Hydrographic Services Improvement Amendments Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, this bill reauthorizes the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act, which funds vital navigation and safety services of NOAA's Office of Coast Survey, which maintains more than 1,000 charts and publications used by Federal and State agencies, private organizations, and the public.

It is no small feat to do this for our Nation's 95,000 miles of shoreline and 3.4 million square nautical miles of water.

It is critical that we ensure Federal capacity for hydrographic surveys, mapping, and charting. NOAA vessels and data support a wide range of activities and inform decisions with significant economic, environmental, and safety impacts.

As we face rapidly changing ocean conditions, hydrographic services will only become more important. This is particularly true in the Arctic, where we will eventually see almost entirely ice-free summers. It is not a matter of if, but when and how soon. With that comes an entirely new seascape for maritime commerce and transport, defense, and natural resources.

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my colleague Mr. Young for his hard work. I encourage adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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