Policy News
As Commerce chief, Secretary Wilbur Ross’ portfolio includes oversight of NOAA, but it is rather unusual for a cabinet level official to wade into federal fisheries management decisions. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS or NOAA Fisheries), a unit within NOAA is charged with management of the nation’s fisheries. With the help of the six regional... Read More
House Natural Resources Subcommittee to Discuss MSA Amendments On Tuesday, September 26, 2017, the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills: H.R. 200 (Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska), To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to provide flexibility for fishery managers and stability for fishermen, and for... Read More
Time is running out to submit your comment to EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers on the proposed repeal of the Waters of the U.S. Rule (WOTUS). The comment period will close on September 27, 2017. Make your voice heard! Comment here. AFS and 11 other science societies submitted a joint comment letter to oppose the... Read More
In mid-September, the House passed an omnibus spending package containing all 12 of the major appropriations bills for fiscal year 2018. Senate appropriators are still working bills through the committee process. The House and Senate will need to reconcile their respective bills before the budget moves forward to President Trump for signature. Shortly after returning... Read More
Honorable Lisa Murkowski Chairwoman, Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment & Related Agencies U.S. Senate Honorable Tom Udall Ranking Member, Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment & Related Agencies U.S. Senate Dear Chairwoman Murkowski and Ranking Member Udall: We write to ask for your support for an additional $4.5 million to the existing $17.3 million for the U.S.G.S. Cooperative Fish... Read More
Based on a casual skim of the literature, it seems that water, and therefore fish, is often included in debate about fire suppression, interbasin transfers, drought, meteorological anomalies, industrial uses, agricultural practices, and much more. Sorry to share bad news, but there may be two more freshwater issues to concern us all—increasing salinity and shifting hydrology. Read More
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to withdraw a July 2014 Clean Water Act 404(c) Proposed Determination that would have, if finalized, imposed restrictions on the discharge of dredged or fill material associated with mining the Pebble Deposit in Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed. Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act allows the EPA to restrict,... Read More
Sport Fishing magazine interviewed Chris Oliver, who was recently named assistant administrator of NOAA Fisheries. The interview touches on topics such as commercial vs. recreational fisheries management strategies, Magnuson-Stevens Act re-authorization, NOAA’s placement in the Department of Commerce, management of Red Snapper, FY 2018 budget cuts, offshore aquaculture, and catch shares in recreational fisheries. Read the... Read More
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is seeking public input on Draft Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Menhaden. Amendment 3 was initiated in 2015 to address several concerns in the fishery, including the adoption of ecological reference points (ERPs) and a new quota allocation scheme. The ERPs are... Read More
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is pursuing a two-step process to repeal the Obama administration’s 2015 Waters of the U.S. rule and craft a replacement, using a narrower legal definition promoted by the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. The Trump administration will hold 10 teleconferences and one in-person meeting to solicit input as it prepares... Read More
