1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Alabama Underwater Forest National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act . 2. Findings The Congress finds and declares the following: (1) An ancient cypress forest dating back 50,000 to 70,000 years B.C. has been exposed in the Gulf of Mexico off the Alabama coastline. The trees, which were uncovered by massive waves associated with Hurricane Ivan, are still rooted in the mud they were growing in at least 50,000 years ago. (2) The Underwater Forest site is unique on a global scale, the only known site where trees between 50,000 and 70,000 years old have been preserved intact with the ecosystem they were growing in. (3) Exploration of the site continues to yield invaluable scientific insight in a variety of fields, though scientists have just begun to study the ancient forest. (4) Commercial interests are seeking to mine the ancient trees for the purpose of making consumer goods, which would result in an irreplaceable loss to the scientific community. (5) Protection of the forest from commercial harvest also protects the site as a globally significant destination for scuba diving and associated tourism. Millions of people from around the world have seen news stories and documentaries about the forest, inundating dive tourism operators with requests to visit the site. 3. Policy and purpose (a) Policy It is the policy of the United States to protect and preserve the ancient cypress trees located off the coast of Alabama, known as the Alabama Underwater Forest. (b) Purpose The purpose of this Act is to protect the resources of the area described in section 5(b), to educate and interpret for the public regarding the ancient Cypress Forest environment, and to manage such human uses of the Sanctuary consistent with this Act. 4. Definitions In this Act, the term adverse effect means any factor, force, or action that would independently or cumulatively damage, diminish, degrade, impair, destroy, or otherwise harm— (1) any Sanctuary resource, as defined in section 302(8) of the