,,ii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #adcc ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,april #aj1 #bjbe,mrs4 ,murray 7for herself and ,ms4 ,cantwell7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation ,a ,,bill ,to reauthorize the ,northwest ,straits ,marine ,conservation ,initiative ,act to promote the protection of the resources of the ,northwest ,straits1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,northwest ,straits ,marine ,conservation ,initiative ,reauthorization ,act of #bjbe4 #b4 ,reauthorization of ,northwest ,straits ,marine ,conservation ,initiative ,act ,the ,northwest ,straits ,marine ,conservation ,initiative ,act 7title ,,iv of ,public ,law #aje-chd2 #aab ,stat4 #cdeh7 is amended-- 7#a7 in section #djb1 by striking ,commission 7in this title referred to as the ,commission74 and inserting ,commission42 and 7#b7 by striking sections #djc1 #djd1 and #dje and inserting the following3 #djc4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,the marine waters and ecosystem of the ,northwest ,straits in ,puget ,sound in the ,state of ,washington represent a unique resource of enormous environmental and economic value to the people of the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,during the #bjth century1 the environmental health of the ,northwest ,straits declined dramatically as indicated by impaired water quality1 declines in marine wildlife1 collapse of harvestable marine species1 loss of critical marine habitats1 ocean acidification1 and sea level rise4 7#c7 ,increasingly1 the ,northwest ,straits have been threatened by sea level rise1 ocean acidification1 and other effects of climate change4 7#d7 ,this title was enacted to tap the unprecedented level of citizen stewardship demonstrated in the ,northwest ,straits and create a mechanism to mobilize public support and raise capacity for local efforts to protect and restore the ecosystem of the ,northwest ,straits4 7#e7 ,the ,northwest ,straits ,marine ,conservation ,initiative helps the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration and other ,federal agencies with their marine missions by fostering local interest in marine issues and involving diverse communities4 7#f7 ,the ,northwest ,straits ,marine ,conservation ,initiative shares many of the same goals with the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration1 including fostering citizen stewardship of marine resources1 general ecosystem management1 and protecting federally managed marine species4 7#g7 ,ocean literacy1 kelp habitat conservation and monitoring1 ,veterans ,conservation ,corps internships1 and removal of marine debris projects are examples of previous and ongoing partnerships between the ,northwest ,straits ,marine ,conservation ,initiative and the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration4 ,areas of partnership may evolve with emerging opportunities4 #djd4 ,definitions ,in this title3 7#a7 ,commission ,the term ,commission means the ,northwest ,straits ,advisory ,commission established by section #djb4 7#b7 ,marine resources committee ,the term marine resources committee means a county government committee that assists in assessing marine resource and conservation needs4 7#c7 ,northwest ,straits region ,the term ,northwest ,straits region means the marine waters of the ,strait of ,juan de ,fuca and of ,puget ,sound from the ,canadian border to the south end of ,snohomish ,county4 7#d7 ,tribal government ,the term ,tribal government means the recognized governing body of any ,indian or ,alaska ,native tribe1 band1 nation1 pueblo1 village1 community1 component band1 or component reservation individually identified 7including parenthetically7 in the list published most recently as of the date of enactment of the ,northwest ,straits ,marine ,conservation ,initiative ,reauthorization ,act of #bjbe pursuant to section #ajd of the ,federally ,recognized ,indian ,tribe ,list ,act of #aiid 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #eaca74 7#e7 ,under ,secretary ,the term ,under ,secretary means the ,under ,secretary of ,commerce for ,oceans and ,atmosphere4 #dje4 ,membership of the ,commission 7a7 ,composition 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,commission shall be composed of #ad members1 except as provided in paragraph 7#b71 who shall be appointed as follows3 7,a7 ,one member appointed by a consensus of the members of a marine resources committee for ,san ,juan ,county1 ,washington4 7,b7 ,one member appointed by a consensus of the members of a marine resources committee for ,island ,county1 ,washington4 7,c7 ,one member appointed by a consensus of the members of a marine resources committee for ,skagit ,county1 ,washington4 7,d7 ,one member appointed by a consensus of the members of a marine resources committee for ,whatcom ,county1 ,washington4 7,e7 ,one member appointed by a consensus of the members of a marine resources committee for ,snohomish ,county1 ,washington4 7,f7 ,one member appointed by a consensus of the members of a marine resources committee for ,clallam ,county1 ,washington4 7,g7 ,one member appointed by a consensus of the members of a marine resources committee for ,jefferson ,county1 ,washington4 7,h7 ,two members appointed by the ,secretary of the ,interior1 in coordination with the ,northwest ,indian ,fisheries ,commission and in consultation with the ,tribal governments affected by this title1 to represent the interests of such ,tribal governments4 7,i7 ,one member appointed by the ,governor of the ,state of ,washington to represent the interests of the ,puget ,sound ,partnership4 7,j7 ,four members appointed by the ,governor of the ,state of ,washington who-- 7i7 are residents of the ,state of ,washington2 and 7ii7 are not employed by a ,federal1 ,state1 or local government1 excluding an institution of higher education4 7#b7 ,additional members ,the ,commission may1 as determined necessary to improve the ability of the ,commission to perform the duties of the ,commission under section #djf7;b71 appoint members in addition to those appointed under paragraph 7#a74 ,any such additional member shall be appointed by a consensus of the members of a marine resources committee that is not described in such paragraph4 7b7 ,vacancies ,a vacancy in the ,commission shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made4 7c7 ,chairperson ,the ,commission shall select a ,chairperson from among its members4 7d7 ,meeting ,the ,commission shall meet at the call of the ,chairperson1 but not less frequently than quarterly4 7e7 ,liaison 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,under ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,commission1 shall appoint an employee of the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration-- 7,a7 to serve as a liaison between the ,commission and the ,department of ,commerce2 7,b7 to coordinate programs of the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration with activities related to the goal of the ,commission described in section #djf7;a72 and 7,c7 to perform additional liaison functions benefitting the ,commission and the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration1 which may include1 as agreed to by the ,commission and the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration1 attending meetings and other events of the ,commission as a nonvoting participant4 7#b7 ,limitation ,service as a member of the ,commission by the employee appointed under paragraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 is limited to the employee's service as a liaison2 and 7,b7 does not obligate the employee to perform any duty of the ,commission under section #djf7;b74 7f7 ,administration ,the ,commission may enter into cooperative agreements with the ,state of ,washington for staffing and administrative services for the purposes of supporting the duties of the ,commission under section #djf7;b74 #djf4 ,goal and duties of the ,commission 7a7 ,goal ,the goal of the ,commission is to protect and restore the marine waters1 habitats1 and species of the ,northwest ,straits region to achieve ecosystem health and sustainable resource use by-- 7#a7 designing and recommending projects that are driven by the best available science1 local priorities1 community-based decisions1 and the ability to measure results2 7#b7 building awareness and stewardship and making recommendations to improve the health of the marine resources of the ,northwest ,straits region2 7#c7 maintaining and expanding diverse membership and collaboration with partner organizations1 such as the ,puget ,sound ,partnership2 7#d7 expanding partnerships with ,tribal governments and continuing to support ,tribal treaties1 cultures1 and subsistence and ,tribal treaty rights2 and 7#e7 recognizing the importance of economic and social benefits that are dependent on marine environments and sustainable marine resources4 7b7 ,duties ,the duties of the ,commission are the following3 7#a7 ,to provide resources and technical support for marine resources committees4 7#b7 ,to work with such marine resources committees and appropriate entities of ,federal1 ,state1 and local governments and ,tribal governments to provide advice in developing regional programs to monitor the overall health of the marine ecosystem of the ,northwest ,straits region4 7#c7 ,to collect marine resources data and identify factors adversely affecting or preventing the restoration of the health of the marine ecosystem and coastal economies of the ,northwest ,straits region to inform decisionmakers4 7#d7 ,to develop scientifically sound restoration and protection recommendations1 informed by local priorities1 that address such factors4 7#e7 ,to serve as a public forum for the informal discussion of policies and actions1 with respect to the marine ecosystem of the ,northwest ,straits region1 of ,federal1 ,state1 or local governments1 ,tribal governments1 or the ,government of ,canada4 7#f7 ,to inform appropriate authorities and local communities about the marine ecosystem of the ,northwest ,straits region and about issues relating to the marine ecosystem of the ,northwest ,straits region4 7#g7 ,to consult with all affected ,tribal governments in the ,northwest ,straits region to ensure that the work of the ,commission does not violate ,tribal treaty rights4 7c7 ,coordination and collaboration ,the ,commission-- 7#a7 shall carry out the duties described in subsection 7b7 in coordination and collaboration1 as appropriate1 with ,federal1 ,state1 and local governments and ,tribal governments1 including by-- 7,a7 providing technical support and assistance to any ,tribal government seeking representation and participation on the ,commission2 and 7,b7 supporting the work and duties of the liaison to the ,commission under section #dje7;e72 and 7#b7 may enter into cooperative agreements with nonprofit entities1 such as the ,northwest ,straits ,foundation1 to provide assistance1 including financial assistance1 in carrying out the duties described in subsection 7b74 7d7 ,limitations ,nothing in this title provides the ,commission with authority to issue regulations or implement any ,federal law or regulation4 7e7 ,acceptance of donations ,for purposes of carrying out this section1 the ,commission may solicit1 accept1 receive1 hold1 administer1 and use gifts1 devises1 and bequests without any further approval or administrative action4 7f7 ,annual report 7#a7 ,in general ,each year1 the ,commission shall prepare1 submit to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,senate1 the ,committee on ,natural ,resources and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives1 and the ,under ,secretary1 and make available to the public a report describing-- 7,a7 the activities carried out by the ,commission during the preceding year2 and 7,b7 the progress in achieving the benchmarks described in paragraph 7#b74 7#b7 ,benchmarks ,the benchmarks described in this paragraph are the following3 7,a7 ,protection and restoration of marine1 coastal1 and nearshore habitats within the ,northwest ,straits region4 7,b7 ,protection and restoration of marine resources populations to healthy1 sustainable levels4 7,c7 ,improvement of the water quality of the ,northwest ,straits region4 7,d7 ,collection of high-quality data and promotion of the use and dissemination of such data for the purposes of ecosystem monitoring4 7,e7 ,promotion of stewardship and understanding of marine resources of the ,northwest ,straits region through education and outreach1 including by targeted outreach to underresourced communities4 #djg4 ,funding 7a7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to the ,under ,secretary to carry out this title-- 7#a7 for each of fiscal years #bjbf through #bjca1 #aj1jjj1jjj2 and 7#b7 for fiscal year #bjcb and each fiscal year thereafter1 such sums as may be necessary4 7b7 ,assistance 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,under ,secretary may1 from amounts made available to the ,under ,secretary to carry out this title1 provide assistance to the ,commission in carrying out the duties of the ,commission under this title4 7#b7 ,provision ,the ,under ,secretary may provide the assistance described in paragraph 7#a71 and make available amounts to the ,commission to carry out the duties of the ,commission1 through a contract with the ,director of the ,padilla ,bay ,national ,estuarine ,research ,reserve1 unless the ,governor of the ,state of ,washington objects4 ,if such ,governor so objects1 the ,under ,secretary may not provide such assistance and make available such amounts to the ,commission4 4