[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 115 (Monday, July 14, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H6415-H6416]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  FISH STOCKING IN NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE COMPLEX LAKES

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3227) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to continue 
stocking fish in certain lakes in the North Cascades National Park, 
Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation 
Area, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3227

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. PURPOSE.

       The purpose of this Act is to authorize the National Park 
     Service to allow the stocking of fish in certain lakes under 
     certain conditions in the North Cascades National Park, Ross 
     Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National 
     Recreation Area.

     SEC. 2. STOCKING OF CERTAIN LAKES IN NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL 
                   PARK, ROSS LAKE NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, AND 
                   LAKE CHELAN NATIONAL RECREATION AREA.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior, acting 
     through the Director of the National Park Service, may 
     authorize the stocking of fish in lakes in the North Cascades 
     National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake 
     Chelan National Recreation Area.
       (b) Conditions.--The following conditions shall apply to 
     stocking of lakes under subsection (a):
       (1) The Secretary is authorized to allow stocking in up to, 
     but not to exceed, 42 lakes. The 42 lakes which may be 
     stocked are those lakes identified for potential stocking 
     under Alternative B of the 2005 North Cascades National Park 
     Service Complex Mountain Lakes Fishery Management Plan Draft.
       (2) The Secretary shall only stock fish that are--
       (A) native to the slope of the Cascade Range on which the 
     lake to be stocked is located; and
       (B) functionally sterile.
       (3) The Secretary is authorized to coordinate the stocking 
     of fish with the State of Washington.
       (c) Reports.--The Secretary shall continue a program of 
     research and monitoring of the impacts of fish stocking on 
     park resources and shall report the results of such research 
     and monitoring to the appropriate committees of Congress 
     every 5 years.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.


                             General Leave

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Guam?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3227 authorizes the National Park 
Service to stock fish in the North Cascades National Park, the Ross 
Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation 
Area. These lakes do not naturally contain fish, but fish stocking has 
been conducted in these lakes periodically since the late 1800s.
  The North Cascades National Park is currently working on the Mountain 
Lake Fisheries Management Plan Environmental Impact Statement that 
evaluates fish stocking in the park. The Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement found that fish stocking could only take place in these lakes 
if the National Park Service was granted the authority to do so by 
Congress. During committee consideration of H.R. 3227, changes were 
made to the bill to incorporate suggestions from the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement.
  Mr. Speaker, we have no objections to H.R. 3227.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, Congressman Doc Hastings of Washington State and the 
cosponsors of this bill should be congratulated for their efforts to 
ensure continuation of a long-standing and highly successful program 
that creates fishing opportunities in the North Cascades region.
  For over 100 years, 91 of the 245 lakes in the North Cascades Complex 
have been stocked with fish. This has created recreational 
opportunities that are important to the quality of life and the region 
and help sustain the local economy.
  I urge support for the bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on this 
legislation. Again, I want to thank the gentleman from South Carolina 
for his cooperation in managing these three bills this afternoon on the 
floor.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to 
support H.R. 3227, legislation to allow for the continued stocking of 
fish in certain alpine lakes in the North Cascades National Park 
Complex, including the North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National 
Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.
  Many of these lakes have been stocked since the turn of the 20th 
century, long before they became part of the National Park complex. For 
decades, volunteer groups, working with the State of Washington, have 
stocked trout in a number of lakes in this area under carefully 
constructed management plans written by State and Park Service 
biologists. In addition, congressional consideration of the creation of 
the North Cascades National Park points to allowing fish stocking.
  In order to protect this longstanding practice in the North Cascades, 
I introduced H.R. 3227 to ensure that fish stocking can continue. While 
I believe the original text of this bill provided the clearest path to 
the protection and continuation of fish stocking, I am also confident 
that this amended text also fully ensures the stocking of fish in these 
lakes.

[[Page H6416]]

  I would like to briefly mention two of the changes to the 
legislation. First, the amended version of H.R. 3227 reduces the number 
of lakes that can be studied from 91, which is the number of lakes that 
have historically had fish stocking, to 42. I believe this reduction 
was unnecessary but am supporting it to ensure the advancement of this 
legislation. In my view, it should be left up to scientists in the Park 
Service and the State of Washington to decide which lakes should be 
stocked. Congress does not have the proper science to study which lakes 
are best and, therefore, we should not be arbitrarily limiting the 
number of lakes that can be studied.
  The changes made in the Resources Committee also limited the type of 
fish that can be used to stock the lakes. After working with the 
National Park Service and the State of Washington, my original 
legislation was drafted to allow fish that are either native to the 
watershed or functionally sterile to be used. The version before us 
today states that the fish have to be both native to the Cascade Range 
and functionally sterile. The one word change from ``or'' to ``and'' 
puts a needless burden on those who stock the lakes. Those involved 
with fish stocking want to ensure that the lakes and the surrounding 
area are kept in pristine condition. In addition, the National Park 
Service and the State of Washington are the only entities with the 
authority to stock the lakes. Again, it is my view that these decisions 
should be left up to science and the people working in the North 
Cascades to decide what fish are both safe for the environment and the 
best for stocking. This change will only serve to increase the cost and 
the effort needed to stock the lakes of the North Cascades--but such a 
compromise moves this bill forward.
  Despite my disagreement on the wisdom of changes made to this 
legislation, I am pleased that the House has the opportunity to pass 
H.R. 3227 today. Although the version before us is far from perfect, it 
does allow fish stocking to rightfully continue in the North Cascades. 
Compromise is never easy, and at times it produces a diminished 
product. That is the case today. However, I can support it as a result 
of bipartisan negotiations and agreement. But, more importantly, I can 
support it because it provides firm protections to continue fish 
stocking where it was always intended to be allowed.
  Finally, I would like to thank many of my Washington state colleagues 
who cosponsored H.R. 3227, including Rick Larsen, Norm Dicks, and Cathy 
McMorris Rodgers, Brian Baird and Adam Smith. I especially would like 
to note the assistance provided by Norm Dicks, whose involvement in 
this issue goes back to his time as a staff member in Congress. I urge 
all my colleagues to support this legislation to make sure that my 
constituents and many other residents of Washington and our surrounding 
States can continue to enjoy the recreation opportunities created by 
fish stocking in the North Cascades.
  Ms. BORDALLO. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3227, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``A bill to authorize the 
Secretary of the Interior to allow stocking fish in certain lakes in 
the North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, 
and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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