Bi-partisan legislation proposed by Senators Whitehouse (D-RI) and Snowe (R-ME) to establish a National Endowment for the Oceans received a shot in the arm recently, when the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works approved a proposal set forth earlier this year to fund the Endowment. Senator Whitehouse, a member of the Committee, called the approval a major step forward in getting the Endowment launched and said that its funds would help protect Rhode Island’s oceans and support the fishing, research and tourism jobs which are central to Rhode Island’s economy.

The Committee voted to approve the RESTORE the Gulf Coast States Act of 2011, which would set up the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund, financed by the billions of dollars in Clean Water Act penalties expected to be paid by BP and others responsible for the Gulf oil spill. Half of the interest generated from the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund – projected to be tens of millions of dollars in the first year alone – would be used to create the Endowment.

Funds from the Endowment would go towards restoring habitat, managing fisheries, planning for sustainable coastal development, acquiring coastal properties for preservation and relocating critical coastal infrastructure in Rhode Island, Maine and in coastal areas nationwide.

The legislation is pending approval by the full Senate.

CLF has long been supportive of the program and applauds both Senators Whitehouse and Snowe for their efforts to make the Endowment a reality.

“The Senators’ shared vision for a National Endowment for the Oceans demonstrates not only a commitment to our precious resources, but also an understanding that without funding we will be unable to do the comprehensive regional planning we need to restore habitat and protect our unique and vital ocean spaces,” said Tricia K. Jedele, vice president and director of CLF’s Rhode Island office.

For more information on CLF’s ocean conservation work, please visit here.