I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4284 
To prohibit commercial offshore wind energy development in Lobster 
Management Area 1 in the Gulf of Maine, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 22, 2023 
Mr. GOLDEN of Maine introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To prohibit commercial offshore wind energy development 
in Lobster Management Area 1 in the Gulf of Maine, 
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 ‘‘Northeast Fisheries 
Heritage Protection Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON COMMERCIAL OFFSHORE WIND 
ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN LOBSTER MAN-
AGEMENT AREA 1. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The New England fishing industry has been 
an integral part of the history, culture, and economy 
of the region for over 400 years. 
(2) In 2021, New England commercial fisheries 
landed an estimated 501,143,142 pounds of catch, 
valued at $1,968,086,375, which supports thousands 
of fishermen, their families, and communities that 
depend on these ocean resources. 
(3) The United States lobster fishery, with 
Maine and Massachusetts producing 93 percent of 
the lobster harvest, is one of the most valuable fish-
eries in the country with commercial landings total-
ing 134,700,000 pounds valued at $925,000,000. 
(4) Lobster Management Area 1 in the Gulf of 
Maine is a critical and highly productive fishing 
ground for halibut, tuna, flounder, redfish, black sea 
bass, monkfish, mackerel, rock and sand crab, mus-
sels, hardshell and softshell clams, oysters, scallops, 
conchs, squid, and lobster. 
(5) The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 
recently published ‘‘Commercial Leasing for Wind 
Power Development on the Gulf of Maine Outer 
Continental Shelf (OCS)–Call for Information and 
Nominations’’ (88 Fed. Reg. 25427; published April 
26, 2023), which invites public comment on potential 
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commercial wind energy development in the Gulf of 
Maine. 
(6) The Call identifies approximately 9,800,000 
million acres to site potential commercial offshore 
wind projects in the Gulf of Maine, including Lob-
ster Management Areas 1 and 3 and other areas 
that are closed to fishing either permanently or sea-
sonally in an effort to protect the endangered North 
Atlantic right whale. 
(7) Siting offshore wind development outside of 
Lobster Management Area 1 would avoid conflict 
with the New England commercial and recreational 
fishing industries and preserve a vital fishing ground 
for future generations. 
(b) PROHIBITION ON COMMERCIAL OFFSHORE WIND 
DEVELOPMENT IN LOBSTER MANAGEMENT AREA 1.— 
Notwithstanding section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf 
Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337), no lease, license, permit, or 
other authorization may be issued for the development of 
commercial offshore wind energy in Lobster Management 
Area 1. 
(c) GULF OF MAINE OFFSHORE WIND PROJECT EN-
VIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS STUDY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
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Comptroller General shall conduct a study to assess 
the sufficiency of the environmental review processes 
of the national Marine Fisheries Service, the Bureau 
of Ocean Energy Management, and any other rel-
evant Federal agency for offshore wind projects in 
the Gulf of Maine in place as of the date of enact-
ment of this section. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The study required under 
paragraph (1) shall include consideration of the fol-
lowing: 
(A) The impacts of offshore wind projects 
in the Gulf of Maine on— 
(i) 
marine 
mammals, 
including 
whales; 
(ii) finfish; 
(iii) benthic resources; 
(iv) the commercial and recreational 
fishing industries, including marine equip-
ment retailers, onshore processors, fish 
markets, and other shoreside businesses; 
(v) air quality and greenhouse gas 
emissions; 
(vi) cultural, historical, and Tribal re-
sources; 
(vii) marine invertebrates; 
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(viii) essential fish habitat (as that 
term is defined in section 3 of the Magnu-
son-Stevens 
Fishery 
Conservation 
and 
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1802)); 
(ix) plankton abundance and distribu-
tion; 
(x) recreation and tourism; and 
(xi) fisheries-dependent communities. 
(B) How each agency described in para-
graph (1) determines which stakeholders to con-
sult with regard to offshore wind projects in the 
Gulf of Maine and if a timely, comprehensive 
comment period is provided for local representa-
tives and interested parties with regard to such 
offshore wind projects. 
(d) LOBSTER MANAGEMENT AREA 1 DEFINED.—In 
this section, the term ‘‘Lobster Management Area 1’’ has 
the meaning given the term ‘‘EEZ Nearshore Manage-
ment Area 1’’ in section 697.18 of title 50, Code of Fed-
eral Regulations (or a successor regulation). 
Æ 
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