CBRA Legislation and Testimony

Coastal Barrier Resources Act of 1982

Congress passed the Coastal Barrier Resources Act of 1982 to address problems caused by coastal barrier development. CBRA restricts most Federal expenditures and financial assistance that tend to encourage development, including Federal flood insurance, in the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resource System. Three important goals of CBRA are to:

• minimize loss of human life by discouraging development in high risk areas;
• reduce wasteful expenditure of federal resources; and
• protect the natural resources associated with coastal barriers.

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Coastal Barrier Improvement Act of 1990

The Coastal Barrier Improvement Act (CBIA) of 1990 reauthorized the Coastal Barrier Resources Act and expanded the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System by adding new units in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Great Lakes, and enlarging some previously designated units along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The CBIA also designated a new category of lands called "otherwise protected areas" (OPAs). OPAs are based on areas established under federal, state, or local law, or held by a qualified organization, primarily for wildlife refuge, sanctuary, recreational, or natural resource conservation purposes. Most of the land within OPAs is publicly held for conservation or recreational purposes; however, OPAs can contain private land held for conservation purposes, as well as private properties not held for conservation that are inholdings. The only federal spending prohibition within OPAs is federal flood insurance.

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Coastal Barrier Resources Reauthorization Act of 2000

The Coastal Barrier Resources Reauthorization Act of 2000 reauthorized the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) and directed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to complete a Digital Mapping Pilot Project that includes digitally produced draft maps for up to 75 John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) areas and a report to Congress that describes the feasibility and costs for completing digital maps for all CBRS areas. The Service is in the process of completing the pilot project. The 2000 Act also directed the Service to conduct an economic assessment of the effects of CBRA. The assessment conducted in 2002 estimated how much money CBRA has saved taxpayers by restricting federal spending for roads, wastewater systems, potable water supply, and disaster relief. The assessment estimated that from 1983-2010, CBRA will have saved American taxpayers approximately $1.3 billion.

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Coastal Barrier Resources Reauthorization Act of 2005

The Coastal Barrier Resources Reauthorization Act of 2005 (signed into law on May 25, 2006) reauthorized the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) and directed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to finalize the Digital Mapping Pilot Project by: (1) providing a public comment period for the draft maps created through the pilot project (covering approximately 10 percent of the entire Coastal Barrier Resources System, CBRS), and (2) preparing a report to Congress that contains the final recommended digital maps and a summary of the comments received during the public comments period. The 2005 Act also directed the Service to create digital maps for the remainder of the CBRS.

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Testimony

• April 8, 2014- Testimony of Gary Frazer, Assistant Director for Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs, regarding H.R. 187, H.R. 277, H.R. 1810, H.R. 1811, H.R. 2057, H.R. 3226, H.R. 3227, H.R. 3572, and H.R. 4222.
• October 25, 2011- Testimony of Jim Kurth, Assistant Director of the National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs, regarding H.R. 2027 and H.R. 2154.
• July 27, 2010 - Testimony of Greg Siekaniec, Assistant Director for National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife, regarding H.R. 5331.
• April 6, 2006 - Testimony of Dr. Mamie Parker, Assistant Director for Fisheries and Habitat Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, regarding H.R. 138, H.R. 479, H.R. 1656, H.R. 3280, and H.R. 4165, before the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans.
• November 8, 2005 - Testimony of Dr. Benjamin Tuggle, Acting Special Assistant to the Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, regarding the Coastal Barrier Resources Reauthorization Act of 2005, before the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans.
• November 20, 2003 - Testimony of Dr. Benjamin Tuggle, Chief, Division of Federal Program Activities, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, regarding the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System, before the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans.
• September 25, 2003 - Testimony of Clint Riley, Special Assistant to the Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, regarding H.R. 154, H.R. 2501, H.R. 3056, and other bills, before the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans.
• April 11, 2002 - Testimony of Cathleen Short, Assistant Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, regarding H.R. 3470 and other bills, before the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans.
• May 11, 2000 - Testimony of Daniel Ashe, Assistant Director for Refuges and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, regarding H.R. 4070 and other bills, before the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Ocean .
• May 6, 1999 - Testimony of Gary Frazer, Acting Assistant Director for Ecological Services, Fish and Wildlife Service, regarding H.R. 34, H.R. 535, H.R. 1489, and H.R. 1431, before the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans.

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