Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the ocean is of paramount importance to the economic future, environmental quality, and national security of the United States; (2) the United States has a responsibility to exercise and promote comprehensive stewardship and understanding of the ocean and the living marine resources it contains; and (3) the President should issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe a National Oceans Week with appropriate recognition, programs, ceremonies, and activities to further ocean literacy, education, and exploration.
[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 202 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 202
Expressing the sense of Congress in support of a National Oceans Week.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 3, 2003
Mr. Greenwood (for himself, Mr. Farr, Mr. Weldon of Pennsylvania, and
Mr. Allen) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress in support of a National Oceans Week.
Whereas 95 percent of the deep ocean is unexplored and unknown, and is truly the
last frontier on Earth for science and civilization;
Whereas the ocean comprises nearly \3/4\ of the Earth's surface and sustains 80
percent of all life on Earth;
Whereas the oceans play a critical role in the global water cycle, the carbon
cycle, and in regulating climate, and over 90 percent of the oxygen in
the Earth's atmosphere, essential to life on Earth, comes from the
world's oceans and rivers;
Whereas the oceans are an important source of food, provide a wealth of other
natural products, and the oceans and sea floor contain vast energy and
mineral resources that are critical to the economy of the United States
and the world;
Whereas the United States has more than 95,000 miles of coastline and more than
50 percent of the population of the United States lives within 50 miles
of the ocean or the Great Lakes;
Whereas coastal areas are regions of remarkably high biological productivity,
are of considerable importance for a variety of recreational and
commercial activities, and provide a vital means of transportation;
Whereas ocean resources are limited and susceptible to change as a direct and
indirect result of human activities, and such changes can impact the
ability of the ocean to provide the benefits upon which the Nation
depends;
Whereas the rich biodiversity of marine organisms provides society with an
essential biomedical resource, a promising source of novel compounds
with therapeutic potential, and a potentially important contribution to
the national economy;
Whereas there exists significant promise for the development of new ocean
technologies for stewardship of ocean resources that will contribute to
the economy through business and manufacturing innovations and the
creation of new jobs;
Whereas, in its 2000 final report entitled ``Discovering Earth's Final Frontier:
A United States Strategy for Ocean Exploration'', the President's Panel
on Ocean Exploration recommended to the President and to Congress a 10-
year program to launch the first national plan for ocean exploration;
Whereas the Oceans Act of 2000 passed by Congress authorized the establishment
of the Commission on Ocean Policy and directed it to conduct a
comprehensive review of present and future ocean programs and activities
and provide comprehensive ocean policy recommendations to the Congress
and the President by 2003; and
Whereas the oceans are vital to national security and the national economy, and
the Nation's greatest era of ocean exploration and discovery still lies
ahead: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
(1) the ocean is of paramount importance to the economic
future, environmental quality, and national security of the
United States;
(2) the United States has a responsibility to exercise and
promote comprehensive stewardship and understanding of the
ocean and the living marine resources it contains; and
(3) the President should issue a proclamation calling upon
the people of the United States to observe a National Oceans
Week with appropriate recognition, programs, ceremonies, and
activities to further ocean literacy, education, and
exploration.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans.
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