Ocean Policy Roundup
March 1-8, 2024
On Wednesday March 7, President Joe Biden delivered his third State of the Union address. While the majority of the speech centered on topics like foreign policy and aid, health care, and immigration, Biden briefly touched on climate and the environment. He noted that his administration is confronting climate change and highlighted several priorities, including the 30x30 initiative and taking increased action on environmental injustice.
News highlights:
The House of Representatives passed the first six FY24 funding bills (Agriculture-FDA, Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy and Water, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-VA, and Transportation-HUD). The Senate needs to pass these bills by midnight tonight to avoid a partial government shutdown. Curious what’s in them? Head to our blog.
Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Katie Britt (R-AL) introduced the Illegal Red Snapper Enforcement Act, which would require NOAA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop standard methodology for identifying the country of origin of red snapper imported into the United States.
NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation awarded $5 million to Restore America’s Estuaries to restore oyster reef habitat in Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, and Texas.
Important Dates and Deadlines (updated!)
Check out our public Google calendar and printable PDF to keep track of the 2024 congressional schedule.
March 8, 2024: funding deadline for government entities funded through half of the appropriations bills (Agriculture-FDA, Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy and Water, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-VA, and Transportation-HUD)
March 11, 2024: expected release of the President’s FY25 Budget
March 22, 2024: funding deadline for the remaining appropriations bills (Defense, Financial Services, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch, and State and Foreign Operations)
Upcoming Relevant Congressional Hearings
Tuesday, March 12
10:30 AM — House Committee on Natural Resources full committee markup, to include:
Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2023 (H.R.6235), which would reauthorize the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 (HABHRCA), and amend the act to include the Great Lakes and an Interagency Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia (among other purposes).
Migratory Birds of the Americas Conservation Enhancements Act of 2023 (H.R.4389), which would revise and reauthorize the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, which provides financial assistance for the conservation of neotropical migratory birds
10:00 AM — Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works business meeting, to include:
America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act (S.3791), which would reauthorize the America's Conservation Enhancement Act. The legislation also aims to build on previous efforts to protect and preserve ecosystems from invasive species, wildlife diseases, and other threats.
Economic Development Reauthorization Act of 2024 (S.3891), which would amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to expand federal investment in the economic recovery, resiliency, and competitiveness of communities, regions, and States across the U.S.
Divided Room: House Natural Resources Committee legislative hearing on America’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation Act (H.R.7408)
On Wednesday, March 6, The House Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries met to discuss the America’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation Act. The bill, which was introduced by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR-04) and 20 Republican cosponsors, is largely centered on wildlife but would notably rescind $700 million in NOAA coastal resilience funding provided through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The hearing was unsurprisingly fraught. Subcommittee Chair Cliff Bentz (R-OR-04) applauded the bill, saying it would increase the chances of recovering at-risk species while improving oversight and the investment of taxpayer dollars. Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-CA-02) called the bill a “Trojan horse that undermines fish and wildlife funding” and criticized the proposition to rescind funds from both the IRA and Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or BIL). He also stated that the bill undermines bipartisan efforts to pass the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA), which would provide $1.4 billion to address extinction and biodiversity loss in the U.S.
This piece of legislation also has drawn recent attention from the conservation community at large. Over 70 organizations recently sent a letter to the committee in strong opposition of the bill.
Introductions
Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Katie Britt (R-AL) introduced the Illegal Red Snapper Enforcement Act, which would require NOAA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop standard methodology for identifying the country of origin of red snapper imported into the United States.
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force Co-Chairs Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), John Sarbanes (D-MD-03), and Robert Wittman (R-VA-01) introduced a legislative package (H.R.7522, H.R. 7529, H.R.7558) to reauthorize funding for conservation and clean-up efforts throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
Reps. Daniel Webster (R-FL-01), Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), Sam Graves (R-MO-06), and Rick Larsen (D-WA-02) introduced the Coast Guard Protection and Accountability Act of 2024 (H.R.7557), which aims to increase transparency within the U.S. Coast Guard and protect Coast Guard members from sexual assault.
Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the Transformational AI to Modernize the Economy against Extreme Weather Act (TAME Weather Act/S.3888). The bill is aimed at promoting the adoption of artificial intelligence to better predict and respond to extreme weather.
Fisheries and Ecosystems
NOAA Fisheries announced a new $500,000 agreement with NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation to assist NOAA in identifying, developing, and selecting technologies to support endangered North Atlantic right whale recovery efforts.
NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation awarded $5 million to Restore America’s Estuaries to restore oyster reef habitat in Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, and Texas.
NOAA Fisheries published a recap from the Seafood Labor Summit, which brought together more than 100 officials to identify next steps in efforts to address labor issues within the seafood supply chain.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking public comment on a draft proposal and environmental assessment to establish the Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge. The proposal would conserve up to 40,000 acres across four watersheds, helping to conserve habitat for threatened and endangered species, waterfowl, and migratory birds of conservation concern.
Following extensive engagement with states, Tribes, and water users, the administration released plans to conserve at least 3 million-acre-feet of water in the Colorado River Basin through the end of 2026.
Ocean Data and Technology
The Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office announced nearly $1.2 million for marine energy research projects at minority-serving colleges and universities.
Offshore Wind and Energy
It was a quiet week in offshore wind news!
Image: Jim Bahn/Flickr
Amourous ocean rocks the boat? New research suggests that turbulent waters detected off the coast of Spain may have been caused by millions of anchovy eggs.