I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 674 
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 
JANUARY 23, 2025 
Mr. GOLDEN of Maine (for himself and Mr. VAN DREW) 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 of 2025’’. 
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 2023, the New England commercial fish-
eries landed an estimated 415,966,992 pounds of 
catch, valued at $1,350,533,650, which supports 
thousands of fishermen, their families, and commu-
nities 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 113,007,821 pounds valued at $582,433,794. 
(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) In 2024, the Biden Administration’s Bu-
reau of Ocean Energy Management announced the 
Final Wind Energy Area for commercial offshore 
wind development in the Gulf of Maine, which ex-
cluded all of Lobster Management Area 1. 
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(6) President Trump recently issued an Execu-
tive Order temporarily withdrawing from disposition 
for wind energy leasing all areas within the outer 
Continental Shelf citing the importance of marine 
life ensuring that the United States is able to main-
tain a robust fishing industry. 
(7) The permanent protection of Lobster Man-
agement Area from commercial energy leasing and 
development would avoid conflict with the New Eng-
land commercial and recreational fishing industries 
and preserve a vital fishing ground for future gen-
erations. 
(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 
Comptroller General shall conduct a study to assess 
the sufficiency of the environmental review processes 
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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; 
(viii) essential fish habitat (as that 
term is defined in section 3 of the Magnu-
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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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