article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2004''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. (a) Findings.--Congress finds that-- (1) Long Island Sound is a national treasure of great cultural, environmental, and ecological importance; (2) 8,000,000 people live within the Long Island Sound watershed and 28,000,000 people (approximately 10 percent of the population of the United States) live within 50 miles of Long Island Sound; (3) activities that depend on the environmental health of Long Island Sound contribute more than $5,000,000,000 each year to the regional economy; (4) the portion of the shoreline of Long Island Sound that is accessible to the general public (estimated at less than 20 percent of the total shoreline) is not adequate to serve the needs of the people living in the area; (5) existing shoreline facilities are in many cases overburdened and underfunded; (6) large parcels of open space already in public ownership are strained by the effort to balance the demand for recreation with the needs of sensitive natural resources; (7) approximately \1/3\ of the tidal marshes of Long Island Sound have been filled, and much of the remaining marshes have been ditched, dyked, or impounded, reducing the ecological value of the marshes; and (8) many of the remaining exemplary natural landscape is vulnerable to further development. (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to establish the Long Island Sound Stewardship System to preserve areas of critical importance because of the open space, public access, and ecological value of the areas. SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: (1) Committee.--The term ``Committee'' means the Long Island Sound Stewardship Coordinating Committee established by section 5(a). (2) Region.--The term ``Region'' means the Long Island Sound Stewardship System Region established by section 4(a). (3) States.--The term ``States'' means the States of Connecticut and New York. SEC. 4. LONG ISLAND SOUND STEWARDSHIP SYSTEM REGION. (a) Establishment.--There is established in the States the Long Island Sound Stewardship System Region. (b) Boundaries.--The Region shall encompass the immediate coastal upland and underwater areas along Long Island Sound, including those portions of the Sound with coastally influenced vegetation, as described on the map entitled the ``Long Island Sound Stewardship Region'' and dated April 21, 2004. SEC. 5. LONG ISLAND SOUND STEWARDSHIP COORDINATING COMMITTEE. (a) Establishment.--There is established a committee to be known as the ``Long Island Sound Stewardship Coordinating Committee''. (b) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Committee shall be the Director of the Long Island Sound Office of the Environmental Protection Agency, or designee. (c) Membership.-- (1) Composition.-- (A) In general.--The chairperson shall appoint the members of the Committee in accordance with this subsection and section 320(c) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1330(c)). (B) Representation.--The Committee shall-- (i) include equal representation of the interests of the States; and (ii) represent-- (I) Federal, State, and local government interests; (II) the interests of nongovernmental organizations; (III) academic interests; and (IV) private interests. (2) Date of appointments.--The appointment of a member of the Committee shall be made not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act. (d) Term; Vacancies.-- (1) Term.--A member shall be appointed for the life of the Committee. (2) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Committee-- (A) shall not affect the powers of the Committee; and (B) shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made. (e) Initial Meeting.--Not later than 30 days after the date on which all members of the Committee have been appointed, the Committee shall hold the initial meeting of the Committee. (f) Meetings.--The Committee shall meet at the call of the Chairperson, but not less than 4 times each year. (g) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may hold hearings. SEC. 6. DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEE. The Committee shall-- (1) consistent with the guidelines described in section 9(c)-- (A) establish specific criteria for the evaluation of applications for stewardship site designations; and (B) evaluate and award or deny stewardship designation to applicants for that designation; (2) consistent with the guidelines described in section 9(d)-- (A) evaluate applications from government or nonprofit organizations qualified to hold conservation easements for funds to purchase land or development rights for stewardship sites; and (B) award funds to qualified applicants; (3) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, develop and publish a management plan that-- (A) assesses the current resources of and threats to Long Island Sound; (B) assesses the role of the Long Island Sound Stewardship System in protecting Long Island Sound; (C) establishes-- (i) guidelines, schedules, and due dates for applying for designation as a stewardship site; and (ii) specific criteria to be used in evaluating stewardship site applications; (D) includes information about any grants that are available for the purchase of land or property rights to protect stewardship sites; (E) shall be made available to the public on the Internet and in hardcopy form; and (F) shall be updated at least every other year, with information on applications for stewardship site designation and funding published more frequently; and (4) concurrent with the first management plan, publish a list of sites that the Committee considers most appropriate for designation as stewardship sites. SEC. 7. POWERS OF THE COMMITTEE. (a) Hearings.--The Committee may hold such hearings, meet and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as the Committee considers advisable to carry out this Act. (b) Information From Federal Agencies.-- (1) In general.--The Committee may secure directly from a Federal agency such information as the Committee considers necessary to carry out this Act. (2) Provision of information.--On request of the Chairperson of the Committee, the head of the agency shall provide the information to the Committee. (c) Postal Services.--The Committee may use the United States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other agencies of the Federal Government. (d) Gifts.--The Committee may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or donations of services or property. SEC. 8. COMMITTEE PERSONNEL MATTERS. (a) Compensation of Members.-- (1) Non-federal employees.--A member of the Committee who is not an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall be compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, for each day (including travel time) during which the member is engaged in the performance of the duties of the Committee. (2) Federal employees.--A member of the Committee who is an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall serve without compensation in addition to the compensation received for the services of the member as an officer or employee of the Federal Government. (b) Travel Expenses.--A member of the Committee shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for an employee of an agency under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from the home or regular place of business of the member in the performance of the duties of the Committee. (c) Staff.-- (1) In general.--The Chairperson of the Committee may, without regard to the civil service laws (including regulations), appoint and terminate an executive director and such other additional personnel as are necessary to enable the Committee to perform the duties of the Committee. (2) Confirmation of executive director.--The employment of an executive director shall be subject to confirmation by the Committee. (3) Compensation.-- (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the Chairperson of the Committee may fix the compensation of the executive director and other personnel without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, relating to classification of positions and General Schedule pay rates. (B) Maximum rate of pay.--The rate of pay for the executive director and other personnel shall not exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code. (d) Detail of Federal Government Employees.-- (1) In general.--An employee of the Federal Government may be detailed to the Committee without reimbursement. (2) Civil service status.--The detail of the employee shall be without interruption or loss of civil service status or privilege. (e) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--The Chairperson of the Committee may procure temporary and intermittent services in accordance with section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals that do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of that title. SEC. 9. STEWARDSHIP SITES. (a) Definition of Qualifying Land.--In this section, the term ``qualifying land'' means land-- (1) that is in the Region; and (2) that is-- (A) Federal, State, local, or tribal land; (B) land owned by a nonprofit organization; or (C) privately owned land. (b) Application for Designation.--Owners or other parties in control of qualifying land may apply to the Committee to have the qualifying land designated as a Long Island Sound stewardship site. (c) General Guidelines for Stewardship Site Designation.-- (1) In general.--The Committee shall choose land to be designated as a stewardship site based on-- (A) the contribution of the land to open space on and public access to Long Island Sound; and (B) the ecological value of the land. (2) Criteria.--In considering land described in applications submitted under subsection (b), the Committee shall consider-- (A) land cover; (B) size; (C) adjacency and connectivity to existing parks and open spaces; (D) water quality; (E) current or prospective recreational use; (F) visitor demand; (G) scenic quality; (H) cultural resources; (I) erosion and flood hazard prevention; (J) environmental justice; (K) fish and wildlife productivity; (L) biodiversity; (M) scientific value; (N) water quality protection; (O) habitat restoration characteristics; (P) connectivity to other habitats that are vital to sustaining healthy living resources in the Long Island Sound watershed; (Q) risk of development; and (R) other criteria developed by the Committee under section 6(1)(A). (d) General Guidelines for Awarding Funds.-- (1) In general.--The Committee shall award funds to qualified applicants to help to secure and improve the open space, public access, or ecological values of stewardship sites, through-- (A) purchase of the property of the site; (B) purchase of relevant property rights of the site; or (C) entering into any other binding legal arrangement that ensures that the values of the site are preserved. (2) Equitable distribution of funds.--The Committee shall exert due diligence to distribute funds equitably between the States. SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $40,000,000 for each fiscal year, to be allocated from the national estuary program under section 320 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1330). (b) Allocation of Funds.--For each fiscal year-- (1) not more than 15 percent of funds made available under subsection (a) shall be used to improve the facilities of stewardship sites; and (2) at least 85 percent of funds made available under subsection (a) shall be used to secure the values of stewardship sites. (c) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of an activity carried out using any assistance or grant under this Act shall not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of the activity.
summary: Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2004 - Establishes the Long Island Sound Stewardship System Region in Connecticut and New York. Establishes the Long Island Sound Stewardship Coordinating Committee to evaluate applications: (1) from owners or other controlling parties to have qualifying land within the Region designated as "stewardship sites" for purposes of awarding preservation funds; and (2) from government or nonprofit organizations qualified to hold conservation easements for funds to purchase land or development rights for stewardship sites. Requires the Committee to develop and publish a management plan that describes the current status of Long Island Sound, the Committee's role in protecting it, and details of the stewardship site designation program.