December
2008 American Sportfishing Association Policy Watch
Policy
Watch is
a monthly update for the sportfishing community about the American
Sportfishing Association’s Government Affairs activities.
For more information on ASA Government Affairs activities, contact Gordon
Robertson, vice president and Government Affairs
lead, 703.519.9691, x237, Patty
Doerr, Ocean Resource Policy director, x244, or Mary
Beth Charles, Policy Fellow, x230.
President-elect Obama Transition Team Meetings
Habitat Economic Stimulus Meeting
California Marine Life Protection Act Update
PSO Strategy Meeting
MPA Discussions with CEQ
Wallop-Breaux Reauthorization Discussions
TRCP Climate Change Working Group Meeting
California DFG Stocking Program Threatened
National Fish Habitat Conservation Act Update
Editor’s Correction
President-elect Obama Transition Team Meetings
During December, various ASA staff, along with other outdoor groups, met with the Departments of Commerce and the Interior transition teams to discuss issues of importance to the sportfishing industry. These meetings are intended to raise important issues and assist the transition team’s understanding of the various groups’ positions on a variety of topics.
Habitat Economic Stimulus Meeting
ASA staff attended a meeting with fishing, hunting and conservation organizations to discuss various fish and wildlife habitat improvement programs that could benefit from a potential economic stimulus package. As a result, ASA signed onto a letter with 31 other groups requesting funding for habitat-oriented projects that benefit fish and wildlife while stimulating local economies, particularly through creating approximately 160,000 new jobs.
California Marine Life Protection Act Update
Phase III (Southern California) of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) implementation continues. The Partnership for Sustainable Oceans (PSO), of which ASA is a member, has participated in or attended meetings of the South Coast Regional Stakeholder Group (RSG), the Science Advisory Team (SAT) and the Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF).
In regards to completion of Phase II in the North Central Coast, the PSO’s Proposal 2-XA continues to be one of the four North Central Coast MPA implementation alternatives. The BRTF officially submitted the proposals to the Fish and Game Commission (FGC) in early June; including the BRTF’s own Integrated Preferred Alternative (IPA) which was based on Proposal 2-XA. The FGC will hear testimony on the proposals at its next public meeting scheduled for February 2009. The FGC will vote on the final alternative once a required environmental assessment is completed. The final vote has been postponed until at least May 2009.
PSO Strategy Meeting
In December, ASA staff and the Partnership for Sustainable Oceans (PSO) members held its quarterly strategy meeting to discuss the upcoming FGC meetings regarding the North Central Coast and upcoming BRTF and RSG meetings for the South Coast. They also met with new members of the FGC and BRTF to discuss the PSO and its goals in the implementation of the MLPA.
MPA Discussions with CEQ
In late December, ASA, the Coastal Conservation Association, the Center for Coastal Conservation, the National Marine Manufacturers Association and BASS/ESPN Outdoors met with Jim Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, in a continuing series of meetings to emphasize the recreational fishing community’s concerns about the establishment of new marine protected areas (MPAs) by Presidential proclamation or otherwise. At issue are proposed MPAs in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. In the meeting, as in previous communications, the recreational fishing community has made it clear that any designations must follow the September 25 Executive Order 13474 mandating that sustainably-managed recreational fishing must be maintained in future MPA designations.
Wallop-Breaux Reauthorization Discussions
ASA and 12 other fishing and boating organizations have formed a working group to reach consensus on issues related to the reauthorization of the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund (Wallop-Breaux) scheduled for the 111th Congress. During the December meeting, members discussed strategies for promoting the reauthorization of the fund.
TRCP Climate Change Working Group Meeting
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership’s (TRCP) first Climate Change Working Group was held in December. The discussion centered around TRCP’s role in climate change based partially on current and potential grants with deliverables; other organization’s past and current actions on climate change; the working group’s role in current and future legislative proposals such as the Boucher-Dingell Climate Bill; and preparation of a concept paper for evaluating climate change legislation.
California DFG Stocking Program Threatened
The Pacific Rivers Council and the Center for Biological Diversity recently sued the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) over non-native fish stocking. These stocking programs have been used as a management tool for more than 100 years. The groups filed the lawsuit over concerns regarding depredation of the native frog population and that no Environmental Impact Report (EIR) had been completed for the programs. The result was a court order barring the DFG from non-native stocking until it completed an EIR in January 2010.
After weeks of negotiation between the DFG and the plaintiffs, a new order was signed in late November allowing the DFG to stock more waters than would have been allowed under the first ruling. This is an important modification for areas where communities depend on fishing. ASA’s position is that it is unnecessary to label trout and other stocked species as “non-native” due to the longevity of the stocking program. The stocked species have a very high recreational value and contribute significantly to local economies.
National Fish Habitat Conservation Act Update
The recently introduced National Fish Habitat Conservation Act (NFHCA) will not see any action until the 111th Congress when it will be reintroduced. The NFHCA legislative team met in December to discuss strategy for reintroduction. The foundation for the NFHCA is the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP).
Editor’s Correction
In the November Policy Watch, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) was not mentioned as being part of the MPA discussions with the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality. We apologize for this oversight. The CSF has played an integral role in these discussions since they began two years ago.
