developing observing systems, to help understand, manage and protect our ocean and coastal resources,” said Robert Gagosian, President and CEO of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership. “Today, Congress took a significant step toward helping us fundamentally change how we study the ocean and transfer information into products and services for decision makers.”
The S.22 passed the Senate by a vote of 73 to 21. The House passed each of these ocean bills in the 110th Congress. House Natural Resources Chairman Nick Rahall (D-WV) has indicated his support for passing the package and sending it to the President to sign into law.
