Sec. 201. Policy
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/bill/116/hr/8632/ih/section-201·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the policy of the United States— to prohibit any commercial extractive or destructive human activity in at least 30 percent of the ocean under United States jurisdiction by 2030. The 30 percent shall include existing areas in which commercial extractive and destructive human activities are and continue to be prohibited; and to support the adoption and implementation of a global goal to protect at least 30 percent of land and 30 percent of ocean areas by 2030 under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
It is the policy of the United States to protect ocean habitats and ecosystems that represent— the diversity of the United States ocean; areas important for conserving and, where appropriate, preserving biodiversity; critical breeding, resting, and feeding habitats for wildlife; interconnected networks of marine protected areas and wildlife migration corridors; areas that will help mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis, including those areas that provide carbon storage, adaptation, and resilience benefits; areas that are relatively pristine and least impacted by human activity; and areas that help mitigate threats to the United States most vulnerable coastal communities, including protections for natural resources that support the economy and health of communities that rely on a healthy and clean ocean, in particular communities of color, low-income communities, and Tribal and Indigenous communities adversely affected by climate change.
A Federal agency carrying out the policies described in this section shall seek to carry out such policies in a manner that— relies on best available science; includes meaningful input from States, local communities, and Native American Tribes, and respects Tribal history of sustainable resource management, Indigenous sustainable resource management, Tribal sovereignty, and the right to Tribal self-determination; improves access to nature for all people, with an emphasis on increasing access for communities of color and low-income communities; provides ecological and geographic representation, taking into account that some Fishery Management Councils have taken action to ban the use of all bottom-tending fishing gear and all fishing gear with bycatch rates that adversely affect marine wildlife populations; conserves, protects, and restores biodiversity; protects ecosystems and the services of ecosystems, restores degraded ecosystems, and maintains ecological functions; enhances climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience, including by protecting ecosystems, species and genetic diversity; supports sustainable economic opportunity for people who depend on the ocean for their livelihoods by making the ocean more resilient to climate change and enhancing ecosystem functioning; evaluates the negative and positive economic impacts of such policies and considers ways to mitigate such negative impacts; considers local and regional input in the design and implementation of protected areas, including input from stakeholders, and considers the cultural values, including seafaring and maritime heritage values, of the United States; and provides tools and resources to ensure that protected areas are effectively managed.
In this section: The term communities of color means a geographically distinct area in which the population of any of the following categories of individuals is higher than the average populations of that category for the State in which the community is located: Black. African American. Asian American. Pacific Islander. Other non-White race. Hispanic. Latino. Linguistically isolated. Each of the terms protect and protection means the establishment of enduring measures on land, waters, and oceans that support thriving biodiversity, contribute to climate resilience, and provide ecosystem services, such that their natural character, resources, and functions are conserved, protected, restored and, when shown necessary, enhanced for current and future generations.