,,ii #aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #baid ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #bc1 #bjba,mr4 ,cardin 7for himself and ,mr4 ,graham7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,environment and ,public ,works ,a ,,bill ,to authorize the ,secretary of the ,interior1 through the ,coastal ,program of the ,united ,states ,fish and ,wildlife ,service1 to work with willing partners and provide support to efforts to assess1 protect1 restore1 and enhance important coastal areas that provide fish and wildlife habitat on which ,federal trust species depend1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,coastal ,habitat ,conservation ,act of #bjba4 #b4 ,findings and purpose 7a7 ,findings ,congress finds that-- 7#a7 an effective means of conserving and recovering ,federal trust species and promoting self-sustaining populations of those species is to protect1 conserve1 restore1 and enhance the habitats of the species2 7#b7 coastal ecosystems are highly dynamic areas that provide valuable breeding1 nursery1 staging1 and resting areas for a rich diversity of fish1 shellfish1 migratory birds1 and mammals2 7#c7 coastal areas support-- 7,a7 #dj percent of the refuges within the ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system2 7,b7 #dj percent of the threatened species or endangered species1 including #ge percent of the listed mammals and birds1 under the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq472 and 7,c7 #ej percent of the fisheries conservation activities of the ,service2 7#d7 although coastal counties make up only #aj percent of total contiguous ,united ,states land area1 coastal areas are home to more than #dj percent of the human population of the ,united ,states1 which is placing enormous pressure on coastal ecosystems2 7#e7 because coastal deterioration can cause fragmentation and landward migration of coastal ecosystems1 as well as create new habitats along shorelines1 it has become necessary to incorporate adaptation assistance into coastal ecosystem management strategies2 7#f7 in addition to serving as fish and wildlife habitat1 coastal ecosystems-- 7,a7 serve as an important source of food2 7,b7 protect coastal communities1 including infrastructure in those communities1 against floods2 7,c7 filter polluted runoff2 and 7,d7 provide valuable commercial and recreational benefits to coastal communities and the ,united ,states2 7#g7 7,a7 fish and wildlife conservation is a responsibility shared by citizens and government2 and 7,b7 public-private partnerships should be supported through technical assistance and financial assistance to conduct coastal habitat assessment1 protection1 planning1 restoration1 and enhancement projects in coastal ecosystems2 7#h7 successful fish and wildlife conservation increasingly relies on interdependent partnerships in which priority setting1 planning1 and conservation delivery are collaborative endeavors2 7#i7 since #aihe1 the ,service has administered the ,coastal ,program through which the ,service works with willing partners to assess1 protect1 plan1 restore1 and enhance coastal ecosystems1 including coastal wetlands and watersheds1 uplands1 and riparian and in-stream habitats1 that provide significant benefits to ,federal trust species2 7#aj7 through the ,coastal ,program1 the ,service provides strategic conservation planning and design at the regional and landscape scales1 and integrates the resources of the ,service to address priorities identified by partners2 and 7#aa7 the ,coastal ,program of the ,service complements and enhances the ,national ,coastal ,wetlands ,conservation ,grant ,program under section #cje of the ,coastal ,wetlands ,planning1 ,protection and ,restoration ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #cied71 which provides matching grants to coastal ,states to support long-term conservation of coastal wetlands and associated habitats4 7b7 ,purpose ,the purpose of this ,act is to legislatively authorize the ,coastal ,program of the ,service in effect as of the date of enactment of this ,act to conduct collaborative landscape-level planning and on-the-ground coastal habitat protection1 restoration1 and enhancement projects in priority coastal areas to conserve and recover ,federal trust species4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,coastal area ,the term coastal area means a marine or freshwater area within or adjacent to a coastal ,state1 including-- 7,a7 a coastal wetland or watershed2 7,b7 coastal water2 7,c7 a coastal bay2 7,d7 a coastline2 and 7,e7 an estuary and associated upland4 7#b7 ,coastal ecosystem ,the term coastal ecosystem means an ecological community that provides fish and wildlife habitat in coastal areas4 7#c7 ,coastal habitat assessment ,the term coastal habitat assessment means the process of evaluating the physical1 chemical1 and biological function of a coastal site to determine the value of the site to fish and wildlife4 7#d7 ,coastal habitat enhancement ,the term coastal habitat enhancement means the manipulation of the physical1 chemical1 or biological characteristics of a coastal ecosystem to increase or decrease specific biological functions that make the ecosystem valuable to fish and wildlife4 7#e7 ,coastal habitat planning ,the term coastal habitat planning means the process of developing a comprehensive plan that-- 7,a7 characterizes a coastal ecosystem2 7,b7 sets protection1 restoration1 or enhancement goals1 and identifies the priorities of those goals2 7,c7 describes conservation strategies and methodologies2 7,d7 establishes a timetable for implementation of the plan2 and 7,e7 identifies roles of participants and stakeholders4 7#f7 ,coastal habitat protection 7,a7 ,in general ,the term coastal habitat protection means a long-term action to safeguard habitats of importance to fish and wildlife species in a coastal ecosystem4 7,b7 ,inclusion ,the term coastal habitat protection includes activities to support establishment of conservation easements or fee-title acquisition by ,federal and non-,federal partners4 7#g7 ,coastal habitat restoration ,the term coastal habitat restoration means the manipulation of the physical1 chemical1 or biological characteristics of a coastal ecosystem with the goal of returning1 to the maximum extent practicable1 the full natural biological functions to lost or degraded native habitat4 7#h7 ,coastal ,state ,the term coastal ,state means-- 7,a7 a ,state in1 or bordering on1 the ,atlantic1 ,pacific1 or ,arctic ,ocean1 the ,gulf of ,mexico1 the ,long ,island ,sound1 or #a or more of the ,great ,lakes2 7,b7 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico2 7,c7 ,guam2 7,d7 ,american ,samoa2 7,e7 the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands2 7,f7 the ,federated ,states of ,micronesia2 7,g7 the ,republic of the ,marshall ,islands2 7,h7 the ,republic of ,palau2 and 7,i7 the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands4 7#i7 ,federal trust species ,the term ,federal trust species means-- 7,a7 a species listed as a threatened species or an endangered species under the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq472 7,b7 a species of migratory bird2 7,c7 a species of interjurisdictional fish2 7,d7 any species of marine mammal1 as identified by the ,secretary2 and 7,e7 any other species of concern1 as determined by the ,secretary4 7#aj7 ,financial assistance ,the term financial assistance means ,federal funding support provided to eligible recipients through a grant or cooperative agreement4 7#aa7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of the ,interior4 7#ab7 ,service ,the term ,service means the ,united ,states ,fish and ,wildlife ,service4 7#ac7 ,technical assistance ,the term technical assistance means a collaboration1 facilitation1 or consulting action relating to a habitat protection1 planning1 restoration1 or enhancement project or initiative in which the ,service contributes scientific knowledge1 skills1 and expertise to a project or program4 #d4 ,coastal program ,the ,secretary shall carry out the ,coastal ,program within the ,service-- 7#a7 to identify the most important natural resource problems and solutions in priority coastal ecosystems in partnership with-- 7,a7 ,federal1 ,state1 local1 and ,tribal governments2 7,b7 nongovernmental institutions2 7,c7 nonprofit organizations2 7,d7 private individuals2 and 7,e7 corporations2 7#b7 to provide technical assistance and financial assistance through partnerships with ,federal1 ,state1 local1 and ,tribal governments1 nongovernmental institutions1 nonprofit organizations1 private individuals1 and corporations to conduct voluntary coastal habitat assessment1 protection1 planning1 restoration1 and enhancement projects on public land or private land2 7#c7 to ensure the health and resilience of coastal ecosystems through adaptive management procedures based on the best available science2 7#d7 to build the capacity of ,federal1 ,state1 local1 and ,tribal governments1 nongovernmental institutions1 nonprofit organizations1 private individuals1 and corporations to carry out environmental conservation and stewardship measures2 7#e7 to assist in the development and implementation of monitoring protocols to ensure the success of coastal ecosystem restoration and enhancement measures2 and 7#f7 to collaborate and share information with partners and the public relating to best management practices for the conservation1 restoration1 and enhancement of coastal ecosystems4 #e4 ,reports 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and annually thereafter1 the ,secretary1 acting through the ,director of the ,service1 shall submit to the ,committees on ,appropriations and ,environment and ,public ,works of the ,senate and the ,committees on ,appropriations and ,natural ,resources of the ,house of ,representatives1 and make available to the public on the website of the ,service1 a report on the ,coastal ,program carried out under this ,act4 7b7 ,requirements ,each report submitted under subsection 7a7 shall assess on regional and nationwide bases-- 7#a7 ,coastal ,program work on coastal ecosystems2 7#b7 progress made by the ,coastal ,program toward identifying the most important natural resource problems and solutions in priority ecosystems2 and 7#c7 prospects for1 and success of1 protecting1 restoring1 and enhancing coastal ecosystems4 7c7 ,inclusions ,each report submitted under subsection 7a7 shall include-- 7#a7 quantitative information on coastal areas protected1 restored1 or enhanced2 7#b7 funds appropriated to the ,coastal ,program that have been expended or leveraged2 7#c7 a description of adaptive management practices implemented2 and 7#d7 recommendations1 if any1 for additional research1 management1 or legislation needed to fully-- 7,a7 address problems and implement solutions in coastal ecosystems2 and 7,b7 achieve the objectives of this ,act4 #f4 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this ,act-- 7#a7 #bj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbb2 7#b7 #ba1bej1jjj for fiscal year #bjbc2 7#c7 #bb1ejj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbd2 7#d7 #bc1gej1jjj for fiscal year #bjbe2 and 7#e7 #be1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbf4