hancement permits under section 10(a)(1) of the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1539(a)(1)) for the pilot program, the Secretary of 
the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, or both, as 
appropriate, shall issue to the National Marine Fish-
eries Service and the districts all such permits that 
are necessary for the performance of the pilot pro-
gram. Each such permit shall authorize activities 
under the permits to be carried out by the districts 
and by the National Marine Fisheries Service. 
(2) DELEGATION
OF
AUTHORITY.—The dis-
tricts and the Secretary may delegate the authority 
to conduct activities under such permits to any 
qualified private contractor retained in accordance 
with subsection (c). 
(3) FAILURE
TO
ISSUE
PERMITS.—The pilot 
program, including amendments thereto by the ap-
propriate Federal agencies, shall constitute a con-
servation plan that complies with section 10(a)(2) of 
the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1539(a)(2)) if the Secretaries have not carried out 
paragraph (1) within 270 days after the filling of an 
application in accordance with such paragraph. 
(4) TREATMENT OF STRIPED BASS.—For pur-
poses of the application of the Central Valley Project 
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Improvement Act (title III of Public Law 102–575) 
with respect to the pilot program, striped bass shall 
not be treated as anadromous fish. 
(g) NEPA.— 
(1) LIMITATION ON APPLICATION.—If the Sec-
retaries have not carried out subsection (f)(1) within 
365 days after the filing by the Secretary of Com-
merce and the districts of an application referred to 
in that subsection, section 102(2)(C) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4332(2)(C)) shall not apply with respect to this sec-
tion and the issuance of any permit under this sec-
tion, during the 7-year period beginning on the date 
of the submission of such application. 
(2) EMERGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS.— 
The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of 
Commerce shall consult with the Council on Envi-
ronmental Quality in accordance with section 
1506.11 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (in-
cluding successor regulations) to develop alternative 
arrangements to comply with the National Environ-
mental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), 
as necessary to expedite the benefits of the pilot pro-
gram for the conservation of threatened species and 
endangered species. 
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(h) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section: 
(1) DISTRICTS.—The term ‘‘districts’’ means 
the Oakdale Irrigation District and the South San 
Joaquin Irrigation District, California. 
(2) PILOT
PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘pilot pro-
gram’’ means the nonnative predator fish removal 
pilot program established under this section. 
(3) SECRETARY
OF
COMMERCE.—The term 
‘‘Secretary of Commerce’’ means the Secretary of 
Commerce acting through the National Marine Fish-
eries Service. 
(i) STATE LAW PREEMPTED.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Any restriction imposed 
under California law on the catch, take, or harvest 
of any nonnative or introduced aquatic or terrestrial 
species that preys upon anadromous fish and that 
occupies or is found in the Stanislaus River, or the 
permitting thereof, is hereby void and is preempted. 
(2) STATE PERMITS NOT REQUIRED.—Neither 
the districts nor the Secretaries are required to ob-
tain a Scientific Collection Permit or any other per-
mit or authorization from the California Department 
of Fish and Wildlife or any other division or instru-
mentality of the State of California pursuant to sec-
tion 1002(a) of the California Fish and Game Code, 
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section 5514(a) of the California Fish and Game 
Code, section 650 or title 14 of the California Code 
of Regulations, or any other provision of California 
law to implement any aspect of the pilot program. 
(j) SUNSET.—The authorities provided under this 
section shall expire 7 years after date of the issuance of 
the permits referred to in subsection (f)(1). 
Æ 
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