S-0673.1/91       _______________________________________________

                            SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8000

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By Senator Conner.

Read first time January 16, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Environment & Natural Resources.Requesting that Congress extend the coastal states seaward boundaries.

     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

     WHEREAS, The 1953 Federal Submerged Land Acts grant states control of coastal submerged lands; and

     WHEREAS, The coastal states have increasing environmental and resource concerns within their territorial waters; and

     WHEREAS, Events taking place beyond the present three-mile territorial limits may have profound and at times damaging impact on the coasts of the coastal states; and

     WHEREAS, State governance of coastal ocean beyond the present three-mile limit would be beneficial to the United States by creating additional enforcement capabilities; and

     WHEREAS, Any future income derived from that governance would add to the economic base of the coastal states; and

     WHEREAS, The Magnuson Act maintains control of all living resources beyond three miles and there is a need for control of submerged resources to an equal distance; and

     WHEREAS, Such a change would truly extend our national territory to twelve miles off our nation's shoreline;

     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the President of the United States and the United States Congress, in order to protect the resources of the United States, the coastal states, and the State of Washington, enact legislation to extend the coastal states' seaward boundaries off their coasts from three miles to twelve miles.

     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George Bush, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.