I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 368 
To authorize the acquisition of land and interests in land from willing sellers 
to improve the conservation of, and to enhance the ecological values 
and functions of, coastal and estuarine areas to benefit both the environ-
ment and the economies of coastal communities, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 9, 2009 
Mrs. CAPPS (for herself, Mr. FARR, and Ms. BORDALLO) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To authorize the acquisition of land and interests in land 
from willing sellers to improve the conservation of, and 
to enhance the ecological values and functions of, coastal 
and estuarine areas to benefit both the environment and 
the economies of coastal communities, and for other pur-
poses. 
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 ‘‘Coastal and Estuarine 
Land Conservation Program Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF COASTAL AND ESTUARINE 
LAND CONSERVATION PROGRAM. 
The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 
U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 
307 the following new section: 
‘‘AUTHORIZATION OF THE COASTAL AND ESTUARINE 
LAND CONSERVATION PROGRAM 
‘‘SEC. 307A. (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may 
conduct a Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Pro-
gram, in cooperation with appropriate State, regional, and 
other units of government, for the purposes of protecting 
important coastal and estuarine areas that have signifi-
cant conservation, recreation, ecological, historical, or aes-
thetic values, or that are threatened by conversion from 
their natural, undeveloped, or recreational state to other 
uses or could be managed or restored to effectively con-
serve, enhance, or restore ecological function. The pro-
gram shall be administered by the National Ocean Service 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
through the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Man-
agement. 
‘‘(b) PROPERTY ACQUISITION GRANTS.—The Sec-
retary shall make grants under the program to coastal 
states with approved coastal zone management plans or 
National Estuarine Research Reserve units for the pur-
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pose of acquiring property or interests in property de-
scribed in subsection (a) that will further the goals of— 
‘‘(1) a Coastal Zone Management Plan or Pro-
gram approved under this title; 
‘‘(2) a National Estuarine Research Reserve 
management plan; 
‘‘(3) a regional or State watershed protection or 
management plan involving coastal states with ap-
proved coastal zone management programs; or 
‘‘(4) a State coastal land acquisition plan that 
is consistent with an approved coastal zone manage-
ment program. 
‘‘(c) GRANT PROCESS.—The Secretary shall allocate 
funds to coastal states or National Estuarine Research 
Reserves under this section through a competitive grant 
process in accordance with guidelines that meet the fol-
lowing requirements: 
‘‘(1) The Secretary shall consult with the coast-
al state’s coastal zone management program, any 
National Estuarine Research Reserve in that State, 
and the lead agency designated by the Governor for 
coordinating the implementation of this section (if 
different from the coastal zone management pro-
gram). 
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