WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) โ September 28, 2015 โ The House Natural Resources Committeeโs Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans will convene Tuesday, September 29, to consider โThe Potential Implications of Pending Marine National Monument Designations.โ This hearing comes in the wake of a campaign from environmental organizations seeking to enact a marine national monument off the coast of New England via direct Executive order from President Obama. The campaign has been sharply criticized by industry members and prominent elected officials as overstepping transparent, public management processes and existing protections for the areas in questions. Included below is an excerpt from the Hearing Memo released by the House Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans.
Hearing Overview
On Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 10:00 a.m., in 1324 hearing room in the Longworth House Office Building, the Water, Power and Oceans Subcommittee will hold a one-panel oversight hearing on โThe Potential Implications of Pending Marine National Monument Designations.โ
Policy Overview
- The Antiquities Act of 1906 authorizes the President to reserve lands and waters of the United States as National Monuments. While National Monuments have been designated under sixteen Democratic and Republican Administrations, President Obama has expanded or created nineteen national monuments totaling over 260 million acres.
- These designations are more than any other previous President. While so far he has not designated any Marine National Monuments, he has expanded existing ones by more than 403,000 total square miles โ an area larger than the states of Texas and New Mexico combined. While lauded by some groups, the expansions have been criticized for cutting off commercial fishing access and undermining domestic seafood supplies and associated jobs and harming the environment.
- A number of petitions are pending with the Obama Administration to designate areas off of Alaska and Cape Cod in New England. This hearing will primarily focus on the impacts of existing national marine monuments and these proposals.
Read Saving Seafoodโs analysis of this proposal here
Read the full Hearing Memorandum