Volume 164, No. 156 covering the 2nd Session of the 115th Congress (2017 - 2018) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“RECOGNIZING NATIONAL ESTUARY WEEK: SEPTEMBER 15 TO 22, 2018” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1268-E1269 on Sept. 20, 2018.
More than half of the Agency's employees are engineers, scientists and protection specialists. The Climate Reality Project, a global climate activist organization, accused Agency leadership in the last five years of undermining its main mission.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNIZING NATIONAL ESTUARY WEEK: SEPTEMBER 15 TO 22, 2018
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HON. BILL POSEY
of florida
in the house of representatives
Thursday, September 20, 2018
Mr. POSEY. Mr. Speaker, this week we celebrate National Estuary Week, a week dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of our nation's estuaries. This marks the 30th anniversary of National Estuary Week, and on Monday, September 17, I joined my fellow co-chairs of the Congressional Estuary Caucus and Restore America's Estuaries in kicking off this celebration with the 2018 National Estuaries Week Hill Expo. This Expo was a great showcase of research and resources for coastal habitats. The Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were on hand to talk with staff and Members and explain how we can improve the health of our estuaries.
Former Congressman Jim Gerlach taught us ``Estuaries are coastal bays, harbors, sounds and lagoons, places where rivers meet the sea.'' My own Eighth District of Florida is home to the Indian River Lagoon, one of the most diverse estuaries in North America and the world. I grew up around Cocoa Beach, raised my family along the Lagoon, and worked in local real estate for many years. I learned firsthand why it's so important for us to work together to care for our environment.
That is why, in early 2017, I founded the bipartisan Congressional Estuary Caucus with several of my colleagues to give the nation's estuaries a stronger voice and presence in Congress. Since that time, more than forty Members of Congress have joined the Estuary Caucus and become actively engaged in our efforts to support estuary restoration and conservation. The Caucus has already held eleven briefings on Capitol Hill about the critical role these delicate ecosystems play in our communities.
Stretching 156 miles along Florida's east coast, our Lagoon is a sanctuary for nearly 4,000 species of wildlife, an economic engine for our community, and an invaluable recreational and educational resource for residents and visitors. Since estuaries are places where freshwater mixes with saltwater, preserving the delicate balance is as critical as it can be difficult. Our quality of life, economy and tourism, property values and the survival of many indigenous species of plant and wildlife depend on our efforts. Scientists often call them ``nurseries of the sea'' because estuaries are the nesting and feeding habitats for many aquatic plants and animals. Experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimate that up to 80 percent of the fish and shellfish that we catch spend at least part of their lives in estuaries. That catch includes salmon, herring, and oysters, and our fishing industry is valued in the billions of dollars. Estuaries also contribute to healthy ocean environments by filtering out sediments and pollutants from rivers and streams before they flow into the oceans. Estuaries are also important recreational destinations. Millions of people each year boat, swim, watch birds and other wildlife, and fish in our nation's estuaries. Coastal recreation and tourism generate billions of dollars to our economy.
Many estuaries, including our lagoon, are experiencing challenges like harmful algae blooms, declines in sea grass, and invasive species. These threats require our immediate attention. Acidification also presents uncertainties within our precious estuaries. The problem of estuarine acidification is less well understood than acidification in the open ocean and could pose severe effects for the biodiversity of our estuaries like the Indian River Lagoon.
As we seek to restore and protect our estuaries, I believe we have to adopt the proverbial ``all of the above'' strategy. That means a coordinated effort involving federal, state and local cooperation with each level of government doing what it does best. Our state and local government will lead the efforts that improve our water quality and will provide leadership in assuring we adapt to sea level rise in the way we build and manage our land use. The federal government supports state and local leadership with restoration programs that include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
I've joined my colleagues, Congressman Brian Mast and Congresswoman Bonamici, in introducing legislation aimed at mitigating and solving our hypoxia and toxic algal bloom challenges. In Florida, we are working to raise the priority of projects that benefit the estuaries within the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.
To get a leg up on the challenges to our estuaries posed by acidification, I've introduced the National Estuaries and Acidification Research Act of 2018. This legislation creates a research program so that we can understand how better how acidification works in estuaries and how we might be able to combat it.
For the 2018 Fiscal Year, the Interior Appropriations bill includes
$16.8 million that will provide $600,000 to each of the 28 estuaries, and also includes my plan to direct $1.5 million for the National Estuary Program's competitive grants program for special projects and prevention and mitigation focused research. This is a win for our estuaries, communities, and economy.
This week, millions of Americans will show their commitment to our estuaries through volunteer efforts. We all have a role to play in caring for our environment. It is a matter of awareness and of action. We must look for even more opportunities for our ``all of the above'' strategy for keeping our estuary economies sustainable and resilient. Advancing common sense ideas that strengthen our economy, protect our estuaries including the Indian River Lagoon, and preserve our natural beauty remain a top priority for me. I'm grateful for the work of millions of dedicated professionals and volunteers across this nation.
National Estuary Week is a time to celebrate the contributions of our estuaries to our way of life and our well-being. Estuaries provide indispensable services to our ecology and our economy. Our estuaries are irreplaceable and we must protect, sustain, and restore them.
National Estuary Week is also a time to review our progress in assuring the continued productivity of our estuaries, celebrating our successes and renewing our commitment to ensuring that future generations will enjoy these precious resources. I ask all Members to join me and the Congressional Estuary Caucus in that commitment. The challenge is critical and we can meet it.
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