29–006 

113TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 113–68 

NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE COMPLEX 

FISH STOCKING ACT 

MAY 17, 2013.—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. 1158] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 1158) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to continue 

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

Rose 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. 1158 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. 1158 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 

of these lakes, and identified fishing as an important recreational 

use. 


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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. 1158 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. 1158 was introduced on March 14, 2013, by Congressman 

Doc Hastings (R–WA). The bill was referred to the Committee on 

Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee 

on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation. On April 24, 2013, 

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

Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation was 

discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments were offered, 

and the bill was then adopted and ordered favorably reported to 

the House of Representatives by unanimous consent. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

This section provides the short title of the bill 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 

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 SenVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:38 May 21, 2013 Jkt 029006 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR068.XXX HR068

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ate 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. 1158—North Cascades National Park Service Complex Fish 

Stocking Act 

H.R. 1158 would authorize the National Park Service (NPS) 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. 

1158 would have no significant effect on the federal budget. Under 

the bill, NPS would be responsible for monitoring the impacts of 

these activities and submit its findings to the Congress every five 

years. CBO assumes that 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-yougo procedures do not apply. 

H.R. 1158 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. 1158 

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 

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


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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. 

COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5

Directed Rule Making. The Chairman does not believe that 

this bill directs any executive branch official to conduct any specific 

rule-making proceedings. 

Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not establish 

or reauthorize a program of the federal government known to be 

duplicative of another program. Such program was not included in 

any report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress 

pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111–139 or identified in the 

most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program Information Act (Public Law 95–220, 

as amended by Public Law 98–169) as relating to other programs. 

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. 

Æ 


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