Sec. 2. Findings

468 words·~2 min read·/bill/117/hr/4677/ih/section-2

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Congress finds the following: The New York-New Jersey Watershed, which encompasses all the watersheds that flow into New York-New Jersey Harbor and their associated estuaries, such as the Hudson, Mohawk, Raritan, Passaic, Hackensack, and Bronx River Watersheds and the Hudson River Estuary, provide multiple benefits to diverse stakeholders including regarding fisheries and wildlife, conservation of natural resources and public and private lands, critical urban greenspaces and quality of life, and conservation of ocean and coastal resources.

These resources support one of the most densely populated and economically important regions in the country. Managing this public resource and its many services requires leadership from the Department of the Interior and coordination among other Federal agencies, two States, hundreds of counties, cities and towns, and millions of property owners. These ongoing challenges are compounded by the likely impacts of rising air and water temperatures, increases in incidences of extreme weather from large storms to rainfall, and rising sea levels.

The New York-New Jersey Harbor contributes $8,500,000,000 annually in Federal, State, and local tax revenue and is directly or indirectly responsible for 629,000 jobs with $90,500,000,000 in annual personal and business wages. The New York-New Jersey Watershed supports multiple industries that attract over $60,700,000,000 in annual revenue through tourism, commercial fishing, and recreational activities. The Mohawk River’s water resources play an important role in tourism, shipping, and related businesses, with tourism alone valued at more than $1,340,000,000 annually.

Management of the shorelines of the New York-New Jersey Watershed is critical to flood mitigation and habitat for fish and wildlife. Further, following the loss of life and billions of dollars of damages caused by Hurricanes Sandy, Irene and Lee, Federal, State, and local governments recognize that natural and nature-based flood hazard mitigation measures, including living shorelines and restoring the function of riparian corridors, are cost-effective solutions. Restoration activities in the New York-New Jersey Watershed are supported through several Federal and State programs, and funding for those important programs should continue and complement the establishment of the New York-New Jersey Watershed Restoration Program, which is intended to build on and help coordinate restoration and protection funding mechanisms at the Federal, State, regional, and local levels.

Millions of people rely on the Mohawk, Raritan, and Hackensack Rivers as sources of drinking water. The New York-New Jersey Watershed supports Federal threatened species and endangered species, including the shortnose sturgeon and Atlantic sturgeon. Many residents of the region of the New York-New Jersey Watershed live in communities lacking in environmental justice, where access to and enjoyment of fish, wildlife, clean water, and other natural resources have been impaired or compromised.

Drawing on existing management plans and existing and ongoing voluntary conservation efforts in the New York-New Jersey Watershed will improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness, as well as increase private-sector investments and coordination of Federal and non-Federal resources.