Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act of 2023

Floor Speech

H.R. 5441 would reauthorize the Long Island Sound programs at the current funding level of $40 million annually through fiscal year 2028. These vital programs include the Long Island Sound Grants and the Long Island Sound Stewardship Grants.

The Long Island Sound is a tidal estuary and marine sound, and it is a unique and irreplaceable natural resource. It stretches approximately 110 miles across the north shore of Long Island and the coast of Connecticut.

Its extensive watershed reaches into Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Quebec.

The sound was formed around 15,000 years ago when a terminal moraine dam failed, allowing freshwater from glacial Lake Connecticut to mix with the Atlantic Ocean. This newly formed estuary supported indigenous communities for over 11,000 years before European colonization.

Today, the areas surrounding Long Island Sound are heavily developed, leading to significant degradation of its water quality and ecosystems due to pollution from industry, agriculture, sewage, and runoff.

Despite this, the sound's unique hydrology and geology support diverse coastal ecosystems, including marshes, tidal pools, dunes, and eelgrass meadows.

These habitats are home to abundant wildlife, including the endangered shortnose sturgeon. Protecting these ecosystems and species remains an ongoing and critical challenge that requires continuous support.

The management of Long Island Sound falls to the States, not the Federal Government. In 1985, Congress established the Management Conference of the Long Island Sound Study to address significant environmental issues affecting the sound.

This conference brings together the EPA, New York State, Connecticut, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions to restore and protect the sound and its watershed.

The conference oversees numerous initiatives, including monitoring and pollution control programs, grant coordination, public education, outreach, and policy development.

Reauthorizing these programs through H.R. 5441 is essential for the sound's continued recovery and conservation. These efforts will help restore water quality, protect vital ecosystems, and ensure the sound remains a vibrant and healthy resource for future generations.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. LEE of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time.

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Ms. LEE of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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