Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce along with the Senator from South Carolina, Mr. Graham, the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act of 2022. The Strengthening Coastal Communities Act of 2022 amends the Coastal Barrier Resources Act and codifies maps to update and add units to the Coastal Barrier Resources System. Congress first passed the bipartisan Coastal Barrier Resources Act in 1982, due in no small part to the hard work of former Congressman Tom Evans from Delaware. Today, the Coastal Barrier Resources System consists of 588 system units, which are areas of low and undeveloped coastal land along the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico coasts. There are also 282 otherwise protected areas in the system, which are used primarily for conservation and recreation purposes. Together, this is 3.5 million acres of land and associated aquatic habitat. These units and areas are important not only because they protect habitat vital to our Nation's wildlife but because conserving sensitive coastal habitats also protects our coastal communities--our homes, businesses, and infrastructure--from flooding. The Strengthening Coastal Communities Act represents a proactive step toward more resilient coastlines across our Nation. We need to prioritize the protection of our coastlines ahead of the next storm instead of in response to it.…
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