Carol J. Miller Share:
The quest to fulfill energy demands places whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals at substantial risk. When seismic surveys are used to explore for oil and gas, shock waves and rapid changes in pressure can cause tissue destruction and deafen marine mammals, who are highly dependent on their key senses for survival.
In the interest of conservation and prudent development of the natural resources, President Truman’s 1945 Proclamation asserted federal jurisdiction over natural resources, the subsoil, and the seabed of offshore resources of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) of the United States. Proclamation 2667, 10 Fed. Reg. 12,305 (Sept. 28, 1945). The goal of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), passed in 1953, is to balance protection for marine animals and restoration of coastal beaches and wetlands, with management of oil and gas exploration. 43 U.S.C. §§ 1331–1356(b) (1953). The 1978 OCSLA amendments addressed increasing demand
Congress moves to invest in the Nation’s estuaries
Portsmouth Herald
DURHAM Congress reaffirmed its support and strong commitment to the National Estuary Program; a time tested, non-regulatory program that enables communities to protect and restore the bays and estuaries they call home. Here in coastal New Hampshire and southern Maine, The Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) is one of 28 programs designated under the National Estuary Program as having “estuaries of national significance” that will benefit directly from legislation approved by Congress.
The Protect and Restore America’s Estuaries Act, with strong bipartisan support and unanimous approval from the US Senate, was signed into law on January 13, 2021 and supported by New Hampshire Senators Shaheen and Hassan, and Representative Pappas, and Maine Senators Collins and King, and Representative Pingree. The Act reaffirms support for the work of the National Estuary Program, and nearly doubles the an