[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 82 (Tuesday, June 11, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H3267-H3268]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE COMPLEX FISH STOCKING ACT
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and pass the bill (H.R. 1158) 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.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1158
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``North Cascades National Park
Service Complex Fish Stocking Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) North cascades national park service complex.--The term
``North Cascades National Park Service Complex'' means
collectively the North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake
National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation
Area.
(2) Plan.--The term ``plan'' means the document entitled
``North Cascades National Park Service Complex Mountain Lakes
Fishery Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement''
and dated June 2008.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
SEC. 3. STOCKING OF CERTAIN LAKES IN THE NORTH CASCADES
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE COMPLEX.
(a) In General.--Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary
shall authorize the stocking of fish in lakes in the North
Cascades National Park Service Complex.
(b) Conditions.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized to allow
stocking of fish in not more than 42 of the 91 lakes in the
North Cascades National Park Service Complex that have
historically been stocked with fish.
(2) Native nonreproducing fish.--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) nonreproducing, as identified in management alternative
B of the plan.
(3) Considerations.--In making fish stocking decisions
under this Act, the Secretary shall consider relevant
scientific information, including the plan and information
gathered under subsection (c).
(4) Required coordination.--The Secretary shall coordinate
the stocking of fish under this Act with the State of
Washington.
(c) Research and Monitoring.--The Secretary shall--
(1) continue a program of research and monitoring of the
impacts of fish stocking on the resources of the applicable
unit of the North Cascades National Park Service Complex; and
(2) beginning on the date that is 5 years after the date of
enactment of this Act and every 5 years thereafter, submit to
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate
and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives a report that describes the results of the
research and monitoring under paragraph (1).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Washington (Mr. Hastings) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.
General Leave
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Washington?
There was no objection.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1158, the North Cascades National Park Service
Complex Fish Stocking Act, has enjoyed broad bipartisan support,
passing the last Congress by a voice vote. It was also reported out of
the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during a previous
Congress on a voice vote, with a recommendation that it pass.
H.R. 1158 is necessary to ensure that the National Park Service, in
coordination with the State of Washington, has the authority to
continue stocking fish in certain alpine lakes in the North Cascades
National Park Complex, including the North Cascades National Park, Ross
Lake National Recreational Area, and the Lake Chelan National
Recreational Area.
In 2008, the National Park Service prepared an environmental impact
statement regarding the management of the fisheries in these mountain
lakes. That document identified the preferred alternatives as the one
to allow continued fish stocking in 42 lakes in that area where the
Agency concluded there would be no adverse impact on the native
ecosystems. The Park Service also requested explicit authority to allow
fish stocking to continue within the park complex. That, of course, is
exactly what H.R. 1158 does.
Many tourists visit the park complex for its scenic beauty as well as
for its fishing opportunities, making fish stocking an important
component of the central Washington economy.
Now, Mr. Speaker, let me deviate a bit here. While we are discussing
public lands legislation, I would also like to inform the House that
the Committee on Natural Resources will soon begin consideration of
several proposals to designate new wilderness areas.
As Public Lands and Environmental Regulations Subcommittee Chairman
Bishop of Utah stated last week, in July the subcommittee plans to hold
a legislative hearing on wilderness proposals. Congressman Dan
Benishek's Sleeping Bear Dunes legislation and
[[Page H3268]]
Congressman David Reichert's Alpine Lakes legislation will be
considered at this hearing. These and other proposals will be judged on
a case-by-case basis.
Mr. Speaker, Congress has the sole authority to decide which of our
lands should be included in the wilderness system. Establishing
wilderness is the most restrictive land-use designation that Congress
can apply to our Nation's lands. It greatly limits the American
public's access. The committee will, therefore, carefully and
thoughtfully examine wilderness proposals to determine if the
designation is appropriate and listen to local citizens and community
leaders whose livelihoods and recreational opportunities could be
affected.
The committee will also consider proposals to ensure multiple uses of
our public lands so that they provide a full range of recreational,
economic, conservation, and resource benefits.
Any land-use decisions by Congress should be made carefully. It
should reflect our country's current economic situation, it should keep
our lands healthy, and it should exemplify the importance of ensuring
public access to public lands. That's why we are going to have a very
thoughtful process on wilderness designation now, back to H.R. 1158,
since this borders a wilderness area.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, as a general matter, the introduction of non-native
species into wilderness designated areas within a national park should
be prohibited. In this instance, however, the National Park Service has
found that fish stocking can continue within the Mather Wilderness
without harm to other national park resources. Importantly, the
legislation contains significant protections for those resources.
We worked closely with Chairman Hastings for the past two Congresses
to secure House passage of this legislation and are pleased to do so
again today.
{time} 1730
The chairman is to be commended for his efforts on behalf of the
North Cascades National Park Complex. We support the legislation and
reserve the balance of our time.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I have no requests for time,
and I am prepared to yield back if the gentleman from Arizona will
yield back.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just for the edification of
Chairman Hastings, I have 11 wilderness legislation points that I have
submitted. Hopefully, on a case-by-case basis, you'll get a look at
some of them.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
I will just respond to my friend, I know he has 11. He knows my
general feeling on that.
But I do believe that wilderness designation should be taken on a
case-by-case basis, and we'll go through that process. With any luck
you may be on that list.
With that, I yield back my time and urge adoption of H.R. 1158.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1158.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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