U.S. representatives on the House Committee on Natural Resources voted to advance a bill reauthorizing NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office on 15 July.
“The House just took a key step toward investment in the science, restoration, and education that’s essential to the Chesapeake Bay’s recovery,” Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Senior Policy Director Keisha Sedlacek said in a statement. “We’re grateful to House leaders for advancing the WATERS Act and look forward to action in the Senate on the companion bill.”
The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Advancement for Training, Education, Restoration and Science (WATERS) Act would reauthorize NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay office, direct the agency to support living resources in the bay, and establish the Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program, a competitive grant program for environmental education projects.
“The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office spearheads research key to cleaner water, healthier fisheries, and stronger local businesses,” Sedlacek said. “NOAA’s B-WET program gives students unforgettable outdoor learning experiences while building the next generation of Chesapeake Bay stewards.”
The full House needs to pass the bill, and the Senate needs to pass an identical bill, before it’s sent to U.S. President Donald Trump to be signed into law.
The bill was advanced alongside several other pieces of legislation, including the Northeast Lobstermen Protection Act, legislation extending a moratorium on new regulations on the Maine lobster industry related to endangered North Atlantic right whales.
“Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources advanced a slate of bills supporting tribal and rural communities, restoring American seafood competitiveness and investing in water infrastructure and research, and species conservation,” Committee Chair Representative Bruce Westerman (R-Arkansas) said in a release. “This continues our work to ensure responsible stewardship of our natural resources and support the rural way of life. I look forward to seeing these bills advance through the House.”
