33 U.S.C. § 2906 — Monitoring of estuary habitat restoration

Page 925 TITLE 33—NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS § 2907 (d) Elements of the strategy The estuary habitat restoration strategy shall include proposals, methods, and guidance on— (1) maximizing the incentives for the cre- ation of new public-private partnerships to carry out estuary habitat restoration projects and the use of Federal resources to encourage increased private sector involvement in estu- ary habitat restoration activities; (2) ensuring that the estuary habitat res- toration strategy will be implemented in a manner that is consistent with the estuary management or habitat restoration plans; (3) promoting estuary habitat restoration projects to— (A) provide healthy ecosystems in order to support— (i) wildlife, including endangered and threatened species, migratory birds, and resident species of an estuary watershed; and (ii) fish and shellfish, including commer- cial and recreational fisheries; (B) improve surface and ground water quality and quantity, and flood control; (C) provide outdoor recreation; and (D) address other areas of concern that the Council determines to be appropriate for consideration; (4) addressing the estimated historic losses, estimated current rate of loss, and extent of the threat of future loss or degradation of each type of estuary habitat; (5) measuring the rate of change for each type of estuary habitat; (6) selecting a balance of smaller and larger estuary habitat restoration projects; and (7) ensuring equitable geographic distribu- tion of projects funded under this chapter. (e) Public review and comment Before the Council adopts a final or revised es- tuary habitat restoration strategy, the Sec- retary shall publish in the Federal Register a draft of the estuary habitat restoration strategy and provide an opportunity for public review and comment. (f) Periodic revision Using data and information developed through project monitoring and management, and other relevant information, the Council may periodi- cally review and update, as necessary, the estu- ary habitat restoration strategy. (Pub. L. 106–457, title I, § 106, Nov. 7, 2000, 114 Stat. 1963.) § 2906. Monitoring of estuary habitat restoration projects (a) Under Secretary In this section, the term ‘‘Under Secretary’’ means the Under Secretary for Oceans and At- mosphere of the Department of Commerce. (b) Database of restoration project information The Under Secretary, in consultation with the Council, shall develop and maintain an appro- priate database of information concerning estu- ary habitat restoration projects carried out under this chapter, including information on project techniques, project completion, moni- toring data, and other relevant information. (c) Monitoring data standards The Under Secretary, in consultation with the Council, shall develop standard data formats for monitoring projects, along with requirements for types of data collected and frequency of monitoring. (d) Coordination of data The Under Secretary shall have general data compilation, coordination, and analysis respon- sibilities to carry out this chapter and in sup- port of the strategy developed under this sec- tion, including compilation of information that pertains to estuary habitat restoration projects from other Federal, State, and local sources and that meets the quality control requirements and data standards established under this section. (e) Use of existing programs The Under Secretary shall use existing pro- grams within the National Oceanic and Atmos- pheric Administration to create and maintain the database required under this section. (f) Public availability The Under Secretary shall make the informa- tion collected and maintained under this section available to the public. (Pub. L. 106–457, title I, § 107, Nov. 7, 2000, 114 Stat. 1964; Pub. L. 110–114, title V, § 5017(e), Nov. 8, 2007, 121 Stat. 1198.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2007—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 110–114 substituted ‘‘have general data compilation, coordination, and analysis responsibilities to carry out this chapter and in support of the strategy developed under this section, including compilation of’’ for ‘‘compile’’. § 2907. Reporting (a) In general Not later than September 30, 2008, and every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary, after consid- ering the advice and recommendations of the Council, shall transmit to Congress a report on the results of activities carried out under this chapter. (b) Contents of report A report under subsection (a) shall include— (1) data on the number of acres of estuary habitat restored under this chapter, including descriptions of, and partners involved with, projects selected, in progress, and completed under this chapter that comprise those acres; (2) information from the database estab- lished under section 2906(b) of this title related to ongoing monitoring of projects to ensure that short-term and long-term restoration goals are achieved; (3) an estimate of the long-term success of varying restoration techniques used in car- rying out estuary habitat restoration projects; (4) a review of how the information described in paragraphs (1) through (3) has been incor- porated in the selection and implementation of estuary habitat restoration projects;