NCNP Bill out of Committee — Now passed Senate

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    • #82396
      Brian Curtis
      Keymaster

        Good news, the NCNP fish stocking bill has been passed out of committee and will be considered by the full Senate.

      • #90879
        allison
        Participant

          Yesss!!!

        • #90880
          Brian Curtis
          Keymaster

            H.R. 1158, the North Cascades National Park fish stocking bill, passed out of committee in the Senate again today, 19 Dec 2013. You can watch video of the committee hearing but the bill was considered non-controversial and they did not discuss it at all so it isn’t very exciting. Now we need to get it out of the full Senate.

          • #90881
            Brian Curtis
            Keymaster

              Great news today! H.R. 1158 passed the Senate by Unanimous Consent. Now it is on to the President.

            • #90882
              Rich OConnell
              Keymaster

                So Brian/Ken – remind me again of what this means if the bill goes through ? Is this what the NCNP said they needed in order to resume stocking ?

                I just pulled a summary of the bill below

                North Cascades National Park Service Complex Fish Stocking Act – Directs the Secretary of the Interior to authorize the stocking of fish in lakes in the North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (the North Cascades National Park Service Complex).

                Authorizes the Secretary to allow stocking in not more than 42 of the 91 lakes which have historically been stocked with fish.

                Requires the Secretary to stock only fish that are: (1) native to the slope of the Cascade Range on which the lake to be stocked is located; and (2) non-reproducing, as identified in management alternative B of the North Cascades National Park Service Complex Mountain Lakes Fishery Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (June 2008).

                Instructs the Secretary to take into consideration relevant scientific information, including such plan and the information gathered under the research and monitoring program specified below, in making fish stocking decisions under this Act.

                Requires the Secretary to coordinate the stocking of fish with the state of Washington.

                Requires the Secretary to continue, and report to Congress on, 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

              • #90883
                Ken Masel
                Participant

                  Rich,

                  Yes, you are correct. This bill authorizes the Park Service to allow fish stocking.

                • #90884
                  John Corallo
                  Participant

                    Great news indeed. I was on top of Colonial Peak last week looking out across the Cascades. What a crazy cool area to gaze over!!!

                    Thanks to all of you who worked very hard on this throughout the years.

                  • #90885
                    Rich OConnell
                    Keymaster

                      I was up at Ross Lake with my son this weekend and was thinking how nice it will be to have fish back in Ridley and Willow again.

                      Rich

                    • #90886
                      Bob Burnell
                      Participant

                        Don’t want to get my hopes up but this is really good news!

                      • #90887
                        Kathy
                        Keymaster

                          This is thrilling! And will stand as a great example of science and careful management, making the Park once again a jewel in the recreational crown of Washington State!

                          I might actually visit a lake there now! 😆

                        • #90888
                          Ken Masel
                          Participant

                            I am thrilled to report that H.R. 1158, also known as the North Cascades National Park Service Complex Fish Stocking Act, was signed into law yesterday by President Obama.

                          • #90889
                            Sandy McKean
                            Participant

                              Well, I’ll be damned! (It came a long way since that meeting in Chelan!)

                            • #90890
                              Mark Harris
                              Participant

                                So where does it go from here as far as timeline and stocking is concerned?

                              • #90891
                                Keith Peter
                                Participant

                                  Woooohoooooo excellent

                                • #90892
                                  Brian Curtis
                                  Keymaster

                                    @Mark Harris wrote:

                                    So where does it go from here as far as timeline and stocking is concerned?

                                    Hopefully we will be stocking next summer.

                                  • #90893
                                    Mark Harris
                                    Participant

                                      Good to know. I’m not a TB, nor can I attend the meetings, but it would be fun to tag along if anyone wants company next year stocking those. I’m sure there are plenty that need catching up.

                                      On another note, I’m a little confused what the difference is between the NCNP and the Lake Chelan National Recreational area in regards to access, stocking, and hunting.

                                    • #90894
                                      Brian Curtis
                                      Keymaster

                                        @Mark Harris wrote:

                                        On another note, I’m a little confused what the difference is between the NCNP and the Lake Chelan National Recreational area in regards to access, stocking, and hunting.

                                        You’re not the only one. When it comes to fish stocking they decided to treat all the units the same. I believe that is true for access, too. But I’m not positive. They do allow hunting in the rec area because that was in the founding documents.

                                      • #90895
                                        Keith Peter
                                        Participant

                                          National Park: These are generally large natural places having a wide variety of attributes, at times including significant historic assets. Hunting, mining and consumptive activities are not authorized.

                                          National Recreation Area: Twelve NRAs in the system are centered on large reservoirs and emphasize water-based recreation. Five other NRAs are located near major population centers. Such urban parks combine scarce open spaces with the preservation of significant historic resources and important natural areas in locations that can provide outdoor recreation for large numbers of people. Thus you can hunt in the Lake Chelan National Recreation area but not in the National Park.

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