Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Assessment Act

Floor Speech

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Assessment Act, an important bill to promote and preserve the sunken treasures of the Great Lakes.

The rich maritime history of the Great Lakes is an integral part of the American narrative. Millions of immigrants who settled the region and started America's westward expansion arrived on Great Lakes steamboats. As cities grew, Great Lakes ships and barges carried the timber, coal, and ore that fueled America's industrial might. One of America's first great naval victories, the Battle of Lake Erie, was won on the Great Lakes. Today, much of this heritage remains, beneath the waters of the Great Lakes.

Despite thousands of shipwrecks throughout the Great Lakes, the Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary is the only designated sanctuary in the lakes. Located in Lake Huron, off the coast of Alpena, Michigan, Thunder Bay Sanctuary has been a major economic driver for the area, spurring tourism, research, and educational opportunities. We can build on the success of Thunder Bay by establishing additional sanctuaries across the Great Lakes.

This bill would direct the Administrator of NOAA to identify underwater areas throughout the Great Lakes that possess significant historical and archaeological resources and recommend whether they should be designated as National Marine Sanctuaries.

Preserving the cultural legacy of our region is an important component of caring for our Great Lakes, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to achieve this goal.

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