I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4723 
To require the identification of salmon conservation areas, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 17, 2019 
Mr. HUFFMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agri-
culture, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined 
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the identification of salmon conservation areas, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Salmon Focused In-
vestments in Sustainable Habitats Act of 2019’’ or the 
‘‘Fish Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Pacific and Atlantic salmon are important 
for food, culture, ecology, and the economy. 
(2) Salmon are especially important to Indian 
Tribes, many of which consider salmon to be sacred 
and central to their culture, ceremonies, and subsist-
ence. 
(3) Such Indian Tribes have significant leader-
ship and expertise with respect to salmon. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) SALMON CONSERVATION AREA.—The term 
‘‘salmon conservation area’’ means a watershed, a 
portion of a watershed, multiple watersheds, or other 
defined spatial units that— 
(A) is identified under section 4(b); 
(B) meets the biological criteria (as identi-
fied by the Administrator of the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration and the 
Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service in co-
ordination with the relevant Federal agency 
with jurisdiction over such salmon conservation 
area) for abundance, productivity, diversity (ge-
netic and life history), habitat quality, or other 
biological attributes important to sustaining 
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viable populations of salmon throughout their 
range; or 
(C) a watershed that is regionally signifi-
cant for the conservation of salmon. 
(2) SALMON STRONGHOLD.—The term ‘‘salmon 
stronghold’’ means a salmon conservation area that 
has relatively high anadromous salmonid abundance, 
productivity, and diversity (life history and run tim-
ing), as well as habitat quality or other biological at-
tributes important to sustaining viable populations 
of wild salmon throughout their range. The term 
stronghold can be applied to a watershed, multiple 
watersheds, or other defined spatial units where pop-
ulations are strong and diverse, and habitats have a 
high intrinsic potential to support a particular spe-
cies or suite of species. 
(3) RELEVANT FEDERAL AGENCY.—The term 
‘‘relevant Federal agency’’ means— 
(A) the Forest Service; 
(B) the Bureau of Land Management; 
(C) the National Park Service; 
(D) the National Oceanic Atmospheric Ad-
ministration; and 
(E) the Fish and Wildlife Service. 
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SEC. 4. IDENTIFICATION OF SALMON CONSERVATION 
AREAS. 
(a) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 60 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
and the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service shall 
jointly issue guidance on the process and biological criteria 
required to identify salmon conservation areas. 
(b) PUBLICATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Ad-
ministrator of the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration and the Director of the Fish 
and Wildlife Service, in cooperation with relevant 
Federal agencies shall publish a list of salmon con-
servation areas. 
(2) REVISION.—The Administrator of the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and 
the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, in co-
operation with each relevant Federal agency shall re-
vise the list under paragraph (1) in accordance with 
subsection (d). 
(c) CONSULTATION.—In identifying salmon conserva-
tion areas under subsection (b), the Administrator of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and 
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the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, in coopera-
tion with each relevant Federal agency— 
(1) shall consult with— 
(A) the State in which such a salmon con-
servation area is located; and 
(B) Indian Tribes that have land, fishing 
rights, or cultural ties to the area in which the 
salmon conservation area is located; and 
(2) may consult with— 
(A) nongovernmental organizations; 
(B) non-Federal scientists; and 
(C) members of the public. 
(d) OTHER IDENTIFICATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date described in subsection (b), an entity de-
scribed in subsection (c) may nominate to the Ad-
ministrator of the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration and the Director of the Fish 
and Wildlife Service a salmon conservation area for 
identification under subsection (b). 
(2) REVIEW.—In the case of a nomination de-
scribed in paragraph (1), not later than 180 days 
after receiving such nomination, the Administrator 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-
tration and the Director of the Fish and Wildlife 
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Service shall jointly determine if the watershed nom-
inated is a salmon conservation area. 
(e) WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION 
IDENTIFICATION.—The Administrator of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Director 
of the Fish and Wildlife Service, in cooperation with the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall use watershed evaluations 
conducted under the Watershed Condition Framework 
under section 304 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 
of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6543) and analyses associated with 
the identification of Conservation Watersheds to support 
an identification of a salmon conservation area under this 
section. 
(f) ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT.—The Administrator 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
and the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service shall 
use the analyses conducted by the Administrator under 
section 305(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Con-
servation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1855(b)) to 
identify, map, and designate essential fish habitat to sup-
port the identification of salmon conservation areas under 
this section. 
SEC. 5. EFFECT OF IDENTIFICATION. 
(a) PRIORITY
FOR
FOREST
ROAD
DECOMMIS-
SIONING.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall give priority 
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