Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972, which provided for the establishment of national marine sanctuaries.

Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972, which provided for the establishment of national marine sanctuaries. Whereas, on October 23, 1972, the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 ( 33 U.S.C. 1401 et seq. Whereas, as of October 2022, the National Marine Sanctuary System is a nationwide network that conserves spectacular oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes waters; Whereas communities across the United States can nominate their most treasured places in marine and Great Lakes waters for consideration as national marine sanctuaries; Whereas national marine sanctuaries protect biodiversity, safeguard extraordinary seascapes, historic shipwrecks, and sacred cultural places, and provide abundant recreational opportunities; Whereas national marine sanctuaries provide opportunities for community-Tribal partnerships to preserve the traditional ecological resources and cultural sites of local Indigenous peoples; Whereas the conservation of marine ecosystems is vital for healthy oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes, addressing climate change, and sustaining productive coastal economies; Whereas national marine sanctuaries support coastal communities and generate billions of dollars annually in local economies by providing jobs in the United States, supporting commercial, Tribal, and recreational fisheries, bolstering tourism and recreation, engaging businesses in stewardship, and driving the growth of the blue economy; Whereas national marine sanctuaries connect people and communities through science, education, recreation, and stewardship, inspiring community-based solutions that help individuals understand and protect the most spectacular underwater habitats, wildlife, archaeological resources, and cultural seascapes of the United States; Whereas national marine sanctuaries are living laboratories to conduct cooperative science and research to improve resource management and advance innovative public-private partnerships; Whereas national marine sanctuaries can help make the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes more resilient by protecting ecosystems that sequester carbon, safeguarding coastal communities from flooding and storms, and protecting biodiversity; Whereas the United States is a maritime nation, and the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes are central to the way of life of the people of the United States; and Whereas engaging communities as stewards of the waters protected as natural marine sanctuaries makes natural marine sanctuaries unique and provides a comprehensive, highly participatory approach to conserving marine ecosystems and the Great Lakes for current and future generations: Now, therefore, be it That the Senate (1) recognizes and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972; (2) acknowledges the importance of national marine sanctuaries to supporting community resilience, protecting biodiversity, and increasing access to nature; (3) celebrates the ability of the National Marine Sanctuary System to protect nationally significant places in the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes; (4) calls on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to partner with communities and find consensus on designations of new national marine sanctuaries; and (5) encourages Federal agencies to balance priorities and work together to support the priorities of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972.

Summary: This resolution (1) recognizes and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972; and (2) acknowledges the importance of national marine sanctuaries to supporting community resilience, protecting biodiversity, and increasing access to nature.