Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Act

Bill: 110-s-1142
Sponsor: Sen. Gregg, Judd [R-NH]
Introduced: 2007-04-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Animals
Coastal zone
Commerce
Conservation easements
Economics and Public Finance
Environmental Protection
Estuaries
Federal-local relations
Federal-state relations
Forest conservation
Government Operations and Politics
Grants-in-aid
Habitat conservation
Housing and Community Development
Land banking
Land transfers
Land use
Landscape protection
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine parks and reserves
Nonprofit organizations
Performance measurement
Public-private partnerships
Real estate development
Regional planning
Social Welfare
Water Resources Development
Water pollution control
Water quality
Watersheds
Wetlands

Summary:
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: 
Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Program to protect the environmental integrity of undeveloped coastal and estuarine areas. Authorizes the Secretary to make Program grants to coastal states with approved coastal zone management plans or National Estuarine Research Reserve units for the purpose of acquiring property that will further the goals of an approved Coastal Zone Management Plan or Program, a National Estuarine Research Reserve management plan, or a regional or state watershed protection plan.

 Prohibits any more than 75% of the funding for any project under this Act from being derived from federal sources. 

 
Reserves 15% of program funds for acquisitions benefiting the National Estuarine Research Reserve. 
Specifies that when property is acquired under this program, the grant recipient shall provide assurances that: (1) title will be held by the recipient or another public agency designated by the recipient in perpetuity; (2) property will be managed consistent with the purpose of the Program; and (3) funds will be returned to the Secretary for redistribution if the property is sold, exchanged, or divested. 
 

action_date: 2007-06-05
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

 
Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Program to protect the environmental integrity of important coastal and estuarine areas, including wetlands and forests, that have significant conservation, recreation, ecological, historical, aesthetic, or watershed protection values and that are threatened by conversion from their natural, undeveloped, or recreational state to other uses. Requires the program to be administered by the National Ocean Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to make Program grants to coastal states with approved coastal zone management plans or National Estuarine Research Reserve units for the purpose of acquiring property that will further the goals of an approved Coastal Zone Management Plan or Program, a National Estuarine Research Reserve management plan, or a regional or state watershed protection plan.

 Prohibits any more than 75% of the funding for any project under this Act from being derived from federal sources. Reserves 15% of program funds for acquisitions benefiting the National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Specifies that when property is acquired under this program, the grant recipient shall provide assurances that: (1) title will be held by the recipient (or another public agency designated by the recipient) in perpetuity; (2) property will be managed consistent with the purpose of the Program; and (3) funds will be returned to the Secretary for redistribution if the property is sold, exchanged, or divested.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-06-05
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 190.
action_date: 2007-06-05
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Inouye without amendment. With written report No. 110-78.
action_date: 2007-06-05
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Inouye without amendment. With written report No. 110-78.
action_date: 2007-04-25
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4680-4681)
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Introduced in Senate