Today, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a legislative hearing on eight bills addressing a variety of local issues throughout the United States. Subcommittee Chairman Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) issued the following statement in response:

“Today we met to review and discuss 8 bills that address a variety of regional issues. I was pleased to hear from the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Fisheries from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Dr. Kelly Kryc, and Deputy Director for Program Management and Policy, from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mr. Stephen Guertin, regarding U.S. agency positions on these bills, and from 10 witnesses from around the country who traveled long distances to testify in support of these bills. It was an excellent hearing and I look forward to supporting these bills in mark-up.”

Background

Today's hearing focused on several bills addressing various issues related to water and fishing regulations in states across the country. These bills further advance the committee's committee's continued efforts to reign in the Biden administration's overreaching and overbearing regulations that have stifled Americans for the past two years. 

H.R. 1437, the Black Vulture Relief Act of 2023, introduced by U.S. Rep. John Rose (R-Tenn.), would give ranchers and cattlemen more options to address the devastating impacts of black vulture predation. 

H.R. 1792, the South Pacific Tuna Treaty Act of 2023, introduced by U.S. Rep. Amata Radewagen (R-American Samoa), would implement the 2016 treaty amendments that are vital for fishing access by U.S. vessels, many of which land their fish in American Samoa. 

H.R. 4051, the SHARKED Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), would create a task force to address the increasing conflicts between fishermen and sharks. 

H.R. 4094, the Great Salt Lake Stewardship Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah), would gives the Department of the Interior more flexibility in addressing the issues surrounding the Great Salt Lake Basin. 

H.R. 4587, the Red Snapper Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. John Rutherford (R-Fla.), would prevent the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from implementing draconian fishing closures without the best available science. 

H.R. 4596, the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Program Reauthorization Act of 2023, introduced by U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), would reauthorize two successful fish recovery programs that provide Endangered Species Act compliance for more than 2,500 federal and non- federal water projects depleting approximately 3.7 million acre-feet per year in the Upper Colorado River and San Juan River Basins.

H.R. 2982, the New York-New Jersey Watershed Protection Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), would establish the New York-New Jersey Watershed Restoration Program.

H.R. 2950, the Coastal Habitat Conservation Act of 2023, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), would Congressionally authorize the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s Coastal Program.