Dear Friend,Today, the House Natural Resources Committee passed the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources (CLEAR) Act (H.R. 3534) by a 27 to 21 vote. It's now ready for consideration on the House Floor. The CLEAR Act was introduced by Committee Chairman (and ocean champion) Nick Rahall (D-WV). Ocean Champions worked closely with a coalition of ocean organizations to support this bill and helped to eliminate a number of harmful amendments that were proposed.
The CLEAR Act establishes a sizable ocean trust to fund projects that conserve, protect, maintain, and restore ocean and coastal ecosystems. It initiates the critical practice of marine spatial planning to protect ecosystem health when making decisions about the use of ocean resources, and it reforms the Minerals Management Service and the processes used to make decisions on outer continental shelf energy projects.
Ocean Champions thanks Chairman Rahall for his leadership on this important legislation, as well as the other champions on the Committee, all of whom voted in favor of the CLEAR Act. This close vote demonstrates once again how important it is to elect ocean advocates to Congress.
For the oceans,
The Ocean Champions Team
P.S. Help Ocean Champions elect more ocean advocates to Congress to pass pro-ocean bills like the CLEAR Act by joining Ocean Champions today!