,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fgd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #bc1        
#bjbe,mr4 ,golden of ,maine 7for himself
 and ,mr4 ,van ,drew7 introduced the    
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,natural ,resources   
,a ,,bill  ,to prohibit commercial      
offshore wind energy development in     
,lobster ,management ,area #a in the    
,gulf of ,maine1 and for other purposes4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,northeast ,fisheries      
,heritage ,protection ,act of #bjbe4    
#b4 ,prohibition on commercial offshore 
wind energy development in ,lobster     
,management ,area #a  7a7 ,findings     
,congress finds the following3  7#a7    
,the ,new ,england fishing industry has 
been an integral part of the history1   
culture1 and economy of the region for  
over #djj years4  7#b7 ,in #bjbc1 the   
,new ,england commercial fisheries      
landed an estimated #dae1iff1iib pounds 
of catch1 valued at #a1cej1ecc1fej1     

which supports thousands of fishermen1  
their families1 and communities that    
depend on these ocean resources4  7#c7  
,the ,united ,states lobster fishery1   
with ,maine and ,massachusetts producing
 #ic percent of the lobster harvest1 is 
one of the most valuable fisheries in   
the country with commercial landings    
totaling #aac1jjg1hba pounds valued at  
#ehb1dcc1gid4  7#d7 ,lobster ,management
 ,area #a in the ,gulf of ,maine is a   
critical and highly productive fishing  
ground for halibut1 tuna1 flounder1     
redfish1 black sea bass1 monkfish1      
mackerel1 rock and sand crab1 mussels1  
hardshell and softshell clams1 oysters1 
scallops1 conchs1 squid1 and lobster4   
7#e7 ,in #bjbd1 the ,biden              
,administration's ,bureau of ,ocean     
,energy ,management announced the ,final
 ,wind ,energy ,area for commercial     
offshore wind development in the ,gulf  
of ,maine1 which excluded all of        
,lobster ,management ,area #a4  7#f7    
,president ,trump recently issued an    

,executive ,order temporarily           
withdrawing from disposition for wind   
energy leasing all areas within the     
outer ,continental ,shelf citing the    
importance of marine life ensuring that 
the ,united ,states is able to maintain 
a robust fishing industry4  7#g7 ,the   
permanent protection of ,lobster        
,management ,area from commercial energy
 leasing and development would avoid    
conflict with the ,new ,england         
commercial and recreational fishing     
industries and preserve a vital fishing 
ground for future generations4  7b7     
,prohibition on commercial offshore wind
 development in ,lobster ,management    
,area #a ,notwithstanding section #h of 
the ,outer ,continental ,shelf ,lands   
,act 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #accg71 no lease1   
license1 permit1 or other authorization 
may be issued for the development of    
commercial offshore wind energy in      
,lobster ,management ,area #a4  7c7     
,gulf of ,maine offshore wind project   
environmental review process study  7#a7

 ,in general ,not later than #abj days  
after the date of the enactment of this 
section1 the ,comptroller ,general shall
 conduct a study to assess the          
sufficiency of the environmental review 
processes of the national ,marine       
,fisheries ,service1 the ,bureau of     
,ocean ,energy ,management1 and any     
other relevant ,federal agency for      
offshore wind projects in the ,gulf of  
,maine in place as of the date of       
enactment of this section4  7#b7        
,contents ,the study required under     
paragraph 7#a7 shall include            
consideration of the following3  7,a7   
,the impacts of offshore wind projects  
in the ,gulf of ,maine on-- 7i7 marine  
mammals1 including whales2  7ii7        
finfish2  7iii7 benthic resources2  7iv7
 the commercial and recreational fishing
 industries1 including marine equipment 
retailers1 onshore processors1 fish     
markets1 and other shoreside businesses2
  7v7 air quality and greenhouse gas    
emissions2  7vi7 cultural1 historical1  

and ,tribal resources2  7vii7 marine    
invertebrates2  7viii7 essential fish   
habitat 7as that term is defined in     
section #c of the ,magnuson-,stevens    
,fishery ,conservation and ,management  
,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ahjb772  7ix7      
plankton abundance and distribution2    
7x7 recreation and tourism2 and  7xi7   
fisheries-dependent communities4  7,b7  
,how each agency described in paragraph 
7#a7 determines which stakeholders to   
consult with regard to offshore wind    
projects in the ,gulf of ,maine and if a
 timely1 comprehensive comment period is
 provided for local representatives and 
interested parties with regard to such  
offshore wind projects4  7d7 ,lobster   
,management ,area #a defined ,in this   
section1 the term ,lobster ,management  
,area #a has the meaning given the term 
,,eez ,nearshore ,management ,area #a in
 section #fig4ah of title #ej1 ,code of 
,federal ,regulations 7or a successor   
regulation74