,,ib ,union ,cal5d> ,no4 #bdf #aac?     
,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4 ,r4 #acjh
 ,report ,no4 #aac-ccj ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se   
,,( ,,repres5tatives  ,m>* #ba1         
#bjac,mr4 ,ha/+s ( ,wa%+ton 7= himself1 
,mr4 ,wald51 ,mr4 ,s*rad]1 ,mr4         
,simpson1 & ,ms4 ,h]r]a ,beutl]7        
introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to
 ! ,committee on ,natural ,res\rces     
,janu>y #bc 7legislative day1 ,janu>y   
#ba71 #bjad;,committ$ to ! ,committee ( 
! ,:ole ,h\se on ! ,/ate ( ! ,union &   
ord]$ to be pr9t$  ,a ,,bill  ,to am5d !
 ,m>9e ,mammal ,protection ,act ( #aigb 
to r$uce pr$ation on endang]$ ,columbia 
,riv] salmon & o!r nonli/$ species1 & = 
o!r purposes4  #a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act
 may be cit$ z ! ,endang]$ ,salmon &    
,fi%]ies ,pr$ation ,prev5tion ,act 4    
#b4 ,f9d+s ,! ,congress f9ds ! foll[+3  
7#a7 ,!re are #ac gr\ps ( salmon &      
/eelhead t are li/$ z ?reat5$ species or
 endang]$ species "u ! ,endang]$        
,species ,act ( #aigc t migrate ?r\gh ! 
l[] ,columbia ,riv]4  7#b7 ,! p ( !     

,nor?we/ ,unit$ ,/ates are unit$ 9 _!   
desire to re/ore heal?y salmon &        
/eelhead runs1 z !y are integral to !   
region's culture & economy4  7#c7 ,!    
,columbia ,riv] treaty tribes reta9     
important rights ) respect to salmon &  
/eelhead4  7#d7 ,f$]al1 ,/ate1 & tribal 
gov]nm5ts h sp5t billions ( doll>s to   
assi/ ! recov]y ( ,columbia ,riv] salmon
 & /eelhead populations4  7#e7 ,"o ( !  
factors impact+ salmonid populations is 
increas$ pr$ation by m>9e mammals1      
includ+ ,cali=nia sea lions4  7#f7 ,!   
population ( ,cali=nia sea lions has    
increas$ #f-;fold ov] ! la/ #c decades1 
& is curr5tly great] ?an #bej1jjj       
animals4  7#g7 ,9 rec5t ye>s1 m ?an     
#a1jjj ,cali=nia sea lions h be5 =ag+ 9 
! l[] #ade miles ( ! ,columbia ,riv] up 
to ,bonneville ,dam dur+ ! peak spr+    
salmonid run be=e return+ to ! ,cali=nia
 coa/ to mate4  7#h7 ,! p]c5tage ( !    
spr+ salmonid run t has be5 eat5 or     
kill$ by ,cali=nia sea lions at         
,bonneville ,dam has increas$ #g-;fold  

s9ce #bjjb4  7#i7 ,9 rec5t ye>s1        
,cali=nia sea lions h ) great] frequ5cy 
congregat$ ne> ,bonneville ,dam & h     
ent]$ ! fi% ladd]s4  7#aj7 ,^! ,cali=nia
 sea lions h n be5 responsive to        
ext5sive haz+ me?ods employ$ ne>        
,bonneville ,dam to disc\rage ?is       
behavior4  7#aa7 ,! process e/abli%$ "u 
! #aiid am5dm5t to ! ,m>9e ,mammal      
,protection ,act ( #aigb to address     
aggressive sea lion behavior is         
protract$ & w n "w 9 a timely en\gh     
mann] to protect ?reat5$ & endang]$     
salmonids 9 ! ne> t]m4  7#ab7 ,9 !      
int]e/ ( protect+ ,columbia ,riv]       
?reat5$ & endang]$ salmonids1 a tempor>y
 exp$it$ proc$ure is urg5tly ne$$ to    
all[ removal ( ! m9imum numb] (         
,cali=nia sea lions z is necess>y to    
protect ! passage ( ?reat5$ & endang]$  
salmonids 9 ! ,columbia ,riv] & its     
tribut>ies4  7#ac7 ,on ,decemb] #ba1    
#bjaj1 ! indep5d5t ,p9nip$-,fi%]y       
,int]action ,task ,=ce recomm5d$ le?ally
 remov+ m ( ! ,cali=nia sea lions 9     

#bjaa4  7#ad7 ,on ,augu/ #ah1 #bjaa1 !  
,/ates ( ,wa%+ton1 ,oregon1 & ,idaho    
appli$ to ! ,national ,m>9e ,fi%]ies    
,s]vice1 "u section #abj7;b77#a77;,a7 ( 
! ,m>9e ,mammal ,protection ,act ( #aigb
 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #achi7;b77#a77;,a771 = !
 le?al removal ( sea lions t ! ,/ates   
det]m9$ are hav+ a significant negative 
impact on ! recov]y ( ,columbia ,riv] & 
,snake ,riv] salmon & /eelhead4  7#ae7  
,on ,septemb] #ab1 #bjaa1 ! ,national   
,m>9e ,fi%]ies ,s]vice ann\nc$ x 0      
accept+ ! ,/ates' application = le?al   
removal ( sea lions & t x w\ld reconv5e 
! ,p9nip$-,fi%]y ,int]action ,task ,=ce 
to consid] ! ,/ates' application4 ,?is  
,act w ensure ! necess>y au?ority =     
p]mits "u ! ,m>9e ,mammal ,protection   
,act ( #aigb to be issu$ 9 a timely     
fa%ion4  7#af7 ,dur+ a ,june #ad1 #bjaa1
 he>+1 ! ,committee on ,natural         
,res\rces ( ! ,h\se ( ,repres5tatives   
receiv$ te/imony f ,/ate & tribal       
witnesses express+ conc]n t significant 
p9nip$ pr$ation ( important ,nor?we/ fi%

 res\rces o!r ?an salmonids is sev]ely  
impact+ fi% /ocks det]m9$ by bo? ,f$]al 
& ,/ate fi%]y managem5t ag5cies to be at
 l[ levels ( abundance1 & t ?is _c be   
address$ by section #abj ( ! ,m>9e      
,mammal ,protection ,act ( #aigb 7#af   
,u4,s4,c4 #achi71 :i* z 9 effect be=e ! 
enactm5t ( ?is ,act re/rict$ control (  
pr$atory p9nip$s' impact only ) respect 
to endang]$ salmonids4  #c4 ,tak+ ( sea 
lions on ! ,columbia ,riv] & its        
tribut>ies to protect endang]$ & ?reat5$
 species ( salmon & o!r nonli/$ fi%     
species ,section #abj ( ! ,m>9e ,mammal 
,protection ,act ( #aigb 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 
#achi7 is am5d$ by /rik+ subsection 7f7 
& ins]t+ ! foll[+3  7f7 ,tempor>y m>9e  
mammal removal au?ority on ! wat]s ( !  
,columbia ,riv] or its tribut>ies  7#a7 
,removal au?ority ,not)/&+ any o!r      
provision ( ?is ,act1 ! ,secret>y may   
issue a p]mit to an eligible entity     
au?oriz+ ! int5tional le?al tak+ on !   
wat]s ( ! ,columbia ,riv] & its         
tribut>ies ( sea lions t are "p ( a     

heal?y population t is n li/$ z an      
endang]$ species or ?reat5$ species "u !
 ,endang]$ ,species ,act ( #aigc 7#af   
,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq471 to protect    
endang]$ & ?reat5$ species ( salmon &   
o!r nonli/$ fi% species4  7#b7 ,p]mit   
process  7,a7 ,9 g5]al ,an eligible     
entity may apply to ! ,secret>y = a     
p]mit "u ?is subsection4  7,b7 ,deadl9e 
= consid]ation ( application ,!         
,secret>y %all approve or d5y an        
application = a p]mit "u ?is subsection 
by n lat] ?an #cj days aft] receiv+ !   
application4  7,c7 ,duration ( p]mit ,a 
p]mit "u ?is subsection %all be         
effective = no m ?an "o ye> aft] ! date 
x is issu$1 b may be r5ew$ by !         
,secret>y4  7#c7 ,limitations  7,a7     
,limitation on p]mit au?ority ,subject  
to subp>agraph 7,b71 a p]mit issu$ "u   
?is subsection %all n au?orize ! le?al  
tak+ ( m ?an #aj sea lions dur+ !       
duration ( ! p]mit4  7,b7 ,limitation on
 annual tak+s ,! cumulative numb] ( sea 
lions au?oriz$ to be tak5 ea* ye> "u all

 p]mits 9 effect "u ?is subsection %all 
n exce$ "o p]c5t ( ! annual pot5tial    
biological removal level4  7#d7         
,delegation ( p]mit au?ority ,any       
eligible entity may delegate to any o!r 
eligible entity ! au?ority to adm9i/]   
its p]mit au?ority "u ?is subsection4   
7#e7 ,,nepa ,section #ajb7b77;,c7 ( !   
,national ,environm5tal ,policy ,act (  
#aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dccb7b77;,c77 %all
 n apply ) respect to ?is subsection & !
 issuance ( any p]mit "u ?is subsection 
dur+ ! #e-ye> p]iod beg9n+ on ! date ( !
 enactm5t ( ?is subsection4  7#f7       
,susp5sion ( p]mitt+ au?ority ,if1 #e   
ye>s aft] enactm5t1 ! ,secret>y1 aft]   
consult+ ) ,/ate & tribal fi%]y manag]s1
 det]m9es t le?al removal au?ority is no
 long] necess>y to protect salmonid &   
o!r fi% species f sea lion pr$ation1 may
 susp5d ! issuance ( p]mits "u ?is      
subsection4  7#g7 ,eligible entity def9$
 ,9 ?is subsection1 ! t]m eligible      
entity means ea* ( ! ,/ate ( ,wa%+ton1 !
 ,/ate ( ,oregon1 ! ,/ate ( ,idaho1 !   

,nez ,p]ce ,tribe1 ! ,conf$]at$ ,tribes 
( ! ,umatilla ,indian ,res]vation1 !    
,conf$]at$ ,tribes ( ! ,w>m ,spr+s      
,res]vation ( ,oregon1 ! ,conf$]at$     
,tribes & ,b&s ( ! ,yakama ,nation1 & ! 
,columbia ,riv] ,int]-,tribal ,fi%      
,commission  4  #d4 ,s5se ( ,congress ,x
 is ! s5se ( ! ,congress t-- 7#a7       
prev5t+ pr$ation by sea lions1 recov]y (
 li/$ salmonid /ocks1 & prev5t+ future  
li/+s ( fi% /ocks 9 ! ,columbia ,riv] is
 a vital priority2  7#b7 p]mit hold]s   
ex]cis+ le?al removal au?ority pursuant 
to ! am5dm5t made by ?is ,act %\ld be   
tra9$ 9 wildlife managem5t2 &  7#c7 !   
,f$]al ,gov]nm5t %\ld cont9ue to fund   
le?al & nonle?al removal measures =     
prev5t+ su* pr$ation4  #e4 ,treaty      
rights ( f$]ally recogniz$ ,indian      
tribes ,no?+ 9 ?is ,act or ! am5dm5t    
made by ?is ,act %all be con/ru$ to     
affect or modify any treaty or o!r "r ( 
any f$]ally recogniz$ ,indian tribe4    
,janu>y #bc 7legislative day1 ,janu>y   
#ba71 #bjad;,committ$ to ! ,committee ( 

! ,:ole ,h\se on ! ,/ate ( ! ,union &   
ord]$ to be pr9t$