III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 700 

Designating the week of September 19 through September 26, 2020, as 

‘‘National Estuaries Week’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. CASSIDY, Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. CARPER, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. KING, Mr. WARNER, Mr. COONS, 

Mr. MARKEY, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. REED, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mrs. SHAHEEN, 

Mr. MERKLEY, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. RUBIO, and Mr. 

KAINE) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 

agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating the week of September 19 through September 

26, 2020, as ‘‘National Estuaries Week’’. 

Whereas estuary regions cover only 13 percent of the land 

area in the continental United States but contain nearly 

43 percent of the population, 40 percent of the jobs, and 

nearly 50 percent of the economic output of the United 

States; 

Whereas the oceans, estuaries, and Great Lakes of the 

United States continue to fuel economic growth across 

the United States, which is evidenced by the fact that, by 

2016— 


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(1) employment levels in economic sectors relating to 

oceans and estuaries had increased by 14.5 percent from 

employment levels in those sectors in 2007, before the 

Great Recession; and 

(2) the average employment level of the entire economy of the United States had increased by 4.8 percent 

from that employment level in 2007, before the Great Recession; 

Whereas, between 2015 and 2016, economic sectors relating 

to estuaries, oceans, and Great Lakes in the United 

States— 

(1) created 85,000 new jobs; 

(2) employed 3,300,000 individuals; and 

(3) contributed $124,000,000,000 to the gross domestic product; 

Whereas, by 2018, the ocean economy supported 2,300,000 

jobs in the United States, and the compensation paid to 

employees in such sector was $161,900,000,000; 

Whereas the commercial and recreational fishing industries 

support more than 1,740,000 jobs in the United States; 

Whereas, in 2017— 

(1) commercial and recreational saltwater fishing in 

the United States generated more than 

$244,000,000,000 in sales and contributed 

$110,700,000,000 to the gross domestic product of the 

United States; 

(2) angler trip expenditures totaled nearly 

$10,500,000,000; and 

(3) saltwater recreational fishing supported 487,000 

jobs, generated $73,800,000,000 in sales across the 

United States, and contributed $41,500,000,000 to the 

gross domestic product of the United States; 


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Whereas estuaries provide vital habitats for— 

(1) countless species of fish and wildlife, including 

more than 68 percent of the commercial fish catch in the 

United States by value and 80 percent of the recreational 

fish catch in the United States by weight; and 

(2) many species that are listed as threatened or endangered species; 

Whereas estuaries provide critical ecosystem services that 

protect human health and public safety, including water 

filtration, flood control, shoreline stabilization, erosion 

prevention, and the protection of coastal communities 

during hurricanes, storms, and other extreme weather 

events; 

Whereas, by the 1980s, the United States had already lost 

more than 50 percent of the wetlands that existed in the 

original 13 colonies; 

Whereas some bays in the United States that were once filled 

with fish and oysters have become dead zones filled with 

excess nutrients, chemical waste, and marine debris; 

Whereas harmful algal blooms are hurting fish, wildlife, and 

human health and are causing serious ecological and economic harm to some estuaries; 

Whereas changes in sea levels can affect estuarine water 

quality and estuarine habitats; 

Whereas section 320 of the Federal Water Pollution Control 

Act (33 U.S.C. 1330) (commonly known as the ‘‘Clean 

Water Act’’) authorizes the development of comprehensive conservation and management plans to ensure that 

the designated uses of estuaries are protected and to restore and maintain— 


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(1) the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of 

estuaries; 

(2) water quality; 

(3) a balanced indigenous population of shellfish, 

fish, and wildlife; and 

(4) recreational activities in estuaries; 

Whereas the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 

U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) provides that the policy of the 

United States is to preserve, protect, develop, and, if possible, restore or enhance the resources of the coastal zone 

of the United States, including estuaries, for current and 

future generations; 

Whereas 29 coastal and Great Lakes States and territories 

of the United States operate or contain a National Estuary Program or a National Estuarine Research Reserve; 

Whereas scientific study leads to a better understanding of 

the benefits of estuaries to human and ecological communities; 

Whereas the Federal Government, State, local, and Tribal 

governments, national and community organizations, and 

individuals work together to effectively manage the estuaries of the United States; 

Whereas estuary restoration efforts restore natural infrastructure in local communities in a cost-effective manner, 

helping to create jobs and reestablish the natural functions of estuaries that yield countless benefits; and 

Whereas the week of September 19 through September 26, 

2020, is recognized as ‘‘National Estuaries Week’’ to increase awareness among all people of the United States, 

including Federal Government and State, local, and Tribal government officials, about the importance of healthy 


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estuaries and the need to protect and restore estuaries: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates the week of September 19 

3 through September 26, 2020, as ‘‘National Estu4 aries Week’’; 

5 (2) supports the goals and ideals of National 

6 Estuaries Week; 

7 (3) acknowledges the importance of estuaries to 

8 sustaining employment in the United States and the 

9 economic well-being and prosperity of the United 

10 States; 

11 (4) recognizes that persistent threats under12 mine the health of estuaries; 

13 (5) applauds the work of national and commu14 nity organizations and public partners that promote 

15 public awareness, understanding, protection, and 

16 restoration of estuaries; 

17 (6) supports the scientific study, preservation, 

18 protection, and restoration of estuaries; and 

19 (7) expresses the intent of the Senate to con20 tinue working to understand, protect, and restore 

21 the estuaries of the United States. 

Æ 


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