Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5441, the Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act of 2023. Representative LaLota's legislation reauthorizes programs that promote collaboration between Federal agencies, State and local governments, and other stakeholders to protect and preserve the Long Island Sound. H.R. 5441 reauthorizes the Long Island Sound Study through 2028 at current funding levels. The Long Island Sound Study was created in 1985, and for several decades it has been instrumental in protecting the sound and its broader watershed. The Long Island Sound Study established the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan that focuses on habitat restoration, water quality monitoring, and sets ecosystem targets for the next 20 years. A component of the program also provides grants to local officials deploying restoration projects. The program has been responsible for the restoration of more than 2,000 acres of habitat. With 4 million people living in the sound's communities, and 9 million in its watershed, protection of this resource helps to safeguard the region's economy and the environment. The Long Island Sound Study has been updated in recent decades to create more effective partnerships to manage the sound, to ensure that all stakeholders are at the table, and to provide resources to local officials carrying out projects.…”