This bill designates a specific area off the coast of Alabama as the Alabama Underwater Forest National Marine Sanctuary to protect ancient cypress trees submerged on the ocean floor. The sanctuary would prohibit activities that could damage the trees, such as salvage operations, dredging, explosives, and seabed drilling, while allowing fishing, diving, recreational boating, and existing oil and gas operations to continue. The Secretary of Commerce must develop a comprehensive management plan within two years of the bill's enactment, following standard federal procedures and involving public input, state officials, and an advisory council. The plan should balance resource protection with compatible uses like fishing and recreational diving. The bill does not specify dedicated federal funding amounts, relying instead on existing appropriations and procedures under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972.
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