19–006 

112TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 112–305 

NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE COMPLEX 

FISH STOCKING ACT 

DECEMBER 1, 2011.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State 

of the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, from the Committee on Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 2351] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 2351) 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, having considered the same, report favorably 

thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 2351 is 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. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

H.R. 2351 would ensure the continued stocking of fish in certain 

alpine lakes in the North Cascades National Park Complex. Many 

of these lakes have been stocked since the late 1800s, long before 

they became part of the National Park complex. For decades, volunteer groups, working with the State of Washington, have stocked 

fish in these lakes under carefully constructed management plans 

written by State and National Park Service (NPS) biologists. In addition, Congressional consideration of the creation of the North 

Cascades National Park clearly supported continued fish stocking 


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of these lakes, and identified fishing as an important recreational 

use. 

In 2008, NPS prepared an Environmental Impact Statement on 

the fisheries in these mountain lakes, and the preferred alternative 

was to allow continued fish stocking in 42 lakes where the agency 

concluded there would be no adverse impact on native ecosystems. 

NPS also requested explicit authority to allow fish stocking to continue within the Park. 

H.R. 2351 would protect this longstanding practice of fish stocking in the North Cascades. Many tourists visit the Park for its scenic beauty as well as for its fishing opportunities, making fish 

stocking an important component of the Central Washington economy. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 2351 was introduced on June 24, 2011, by Congressman Doc 

Hastings (R–WA). The bill was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 

National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. On September 15, 2011, 

the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On October 5, 2011, 

the Full Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The 

Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands was 

discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments were offered, 

and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘North Cascades National Park 

Service Complex Fish Stocking Act.’’ 

Section 2. Definitions 

This section provides definitions of terms used in the legislation. 

Section 3. Stocking of certain lakes in the North Cascades National 

Park Service Complex 

Section 3 directs the Secretary of the Interior to authorize the 

stocking of fish in lakes in the North Cascades National Park Service Complex under certain conditions. 

This section provides that the authority is to stock fish in not 

more than 42 of the 91 lakes in the North Cascades National Park 

Service Complex that have historically been stocked with fish. Only 

fish that are native to the slope of the Cascade Range on which the 

lake to be stocked is located and are non-reproducing, as identified 

in management alternative B of the management plan for the area, 

are authorized to be stocked. 

The section provides that, in making fish stocking decisions, the 

Secretary shall consider relevant scientific information, including 

the plan and information gathered from research and monitoring. 

The Secretary is required to coordinate the stocking of fish with the 

State of Washington. 

Finally, the section provides that the Secretary is required to 

continue a research and monitoring program to monitor the impacts of fish stocking on the resources of the applicable unit of the 


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North Cascades National Park Service Complex, and beginning five 

years after the enactment of the Act and every five years thereafter, submit to the Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources a report describing the results of the research and monitoring. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 

Natural Resources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this report. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of 

the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(2)(B) of that rule provides 

that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Under clause 

3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 

section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the 

Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

H.R. 2351—North Cascades National Park Service Complex Fish 

Stocking Act 

H.R. 2351 would authorize the National Park Service to stock 

fish in lakes in three units of the National Park System in the 

state of Washington. Based on information provided by the Department of the Interior, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2351 

would have no significant effect on the federal budget. Under the 

bill, the expense of stocking fish would be borne by the state or 

other nonfederal entities as it has been since the three park units 

were established. Enacting the legislation would not affect direct 

spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not 

apply. 

H.R. 2351 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Martin von Gnechten. 

The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director for the Budget Analysis Division. 

2. Section 308(a) of Congressional Budget Act. As required by 

clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, 

this bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or 

tax expenditures. Based on information provided by the Department of the Interior, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2351 

would have no significant effect on the federal budget. 

3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 

clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or objective 

of this bill is to direct the Secretary of the Interior to continue 


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stocking fish in certain lakes in the North Cascades National Park, 

Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National 

Recreation Area. 

EARMARK STATEMENT

This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined under clause 9(e), 

9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or tribal law. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing law. 

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