,i  #aae? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 
,r4 #bjhc  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(           
,,repres5tatives  ,april #h1 #bjag,ms4  
,h]r]a ,beutl] 7= h]self & ,mr4 ,s*rad]7
 introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 ref]r$  
to ! ,committee on ,natural ,res\rces   
,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$ation ,prev5tion ,act4  #b4
 ,f9d+s ,congress f9ds ! foll[+3  7#a7  
,!re are #ac gr\ps ( salmon & /eelhead t
 are li/$ z ?reat5$ species or endang]$ 
species "u ! ,endang]$ ,species ,act (  
#aigc t migrate ?r\gh ! l[] ,columbia   
,riv]4 ,all l[] ,columbia ,riv]         
tribut>ies conta9 li/$ species includ+  
,*9ook1 ,*um & ,coho salmon z well z    
w9t]-run /eelhead4  7#b7 ,! p ( !       
,nor?we/ ,unit$ ,/ates are unit$ 9 _!   
desire to re/ore heal?y salmon &        
/eelhead runs because !y are integral to

 ! region's culture & economy4  7#c7 ,! 
,columbia ,riv] treaty ,tribes reta9    
important rights ) respect to salmon &  
/eelhead4  7#d7 ,f$]al1 ,/ate1 & ,tribal
 gov]nm5ts h sp5t billions ( doll>s to  
assi/ ! recov]y ( ,columbia ,riv] bas9  
salmon & /eelhead populations4  7#e7 ,"o
 ( ! factors negatively impact+ salmonid
 populations is increas$ pr$ation by    
m>9e mammals1 includ+ ,cali=nia sea     
lions4  7#f7 ,! population ( ,cali=nia  
sea lions has increas$ #aj-;fold ov] !  
la/ #c decades1 & is curr5tly           
approximately #cjj1jjj animals4  7#g7   
,biologi/s e/imate t 9 rec5t ye>s z _m z
 #c1jjj ,cali=nia sea lions h be5 =ag+ f
 ! l[] #ade miles ( ! ,columbia ,riv] up
 to ,bonneville ,dam dur+ ! peak spr+   
salmonid run4  7#h7 ,hi/orically1       
,cali=nia sea lions1 ^: habitat is      
fundam5tally salt wat]1 did n v5ture v  
f> up into ! ,columbia ,riv]4  7#i7 ,!  
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#aj7 ,f$]al1 ,/ate &      
,tribal e/imates indicate t sea lions   
are consum+ at lea/ #bj p]c5t ( !       
,columbia ,riv] spr+ *9ook run & #ae    
p]c5t ( ,willamette ,riv] /eelhead run1 
two salmonid species li/$ "u ! ,endang]$
 ,species ,act ( #aigc4  7#aa7 ,9 rec5t 
ye>s1 ,cali=nia sea lions h congregat$ )
 great] frequ5cy ne> ,willamette ,falls 
& ,bonneville ,dam & h ent]$ ! fi%      
ladd]s t salmon mu/ use to return to _! 
hi/oric & biological spawn+ gr\nds4     
7#ab7 ,^! ,cali=nia sea lions h n be5   
responsive to ext5sive haz+ me?ods      
employ$ to disc\rage ?is behavior4      
7#ac7 ,! process e/abli%$ "u ! #aiid    
am5dm5t to ! ,m>9e ,mammal ,protection  
,act ( #aigb to address pr$atory sea    
lion behavior negatively impact+ ?reat5$
 or endang]$ salmon runs is protract$ & 
has n work$4  7#ad7 ,! ,national        
,oceanic & ,atmosph]ic ,adm9i/ration has
 obs]v$ t-- 7,a7 managem5t ef=ts to     
r$uce p9nip$ pr$ation ( endang]$ &      
?reat5$ salmon & /eelhead 9 ! area ar\nd

 ,bonneville ,dam has be5 insuffici5t to
 r$uce ! sev]ity ( ! ?reat2 &  7,b7     
ef=ts ne$ to focus m on ! l[] riv] & at 
,willamette ,falls4  7#ae7 ,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  #c4  
,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] "u ! ,endang]$
 ,species ,act ( #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4   
#aeca et seq47 is a vital priority2 &   
7#b7 ! ,f$]al ,gov]nm5t %\ld cont9ue to 
fund le?al & nonle?al removal measures =
 prev5t+ su* pr$ation4  #d4 ,tak+ ( sea 
lions on ! ,columbia ,riv] & its        
tribut>ies to protect endang]$ & ?reat5$
 species ( salmon & o!r nonli/$ fi%     
species ,section #abj7;f7 ( ! ,m>9e     

,mammal ,protection ,act ( #aigb 7#af   
,u4,s4,c4 #achi7;f77 is am5d$ to read z 
foll[s3  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 to  
au?orize ! int5tional le?al tak+ on !   
wat]s ( ! ,columbia ,riv] & its         
tribut>ies ( individually id5tifiable   
sea lions t are "p ( a population t is n
 categoriz$ "u ?is ,act z deplet$ = !   
purpose ( protect+ species ( salmon t   
are li/$ z endang]$ species or ?reat5$  
species "u ! ,endang]$ ,species ,act (  
#aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq47 &   
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 #ajj 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$ #aj p]c5t ( ! annual pot5tial   
biological removal level4  7#d7 ,tra9+ 9
 natural res\rces managem5t ,p]mit      
hold]s ex]cis+ le?al removal au?ority   
pursuant to ?is ,act %all be tra9$ 9    
natural res\rce managem5t4  7#e7        
,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#f7 ,,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#g7       
,susp5sion ( p]mitt+ au?ority ,if1 #e   
ye>s aft] ! date ( ! enactm5t ( ?is     
subsection1 ! ,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$ation1 ! ,secret>y
 may susp5d ! issuance ( p]mits "u ?is  
subsection4  7#h7 ,eligible entity def9$
 ,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%      
,commission1 & ! ,c[litz ,indian ,tribe4
  7#i7 ,individual p9nip$ exception ,=  

purposes ( ?is section1 any p9nip$      
locat$ up/ream ( riv] mile #aab ( !     
,columbia ,riv] & all tribut>ies t      
include spawn+ habitat ( ?reat5$ or     
endang]$ salmon or /eelhead is deem$ to 
be individually id5tifiable4  4  #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