Economically important resources of food and recreation have been and are being destroyed. In California alone, sport fishing for salmon and steelhead is estimated at more than $172 million annually. Commercially, the king salmon fishery provides more than $8 million per year in its worth to the economy of California. Five hundred Atlantic salmon per year is the paltry annual average sport catch at the present time in the Northeastern United States. Even so, it may not yet be too late to restore this magnificent fish. The States, however, cannot be expected to carry on capital developments and operate facilities to benefit other States, since a great number of the anadromous fishes are utilized by adjacent States. Too, these fishes were depleted through Federal water projects where adequate provisions for the fishery were never made. H.R. 2392 presents a cornerstone for the proposed anadromous fish restoration legislation. We find in the Secretary of the Interior's report to the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, dated January 22, 1964, that there are important amendments suggested which are incorporated in a new bill, H.R. 11160. We would further suggest that section 5 bear an amendment to provide consultation with the director of the fish and game agency administering the resources of a particular State and that when cost sharing is considered, the adjacent States benefiting from a program would share in proportion to those benefits. We would also wish to request modification of section 6 that nothing in this bill would affect or modify provisions of the Columbia River fishery development program, the act of 1938, as amended (16 U.S.C., secs. 755-757), nor the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, as amended (16 U.S.C., sec. 661, et seq.). Past deficiencies in former proper practices and management, and lack of restoration or mitigation for damage done has brought some of our major anadromous fisheries to the brink of complete destruction in many of our coastal tributaries. Only immediate and costly action now can help bring about a program to change this condition. Passage of H.R. 2392 (or its updated, amended form, H.R. 11160) with our suggested amendments can go far in focusing the attention vital to the anadromous fishery of this Nation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity to present our views before your subcommittee. Mr. DINGELL. Thank you for a very fine statement, Mr. Douglas. The subcommittee has received several telegrams from Mr. F. P. Longway, Jr., general manager, National Fisheries Institute: Mr. Ralph G. Carpenter, second director, New Hampshire Fish and Game Commission; Assemblywoman Pauline Davis of California, the chairman of the Committee on Fish and Game of the California Assembly, and an outstanding and respected conservationist. Without objection, these telegrams in support of the legislation pending before this committee will be read into the record at this point. (The communications referred to follow :) Hon. JOHN D. DINGELL, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.: WASHINGTON, D.C., May 25, 1964. The National Fisheries Institute supports H.R. 2392, as introduced by you. The institute sincerely hopes the committee will submit a favorable report to the Congress. F. P. LONGWAY, Jr., General Manager, National Fisheries Institute. CONCORD, N.H., May 25, 1964. Congressman DINGELL, Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation of the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House Office Building, Washington, D.C.: Since New Hampshire once had Atlantice salmon and shad runs, and can have them again with proper study and management, we urge passage of H.R. 2392 or similar legislation, provided States can fully participate in funds and planning. RALPH G. CARPENTER, 2d, Director, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. SACRAMENTO, CALIF., May 22, 1964. Hon. JOHN D. DINGELL, House Office Building, Washington, D.C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN DINGELL: I would appreciate your reading into the record of your Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation of the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries the following statement: "Chairman Thompson and honorable members of the committee: Speaking as the chairman of the California Assembly Committee on Fish and Game, I wish to point out the urgency of necessary Federal legislation to financially assist many States which now have a critical problem with relationship to the necessity of the construction of facilities, in addition to some research, not only to enhance, but also to maintain our present anadromous fisheries which to California and many other States is a vital resource. The measures you are discussing today, principally, H.R. 2392 by Congressman Dingell and H.R. 11160 by Congressman Tupper are germane to the subject matter in which our committee and many other people in California have a deep interest. We feel that the stimulation of facilities and, particularly, development at the local level, is vital to the economy of many States. We recognize that the measures before you are authorization vehicles which would, if enacted, be under the administration of the Secretary of the Interior and would provide coordinated aid to the many States in the fishery field. Our committee held a hearing in Los Angeles on December 12, 1963, at which time we officially went on record urging the passage of a Federal vehicle to assist not only California but other States having a similar problem. As one individual legislator, may I urge you that if such Federal legislation were to be enacted, which I hope will be the case, I will do everything humanly possible to enact legislation in the State of California which would enable us to take advantage. of a program set up by the Federal Government. Several of our Congressmen from California have introduced measures which are somewhat similar to Congressman Dingell's legislation which you are considering. It is my opinion that all concerned should be commended for such measures indicating to all concerned their recognition that a serious problem does exist and Federal legislation must be adopted to resolve this situation. May I express my appreciation to you for permitting me, as chairman of the California Assembly Fish and Game Committee, of having this statement read and inserted into your record on this day of May 26, 1964. PAULINE L. DAVIS, Assemblywoman, 2d District California State Legislature. Mr. DINGELL. Was there anyone else who desired to be heard this morning? Gentlemen, the Chairman thanks all of the members of the subcommittee and all the witnesses. If the subcommittee finds it beneficial to insert some of the correspondence into the printed record, let that material appear at this point. The subcommittee will stand adjourned, subject to the call of the Chair. (The material mentioned above follows:) CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, Mr. W. B. WINFIELD, Chief Clerk, Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. WINFIELD: I am enclosing a resolution by the California State Senate relative to anadromous fish conservation. I would appreciate if you would insert this resolution into the hearing record on H.R. 2392. Sincerely, JOHN E. Moss, Member of Congress. (COMMITTEE NOTE.-The resolution referred to in Mr. Moss' letter is identical to the resolution following Congressman Johnson's letter.) CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, Hon. T. A. THOMPSON, Chairman, Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation, House Office Building, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN. A few days ago your committee held hearings on my bill, H.R. 3314 and related bills, calling for the authorization of the Secretary of the Interior to initiate a program for the conservation of the Nation's anadromous fish. Today I have received a copy of California State Senate Resolution No. 156 relative to anadromous fish which was adopted at the 1964 first extraordinary session of the legislature. I would appreciate it very much if this could be made a part of the hearings. Sincerely yours, HAROLD T. (BIZZ) JOHNSON. CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE, STATE SENATE SENATE RESOLUTION, BY SENATOR PETERSEN, RELATIVE TO ANADROMOUS FISH Whereas the anadromous fish populations dependent upon those streams tributary to the oceans bounding the United States constitute a major national economic factor supporting our commercial and related sport fisheries; and Whereas, these fisheries provide a substantial portion of this essential food supply for the Nation's growing population; and Whereas, studies conducted by Federal and State agencies, by congressional and legislative committees and by public service organizations have concluded mm. that inroads have been made upon the reproduction capacity of these fisheries through dams, major water diversions, gravel operations, pollution, and other habitat destructive forces, necessitating action to preserve the required water clarity, to rehabilitate spawning areas and to construct facilities to compensate for those spawning areas which are forever lost for this purpose; and Whereas the Senate Fact Finding Committee on Natural Resources of the State of California conducted one such series of studies, finding that the anadromous fishery dependent upon California streams is being seriously jeopardized by major water diversions which are not protected by fish screens, by certain industrial operations, and by dams constructed prior to the date when compensatory hatchery facilities were required; and Whereas this committee succeeded in securing State legislation which protects to an extent the major spawning streams from industrial operations deleterious to spawning areas, but has found that the matter of large, efficient fish screens and hatchery facilities exceeds the resources of the State to cope with to the extent necessary; and Whereas the protection and enhancement of the anadromous fisheries is one of national concern as well as concern of the several States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the members respectfully memorialize the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee of the House of Representatives and the Congress of the United States as a body to afford favorable consideration to the measure pending before Congress which provides for the construction of devices to improve the feeding and spawning conditions and to facilitate the free migration of anadromous fish; and be it further Resolved, That the secretary of the senate is hereby directed to transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, to the President pro tempore of the Senate, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States. I hereby certify that the above senate resolution No. 156 was adopted by the senate on May 22, at the 1964 first extraordinary session of the legislature. J. A. BEEK, Secretary of the Senate. Hon. HERBERT C. BONNER, STATE OF ALASKA, Chairman, House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, DEAR CHAIRMAN BONNER: Hearings were held on May 26-28, 1964, in Washington, D.C., on H.R. 2392, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to initiate a program for the conservation, development, and enhancement of the Nation's anadromous fish in cooperation with the several States. I have been advised that a submission would be accepted and made a part of the printed hearing record, accordingly this letter is Alaska's statement on this legislation. There can be no denying the intense and critical need for improving the stocks of the Nation's anadromous fish. Alaska's anadromous fish include, among others, the five species of eastern North Pacific salmon, steelhead, smelt, Dolly Varden, cutthroat and Arctic Char. Each of these contribute to the sport and commercial fisheries and in addition, substantial numbers are utilized in the personal use fishery to meet individual need. For example, the value of Alaska's canned salmon pack alone has amounted to between $77 and $99 million the last 4 years. In 1963, of the 58.996 persons licensed to sport fish our waters, a large percentage harvested anadromous fishes. To obtain some idea of the magnitude of the personal use fishery, one need only examine one river in Alaska, the Kvichak, where residents along its watershed take 350,000 salmon per year for home curing to meet basic subsistence needs. Alaska's anadromous fishes are produced from natural spawning and rearing in a habitat little disturbed by man. Our fisheries resources have been relatively little affected by water project developments, industrialization, and multipleresource development. This condition is changing rapidly. I can foresee coming needs to safeguard our anadromous fish habitat so that industrial development and the fishery resources can live together and prosper. In our sister States, the anadromous fish have been adversely affected by man's doings. Pollution, loss of spawning areas, siltation, water diversion, and other developments have taken their toll of anadromous fish and their habitat. I am confident your hearing record is replete with instances of anadromous fish habitat losses in the various States. Corrective measures must be taken to arrest damages and restoration programs must be instituted to rehabilitate the anadromous fish runs of the Nation. Alaska and other States find it beyond their financial ability to arrest, mitigate, and restore anadromous fishery losses caused by both Federal and local water developers or users. H.R. 2392 would place the Federal Government in harness with the several States in this work. The State of Alaska supports the intent of H.R. 2392 to conserve, develop, and enhance the anadromous fish of the Nation. We recommend enactment of H.R. 2392 and suggest amendment to provide that prior approval be required from a State before embarking on any activity authorized in the bill. Section 3 of the bill recognizes this need with respect to lands administered by Federal agencies. It should likewise be clearly spelled out in H.R. 2392 that the several States have the final approval on anadromous fishery projects within their jurisdiction. Thank you for the opportunity afforded us to comment on H.R. 2392 and for including this statement in the hearing record. Sincerely, WILLIAM A. EGAN, Governor. STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Hon. HERBERT C. BONNER, Raleigh, N.C., May 27, 1964. Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, U.S. House of Repre sentatives, Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. BONNER: I regret that I was unable to attend the Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation Subcommittee hearing on H.R. 2392, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to initiate a program for the conservation, development, and enhancement of the Nation's anadromous fish in cooperation with the several States. I wish, however, to urge your favorable consideration of this bill and its expeditious passage through the Congress. During 1963, 15 million pounds of herring, valued at $152,000; 693,000 pounds of shad, valued at $168,000; 293,000 pounds of hickory shad, valued at $9,000; and 736,000 pounds of striped bass, valued at $115,000 were landed at North Carolina ports. These anadromous species contributed almost 30 percent (by dockside value) of our total North Carolina catch of food fish. All of these species require access to spawning areas at considerable distances upstream from the mouths of rivers. Programs for the development, through impoundment, of most of our major streams are now in the planning stages, and the first large dams on the Cape Fear and Neuse will be constructed in the very near future. Unless efficient means of passing anadromous fish over or through these structures into the spawning grounds are found; unless the biological requirements for spawning and survival of young in the impoundments are met; unless the young are able to migrate downstream to the sounds and ocean where they mature, this valuable part of our fishery is doomed. At the present time, the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries is engaged in cooperative projects in North Carolina concerned with the biology of shad and striped bass, and with passing these species over low dams on the Cape Fear River. Considerable progress has been made in these areas, but much more needs to be learned, and soon, if the Bureau is to be able to recommend means of perpetuating these fisheries consistent with proposed development programs. The Division of Commercial Fisheries recognizes and greatly appreciates the interest you have shown, and continue to show, in all matters concerning our coastal waters and fisheries. Your leadership in securing Federal assistance for commercial fisheries research by the various States was ample evidence of your conscientious efforts to aid our faltering commercial fishing industry, and I sincerely hope that you will use that same leadership in urging the passage of H.R. 2392. Sincerely, DAVID A. ADAMS. |