Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 104 Part 4.djvu/773

 PUBLIC LAW 101-605 —NOV. 16, 1990 104 STAT. 3089 Public Law 101-605 101st Congress An Act To establish the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and for othei purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SHORT TITLE SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the "Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act". FINDINGS SEC. 2. The Congress finds and declares the following: (1) The Florida Keys extend approximately 220 miles southwest from the southern tip of the Florida peninsula. (2) Adjacent to the Florida Keys land mass are located spectacular, unique, and nationally significant marine environments, including seagrass meadows, mangrove islands, and extensive living coral reefs. (3) These marine environments support rich biological communities possessing extensive conservation, recreational, commercial, ecological, historical, research, educational, and esthetic values which give this area special national significance. (4) These environments are the marine equivalent of tropical rain forests in that they support high levels of biological diversity, are fragile and easily susceptible to damage from human activities, and possess high value to human beings if properly conserved. (5) These marine environments are subject to damage and loss of their ecological integrity from a variety of sources of disturbance. (6) Vessel groundings along the reefs of the Florida Keys represent one of many serious threats to the continued vitality of the marine environments of the Florida Keys which must be addressed in order to protect their values. (7) Action is necessary to provide comprehensive protection for these marine environments by establishing a Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, by restricting vessel traffic within such Sanctuary, and by requiring promulgation of a management plan and regulations to protect Sanctuary resources. (8) The agencies of the United States must cooperate fully to achieve the necessary protection of Sanctuary resources. (9) The Federal Government and the State of Florida should jointly develop and implement a comprehensive program to reduce pollution in the waters offshore the Florida Keys to protect and restore the water quality, coral reefs, and other living marine resources of the Florida Keys environment. Nov. 16, 1990 [H.R. 5909] Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act. Conservation. 16 USC 1433 note. 16 USC 1433 note.

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