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Friday, May 6, 2011

Pierluisi Introduces Legislation to Protect Endangered Marine Sea Turtles

Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi has introduced legislation, entitled the Marine Turtle Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2011, which will provide federal financial support to local governments and non-profit entities to protect endangered marine sea turtles, which are found in Puerto Rico and other jurisdictions across the United States and around the world.

The bill would authorize $5 million to be allocated for this program each fiscal year from Fiscal Years 2012 through 2017. Under the bill, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) within the Department of the Interior would award grants for projects that are designed to conserve, protect and help sustain the most threatened populations of marine sea turtles.

“Puerto Rico is renowned for its natural beauty. In addition to its spectacular beaches, rainforest and mountains, the Island is home to many exquisite and unique animal species, including several types of endangered marine sea turtles. It is critical that the federal government partner with local governments and conservation organizations to help protect and preserve these animals and their natural habitats. My bill will be an important step in this effort,” said Pierluisi.

At least four of the seven documented species of marine sea turtles have been known to live in Puerto Rico’s waters or to nest on its beaches. Those turtle species are: the Leatherback, the Hawksbill, the Green Turtle, and the Loggerhead. In 1998, the federal government, acting pursuant to the Endangered Species Act, designated the coastal waters surrounding Culebra Island and Mona Island as “critical habitats.” This designation has served to provide an added layer of legal protection for the endangered marine sea turtles found in those waters.

The Resident Commissioner’s bill would expand the marine turtle conservation program to protect turtles found in the United States and its territories. Under current law, the USFWS is restricted to awarding grants for projects for the conservation of marine turtles in foreign countries, even though all but one of the seven documented marine turtle species in the world can be found in the United States. Pierluisi’s legislation would require that at least 20% of funding each year be awarded to projects designed to conserve turtles in the United States and its territories.

The legislation was introduced with bipartisan support. Original cosponsors include James Moran (D-VA), the senior Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Gregorio “Kilili” Sablan (D-CNMI), the senior Democrat on the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs; Don Young (R-AK); George Miller (D-CA); Donna Christensen (D-VI), Eni Faleomavaega (D-AS), and Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU).