Digest of Federal Resource Laws of Interest to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Authorization Act
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Authorization Act -- Public Law
102-567, signed October 29, 1992 (106 Stat. 4270) primarily authorizes appropriations for
NOAA programs, but it includes the following provisions of interest to the Fish and Wildlife
Service:
Title III, NOAA Marine Fishery Programs, authorizes appropriations for NOAA
fishery programs and directs new marine fishery activities to be carried out by NOAA.
- A Chesapeake Bay Estuarine Resources Office is to be established within
NOAA. The office will provide technical assistance to NOAA and "other Federal departments
and agencies" in researching and monitoring Chesapeake Bay conditions, and is required to
develop and implement a strategy to assist the Chesapeake Bay Program in meeting its
commitments.
Title V, the National Marine Monitoring Program, establishes a national coastal
ecosystem and water quality monitoring system.
- Comprehensive Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Program. EPA and the
Department of Commerce are to jointly develop and implement a program to collect and analyze
data on the environmental quality of coastal ecosystems. The program is to be developed in
conjunction with "other Federal ... authorities." While the Fish and Wildlife Service is not
specifically named, it should participate in the joint activities.
- Intensive Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Programs. Such programs
developed under this Act will survey existing Federal and other coastal monitoring activities, and
coordinate all activities into one program. Federal and State agencies to administer and
implement the program are to be selected.
- Memorandum of Understanding. An MOU to implement the coastal water
quality monitoring programs is to be signed by the EPA and NOAA, and "may" be extended to
include "other appropriate Federal agencies."
- Comprehensive Implementation Strategy. Within 1 year of enactment, a
strategy is to be developed identifying activities to implement the Comprehensive Coastal
Monitoring Program. In developing the strategy, EPA and NOAA are directed to consult with
the Fish and Wildlife Service, among other agencies.
- Within 1 year of submission of the Strategy, EPA and NOAA are required to enter into
MOU's with "appropriate Federal agencies" that would effect the coordination of coastal
monitoring programs. While the Service is not specifically named, it would be included
among such agencies.
Title VIII, North Pacific Anadromous Stocks Convention. This title is also
contained in the Oceans Act of 1992 (P.L. 102- 587).
The legislative history includes Congressional Record pages H10659 - 688, November 20,
1991; S12531 - 535, August 12, 1992; H11792 and H11810 - 11, October 5, 1992; and S17425 -
431, October 7, 1992.
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