I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 307 
To establish the Long Island Sound Stewardship Initiative. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 25, 2005 
Mr. SIMMONS (for himself, Mr. SHAYS, Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut, Ms. 
DELAURO, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. ACKERMAN, 
Mrs. MCCARTHY, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. BOEH-
LERT, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. WEINER, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. 
BISHOP of New York, Mr. NADLER, Mrs. LOWEY, and Mr. OWENS) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Re-
sources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish the Long Island Sound Stewardship Initiative. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Long Island Sound 
Stewardship Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—
(1) Long Island Sound is a national treasure of 
great cultural, environmental, and ecological impor-
tance; 
(2) 8,000,000 people live within the Long Is-
land Sound watershed and 28,000,000 people (ap-
proximately 10 percent of the population of the 
United States) live within 50 miles of Long Island 
Sound; 
(3) activities that depend on the environmental 
health of Long Island Sound contribute more than 
$5,000,000,000 each year to the regional economy; 
(4) the portion of the shoreline of Long Island 
Sound that is accessible to the general public (esti-
mated at less than 20 percent of the total shoreline) 
is not adequate to serve the needs of the people liv-
ing in the area; 
(5) existing shoreline facilities are in many 
cases overburdened and underfunded; 
(6) large parcels of open space already in public 
ownership are strained by the effort to balance the 
demand for recreation with the needs of sensitive 
natural resources; 
(7) approximately 1⁄3 of the tidal marshes of 
Long Island Sound have been filled, and much of 
the remaining marshes have been ditched, dyked, or
impounded, reducing the ecological value of the 
marshes; and 
(8) much of the remaining exemplary natural 
landscape is vulnerable to further development. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to estab-
lish the Long Island Sound Stewardship Initiative to iden-
tify, protect, and enhance sites within the Long Island 
Sound ecosystem with significant ecological, educational, 
open space, public access, or recreational value through 
a bi-State network of sites best exemplifying these values. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act, the following definitions apply: 
(1) 
ADAPTIVE
MANAGEMENT.—The 
term 
‘‘adaptive management’’ means a scientific proc-
ess— 
(A) for— 
(i) developing predictive models; 
(ii) making management policy deci-
sions based upon the model outputs; 
(iii) revising the management policies 
as data become available with which to 
evaluate the policies; and 
(iv) acknowledging uncertainty, com-
plexity, and variance in the spatial and 
temporal aspects of natural systems; and
(B) that requires that management be 
viewed as experimental. 
(2) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
(3) 
COMMITTEE.—The 
term 
‘‘Committee’’ 
means the Long Island Sound Stewardship Advisory 
Committee established by section 5(a). 
(4) REGION.—The term ‘‘Region’’ means the 
Long Island Sound Stewardship Initiative Region es-
tablished by section 4(a). 
(5) STATES.—The term ‘‘States’’ means the 
States of Connecticut and New York. 
(6) STEWARDSHIP SITE.—The term ‘‘steward-
ship site’’ means a site that— 
(A) qualifies for identification by the Com-
mittee under section 8; and 
(B) is an area of land or water or a com-
bination of land and water— 
(i) that is in the Region; and 
(ii) that is— 
(I) Federal, State, local, or tribal 
land or water; 
(II) land or water owned by a 
nonprofit organization; or
(III) privately owned land or 
water. 
(7) SYSTEMATIC SITE SELECTION.—The term 
‘‘systematic site selection’’ means a process of select-
ing stewardship sites that— 
(A) has explicit goals, methods, and cri-
teria; 
(B) produces feasible, repeatable, and de-
fensible results; 
(C) provides for consideration of natural, 
physical, and biological patterns; 
(D) addresses reserve size, replication, 
connectivity, species viability, location, and pub-
lic recreation values; 
(E) uses geographic information systems 
technology and algorithms to integrate selection 
criteria; and 
(F) will result in achieving the goals of 
stewardship site selection at the lowest cost. 
(8) THREAT.—The term ‘‘threat’’ means a 
threat that is likely to destroy or seriously degrade 
a conservation target or a recreation area.
SEC. 4. LONG ISLAND SOUND STEWARDSHIP INITIATIVE 
REGION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 
States the Long Island Sound Stewardship Initiative Re-
gion. 
(b) BOUNDARIES.—The Region shall encompass the 
immediate coastal upland and underwater areas along 
Long Island Sound, including those portions of the Sound 
with coastally influenced vegetation, as described on the 
map entitled the ‘‘Long Island Sound Stewardship Re-
gion’’ and dated April 21, 2004, as well as the Peconic 
Estuary as described on the map entitled ‘‘Peconic Estu-
ary Program Study Area Boundaries’’ included in the 
Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for 
the Peconic Estuary Program and dated November 15, 
2001. 
SEC. 5. LONG ISLAND SOUND STEWARDSHIP ADVISORY 
COMMITTEE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a com-
mittee to be known as the ‘‘Long Island Sound Steward-
ship Advisory Committee’’. 
(b) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson of the Com-
mittee shall be the Director of the Long Island Sound Of-
fice of the Environmental Protection Agency, or a designee 
of the Director. 
(c) MEMBERSHIP.—
(1) COMPOSITION.— 
(A) APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—The Chairperson 
shall appoint the members of the Com-
mittee in accordance with this subsection 
and section 320(c) of the Federal Water 
Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1330(c)). 
(ii) ADDITIONAL MEMBERS.—In addi-
tion to the requirements described in 
clause (i), the Committee shall include— 
(I) a representative from the Re-
gional Plan Association; 
(II) a representative of the ma-
rine trade organizations; and 
(III) a representative of private 
landowner interests. 
(B) 
REPRESENTATION.—In 
appointing 
members to the Committee, the Chairperson 
shall consider— 
(i) Federal, State, and local govern-
ment interests; 
(ii) the interests of nongovernmental 
organizations; 
(iii) academic interests; and 
(iv) private interests.
(2) DATE OF APPOINTMENTS.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
appointment of all members of the Committee shall 
be made. 
(d) TERM; VACANCIES.— 
(1) TERM.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—A member shall be ap-
pointed for a term of 4 years. 
(B) MULTIPLE TERMS.—A person may be 
appointed as a member of the Committee for 
more than 1 term. 
(2) VACANCIES.—A vacancy on the Committee 
shall— 
(A) be filled not later than 90 days after 
the vacancy occurs; 
(B) not affect the powers of the Com-
mittee; and 
(C) be filled in the same manner as the 
original appointment was made. 
(3) STAFF.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Chairperson of the 
Committee may appoint and terminate per-
sonnel as necessary to enable the Committee to 
perform the duties of the Committee.
(B) PERSONNEL
AS
FEDERAL
EMPLOY-
EES.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—Any personnel of 
the Committee who are employees of the 
Committee shall be employees under sec-
tion 2105 of title 5, United States Code, 
for purposes of chapters 63, 81, 83, 84, 
85, 87, 89, and 90 of that title. 
(ii) 
MEMBERS
OF
COMMITTEE.— 
Clause (i) does not apply to members of 
the Committee. 
(e) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date on which all members of the Committee have been 
appointed, the Committee shall hold the initial meeting of 
the Committee. 
(f) MEETINGS.—The Committee shall meet at the 
call of the Chairperson, but no fewer than 4 times each 
year. 
(g) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of the 
Committee shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number 
of members may hold hearings. 
SEC. 6. DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEE. 
The Committee shall— 
(1) consistent with the guidelines described in 
section 8—
(A) evaluate applications from government 
or nonprofit organizations qualified to hold con-
servation easements for funds to purchase land 
or development rights for stewardship sites; 
(B) evaluate applications to develop and 
implement 
management 
plans 
to 
address 
threats; 
(C) evaluate applications to act on oppor-
tunities to protect and enhance stewardship 
sites; and 
(D) recommend that the Administrator 
award grants to qualified applicants; 
(2) recommend guidelines, criteria, schedules, 
and due dates for evaluating information to identify 
stewardship sites; 
(3) publish a list of sites that further the pur-
poses of this Act if owners of sites are— 
(A) notified prior to the publication of the 
list; and 
(B) allowed to decline inclusion on the list; 
(4) raise awareness of the values of and threats 
to these sites; and 
(5) leverage additional resources for improved 
stewardship of the Region.
SEC. 7. POWERS OF THE COMMITTEE. 
(a) HEARINGS.—The Committee may hold such hear-
ings, meet and act at such times and places, take such 
testimony, and receive such evidence as the Committee 
considers advisable to carry out this Act. 
(b) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Committee may secure 
directly from a Federal agency such information as 
the Committee considers necessary to carry out this 
Act. 
(2) PROVISION OF INFORMATION.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (C), on request of the Chairperson of the 
Committee, the head of a Federal agency shall 
provide the information requested by the Chair-
person to the Committee. 
(B) ADMINISTRATION.—The furnishing of 
information by a Federal agency to the Com-
mittee shall not be considered a waiver of any 
exemption available to the agency under section 
552 of title 5, United States Code. 
(C) INFORMATION TO BE KEPT CONFIDEN-
TIAL.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—For purposes of 
section 1905 of title 18, United States 
Code—
(I) the Committee shall be con-
sidered an agency of the Federal Gov-
ernment; and 
(II) any individual employed by 
an individual, entity, or organization 
that is a party to a contract with the 
Committee under this Act shall be 
considered an employee of the Com-
mittee. 
(ii) PROHIBITION ON DISCLOSURE.— 
Information obtained by the Committee, 
other than information that is available to 
the public, shall not be disclosed to any 
person in any manner except to an em-
ployee of the Committee as described in 
clause (i) for the purpose of receiving, re-
viewing, or processing the information. 
(c) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Committee may use the 
United States mails in the same manner and under the 
same conditions as other agencies of the Federal Govern-
ment. 
(d) DONATIONS.—The Committee may accept, use, 
and dispose of donations of services or property that ad-
vance the goals of the Long Island Sound Stewardship Ini-
tiative.
SEC. 8. STEWARDSHIP SITES. 
(a) INITIAL SITES.— 
(1) IDENTIFICATION.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Committee shall 
identify 20 initial Long Island Sound steward-
ship sites that the Committee has determined— 
(i)(I) 
are 
natural 
resource-based 
recreation areas; or 
(II) are exemplary natural areas with 
ecological value; and 
(ii) best promote the purposes of this 
Act. 
(B) EXEMPTION.—Sites described in sub-
paragraph (A) are not subject to the site identi-
fication process described in subsection (d). 
(2) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS FOR 
INITIAL
SITES.—In identifying initial sites under 
paragraph (1), the Committee shall exert due dili-
gence to recommend an equitable distribution of 
funds between the States for the initial sites. 
(b) APPLICATION FOR IDENTIFICATION AS A STEW-
ARDSHIP SITE.—Subsequent to the identification of the 
initial stewardship sites under subsection (a), owners of 
sites may submit applications to the Committee in accord-
ance with subsection (c) to have the sites identified as 
stewardship sites.
(c) IDENTIFICATION.—The Committee shall review 
applications submitted by owners of potential stewardship 
sites to determine whether the sites should be identified 
as exhibiting values consistent with the purposes of this 
Act. 
(d) SITE IDENTIFICATION PROCESS.— 
(1) NATURAL
RESOURCE-BASED
RECREATION 
AREAS.—The Committee shall identify additional 
recreation areas with potential as stewardship sites 
using a selection technique that includes— 
(A) public access; 
(B) community support; 
(C) areas with high population density; 
(D) environmental justice (as defined in 
section 385.3 of title 33, Code of Federal Regu-
lations (or successor regulations)); 
(E) connectivity to existing protected areas 
and open spaces; 
(F) cultural, historic, and scenic areas; and 
(G) other criteria developed by the Com-
mittee. 
(2) 
NATURAL
AREAS
WITH
ECOLOGICAL 
VALUE.—The Committee shall identify additional 
natural areas with ecological value and potential as 
stewardship sites—
(A) based on measurable conservation tar-
gets for the Region; and 
(B) following a process for prioritizing new 
sites using systematic site selection, which shall 
include— 
(i) ecological uniqueness; 
(ii) species viability; 
(iii) habitat heterogeneity; 
(iv) size; 
(v) quality; 
(vi) connectivity to existing protected 
areas and open spaces; 
(vii) land cover; 
(viii) scientific, research, or edu-
cational value; 
(ix) threats; and 
(x) other criteria developed by the 
Committee. 
(3) PUBLICATION OF LIST.—After completion 
of the site identification process, the Committee 
shall— 
(A) publish in the Federal Register a list 
of sites that further the purposes of this Act; 
and
(B) prior to publication of the list, provide 
to owners of the sites to be published— 
(i) a notification of publication; and 
(ii) an opportunity to decline inclusion 
of the site of the owner on the list. 
(4) DEVIATION FROM PROCESS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Committee may 
identify as a potential stewardship site, a site 
that does not meet the criteria in paragraph (1) 
or (2), or reject a site selected under paragraph 
(1) or (2), if the Committee— 
(i) selects a site that makes signifi-
cant ecological or recreational contribu-
tions to the Region; 
(ii) publishes the reasons that the 
Committee decided to deviate from the sys-
tematic site selection process; and 
(iii) before identifying or rejecting the 
potential stewardship site, provides to the 
owners of the site the notification of publi-
cation, and the opportunity under para-
graph (3)(B) to decline inclusion of the 
site on the list published under paragraph 
(3)(A).
(5) PUBLIC COMMENT.—In identifying potential 
stewardship sites, the Committee shall consider pub-
lic comments. 
(e) GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR MANAGEMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Committee shall use an 
adaptive management framework to identify the best 
policy initiatives and actions through— 
(A) definition of strategic goals; 
(B) definition of policy options for methods 
to achieve strategic goals; 
(C) establishment of measures of success; 
(D) identification of uncertainties; 
(E) development of informative models of 
policy implementation; 
(F) separation of the landscape into geo-
graphic units; 
(G) monitoring key responses at different 
spatial and temporal scales; and 
(H) evaluation of outcomes and incorpora-
tion into management strategies. 
(2) APPLICATION OF ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT 
FRAMEWORK.—The Committee shall apply the 
adaptive management framework to the process for 
updating the list of recommended stewardship sites.
SEC. 9. REPORTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For each of fiscal years 2006 
through 2013, the Committee shall submit to the Adminis-
trator an annual report that contains— 
(1) a detailed statement of the findings and 
conclusions of the Committee since the last report; 
(2) a description of all sites recommended by 
the Committee to be approved as stewardship sites; 
(3) the recommendations of the Committee for 
such legislation and administrative actions as the 
Committee considers appropriate; and 
(4) in accordance with subsection (b), the rec-
ommendations of the Committee for the awarding of 
grants. 
(b) GENERAL
GUIDELINES
FOR
RECOMMENDA-
TIONS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Committee shall rec-
ommend that the Administrator award grants to 
qualified applicants to help to secure and improve 
the open space, public access, or ecological values of 
stewardship sites, through— 
(A) purchase of the property of the site; 
(B) purchase of relevant property rights of 
the site; or 
(C) entering into any other binding legal 
arrangement that ensures that the values of the