,,ii #aaeth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #agjb ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,august #b1 #bjag,mr4 ,risch introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,marine ,mammal ,protection ,act of #aigb to reduce predation by sea lions on endangered ,columbia ,river salmon and other species not listed under the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,endangered ,salmon and ,fisheries ,predation ,prevention ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,there are #ac groups of salmon and steelhead that are listed as threatened species or endangered species under the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq47 that migrate through the lower ,columbia ,river4 ,all lower ,columbia ,river tributaries contain listed species1 including ,chinook1 ,chum1 and ,coho salmon and winter-run steelhead4 7#b7 ,the people of the ,northwest of the ,united ,states are united in their desire to restore healthy salmon and steelhead runs because the fish are integral to the culture and economy of the region4 7#c7 ,the ,columbia ,river ,treaty tribes retain important rights with respect to salmon and steelhead4 7#d7 ,federal1 ,state1 and tribal governments have spent billions of dollars to assist the recovery of salmon and steelhead populations in the ,columbia ,river basin4 7#e7 ,one of the factors that negatively impacts salmonid populations is increased predation by marine mammals1 including ,california sea lions4 7#f7 ,as of ,june #bjag1 the population of ,california sea lions has increased #aj-;fold during the last #cj years1 and is approximately #cjj1jjj animals4 7#g7 ,biologists estimate that in recent years1 during the peak spring salmonid run1 as many as #c1jjj ,california sea lions have been foraging in the lower #ade miles of the ,columbia ,river to the ,bonneville ,dam4 7#h7 ,historically1 ,california sea lions1 the habitat of which is fundamentally salt water1 did not venture very far up into the ,columbia ,river4 7#i7 ,the percentage of the spring salmonid run that has been eaten or killed by ,california sea lions at the ,bonneville ,dam has increased #g-;fold since #bjjb4 7#aj7 ,the ,columbia ,river spring chinook and the ,willamette ,river steelhead are salmonid species that are listed under the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq47 as an endangered species and a threatened species1 respectively4 7#aa7 ,federal1 ,state and tribal estimates indicate that sea lions are consuming at least #bj percent of the ,columbia ,river spring chinook run and #ae percent of ,willamette ,river steelhead run4 7#ab7 ,in recent years1 ,california sea lions have congregated with greater frequency near ,willamette ,falls and the ,bonneville ,dam on the ,columbia ,river and have entered the fish ladders that salmon use to return to the historical and biological spawning grounds of the salmon4 7#ac7 ,these ,california sea lions have not been responsive to extensive hazing methods used to discourage predation4 7#ad7 ,the process established under the ,marine ,mammal ,protection ,act ,amendments of #aiid 7,public ,law #ajc-bch2 #ajh ,stat4 #ecb7 to address predatory sea lion behavior that negatively impacts threatened or endangered salmon runs is protracted and has not been successful4 7#ae7 ,the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration has observed that-- 7,a7 management efforts to reduce pinniped predation of endangered and threatened salmon and steelhead in the area around the ,bonneville ,dam has been insufficient to reduce the severity of the threat2 and 7,b7 efforts need to focus more on the lower ,columbia ,river and the area around ,willamette ,falls4 7#af7 ,in the interest of protecting threatened and endangered salmonids in the ,columbia ,river1 a temporary expedited procedure is urgently needed to allow removal of the minimum number of ,california sea lions as is necessary to protect the passage of the threatened and endangered salmonids in the ,columbia ,river and its tributaries4 #c4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the prevention of predation by sea lions on salmonids in the ,columbia ,river1 the recovery of salmonid species listed as threatened species or endangered species under the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq471 and the prevention of future listings of fish species in the ,columbia ,river under that ,act are vital priorities2 and 7#b7 the ,federal ,government should continue to fund lethal and nonlethal removal measures to prevent such predation4 #d4 ,taking of ,sea ,lions on the ,columbia ,river and its ,tributaries to ,protect ,endangered ,species and ,threatened ,species of ,salmon and ,other ,nonlisted ,fish ,species ,section #abj7;f7 of the ,marine ,mammal ,protection ,act of #aigb 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #achi7;f77 is amended to read as follows3 7f7 ,temporary marine mammal removal authority on the ,columbia ,river and its tributaries 7#a7 ,definitions ,in this subsection3 7,a7 ,eligible entity ,the term eligible entity means-- 7i7 the ,state of ,washington2 7ii7 the ,state of ,oregon2 7iii7 the ,state of ,idaho2 7iv7 the ,nez ,perce ,tribe2 7v7 the ,confederated ,tribes of the ,umatilla ,indian ,reservation2 7vi7 the ,confederated ,tribes of the ,warm ,springs ,reservation of ,oregon2 7vii7 the ,confederated ,tribes and ,bands of the ,yakama ,nation2 7viii7 the ,columbia ,river ,inter-,tribal ,fish ,commission2 and 7ix7 the ,cowlitz ,indian ,tribe4 7,b7 ,individually identifiable ,with respect to a pinniped1 the term individually identifiable means any pinniped located-- 7i7 upstream of river mile #aab of the ,columbia ,river2 or 7ii7 in any tributary that contains spawning habitat of threatened or endangered salmon or steelhead4 7#b7 ,removal authority ,notwithstanding any other provision of this ,act1 the ,secretary may issue a permit to an eligible entity to authorize the intentional lethal taking of individually identifiable sea lions that are part of a population that is not depleted1 on the ,columbia ,river and its tributaries for the purpose of protecting species of salmon that are listed as endangered species or threatened species under the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq47 and other fish species that are not listed as threatened species or endangered species under that ,act4 7#c7 ,permit process 7,a7 ,in general ,an eligible entity may apply to the ,secretary for a permit under this subsection4 7,b7 ,deadline for consideration of application ,not later than #cj days after the ,secretary receives an application for a permit under subparagraph 7,a71 the ,secretary shall approve or deny the application for a permit under this subsection4 7,c7 ,duration of permit ,a permit issued under this subsection-- 7i7 shall be effective for not more than #a year after the date on which the permit is issued2 and 7ii7 may be renewed by the ,secretary4 7#d7 ,limitations 7,a7 ,limitation on permit authority ,subject to subparagraph 7,b71 a permit issued under this subsection shall not authorize the lethal taking of more than #ajj sea lions during the permit period4 7,b7 ,limitation on annual takings ,the cumulative number of sea lions authorized to be taken each calendar year under all permits in effect under this subsection shall not exceed #aj percent of the annual potential biological removal level4 7#e7 ,training in natural resources management ,each permit holder that exercises lethal removal authority pursuant to this subsection shall be trained in natural resource management4 7#f7 ,delegation of permit authority ,an eligible entity may delegate to any other eligible entity the authority to administer a permit under this subsection4 7#g7 ,,nepa ,section #ajb7b77;,c7 of the ,national ,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dccb7b77;,c77 shall not apply with respect to this subsection and the issuance of any permit under this subsection during the #e-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of the ,endangered ,salmon and ,fisheries ,predation ,prevention ,act4 7#h7 ,suspension of permitting authority ,the ,secretary may suspend the issuance of permits under this subsection if1 within #e years after the date of the enactment of the ,endangered ,salmon and ,fisheries ,predation ,prevention ,act1 after consultation with ,state and tribal fishery managers1 the ,secretary determines that lethal removal authority is no longer necessary to protect salmonid and other fish species from sea lion predation4 4 #e4 ,treaty ,rights of ,indian ,tribes ,nothing in this ,act or the amendment made by this ,act affects or modifies any treaty or any other right of any ,indian tribe 7as defined in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be 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