II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 859 

To authorize the Director of the United States Geological Survey to conduct 

monitoring, assessment, science, and research, in support of the binational fisheries within the Great Lakes Basin, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 5 (legislative day, APRIL 4), 2017 

Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mr. PORTMAN, and Ms. STABENOW) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 

A BILL 

To authorize the Director of the United States Geological 

Survey to conduct monitoring, assessment, science, and 

research, in support of the binational fisheries within 

the Great Lakes Basin, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Great Lakes Fishery 

5 Research Authorization Act of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 


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1 (1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

2 the Director of the United States Geological Survey. 

3 (2) GREAT LAKES BASIN.—The term ‘‘Great 

4 Lakes Basin’’ means the air, land, water, and living 

5 organisms in the United States within the drainage 

6 basin of the Saint Lawrence River at and upstream 

7 from the point at which such river and the Great 

8 Lakes become the international boundary between 

9 Canada and the United States. 

10 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 

11 Congress finds the following: 

12 (1) The Great Lakes support a diverse eco13 system, on which the vibrant and economically valu14 able Great Lakes fisheries depend. 

15 (2) To continue successful fisheries manage16 ment and coordination, as has occurred since signing 

17 of the Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries between 

18 the United States and Canada on September 10, 

19 1954, management of the ecosystem and its fisheries 

20 require sound, reliable science, and the use of mod21 ern scientific technologies. 

22 (3) Fisheries research is necessary to support 

23 multi-jurisdictional fishery management decisions 

24 and actions regarding recreational and sport fishing, 


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1 commercial fisheries, tribal harvest, allocation deci2 sions, and fish stocking activities. 

3 (4) President Richard Nixon submitted, and the 

4 Congress approved, Reorganization Plan No. 4 (84 

5 Stat. 2090), conferring science activities and man6 agement of marine fisheries to the National Oceanic 

7 and Atmospheric Administration. 

8 (5) Reorganization Plan No. 4 expressly ex9 cluded fishery research activities within the Great 

10 Lakes from the transfer, retaining management and 

11 scientific research duties within the already-estab12 lished jurisdictions under the 1954 Convention on 

13 Great Lakes Fisheries, including those of the Great 

14 Lakes Fishery Commission and the Department of 

15 the Interior. 

16 SEC. 4. GREAT LAKES MONITORING, ASSESSMENT, 

17 SCIENCE, AND RESEARCH. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Director may conduct moni19 toring, assessment, science, and research, in support of 

20 the binational fisheries within the Great Lakes Basin. 

21 (b) SPECIFIC AUTHORITIES.—The Director shall, 

22 under subsection (a)— 

23 (1) execute a comprehensive, multi-lake, fresh24 water fisheries science program; 


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1 (2) coordinate with and work cooperatively with 

2 regional, State, tribal, and local governments; and 

3 (3) consult with other interested entities 

4 groups, including academia and relevant Canadian 

5 agencies. 

6 (c) INCLUDED RESEARCH.—To properly serve the 

7 needs of fisheries managers, monitoring, assessment, 

8 science, and research under this section may include— 

9 (1) deepwater ecosystem sciences; 

10 (2) biological and food-web components; 

11 (3) fish movement and behavior investigations; 

12 (4) fish population structures; 

13 (5) fish habitat investigations; 

14 (6) invasive species science; 

15 (7) use of existing, new, and experimental bio16 logical assessment tools, equipment, vessels, other 

17 scientific instrumentation and laboratory capabilities 

18 necessary to support fishery management decisions; 

19 and 

20 (8) studies to assess impacts on Great Lakes 

21 Fishery resources. 

22 (d) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this Act is in23 tended or shall be construed to impede, supersede, or alter 

24 the authority of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, 

25 States, and Indian tribes under the Convention on Great 


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1 Lakes Fisheries between the United States of America and 

2 Canada on September 10, 1954, and the Great Lakes 

3 Fishery Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 931 et seq.). 

4 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

5 For each of fiscal years 2018 through 2027, there 

6 is authorized to be appropriated $17,500,000 to carry out 

7 this Act. 

Æ 


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