SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
(1) an effective means of conserving and recov-
ering Federal trust species and promoting self-sus-
taining populations of those species is to protect, 
conserve, restore, and enhance the habitats of the 
species; 
(2) coastal ecosystems are highly dynamic areas 
that provide valuable breeding, nursery, staging, and 
resting areas for a rich diversity of fish, shellfish, 
migratory birds, and mammals; 
(3) coastal areas support 40 percent of the ref-
uges within the National Wildlife Refuge System, 40 
percent of the endangered and threatened species 
(including 75 percent of the listed mammals and 
birds), and 50 percent of the fisheries conservation 
activities of the Service; 
(4) although coastal counties make up only 17 
percent of total contiguous United States land area, 
coastal areas are home to more than 53 percent of 
the human population of the United States, which is 
placing enormous pressure on coastal ecosystems; 
(5) during the 2 decades after the date of en-
actment of this Act, human populations in coastal 
areas are projected to increase by approximately 25 
percent, along with associated development and ac-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
04:27 May 20, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5344.IH
H5344
rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
tivities that threaten the health of coastal eco-
systems; 
(6) because coastal deterioration can cause 
fragmentation and landward migration of coastal 
ecosystems as well as create new habitats along 
shorelines, it has become necessary to incorporate 
adaptation assistance into coastal ecosystem man-
agement strategies; 
(7) in addition to value as fish and wildlife 
habitat, coastal ecosystems— 
(A) serve as an important source of food; 
(B) protect coastal communities against 
floods; 
(C) filter polluted runoff; and 
(D) provide valuable commercial and rec-
reational benefits to coastal communities and 
the United States; 
(8)(A) fish and wildlife conservation is a re-
sponsibility shared by citizens and government; and 
(B) public-private partnerships should be sup-
ported through technical and financial assistance to 
conduct assessment, protection, planning, restora-
tion, and enhancement of coastal ecosystems; 
(9) successful fish and wildlife conservation in-
creasingly relies on interdependent partnerships in 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
04:27 May 20, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5344.IH
H5344
rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
which priority setting, planning, and conservation 
delivery are collaborative endeavors; 
(10) since 1985, the Service has administered a 
coastal program through which the Service has 
worked with willing partners to assess, protect, plan, 
restore, and enhance coastal ecosystems, including 
coastal wetland and watersheds, upland, and ripar-
ian and in-stream habitats, that provide significant 
benefits to Federal trust species; 
(11) through that coastal program, the Service 
provides strategic conservation planning and design 
at the regional and landscape scales, and integrates 
the resources of the Service to address priorities 
identified by partners; and 
(12) the coastal program of the Service com-
plements and enhances the National Coastal Wet-
lands Conservation Grant Program under section 
305 of the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 
and Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 3954), which pro-
vides matching grants to coastal States to support 
long-term conservation of coastal wetland and asso-
ciated habitats. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to legisla-
tively authorize the coastal program of the Service in ef-
fect as of the date of enactment of this Act to conduct 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
04:27 May 20, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5344.IH
H5344
rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
collaborative, long-term, landscape-level planning and on- 
the-ground habitat protection, restoration, and enhance-
ment projects in priority coastal areas to conserve and re-
cover Federal trust species. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COASTAL AREA.—The term ‘‘coastal area’’ 
includes— 
(A) a coastal wetland or watershed; 
(B) coastal water; 
(C) a coastline; and 
(D) an estuary and associated upland. 
(2) COASTAL ECOSYSTEM.—The term ‘‘coastal 
ecosystem’’ means an ecological community that pro-
vides fish and wildlife habitat in coastal areas. 
(3) 
COASTAL
HABITAT
ASSESSMENT.—The 
term ‘‘coastal habitat assessment’’ means the proc-
ess of evaluating the physical, chemical, and biologi-
cal function of a coastal site to determine the value 
of the site to fish and wildlife. 
(4) COASTAL
HABITAT
ENHANCEMENT.—The 
term ‘‘coastal habitat enhancement’’ means the ma-
nipulation of the physical, chemical, or biological 
characteristics of a coastal ecosystem to increase or 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
04:27 May 20, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5344.IH
H5344
rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
decrease specific biological functions that make the 
ecosystem valuable to fish and wildlife. 
(5) COASTAL HABITAT PLANNING.—The term 
‘‘coastal habitat planning’’ means the process of de-
veloping a comprehensive plan that— 
(A) characterizes a coastal ecosystem; 
(B) sets long-term protection, restoration, 
or enhancement goals; 
(C) describes conservation strategies and 
methodologies; 
(D) establishes a timetable for implementa-
tion of the plan; and 
(E) identifies roles of sponsors and partici-
pants. 
(6) COASTAL HABITAT PROTECTION.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘coastal 
habitat protection’’ means a long-term action to 
safeguard habitats of importance to fish and 
wildlife species in a coastal ecosystem. 
(B) INCLUSION.—The term ‘‘coastal habi-
tat protection’’ includes activities to support es-
tablishment of conservation easements or fee- 
title acquisition by Federal and non-Federal 
partners. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
04:27 May 20, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5344.IH
H5344
rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS