and assessment of a specific environmental 
problem in the Chesapeake Bay watershed or a 
goal of the Chesapeake Bay Program, or pro-
tect or restore living resources of the Chesa-
peake Bay watershed, including projects that— 
‘‘(i) provide classroom education, in-
cluding the development and use of dis-
tance learning and other innovative tech-
nologies, related to the Chesapeake Bay 
watershed; 
‘‘(ii) provide watershed educational 
experiences in the Chesapeake Bay water-
shed; 
‘‘(iii) provide professional development 
for teachers related to the Chesapeake Bay 
watershed and the dissemination of perti-
nent education materials oriented to vary-
ing grade levels; 
‘‘(iv) demonstrate or disseminate envi-
ronmental educational tools and materials 
related to the Chesapeake Bay watershed; 
‘‘(v) demonstrate field methods, prac-
tices, and techniques including assessment 
of environmental and ecological conditions 
and analysis of environmental problems;
‘‘(vi) build the capacity of organiza-
tions to deliver high quality environmental 
education programs; and 
‘‘(vii) educate local land use officials 
and decision makers on the relationship of 
land use to natural resource and watershed 
protection. 
‘‘(C) COLLABORATION.—The Director shall 
implement the education and training program 
in collaboration with the heads of other relevant 
Federal agencies. 
‘‘(6) COASTAL AND LIVING RESOURCES MAN-
AGEMENT AND HABITAT PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator, 
through the Director, may establish a Chesa-
peake Bay coastal living resources management 
and habitat program to support coordinated 
management, protection, characterization, and 
restoration of priority Chesapeake Bay habitats 
and living resources, including oysters, blue 
crabs, and submerged aquatic vegetation. 
‘‘(B) ACTIVITIES.—Under the program, 
the Director may, subject to the availability of 
appropriations, carry out or enter into grants,
contracts, and cooperative agreements and pro-
vide technical assistance to support— 
‘‘(i) native oyster restoration; 
‘‘(ii) fish and shellfish aquaculture 
that is carried out in accordance with a 
valid Federal or State permit; 
‘‘(iii) establishment of submerged 
aquatic vegetation propagation programs; 
‘‘(iv) the development of programs 
that protect and restore critical coastal 
habitats; 
‘‘(v) habitat mapping, characteriza-
tion, and assessment techniques necessary 
to identify, assess, and monitor restoration 
actions; 
‘‘(vi) application and transfer of ap-
plied scientific research and ecosystem 
management tools to fisheries and habitat 
managers; 
‘‘(vii) collection, synthesis, and shar-
ing of information to inform and influence 
coastal and living resource management 
issues; and
‘‘(viii) other activities that the Direc-
tor determines are appropriate to carry out 
the purposes of such program. 
‘‘(d) REPORTS.— 
‘‘(1) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
Administrator, 
through the Director, shall submit a biennial report 
to the Congress and the Secretary of Commerce on 
the activities of the Office and on progress made in 
protecting and restoring the living resources and 
habitat of the Chesapeake Bay. 
‘‘(2) ACTION PLAN.—Each such report shall in-
clude an action plan for the 2-year period following 
submission of the report, consisting of— 
‘‘(A) a list of recommended research, moni-
toring, and data collection activities necessary 
to continue implementation of the strategy 
under subsection (b)(2); and 
‘‘(B) recommendations to integrate Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
activities with the activities of the partners in 
the Chesapeake Bay Program to meet the com-
mitments of the Chesapeake 2000 agreement 
and subsequent agreements. 
‘‘(e) AGREEMENTS.—
‘‘(1) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
Administrator, 
through the Director, may, subject to the availability 
of appropriations, enter into and perform such con-
tracts, leases, grants, or cooperative agreements as 
may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
Act. 
‘‘(2) USE
OF
OTHER
RESOURCES.—For pur-
poses related to the understanding, protection, and 
restoration of Chesapeake Bay, the Director may 
use, with their consent and with or without reim-
bursement, the land, services, equipment, personnel, 
and facilities of any Department, agency, or instru-
mentality of the United States, or of any State, local 
government, Indian tribal government, or of any po-
litical subdivision thereof. 
‘‘(3) DONATIONS.—The Director may accept 
donations of funds, other property, and services for 
use in understanding, protecting, and restoring the 
Chesapeake Bay. Donations accepted under this sec-
tion shall be considered as a gift or bequest to or for 
the use of the United States. 
‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘Adminis-
trator’ means the Administrator of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
‘‘(2) CHESAPEAKE
BAY
AGREEMENT.—The 
term ‘Chesapeake Bay Agreement’ means the for-
mal, voluntary agreements executed to achieve the 
goal of restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay 
ecosystem and the living resources of the Chesa-
peake Bay ecosystem and are signed by the Chesa-
peake Executive Council. 
‘‘(3) CHESAPEAKE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.—The 
term ‘Chesapeake Executive Council’ means the rep-
resentatives from the Commonwealth of Virginia, the 
State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Pennsyl-
vania, the Environmental Protection Agency, the 
District of Columbia, and the Chesapeake Bay Com-
mission, who are signatories to the Chesapeake Bay 
Agreement, and any future signatories to that agree-
ment. 
‘‘(4) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘Director’ means 
the Director of the Office. 
‘‘(5) OFFICE.—The term ‘Office’ means the 
Chesapeake Bay Office established under this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out this section— 
‘‘(1) $17,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 1771 
AN ACT 
To reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Office of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion, and for other purposes.