To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to allow stocking fish in certain lakes in the North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3227, legislation to allow for the continued stocking of fish in certain alpine lakes in the North Cascades National Park Complex, including the North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.

Many of these lakes have been stocked since the turn of the 20th century, long before they became part of the National Park complex. For decades, volunteer groups, working with the State of Washington, have stocked trout in a number of lakes in this area under carefully constructed management plans written by State and Park Service biologists. In addition, congressional consideration of the creation of the North Cascades National Park points to allowing fish stocking.

In order to protect this longstanding practice in the North Cascades, I introduced H.R. 3227 to ensure that fish stocking can continue. While I believe the original text of this bill provided the clearest path to the protection and continuation of fish stocking, I am also confident that this amended text also fully ensures the stocking of fish in these lakes.

I would like to briefly mention two of the changes to the legislation. First, the amended version of H.R. 3227 reduces the number of lakes that can be studied from 91, which is the number of lakes that have historically had fish stocking, to 42. I believe this reduction was unnecessary but am supporting it to ensure the advancement of this legislation. In my view, it should be left up to scientists in the Park Service and the State of Washington to decide which lakes should be stocked. Congress does not have the proper science to study which lakes are best and, therefore, we should not be arbitrarily limiting the number of lakes that can be studied.

The changes made in the Resources Committee also limited the type of fish that can be used to stock the lakes. After working with the National Park Service and the State of Washington, my original legislation was drafted to allow fish that are either native to the watershed or functionally sterile to be used. The version before us today states that the fish have to be both native to the Cascade Range and functionally sterile. The one word change from ``or'' to ``and'' puts a needless burden on those who stock the lakes. Those involved with fish stocking want to ensure that the lakes and the surrounding area are kept in pristine condition. In addition, the National Park Service and the State of Washington are the only entities with the authority to stock the lakes. Again, it is my view that these decisions should be left up to science and the people working in the North Cascades to decide what fish are both safe for the environment and the best for stocking. This change will only serve to increase the cost and the effort needed to stock the lakes of the North Cascades--but such a compromise moves this bill forward.

Despite my disagreement on the wisdom of changes made to this legislation, I am pleased that the House has the opportunity to pass H.R. 3227 today. Although the version before us is far from perfect, it does allow fish stocking to rightfully continue in the North Cascades. Compromise is never easy, and at times it produces a diminished product. That is the case today. However, I can support it as a result of bipartisan negotiations and agreement. But, more importantly, I can support it because it provides firm protections to continue fish stocking where it was always intended to be allowed.

Finally, I would like to thank many of my Washington state colleagues who cosponsored H.R. 3227, including Rick Larsen, Norm Dicks, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Brian Baird and Adam Smith. I especially would like to note the assistance provided by Norm Dicks, whose involvement in this issue goes back to his time as a staff member in Congress. I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation to make sure that my constituents and many other residents of Washington and our surrounding States can continue to enjoy the recreation opportunities created by fish stocking in the North Cascades.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3227) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to continue stocking fish in certain lakes in the North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3227 authorizes the National Park Service to stock fish in the North Cascades National Park, the Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. These lakes do not naturally contain fish, but fish stocking has been conducted in these lakes periodically since the late 1800s.

The North Cascades National Park is currently working on the Mountain Lake Fisheries Management Plan Environmental Impact Statement that evaluates fish stocking in the park. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement found that fish stocking could only take place in these lakes if the National Park Service was granted the authority to do so by Congress. During committee consideration of H.R. 3227, changes were made to the bill to incorporate suggestions from the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

Mr. Speaker, we have no objections to H.R. 3227.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on this legislation. Again, I want to thank the gentleman from South Carolina for his cooperation in managing these three bills this afternoon on the floor.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, Congressman Doc Hastings of Washington State and the cosponsors of this bill should be congratulated for their efforts to ensure continuation of a long-standing and highly successful program that creates fishing opportunities in the North Cascades region.

For over 100 years, 91 of the 245 lakes in the North Cascades Complex have been stocked with fish. This has created recreational opportunities that are important to the quality of life and the region and help sustain the local economy.

I urge support for the bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.