(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Committee shall rec-
ommend that the Administrator award grants to 
qualified applicants to help to secure and improve 
the open space, public access, or ecological values of 
stewardship sites, through—
(A) purchase of the property of the site; 
(B) purchase of relevant property rights of 
the site; or 
(C) entering into any other binding legal 
arrangement that ensures that the values of the 
site are sustained, including entering into an 
arrangement with a land manager or owner to 
develop or implement an approved management 
plan that is necessary for the conservation of 
natural resources. 
(2) EQUITABLE
DISTRIBUTION
OF
FUNDS.—
The Committee shall exert due diligence to rec-
ommend an equitable distribution of funds between 
the States. 
(c) ACTION BY THE ADMINISTRATOR.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
receiving a report under subsection (a), the Adminis-
trator shall—
(A) review the recommendations of the 
Committee; and
(B) take actions consistent with the rec-
ommendations of the Committee, including the 
approval of identified stewardship sites and the 
award of grants, unless the Administrator 
makes a finding that any recommendation is 
unwarranted by the facts. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall develop and publish a report that—
(A) assesses the current resources of and 
threats to Long Island Sound; 
(B) assesses the role of the Long Island 
Sound Stewardship Initiative in protecting 
Long Island Sound; 
(C) establishes guidelines, criteria, sched-
ules, and due dates for evaluating information 
to identify stewardship sites; 
(D) includes information about any grants 
that are available for the purchase of land or 
property rights to protect stewardship sites; 
(E) accounts for funds received and ex-
pended during the previous fiscal year; 
(F) shall be made available to the public 
on the Internet and in hardcopy form; and
(G) shall be updated at least every other 
year, except that information on funding and 
any new stewardship sites identified shall be 
published more frequently. 
SEC. 10. PRIVATE PROPERTY PROTECTION. 
(a) ACCESS
TO PRIVATE PROPERTY.—Nothing in 
this Act—
(1) requires any private property owner to allow 
public access (including Federal, State, or local gov-
ernment access) to the private property; or 
(2) modifies any provision of Federal, State, or 
local law with regard to public access to or use of 
private property, except as entered into by voluntary 
agreement of the owner or custodian of the property. 
(b) LIABILITY.—Approval of the Long Island Sound 
Stewardship Initiative Region does not create any liability, 
or have any effect on any liability under any other law, 
of any private property owner with respect to any person 
injured on the private property. 
(c) RECOGNITION OF AUTHORITY TO CONTROL LAND 
USE.—Nothing in this Act modifies the authority of Fed-
eral, State, or local governments to regulate land use. 
(d) PARTICIPATION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS 
IN THE LONG ISLAND SOUND STEWARDSHIP INITIATIVE 
REGION.—Nothing in this Act requires the owner of any
private property located within the boundaries of the Re-
gion to participate in or be associated with the Initiative. 
(e) EFFECT OF ESTABLISHMENT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The boundaries approved for 
the Region represent the area within which Federal 
funds appropriated for the purpose of this Act may 
be expended. 
(2) REGULATORY AUTHORITY.—The establish-
ment of the Region and the boundaries of the Re-
gion does not provide any regulatory authority not 
in existence on the date of enactment of this Act on 
land use in the Region by any management entity, 
except for such property rights as may be purchased 
from or donated by the owner of the property (in-
cluding the Federal Government or a State or local 
government, if applicable). 
SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this Act $40,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2006 through 2013. 
(b) USE OF FUNDS.—For each fiscal year, funds 
made available under subsection (a) shall be used by the 
Administrator, after reviewing the recommendations of the 
Committee submitted under section 9, for—
(1) acquisition of land and interests in land;