To establish programs to enhance protection of the Chesapeake Bay, and for other purposes.

April 9, 2003

Mr. SARBANES (for himself, Mr. WARNER, Mr. ALLEN, and Ms. MIKULSKI) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

To establish programs to enhance protection of the Chesapeake Bay, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `NOAA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education, Training, and Restoration Act'.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) CENTER- The term `Center' means the Coastal Prediction Center for the Chesapeake Bay established under paragraph (1) of section 3(a).

(2) CHESAPEAKE 2000 AGREEMENT- The term `Chesapeake 2000 agreement' means the agreement between the United States, the States of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, and the District of Columbia entered into on June 28, 2000.

(3) CHESAPEAKE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL- The term `Chesapeake Executive Council' has the meaning given that term in subsection (d) of section 307 of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Authorization Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 1511d).

(4) DIRECTOR- The term `Director' means the Director of the Chesapeake Bay Office appointed under paragraph (2) of section 307(a) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Authorization Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 1511d).

(5) ELIGIBLE ENTITY- The term `eligible entity' means a State government, an institution of higher education, including a community college, a not-for-profit organization, or an appropriate private entity.

(6) CHESAPEAKE BAY OFFICE- The term `Chesapeake Bay Office' means the Chesapeake Bay Office within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration established under paragraph (1) of section 307(a) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Authorization Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 1511d).

SEC. 3. COASTAL PREDICTION CENTER.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT-

(1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director, in collaboration with scientific institutions located in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, shall establish a Coastal Prediction Center for the Chesapeake Bay.

(2) PURPOSES- The purposes of the Center established under paragraph (1) are to serve as a knowledge bank for--

(A) assembling, integrating, and modeling coastal information and data related to the Chesapeake Bay and the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay from appropriate government agencies and scientific institutions;

(B) interpreting such information and data; and

(C) organizing such information and data into predictive products that are useful to policy makers, resource managers, scientists, and the public.

(b) ACTIVITIES-

(1) INFORMATION AND PREDICTION SYSTEM- The Center shall develop an Internet-based information system for integrating, interpreting, and disseminating coastal information and predictions concerning the Chesapeake Bay and the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay related to--

(A) climate;

(B) land use;

(C) coastal pollution;

(D) coastal environmental quality;

(E) ecosystem health and performance;

(F) aquatic living resources and habitat conditions; and

(G) weather, tides, currents, and circulation that affect the distribution of sediments, nutrients, and organisms, coastline erosion, and related physical and chemical events.

(2) AGREEMENTS TO PROVIDE DATA, INFORMATION, AND SUPPORT- The Director may enter into agreements with other entities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, other appropriate Federal, State, and local government agencies, and academic institutions, to provide and interpret data and information, and provide appropriate support, relating to the activities of the Center.

(3) AGREEMENTS RELATING TO INFORMATION PRODUCTS- The Director may enter into grants, contracts, and interagency agreements with eligible entities for the collection, processing, analysis, interpretation, and electronic publication of information products for the Center.

SEC. 4. CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Director, in cooperation with the Chesapeake Executive Council, shall establish a Chesapeake Bay watershed education and training program.

(2) PURPOSES- The program established under paragraph (1) shall continue and expand the Chesapeake Bay watershed education programs offered by the Chesapeake Bay Office for the purposes of--

(A) improving the understanding of elementary and secondary school students and teachers of the living resources of the ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay; and

(B) meeting the educational goals of the Chesapeake 2000 agreement.

(b) GRANT PROGRAM-

(1) AUTHORIZATION- The Director is authorized to award grants to pay the Federal share of the cost of a project described in paragraph (3)--

(A) to a not-for-profit institution;

(B) to a consortia of not-for-profit institutions;

(C) to an elementary or secondary school located within the Chesapeake Bay watershed;

(D) to a teacher at a school described in subparagraph (C); or

(E) a State Department of Education if any part of such State is within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

(2) CRITERIA- The Director is authorized to award grants under this section based on the experience of the applicant in providing environmental education and training projects regarding the Chesapeake Bay watershed to a range of participants and in a range of settings.

(3) FUNCTIONS AND ACTIVITIES- Grants awarded under this section may be used to support education and training projects that--

(A) provide classroom education, including the use of distance learning technologies, on the issues, science, and problems of the living resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed;

(B) provide meaningful outdoor experience on the Chesapeake Bay, or on a stream or in a local watershed of the Chesapeake Bay, in the design and implementation of field studies, monitoring and assessments, or restoration techniques for living resources;

(C) provide professional development for teachers related to the science of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the dissemination of pertinent education materials oriented to varying grade levels;

(D) demonstrate or disseminate environmental educational tools and materials related to the Chesapeake Bay watershed;

(E) demonstrate field methods, practices, and techniques including assessment of environmental and ecological conditions and analysis of environmental problems; and

(F) develop or disseminate projects designed to--

(i) enhance understanding and assessment of a specific environmental problem

in the Chesapeake Bay watershed or of a goal of the Chesapeake Bay Program; or

(ii) protect or restore living resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

(4) FEDERAL SHARE- The Federal share of the cost of a project authorized under paragraph (1) shall not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of that project.

(c) REPORT- Not later than December 31, 2006, the Director, in consultation with the Chesapeake Executive Council, shall submit to Congress a report through the Administrator of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration regarding the program established under subsection (a) and, on the appropriate role of Federal, State, and local governments in continuing such program.

SEC. 5. STOCK ENHANCEMENT AND HABITAT RESTORATION PROGRAM.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT-

(1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director, in cooperation with the Chesapeake Executive Council, shall establish a Chesapeake Bay watershed stock enhancement and habitat restoration program.

(2) PURPOSES- The purposes of the program established in paragraph (1) are to support the restoration of oysters and submerged aquatic vegetation in the Chesapeake Bay and enhance education programs related to aquaculture.

(b) ACTIVITIES- To carry out the purpose of the program established in paragraph (1) of subsection (a), the Director is authorized to enter into grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements with an eligible entity to support--

(1) the establishment of oyster hatcheries;

(2) the establishment of submerged aquatic vegetation propagation programs;

(3) the development of education programs related to aquaculture; and

(4) other activities that the Director determines are appropriate to carry out the purposes of such program.

SEC. 6. CHESAPEAKE BAY AQUACULTURE EDUCATION.

The Director is authorized to make grants and enter into contracts with an institution of higher education, including a community college, for the purpose of--

(1) supporting education in Chesapeake Bay aquaculture sciences and technologies; and

(2) developing aquaculture processes and technologies to improve production, efficiency, and sustainability of disease free oyster spat and submerged aquatic vegetation.

SEC. 7. SHALLOW WATER MONITORING PROGRAM.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT-

(1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director, in cooperation with the Chesapeake Executive Council and scientific institutions located in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, shall establish a program to monitor shallow water throughout the Chesapeake Bay.

(2) PURPOSE- The purpose of the program established in paragraph (1) shall be to provide data on water quality conditions necessary for restoration of living resources in near-shore and tidal tributary areas of the Chesapeake Bay.

(b) ACTIVITIES- To carry out the purpose of the program established in paragraph (1) of subsection (a), the Director is authorized to carry out, or enter into grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements with an eligible entity to carry out activities--

(1) to collect, analyze, and disseminate scientific information necessary for the management of living marine resources and the marine habitat associated with such resources;

(2) to interpret the information described in paragraph (1);

(3) to organize the information described in paragraph (1) into products that are useful to policy makers, resource managers, scientists, and the public; or

(4) that will otherwise further the purpose of such program.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

(a) CHESAPEAKE BAY OFFICE- Subsection (e) of section 307 of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Authorization Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 1511d) is amended--

(1) by striking `$6,000,000' and inserting `$8,000,000'; and

(2) by striking `2006' and inserting `2008'.

(b) PROGRAMS- There is authorized to be appropriated the following amounts to carry out the provisions of this Act:

(1) $500,000 for each of the fiscal years 2004 through 2008 to carry out the provisions of section 3.

(2) $6,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2004 through 2008 to carry out the provisions of section 4.

(3) $7,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2004 through 2008 to carry out the provisions of section 5.

(4) $1,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2004 through 2008 to carry out the provisions of section 6.

(5) $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2004 through 2008 to carry out the provisions of section 7.

END