Amendments to National Estuarine Research Reserve System

(a) Designation of additional National Estuarine Research Reserves (1) In general (A) Initiation Not later than 5 years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall have initiated the designation process for not less than 5 new National Estuarine Research Reserves in the System. (B) Designation Not later than 8 years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall designate not less than 5 new National Estuarine Research Reserves in the System. (2) Prioritization In making each designation under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall prioritize nominated estuarine areas that will promote the following with respect to the System: (A) The presence of a National Estuarine Research Reserve in each coastal State. (B) Full representation of biogeographic regions to ensure research in areas with distinct biodiversity or estuarine geography. (3) Report Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report regarding the status of ongoing efforts to achieve the requirements under this subsection. (b) Guidelines for tracking and modeling impacts of climate change Section 315(c) of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1461(c)) is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (5) as paragraphs (4) through (6), respectively; and (2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following: (3) the establishment of coordinated long-term data monitoring and methods throughout the System for tracking the impacts of climate change and other stressors on estuarine systems, including impacts on lake levels and sea levels;. (c) Financial assistance Section 315(e)(1) of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1461(f)(1)) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A)— (A) in clause (ii), by inserting and maintaining after constructing; and (B) in clause (iii), by inserting research, monitoring, stewardship, training, and after conducting; and (2) in subparagraph (B)— (A) by striking research and and inserting research,; and (B) by inserting, stewardship, education, and training after monitoring. (d) Program elements Section 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1461) is amended by adding at the end the following: (h) System-Wide elements of National Estuarine Research Reserve System The Secretary shall coordinate System-wide programs and activities in the System, including— (1) the centralized management and dissemination of data from System observation and monitoring networks; (2) employment, through a grant program, of the collaborative research model on coastal research and management priorities to be conducted at National Estuarine Research Reserves, focused on the priorities determined by the Secretary; (3) use of National Estuarine Research Reserves as living laboratories and as preferred locations for placements for fellowship and research positions for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and (4) establishing the Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Research Fellowship Program to address key coastal management questions and the coastal research and management priorities of the System and its place-based sites to help scientists and communities understand the coastal challenges that may influence future policy and management strategies. (i) Place-Based program elements of National Estuarine Research Reserve System Each National Estuarine Research Reserve shall establish and maintain place-based program elements commensurate with available funding that include— (1) a research, monitoring, and observation network that detects environmental change and informs suitable adaptation and mitigation strategies to address coastal hazards and environmental change; (2) living laboratories and preferred places for research on environmental change detection and development of adaptation strategies to the impacts of such change; (3) education, outreach, training, and interpretive programs that communicate the value and changing dynamics of coastal systems; (4) stewardship programs that provide science-based tools, habitat management, and restoration and that provide resources and information to inform coastal management; (5) coastal training programs that provide technical assistance to coastal communities, resource managers, and coastal decisionmakers; (6) identifying priority land for acquisition to enhance ecosystem and community resilience to the negative effects of climate change; (7) the lands and facilities that support such accessible research, monitoring, stewardship, education, and coastal training activities; and (8) the engagement of a wide variety of community members, including Tribal nations, Indigenous communities, and Historic Heritage communities to inform the programs above. (j) Existing uses Except as otherwise explicitly provided in a management plan of a National Estuarine Research Reserve, any activity allowed at the time the National Estuarine Research Reserve is designated may be allowed to continue, including, as applicable— (1) commercial and recreational fishing; (2) hunting; and (3) cultural uses.. (e) Authorization of appropriations Section 318(a)(2) of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1464(a)(2)) is amended to read as follows: (2) for grants under section 315, $47,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.. (f) Conforming amendments The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) is amended— (1) in section 304 (16 U.S.C. 1453)— (A) by redesignating paragraphs (13) through (18) as paragraphs (14) through (19), respectively; and (B) by inserting after paragraph (12) the following: (13) The term National Estuarine Research Reserve means a national estuarine reserve designated under section 315.; (2) in section 312(c)(1) (16 U.S.C. 1458(c)(1)), by striking national estuarine reserve established under section 315 of this title and inserting National Estuarine Research Reserve; and (3) in section 315 (16 U.S.C. 1461)— (A) in subsection (a), by striking a national estuarine reserve each place it appears and inserting a National Estuarine Research Reserve; (B) in subsection (b)— (i) in the heading, by striking National Estuarine Reserves and inserting National Estuarine Research Reserves; and (ii) by striking a national estuarine reserve and inserting a National Estuarine Research Reserve; (C) in subsection (e), by striking national estuarine reserve each place it appears and inserting National Estuarine Research Reserve; (D) in subsection (f), by striking national estuarine reserve each place it appears and inserting National Estuarine Research Reserve; and (E) in subsection (g), by striking national estuarine reserves each place it appears and inserting National Estuarine Research Reserves. (g) Definitions In this section: (1) Coastal State The term coastal State has the meaning given the term coastal state in section 304 of title III of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1453), as applicable to such title. (2) National Estuarine Research Reserve The term National Estuarine Research Reserve means a national estuarine reserve designated under section 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1461). (3) Secretary The term Secretary has the meaning given the term in section 304 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1453). (4) System The term System means the National Estuarine Research Reserve System established by section 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1461).