Bill Text: NJ AR108 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges Congress and President to reauthorize National Estuary Program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-22 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee [AR108 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-AR108-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman BRIAN E. RUMPF
District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean)
Assemblywoman DIANNE C. GOVE
District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Urges Congress and President to reauthorize National Estuary Program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging the Congress and President of the United States to reauthorize the National Estuary Program.
Whereas, On February 12, 2015, United States Congressman Frank A. LoBiondo introduced H.R. 944 to reauthorize the National Estuary Program (NEP) and provide funding for the NEP for federal fiscal years 2016 through 2020; and
Whereas, In the prior Congressional session, Congressman LoBiondo's legislation, H.R. 5226, to reauthorize the NEP through federal fiscal year 2018 passed the United States House of Representatives in November 2014, but was not acted upon by the United States Senate before the close of the session; and
Whereas, Established in 1987, pursuant to Section 320 of the federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act), the NEP's goal is to improve the quality of estuaries by developing plans for attaining or maintaining water quality, including the protection of public water supplies and protection of indigenous populations of shellfish, fish, and wildlife; and
Whereas, An estuary is a partially enclosed body of water along the coast where fresh water from rivers and streams meets and mixes with salt water from the ocean, and because many species of fish and wildlife rely on the sheltered waters of estuaries as protected spawning places, estuaries are often called the "nurseries of the sea"; and
Whereas, Estuaries provide a suite of resources, benefits, and services, some of which can be measured in dollars and cents, while others cannot; and
Whereas, Estuaries provide places for recreational activities, scientific study, and aesthetic enjoyment, and are an irreplaceable natural resource that must be managed carefully for the mutual benefit of all who enjoy and depend on them; and
Whereas, According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the nation's estuaries provide habitat for 75% of the country's commercial fish catch and 80-90% of the recreational fish catch; and
Whereas, Healthy estuaries support healthy fish, birds, and other wildlife, as well as important economic activity such as fishing, tourism, and outdoor recreation; and
Whereas, There are currently 28 estuaries designated as estuaries of "national significance" that rely on federal funding through the NEP program, including three in this State -- the Barnegat Bay Estuary, the Delaware Estuary, and the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary; and
Whereas, The Barnegat Bay Partnership (formerly the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program) is a partnership of federal, State, municipal, academic, business, and private organizations that work together with the communities of the Barnegat Bay watershed to help restore, protect, and enhance the natural resources of the Barnegat Bay ecosystem; and
Whereas, The Barnegat Bay Estuary watershed encompasses 37 municipalities in Ocean and Monmouth counties, supports a population of over 500,000 people that more than doubles during the summer season, provides aesthetic, ecological, economic, and recreational benefits to residents and visitors, and is one of the State's most precious natural resources, yet this shallow lagoonal estuary is now significantly affected by an array of human impacts that potentially threaten its ecological integrity; and
Whereas, Located in southern New Jersey, Delaware, and southeastern Pennsylvania, the Delaware Estuary is home to the second-largest concentration of migrating shorebirds in the Western Hemisphere, as well as dozens of protected species and the largest population of horseshoe crabs in the world, and at the same time, the estuary is home to more than five million people and some of the largest refineries on the East Coast; and
Whereas, Positioned at the confluence of the Hudson River and many smaller rivers such as the East, Hackensack, and Raritan, the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary opens into the New York Bight and Long Island Sound and is home and essential habitat to many resident and migratory species; and
Whereas, Reauthorization of the National Estuary Program is critical to protect and restore the water quality, ecological integrity, and economic well-being of these coastal areas determined to be of national significance; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House urges the Congress and President of the United States to reauthorize the National Estuary Program to protect and restore the water quality, ecological integrity, and economic well-being of these coastal areas.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President of the United States, the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, every member of the New Jersey Congressional delegation, and the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the Congress and President of the United States to reauthorize the National Estuary Program (NEP).
Established in 1987, the NEP's goal is to improve the quality of estuaries by developing plans for attaining or maintaining water quality, including the protection of public water supplies and protection of indigenous populations of shellfish, fish, and wildlife. Healthy estuaries support healthy fish, birds, and other wildlife, as well as important economic activity such as fishing, tourism, and outdoor recreation. There are 28 estuaries that rely on federal funding through the NEP program, including three in New Jersey: the Barnegat Bay estuary; the Delaware estuary; and the New York-New Jersey Harbor estuary. Reauthorization of the NEP is critical to protect and restore the water quality, ecological integrity, and economic well-being of these coastal areas.
