[House Report 112-305]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
112th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 112-305
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NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE COMPLEX FISH STOCKING ACT
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December 1, 2011.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
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Mr. Hastings of Washington, from the Committee on Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 2351]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the
bill (H.R. 2351) 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, having considered the same,
report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that
the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 2351 is 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.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
H.R. 2351 would ensure the continued stocking of fish in
certain alpine lakes in the North Cascades National Park
Complex. Many of these lakes have been stocked since the late
1800s, long before they became part of the National Park
complex. For decades, volunteer groups, working with the State
of Washington, have stocked fish in these lakes under carefully
constructed management plans written by State and National Park
Service (NPS) biologists. In addition, Congressional
consideration of the creation of the North Cascades National
Park clearly supported continued fish stocking of these lakes,
and identified fishing as an important recreational use.
In 2008, NPS prepared an Environmental Impact Statement on
the fisheries in these mountain lakes, and the preferred
alternative was to allow continued fish stocking in 42 lakes
where the agency concluded there would be no adverse impact on
native ecosystems. NPS also requested explicit authority to
allow fish stocking to continue within the Park.
H.R. 2351 would protect this longstanding practice of fish
stocking in the North Cascades. Many tourists visit the Park
for its scenic beauty as well as for its fishing opportunities,
making fish stocking an important component of the Central
Washington economy.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 2351 was introduced on June 24, 2011, by Congressman
Doc Hastings (R-WA). The bill was referred to the Committee on
Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee
on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. On September 15,
2011, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On October
5, 2011, the Full Natural Resources Committee met to consider
the bill. The Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and
Public Lands was discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments
were offered, and the bill was ordered favorably reported to
the House of Representatives by unanimous consent.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the ``North Cascades National Park
Service Complex Fish Stocking Act.''
Section 2. Definitions
This section provides definitions of terms used in the
legislation.
Section 3. Stocking of certain lakes in the North Cascades National
Park Service Complex
Section 3 directs the Secretary of the Interior to
authorize the stocking of fish in lakes in the North Cascades
National Park Service Complex under certain conditions.
This section provides that the authority is to stock 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. Only fish that are native to the slope of
the Cascade Range on which the lake to be stocked is located
and are non-reproducing, as identified in management
alternative B of the management plan for the area, are
authorized to be stocked.
The section provides that, in making fish stocking
decisions, the Secretary shall consider relevant scientific
information, including the plan and information gathered from
research and monitoring. The Secretary is required to
coordinate the stocking of fish with the State of Washington.
Finally, the section provides that the Secretary is
required to continue a research and monitoring program to
monitor the impacts of fish stocking on the resources of the
applicable unit of the North Cascades National Park Service
Complex, and beginning five years after the enactment of the
Act and every five years thereafter, submit to the Committee on
Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources a report describing the results of the
research and monitoring.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII
1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the
Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and
a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be
incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(2)(B)
of that rule provides that this requirement does not apply when
the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted
cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Under clause 3(c)(3) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section
403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has
received the following cost estimate for this bill from the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
H.R. 2351--North Cascades National Park Service Complex Fish Stocking
Act
H.R. 2351 would authorize the National Park Service to
stock fish in lakes in three units of the National Park System
in the state of Washington. Based on information provided by
the Department of the Interior, CBO estimates that implementing
H.R. 2351 would have no significant effect on the federal
budget. Under the bill, the expense of stocking fish would be
borne by the state or other nonfederal entities as it has been
since the three park units were established. Enacting the
legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues;
therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
H.R. 2351 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Martin von
Gnechten. The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy
Assistant Director for the Budget Analysis Division.
2. Section 308(a) of Congressional Budget Act. As required
by clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget
Act of 1974, this bill does not contain any new budget
authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase
or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. Based on
information provided by the Department of the Interior, CBO
estimates that implementing H.R. 2351 would have no significant
effect on the federal budget.
3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or
objective of this bill is 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.
EARMARK STATEMENT
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW
This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or
tribal law.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing
law.