Northeast Fisheries Heritage Protection Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 674 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 674

  To prohibit commercial offshore wind energy development in Lobster
    Management Area 1 in the Gulf of Maine, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 23, 2025

   Mr. Golden of Maine (for himself and Mr. Van Drew) introduced the
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural
                               Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To prohibit commercial offshore wind energy development in Lobster
    Management Area 1 in the Gulf of Maine, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Northeast Fisheries Heritage
Protection Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON COMMERCIAL OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN
              LOBSTER MANAGEMENT AREA 1.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The New England fishing industry has been an integral
        part of the history, culture, and economy of the region for
        over 400 years.
            (2) In 2023, the New England commercial fisheries landed an
        estimated 415,966,992 pounds of catch, valued at
        $1,350,533,650, which supports thousands of fishermen, their
        families, and communities that depend on these ocean resources.
            (3) The United States lobster fishery, with Maine and
        Massachusetts producing 93 percent of the lobster harvest, is
        one of the most valuable fisheries in the country with
        commercial landings totaling 113,007,821 pounds valued at
        $582,433,794.
            (4) Lobster Management Area 1 in the Gulf of Maine is a
        critical and highly productive fishing ground for halibut,
        tuna, flounder, redfish, black sea bass, monkfish, mackerel,
        rock and sand crab, mussels, hardshell and softshell clams,
        oysters, scallops, conchs, squid, and lobster.
            (5) In 2024, the Biden Administration's Bureau of Ocean
        Energy Management announced the Final Wind Energy Area for
        commercial offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine,
        which excluded all of Lobster Management Area 1.
            (6) President Trump recently issued an Executive Order
        temporarily withdrawing from disposition for wind energy
        leasing all areas within the outer Continental Shelf citing the
        importance of marine life ensuring that the United States is
        able to maintain a robust fishing industry.
            (7) The permanent protection of Lobster Management Area
        from commercial energy leasing and development would avoid
        conflict with the New England commercial and recreational
        fishing industries and preserve a vital fishing ground for
        future generations.
    (b) Prohibition on Commercial Offshore Wind Development in Lobster
Management Area 1.--Notwithstanding section 8 of the Outer Continental
Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337), no lease, license, permit, or other
authorization may be issued for the development of commercial offshore
wind energy in Lobster Management Area 1.
    (c) Gulf of Maine Offshore Wind Project Environmental Review
Process Study.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
        the enactment of this section, the Comptroller General shall
        conduct a study to assess the sufficiency of the environmental
        review processes of the national Marine Fisheries Service, the
        Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and any other relevant
        Federal agency for offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Maine
        in place as of the date of enactment of this section.
            (2) Contents.--The study required under paragraph (1) shall
        include consideration of the following:
                    (A) The impacts of offshore wind projects in the
                Gulf of Maine on--
                            (i) marine mammals, including whales;
                            (ii) finfish;
                            (iii) benthic resources;
                            (iv) the commercial and recreational
                        fishing industries, including marine equipment
                        retailers, onshore processors, fish markets,
                        and other shoreside businesses;
                            (v) air quality and greenhouse gas
                        emissions;
                            (vi) cultural, historical, and Tribal
                        resources;
                            (vii) marine invertebrates;
                            (viii) essential fish habitat (as that term
                        is defined in section 3 of the Magnuson-Stevens
                        Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16
                        U.S.C. 1802));
                            (ix) plankton abundance and distribution;
                            (x) recreation and tourism; and
                            (xi) fisheries-dependent communities.
                    (B) How each agency described in paragraph (1)
                determines which stakeholders to consult with regard to
                offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Maine and if a
                timely, comprehensive comment period is provided for
                local representatives and interested parties with
                regard to such offshore wind projects.
    (d) Lobster Management Area 1 Defined.--In this section, the term
``Lobster Management Area 1'' has the meaning given the term ``EEZ
Nearshore Management Area 1'' in section 697.18 of title 50, Code of
Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation).
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