text: 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.
target: 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.
feat_title: A bill to establish the Long Island Sound Stewardship System.