I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 223 
To expand the boundaries of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine 
Sanctuary and the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 6, 2009 
Ms. WOOLSEY (for herself and Mr. THOMPSON of California) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To expand the boundaries of the Gulf of the Farallones 
National Marine Sanctuary and the Cordell Bank Na-
tional Marine Sanctuary, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Gulf of the Farallones 
and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Boundary 
Modification and Protection Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The Gulf of the Farallones extends approxi-
mately 100 miles along the coast of Marin and 
Sonoma Counties of northern California. It includes 
approximately 
one-half 
of 
California’s 
nesting 
seabirds, rich benthic marine life on hard-rock sub-
strate, prolific fisheries, and substantial concentra-
tions of resident and seasonally migratory marine 
mammals. 
(2) Cordell Bank is adjacent to the Gulf of the 
Farallones and is a submerged island with spectac-
ular, unique, and nationally significant marine envi-
ronments. 
(3) These marine environments have national 
and international significance, exceed the biological 
productivity of tropical rain forests, and support 
high levels of biological diversity. 
(4) These biological communities are easily sus-
ceptible to damage from human activities, and must 
be properly conserved for themselves and to protect 
the economic viability of their contribution to na-
tional and regional economies. 
(5) The Gulf of Farallones and the Cordell 
Bank include some of the United States richest fish-
ing grounds and support important commercial and 
recreational fisheries. These fisheries are regulated 
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(b) PURPOSE.—The purposes of this Act are the fol-
lowing: 
(1) To extend the boundaries of the Gulf of the 
Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and the 
Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary as de-
scribed in section 5. 
(2) To strengthen the protections that apply in 
the Sanctuaries. 
(3) To provide for the education and interpreta-
tion for the public of the ecological value and na-
tional importance of the Sanctuaries. 
(4) To manage human uses of the Sanctuaries 
under this Act and the National Marine Sanctuaries 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.). 
(c) EFFECT ON FISHING ACTIVITIES.—Nothing in 
this Act is intended to alter any existing authorities re-
garding the conduct and location of fishing activities in 
the Sanctuaries. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CORDELL BANK NMS.—The term ‘‘Cordell 
Bank NMS’’ means the Cordell Bank National Ma-
rine Sanctuary. 
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(2) FARALLONES NMS.—The term ‘‘Farallones 
NMS’’ means the Gulf of the Farallones National 
Marine Sanctuary. 
(3) SANCTUARIES.—The term ‘‘Sanctuaries’’ 
means the Farallones NMS and the Cordell Bank 
NMS. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Commerce. 
SEC. 5. NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY BOUNDARY AD-
JUSTMENTS. 
(a) GULF OF THE FARALLONES.— 
(1) BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT.—The areas de-
scribed in paragraph (2) are added to the Farallones 
NMS described in part 922.80 of title 15, Code of 
Federal Regulations, as in effect on the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
(2) AREAS INCLUDED.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The areas referred to 
in paragraph (1) are the following: 
(i) All submerged lands and waters, 
including living marine and other resources 
within and on those lands and waters, 
from the mean high water line to the 
boundary described in subparagraph (B). 
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(ii) The submerged lands and waters, 
including living marine and other resources 
within those waters, within the approxi-
mately two-square-nautical-mile portion of 
the Cordell Bank NMS (as in effect imme-
diately before the enactment of this Act) 
that is located south of the area that is 
added to Cordell Bank NMS by subsection 
(b)(2), which are transferred to the 
Farallones NMS from the Cordell Bank 
NMS. 
(B) BOUNDARY DESCRIBED.—The bound-
ary referred to in subparagraph (A)(i) com-
mences from the mean high water line (referred 
to in this subparagraph as the ‘‘MHWL’’) at 
39.00000 degrees north in a westward direction 
approximately 29 nautical miles (referred to in 
this subparagraph as ‘‘nm’’) to 39.00000 north, 
124.33333 west. The boundary then extends in 
a southeasterly direction to 38.30000 degrees 
north, 124.00000 degrees west, approximately 
44 nm westward of Bodega Head. The bound-
ary then extends eastward to the most north-
eastern corner of the expanded Cordell Bank 
NMS at 38.30000 north, 123.20000 degrees 
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west, approximately 6 nm miles westward of 
Bodega Head. The boundary then extends in a 
southeasterly direction to 38.26390 degrees 
north, 123.18138 degrees west at the north-
western most point of the current Gulf of the 
Farallones Boundary. The boundary then fol-
lows 
the 
current 
northern 
Gulf 
of 
the 
Farallones NMS boundary in a northeasterly 
direction to the MHWL near Bodega Head. 
The boundary then follows the MHWL in a 
northeasterly direction to the commencement 
point at the intersection of the MHWL and 
39.00000 north. Coordinates listed in this sub-
paragraph are based on the North American 
Datum 1983 and the geographic projection. 
(b) CORDELL BANK.— 
(1) BOUNDARY
ADJUSTMENT.—The area de-
scribed in paragraph (2) is added to the existing 
Cordell Bank NMS described in part 922.80 of title 
15, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
(2) AREA INCLUDED.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The area referred to in 
paragraph (1) consists of all submerged lands 
and waters, including living marine and other 
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resources within those waters, within the 
boundary described in subparagraph (B). 
(B) BOUNDARY.—The boundary referred 
to in subparagraph (A) commences at the most 
northeastern point of the Cordell Bank NMS 
boundary (as in effect immediately before the 
enactment of this Act) at 38.26390 degrees 
north, 123.18138 degrees west and extends 
northwestward to 38.30000 degrees north, 
123.20000 degrees west, approximately 6 nau-
tical miles (referred to in this subparagraph as 
‘‘nm’’) west of Bodega Head. The boundary 
then extends westward to 38.30000 degrees 
north, 124.00000 degrees west, approximately 
44 nautical miles west of Bodega Head. The 
boundary then turns southeastward and con-
tinues approximately 34 nautical miles to 
37.76687 degrees north, 123.75142 degrees 
west, and then approximately 15 nm eastward 
to 37.76687 north, 123.42694 west at an inter-
section with the current Cordell Bank NMS 
boundary. The boundary then follows the cur-
rent Cordell Bank NMS, which is coterminous 
with the current Gulf of the Farallones bound-
ary, in a northeasterly and the northwesterly di-
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rection to its commencement point at 38.26390 
degrees north, 123.18138 degrees west. Coordi-
nates listed in this subparagraph are based on 
NAD83 Datum and the geographic projection. 
(c) INCLUSION IN THE SYSTEM.—The areas included 
in the Sanctuaries under subsections (a) and (b) shall be 
managed as part of the National Marine Sanctuary Sys-
tem, established by section 301(c) of the National Marine 
Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1431(c)), in accordance with 
that Act. 
(d) UPDATED
NOAA CHARTS.—The Secretary 
shall— 
(1) produce updated National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration nautical charts for the 
areas in which the Sanctuaries are located, as modi-
fied by subsections (a) and (b); and 
(2) include on those nautical charts the bound-
aries of the Sanctuaries, as so modified. 
(e) BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS.—In producing re-
vised nautical charts required by subsection (d) and in de-
scribing the boundaries in regulations issued by the Sec-
retary, the Secretary may make technical modifications to 
the boundaries described in this section for clarity and 
ease of identification, as appropriate. 
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SEC. 6. PROHIBITION OF OIL AND GAS LEASING AND PER-
MITTING. 
No lease or permit may be issued that authorizes ex-
ploration, development, production, or transporting by 
pipeline of minerals or hydrocarbons within the boundaries 
of the Sanctuaries, as modified by subsections (a) and (b) 
of section 5. 
SEC. 7. MANAGEMENT PLANS AND REGULATIONS. 
(a) DRAFT PLANS.—Not later than 24 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
complete a draft supplemental management plan for each 
of the Sanctuaries, as modified by subsections (a) and (b) 
of section 5, that— 
(1) focuses on management of the areas of the 
Sanctuaries described in such subsections (a) and 
(b); and 
(2) does not weaken the resource protections in 
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act for 
the Sanctuaries. 
(b) REVISED PLANS.— 
(1) REQUIREMENT TO REVISE.—The Secretary 
shall issue a revised management plan for each of 
the Sanctuaries at the conclusion of the first man-
agement review for the Sanctuaries initiated after 
the date of the enactment of this Act under section 
304(e) of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 
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U.S.C. 1434(e)) and issue such final regulations as 
may be necessary to implement such plans. 
(2) CONTENTS
OF
PLANS.—Revisions to the 
management plan for each of the Sanctuaries under 
this section shall, in addition to matters required 
under section 304(a)(2) of the National Marine 
Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1434(a)(2))— 
(A) facilitate all appropriate public and 
private uses of the national marine sanctuary to 
which each respective plan applies consistent 
with the primary objective of sanctuary re-
source protection; 
(B) establish temporal and geographical 
zoning if necessary to ensure protection of the 
resources of each of the Sanctuaries; 
(C) identify priority needs for research— 
(i) to improve management of the 
Sanctuaries; or 
(ii) to diminish threats to the health 
of the ecosystems in the Sanctuaries; 
(D) establish a long-term ecological moni-
toring program and database, including the de-
velopment and implementation of a resource in-
formation system to disseminate information on 
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the ecosystem, history, culture, and manage-
ment of the Sanctuaries; 
(E) identify alternative sources of funding 
needed to fully implement the provisions of each 
such plan to supplement appropriations made to 
carry out the National Marine Sanctuaries Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.); 
(F) ensure coordination and cooperation 
between the superintendents of each of the 
Sanctuaries and other Federal, State, and local 
authorities with jurisdiction over areas within 
or adjacent to one of the Sanctuaries to manage 
issues affecting the Sanctuaries, including sur-
face water runoff, stream and river drainages, 
and navigation; 
(G) in the case of revisions to such plan 
for the Farallones NMS, promote cooperation 
with farmers and ranchers operating in the wa-
tersheds adjacent to the Farallones NMS and 
establish voluntary best management practices 
programs; 
(H) promote cooperative and educational 
programs with fishing vessel operators and 
crews operating in the waters of the Sanc-
tuaries, and, whenever possible, include individ-
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uals who engage in fishing and their vessels in 
cooperative research, assessment, and moni-
toring programs and educational programs to 
promote sustainable fisheries, conservation of 
resources, and navigational safety; and 
(I) promote education and public aware-
ness, among users of the Sanctuaries, about the 
need for marine resource conservation and safe 
navigation and marine transportation. 
(c) APPLICATION OF EXISTING REGULATIONS.—The 
regulations for Farallones NMS in subpart H of part 922 
of title 15, Code of Federal Regulations (or any cor-
responding similar regulation) or of the Cordell Bank 
NMS in subpart K of such part 922 (or any corresponding 
similar regulation), including any regulations issued as a 
result of a joint management plan review for the Sanc-
tuaries conducted pursuant to section 304(e) of the Na-
tional Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1434(e)), shall 
apply to the areas added to each Sanctuary, respectively, 
under subsection (a) or (b) of section 5 until the Secretary 
modifies such regulations in accordance with subsection 
(d) of this section. 
(d) REVISED REGULATIONS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 24 months 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall— 
(A) carry out an assessment of necessary 
revisions to the regulations for the Sanctuaries 
to ensure the protection of the resources of the 
Sanctuaries in a manner that is consistent with 
the purposes and policies of the National Ma-
rine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.) 
and the goals and objectives for the areas added 
to either of the Sanctuaries under subsection 
(a) or (b) of section 5; and 
(B) issue final regulations for the Sanc-
tuaries that include any revisions identified in 
the assessment carried out under subparagraph 
(A). 
(2) REGULATION OF SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES.—In 
carrying out the assessment required by paragraph 
(1)(A), the Secretary shall consider appropriate reg-
ulations for— 
(A) the deposit or release of introduced 
species into the Sanctuaries; and 
(B) the alteration of stream and river 
drainage into the Sanctuaries. 
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(3) CONSIDERATIONS.—In carrying out the as-
sessment required by paragraph (1)(A), the Sec-
retary shall consider exempting from further regula-
tion under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act or 
this Act discharges that are permitted under a Na-
tional Pollution Discharge Elimination System per-
mit that is in effect on the date of enactment of this 
Act, or under a new or renewed National Pollution 
Discharge Elimination System permit if such per-
mit— 
(A) does not increase pollution in the 
Sanctuaries; and 
(B) that originates— 
(i) in the Russian River Watershed 
outside the boundaries of the Gulf of the 
Farallones National Marine Sanctuary; or 
(ii) from the Bodega Marine Labora-
tory. 
(e) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.—The Secretary shall 
provide for the participation of the general public in the 
review and revision of the management plans for the Sanc-
tuaries and relevant regulations under this section. 
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary to carry out this Act— 
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(1) $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 
through 2014, for activities other than construction 
and acquisition activities; and 
(2) $3,500,000 for fiscal year 2010 and such 
sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 
2011 through 2014 for construction and acquisition 
activities. 
Æ 
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