Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2006

LONG ISLAND SOUND STEWARDSHIP ACT OF 2006 -- (House of Representatives - September 27, 2006)

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Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

We have already heard many good words about this legislation, and I would like to associate myself with those words.

Quite simply, this legislation represents many years of effort between two States, New York and Connecticut; between the House and the Senate; and, of course, a bipartisan effort by Republicans and Democrats.

The Long Island Sound is a unique estuary, with economic and environmental assets. It generates about $6 billion annually to the regional economy and is a cherished environmental resource for over 28 million people who live within 50 miles of the shore.

Four generations of my family have enjoyed Long Island Sound, and we have lived on Long Island Sound. And yet with the increase in population, with land development, and other pressures, some of the assets of this unique estuary are being lost. And that is why this bipartisan legislation has been introduced.

It originally passed the Senate a couple of years ago in a somewhat different form and then Senator Lieberman and I reintroduced it last year at the beginning of the 109th Congress. I have worked with Chairman Pombo, I have worked with subcommittee Chairman GILCHREST, and my colleagues across the aisle to make sure that the language of this bill respects property rights but also allows us to use science-based mechanisms to identify properties that can be acquired and preserved and protected for future generations.

Again, we don't infringe on property rights because the bill seeks to create and does create, we believe, a purely voluntary process to protect important sites along the sound.

The committee that we are creating is advisory in nature and has no authority to seize lands or to mandate action on private property. It simply recommends sites and allows an administrator to allocate funds to purchase or enter into legal arrangements to secure these properties. The legislation provides for transparency and accountability and is responsible, in a fiduciary manner, for the dollars that are authorized by the law.

I thank my colleagues for their bipartisan support of this wonderful piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5160, the ``Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2006.''

I want to thank Chairman RICHARD POMBO and Chairman WAYNE GILCHREST--as well as their capable staff--for their leadership and work on this important legislation. I also would like to thank my co-chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus, Representative Steve Israel and the rest of the caucus for their work to promote the importance of Long Island Sound.

The Long Island Sound is a unique estuary with economic and ecological importance to the region and to the Nation. The Sound contributes approximately $6 billion annually to the regional economy and is a cherished resource for the 28 million people living within 50 miles of its shores. The Sound is heavily used for recreation and for commerce by residents of Connecticut and New York as well as numerous visitors from across the country each year. This treasure deserves our utmost support.

Senator LIEBERMAN and I originally introduced the Long Island Stewardship Act (LISSA) in the 108th Congress. H.R. 5160 is the product of bipartisan cooperation among legislators from Connecticut and New York and local groups that have been working together to protect the Sound. Without infringing on private property rights of local landowners, the bill seeks to create a purely voluntary process to protect important sites along the Sound through the creation of the Long Island Sound Advisory Committee. Chaired by the director of the Environmental Protection Agency's Long Island Sound Office and comprised of representatives from Federal, State, and local governments and nongovernmental organizations, the Committee will assess potential stewardship sites along the coast and work to preserve them.

To ensure private property rights, the Committee was made advisory in nature and would not have the authority to seize lands or to mandate action on private property. Instead, the Committee would be required to recommend sites for stewardship and submit its findings to the EPA Administrator. The Administrator would then allocate funds to purchase relevant property rights or enter into binding legal arrangements that ensure the value of the sites is maintained in accordance with the Committee's recommendations.

In an effort to provide maximum transparency and accountability, the EPA Administrator would then be required to produce a bi-annual report that assesses the status of the Long Island Sound and that notifies the public of the program activities. To maintain the bi-state partnership, the Committee would be required to exert due diligence to ensure that it recommends an equitable distribution of funds between Connecticut and New York.

Mr. Speaker, the use of Federal dollars requires careful scrutiny. My bill would authorize $25 million annually for 5 years to advance this important initiative. This figure represents a reduction from an initial draft of the bill during the 108th Congress, at the recommendation of Senate and House committee chairmen. And if we consider the precedent for Federal funds authorized and appropriated for estuarine ecosystem restoration programs elsewhere in the country, we'll find $25 million to be an appropriate amount. This is especially true when one considers the cost of real estate in the Long Island Sound region.

Mr. Speaker, thank you for bringing this legislation before the House. I am gratified to have the support of my colleagues in passing this bill.

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