House OKs ocean mapping bill, reauthorizes foreign species protection laws
Posted on July 24th, 2007By Dan Berman
E&E News: The House yesterday approved legislation that would authorize nearly $300 million to create an integrated federal program to map U.S. oceans and coastal waters, along with two African endangered species bills, 
under suspension of the rules.
H.R. 2400 from Del. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam) would integrate current mapping projects carried out by numerous federal agencies, coordinated by an interagency committee headed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The bill would also direct NOAA to create a national registry of federally funded ocean and coastal mapping data and work to integrate onshore and offshore maps. The mapping program would cover U.S. oceans and coastal waters, including the exclusive economic zone, the outer continental shelf and the Great Lakes.
H.R. 2400 would authorize $20 million for the mapping plan for fiscal 2008, $26 million for fiscal 2009, $32 million for fiscal 2010, $38 million for fiscal 2011 and $45 million for fiscal 2012 through fiscal 2015.
The House also approved two reauthorization bills for international wildlife conservation projects for tigers, elephants and rhinoceroses.
H.R. 465, from Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.), reauthorizes the 10-year-old Asian Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act, which funds projects to help manage and protect elephants and curtail the illegal trade of ivory.
House Natural Resources Committee ranking member Don Young’s (R-Alaska) “Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act,” H.R. 50, reauthorizes two more bills: the African Elephant Conservation Act, and the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act.
The bills extend the current funding authorizations for the programs for the next five years and won endorsements from environmentalists and the Bush administration.
Also approved under suspension of the rules were:
H.R. 1239, Rep. Alcee Hastings’ (D-Fla.) bill to reauthorize the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act.
H.R. 1388, to establish the Star-Spangled Banner Trail as a National Historic Trail. The route stretches through Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, tracing historical sites commemorating the War of 1812.
H.R. 761, to authorize the secretary of Interior to convey to The Missouri River Basin Lewis and Clark Interpretive Trail and Visitor Center Foundation Inc. certain federal land associated with the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail in Nebraska.
H.R. 1285, to convey a 3-acre land parcel from the Agriculture Department to Washington’s King and Kittitas counties for a new Snoqualmie Pass fire and rescue station.
H.R. 716, the Santa Rosa Urban Water Reuse Plan Act.
H.R. 1503, the Avra/Black Wash Reclamation and Riparian Restoration Project.
H.R. 1526, the Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program Authorization Act of 2007.
H.R. 495, the Oregon Water Resources Management Act of 2007.