Ask Congress to Pass S.47, Natural Resources Management Act

Above: Legendary steelhead advocate, Frank Moore

U.S. House of Representatives: Please pass S.47, Natural Resources Management Act

On Tuesday, February 12^th, the U.S. Senate voted 92-to-8 to advance a bipartisan, sweeping package of land and water bills of importance to sportsmen and women. The Natural Resources Management Act (S.47), was carefully negotiated between leaders in the House and Senate in advance of the Senate vote. The legislation now goes to the U.S. House for consideration. The House will consider the bill as early as Tuesday, February 26^th.

Visit http://standup.tu.org/to thank your Senators for passing this legislation and to ask your Representatives to vote YES on S.47 when the bill comes up for consideration in the House.

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S.47 is a uniquely bipartisan, sweeping package of land and water bills negotiated between leaders in the House and Senate. This bipartisan package includes several priorities for Trout Unlimited members that will help protect and restore trout and salmon fisheries and support local collaborative restoration projects. These provisions include:

• The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), permanent reauthorization: The LWCF is our country’s premier conservation, fishing and hunting access program, and has bipartisan support in both chambers.  Permanent authorization will ensure the LWCF continues to sustain our outdoor traditions for generations to come.
• The USFWS’ Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, reauthorized through 2023. This program supports collaborative conservation partnerships between willing landowners and partners like Trout Unlimited to protect and restore fish habitat on private lands.
• The Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Act includes federal authorizations needed to advance the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan, a balanced package of actions that will restore hundreds of thousands of salmon and steelhead to the basin, improve water quality and quantity, and support a healthy agricultural and recreational economy.  The Plan was agreed upon by a diverse coalition of conservation groups, irrigators, farmers, sportsmen and women, local, state, and federal governments and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation.
• The Methow Headwaters Protection Act would place 340,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service land in the Upper Methow Valley off limits to large-scale mining.  This much-needed measure is critical to protect crucial coldwater habitat for rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, bull trout, mountain whitefish, Chinook salmon, and steelhead.     
• The Frank and Jeanne Moore Wild Steelhead Special Management Area Designation Act would protect around 100,000 acres on Steamboat Creek, an important spawning tributary of the North Umpqua River used by wild summer steelhead and spring Chinook.   
• The Oregon Wildlands Act would designate more than 250 new miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers in iconic fisheries like the Rogue, Chetco, Elk and Molalla basins, and create new wilderness in the Devil’s Staircase area east of Reedsport.   
• The California Desert Protection and Recreation Act would protect approximately 76 miles of streams, including Deep Creek, which provides a rare opportunity for freshwater fishing in Southern California and is one of the region’s few designated Wild Trout streams.  The fish, and fishing opportunities, would be improved and sustained by better protecting their habitat as Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River segments.  
• The Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act would prohibit new mining claims at the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park.  Fisheries in the area include the North Fork of Sixmile Creek, which supports an important population of native Yellowstone cutthroat trout, as well as headwater streams that feed the Yellowstone River, a world renown blue ribbon trout river.
• The Cerros del Norte Conservation Act designates areas within the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument as wilderness areas.  The Rio San Antonio Wilderness area (8,120 acres) and the Cerro Del Yuta Wilderness area (13,240 acres) will benefit public land conservation and local economies.

Additionally, this legislation also includes measures to reinvigorate the nation’s Conservation Corps and to promote access to public lands and the outdoors (Every Kid Outdoors Act).  The package of bills is not without compromise.  For instance, we are disappointed with provisions related to Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans Allotments, which we believe run counter to the spirit and intent of Alaska’s original Allotment Act and will unnecessarily fragment and privatize important federal public lands in Alaska. 

Despite these concerns, S.47 includes a great number of provisions that Trout Unlimited and our members strongly support.  Advancing this legislation into law would be an unprecedented victory for land and water resources. 

Please thank your Senators for advancing this bill and urge your members of Congress to vote YES on S.47 when it comes to the House Floor for a vote.

Additional Background / Statements from TU:

• TU National Press Release: TU applauds Senate for passing S.47, bipartisan public lands bill.
• WA: 190212_TU-WA_S.47_PassesSenate_Presser.pdf
• OR: TU praises S.47 new protections for Oregon salmon and steelhead strongholds
• CA: TU lauds passage of S.47, new protections for SoCal trout streams
• CO: Colorado Trout Unlimited applauds progress to save LWCF
• MT: Montana Trout Unlimited applauds Senators for passing public lands bill

For questions, please contact:

Kate Miller

Director of Government Affairs

kate.miller@tu.org