04/30/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/30/2021 14:55
Washington, D.C. - The Natural Resources Committee is holding three livestreamed events next week.
Tuesday, May 4
The Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, led by Chair Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), will host a legislative hearing to consider the Restoring Resilient Reefs Act of 2021 (H.R. 160) by Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.).
Experts widely expect coral reefs to be functionally extinct within the next century without dramatic and long overdue conservation measures. Intact coral reefs protect coastlines from disasters, create whole ecosystems that support hundreds of billions of dollars in economic activity in the U.S. alone, and sustain ocean health around the planet.
Among other measures, Rep. Soto's bill reauthorizes the Coral Reef Conservation Program through 2024, directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to provide block grants to states to support state coral reef management and restoration, requires the Department of the Interior to provide grants upon the declaration of a coral reef emergency to implement emergency plans, and establishes a National Coral Reef Management Fellowship Program.
Witnesses include:
Director
Coral Reef Conservation Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Research Professor and Director
Kewalo Marine Laboratory, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Associate Director
University of Guam Sea Grant
Professor, Department of Marine Biology and Ecology
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami
Extension Faculty - Aquaculture & Marine Science, University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program
American Samoa Community College
When: 3:00 p.m Eastern time
Watch Live: https://bit.ly/3gOm8fS (Facebook) or https://youtu.be/WWrjg5bfLM4 (YouTube)
Wednesday, May 5
The full Committee, led by Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), will finish the legislative business remaining after the Committee's April 28 markup, where the Committee passed two bills:
On May 5, the Committee will debate and vote on:
When: 11:00 a.m. Eastern time
Watch Live: https://bit.ly/2PDfNZr (Facebook) or https://youtu.be/5KNTRPoKfG4 (YouTube)
Thursday, May 6
The full Committee, led by Chair Grijalva, will hold a Member Day hearing on specific Committee-referred legislation or other priorities as they relate to the Committee's jurisdiction. The hearing will include testimony from members of the House of Representatives on and off the Natural Resources Committee.
More information about the agenda for this hearing will be released as it becomes available.
When: 11:00 a.m. Eastern time
Watch Live: https://bit.ly/3eHWQxe (Facebook) or https://youtu.be/X_gQ-_L8AxA (YouTube)
Media Contact: Adam Sarvana
(202) 225-6065 or (202) 578-6626 mobile