,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #aghh  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #bf1 #bjac    
,mrs4 ,bachmann 7for herself1 ,mr4      
,peterson1 ,mr4 ,kline1 ,mr4 ,jones1    
,mr4 ,bachus1 ,mr4 ,latta1 ,mr4         
,huizenga of ,michigan1 ,mr4 ,cole1 and 
,mr4 ,duncan of ,south ,carolina7       
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,natural 
,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the    
,migratory ,bird ,treaty ,act to        
delegate to ,states the authorities of  
the ,secretary of the ,interior under   
that ,act with respect to cormorants1   
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,cormorant ,management and ,natural     
,resources ,protection ,act4  #b4       
,findings ,the ,congress finds the      
following3  7#a7 ,the current permitting
 system is not sufficient to achieve a  
streamlined control of excessive        
cormorant populations4  7#b7 ,excessive 
cormorant populations cause damage to   

ecosystems4  7#c7 ,excessive cormorant  
populations pose public health and      
safety concerns4  7#d7 ,excessive       
cormorant populations pose an unsightly1
 loud1 and olfactory nuisance4  7#e7    
,excessive cormorant populations can    
have a detrimental effect on fish       
populations4  7#f7 ,excessive cormorant 
populations displace native species from
 their habitats4  7#g7 ,cormorant       
excrement in colonies often kills       
vegetation4  #c4 ,delegation to ,states 
of authority under ,migratory ,bird     
,treaty ,act with respect to cormorants 
7a7 ,delegation of authority ,section #g
 of the ,migratory ,bird ,treaty ,act   
7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #gjh7 is amended--  7#a7 
by inserting 7a7 ,preservation of ,state
 authority4-- before the first sentence2
 and  7#b7 by adding at the end the     
following3  7b7 ,delegation to ,states  
of authority with respect to cormorants 
7#a7 ,in general ,the authority of the  
,secretary under this ,act with respect 
to cormorants in a ,state is hereby     

delegated to the governor of the ,state 
effective on the date on which the      
,secretary approves a management plan   
for cormorants in the ,state that is    
submitted by the governor4  7#b7        
,approval or disapproval of management  
plan  7,a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary  
shall approve or disapprove a management
 plan submitted under this subsection by
 not later than the end of the #fj-;day 
period beginning on the date the plan is
 submitted4  7,b7 ,requirement to       
approve ,the ,secretary shall approve a 
management plan submitted under this    
subsection if the plan is in accordance 
with ,united ,states obligations under  
treaties and ,federal law4  7,c7        
,disapproval of plan ,if the ,secretary 
disapproves a management plan under this
 subsection the ,secretary shall provide
 to the governor who submitted the plan 
the reasons for the disapproval and an  
opportunity to revise and resubmit the  
plan4  7,d7 ,plan deemed approved       
,except as provided in subparagraph     

7,e71 if the ,secretary does not approve
 or disapprove a management plan before 
the end of the period referred to in    
paragraph 7#a7 the ,secretary is deemed 
to have approved the plan4  7,e7        
,limitation on approval ,a management   
plan shall not be approved under this   
paragraph if the plan is found to be in 
violation of ,united ,states obligations
 under treaties and ,federal law4  7,f7 
,review of approved plans ,the          
,secretary--  7i7 shall review every #e 
years each management plan approved for 
a ,state under this subsection and the  
,state governor's exercise of authority 
delegated under this subsection2 and    
7ii7 may revoke such approval and       
delegation if1 based on such review1 the
 ,secretary determines that the plan or 
the governor's exercise of authority    
delegated under this subsection is not  
in accordance with this ,act or any     
treaty implemented by this ,act4  7#c7  
,relationship between approved plan and 
regulations ,a management plan that is  

approved for a ,state under this        
subsection shall apply in that ,state   
with respect to management of           
cormorants1 in lieu of regulations      
issued under this ,act4  7#d7           
,compliance with treaties and ,federal  
law ,in exercising authority delegated  
under this subsection the governor of a 
,state shall comply with this ,act and  
all treaties implemented by this ,act4  
7#e7 ,relationship to other authority   
,nothing in this subsection limits the  
authority of the ,secretary or any      
,federal agency to exercise authority   
under any ,federal law to assist a      
,state1 upon request by the governor of 
the ,state1 with control of cormorants4 
7#f7 ,cormorant defined ,in this        
subsection the term cormorant means the 
double-crested cormorant 7,phalacrocorax
 auritus74  4  7b7 ,cooperation ,to     
prevent cormorant proliferation  7#a7   
,department of ,interior cooperation    
,the ,secretary of the ,interior1 acting
 in consultation with the ,national     

,aquaculture ,information ,center and   
the ,animal and ,plant ,health          
,inspection ,service1 shall conduct     
educational and informational activities
 for the owners and operators of        
aquaculture facilities to improve their 
efforts to prevent cormorants from      
consuming aquatic species being reared  
in aquaculture facilities1 which        
contributes to the proliferation of     
cormorants4  7#b7 ,other efforts        
,nothing in this subsection restricts   
the authority of other ,federal or      
,state wildlife or natural resource     
management agencies to cooperate with   
the owners and operators of aquaculture 
facilities regarding the management and 
control of cormorants to prevent their  
proliferation4  7#c7 ,cormorant defined 
,in this subsection1 the term cormorant 
means the double-crested cormorant      
7,phalacrocorax auritus74