[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 733 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 733
Expressing support for the designation of the week of September 20
through September 27, 2025, as ``National Estuaries Week''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 17, 2025
Mr. Mast (for himself, Mr. Haridopolos, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Larsen of
Washington, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Mullin, Ms. Strickland, Mr. Moulton, Mr.
LaLota, Mr. Lawler, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Mrs. Kiggans of
Virginia, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr. Figures, Mr. Carter of Louisiana,
Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Harder of California,
and Ms. Randall) submitted the following resolution; which was referred
to the Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the designation of the week of September 20
through September 27, 2025, as ``National Estuaries Week''.
Whereas estuary regions cover only 13 percent of the land area in the
continental United States but contain nearly 40 percent of the
population, 39 percent of the jobs, and 47 percent of the economic
output of the United States;
Whereas the oceans, estuaries, and Great Lakes of the United States continue to
fuel economic growth across the United States, with employment from the
estuarine and ocean economy growing at 4.5 percent in 2023, compared to
the national average employment growth of 2 percent;
Whereas the estuary, ocean, and Great Lakes economic sectors created 111,000 new
jobs between 2022 and 2023, employed 2,600,000 people, and contributed
$511,000,000,000 to the 2023 gross domestic product;
Whereas the commercial and recreational fishing industries support over
2,300,000 jobs in the United States;
Whereas, in 2022--
(1) commercial and recreational saltwater fishing in the United States
generated $321,000,000,000 in sales;
(2) angler trip expenditures totaled nearly $13,412,000,000; and
(3) saltwater recreational fishing supported at least 691,693 jobs,
generated $138,000,000,000 in sales impacts across the economy of the
United States, and contributed $45,100,000,000 in income impacts and
$74,900,000,000 in value-added impacts to the United States;
Whereas estuaries provide vital habitats, nurseries, and migration stopovers
for--
(1) countless species of fish and wildlife, including more than 68
percent of the commercial fish catch in the United States by value and 80
percent of the recreational fish catch in the United States by weight; and
(2) many species that are listed as threatened or endangered, including
birds integral to the health of estuaries, such as the Snowy Plover and
Saltmarsh Sparrow;
Whereas estuaries provide critical ecosystem services that protect human health
and public safety, including water filtration, flood control, shoreline
stabilization, erosion prevention, and the protection of coastal
communities during hurricanes, storms, and other extreme weather events;
Whereas restored wetlands in the United States have been shown to remove up to
80 percent of nitrogen and 70 percent of phosphorus from runoff water;
Whereas, in 2017, mangrove ecosystems in Florida prevented $1,500,000,000 in
direct flood damage during Hurricane Maria;
Whereas coastal wetlands from Maine to North Carolina prevented $625,000,000 in
property damage during Hurricane Sandy;
Whereas, in New Jersey, areas with salt marshes experience 16 percent lower
annual flood losses than areas without salt marshes;
Whereas, by the 1980s, the United States had already lost more than 50 percent
of the wetlands that existed in the Thirteen Original Colonies;
Whereas the degradation and loss of estuaries has led to the collapse of some
bays in the United States that were once filled with fish and oysters
and have now become dead zones filled with excess nutrients, chemical
waste, and marine debris;
Whereas harmful algal blooms are hurting fish, wildlife, and human health and
are causing serious ecological and economic harm to many estuaries;
Whereas changes in sea level can affect estuarine water quality and estuarine
habitats;
Whereas section 320 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1330)
(commonly known as the ``Clean Water Act'') authorizes the development
of comprehensive conservation and management plans to ensure that the
designated uses of estuaries are protected and to restore and maintain--
(1) chemical, physical, and biological integrity;
(2) water quality;
(3) the balanced indigenous population of shellfish, fish, and
wildlife; and
(4) recreational activity;
Whereas the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.)
provides that the policy of the United States is to preserve, protect,
develop, and, if possible, restore or enhance the resources of the
coastal zones of the United States, including estuaries, for current and
future generations;
Whereas 34 coastal and Great Lakes States and territories of the United States
operate or contain a National Estuary Program or a National Estuarine
Research Reserve;
Whereas scientific study leads to a better understanding of the benefits of
estuaries to human and ecological communities;
Whereas the Federal Government, State, local, and Tribal governments, national
and community organizations, and individuals work together to
effectively manage the estuaries of the United States;
Whereas coastal and marine habitat restoration efforts restore natural
infrastructure in local communities in a cost-effective manner,
generating an average of 17 jobs for every $1,000,000 invested and
helping to reestablish the natural functions of estuaries that yield
countless benefits; and
Whereas the week of September 20 through September 27, 2025, is recognized as
``National Estuaries Week'' to increase awareness among all people of
the United States, including Federal Government and State, local, and
Tribal government officials, of the importance of healthy estuaries and
the need to protect and restore estuaries: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) expresses support for the designation of ``National
Estuaries Week'';
(2) supports the goals and ideals of National Estuaries
Week;
(3) acknowledges the importance of estuaries to sustaining
employment in the United States and to the economic well-being
and prosperity of the United States;
(4) recognizes that persistent threats undermine the health
of estuaries;
(5) applauds the work of national and community
organizations and public partners that promote public
awareness, understanding, protection, and restoration of
estuaries;
(6) supports the scientific study, preservation,
protection, and restoration of estuaries; and
(7) expresses the intent of the House of Representatives to
continue working to understand, protect, and restore the
estuaries of the United States.
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