[env-trinity] Letter calls for approval of fishery disaster funds

[Tom Stokely]

http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20170405/letter-calls-for-approval-of-fishery-disaster-funds&template=printart

Letter calls for approval of fishery disaster funds

Spending bill must pass before April 28 to prevent government shutdown
By Will Houston, Eureka Times-StandardWednesday, April 5, 2017A bipartisan group of congressional representatives sent a letter to House and Senate leaders Wednesday urging them to include disaster relief funds for nine West Coast crab and salmon fisheries in a government spending bill this month. “The closures of commercial and recreational fisheries along the West Coast during the 2014, 2015, and 2016 fishing seasons caused severe economic hardship in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California,” the letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer states.The House and Senate are set to vote on a government spending bill in the coming weeks that they must pass by midnight April 28 to prevent a government shutdown. California 2nd District Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) is among the 17 members of Congress who signed the letter. Huffman is asking Congress to approve millions of dollars for the North Coast crab fleet and the Yurok Tribe. In January, the former Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker issued disaster declarations for nine fisheries along the West Coast, which allows Congress to appropriate relief funds.West Coast crab fisheries were closed up to six months in the 2015-16 season due to an unprecedented toxic algae bloom, causing many crabbers to fall into debt as their crews, equipment and boats remained tied to land.The Yurok Tribe experienced one of its worst Chinook salmon seasons on record in 2016 and is now faced with an even more dire season.With only about 12,000 spawning Chinook salmon expected to return to the Klamath River this year — the lowest on record — the Pacific Fishery Management Council is recommending a full closure of salmon fishing on the Klamath River. The council recommends fishery management measures to federal regulators. The Hoopa Valley and Yurok tribes are entitled to salmon stocks for harvest under federal law. However, the Yurok Tribe expects to be allotted fewer than 700 fish this year. This equates to one fish for every tribal member, according to tribe’s spokesman Matt Mais. The council is set to begin finalizing its recommendations starting Thursday through April 11.California fisheries officials such as Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton “Chuck” Bonham said at a state of the fisheries forum at the State Capitol last week that they will likely have to ask Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a statewide salmon fisheries disaster for the 2017 season based on the poor predictions.Congress will begin a two-week recess on Friday, leaving it just one week to draft a $1 trillion spending package to pass through both the House and Senate in order to keep the government running through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year.Since President Donald Trump will need Democrats’ help in getting the legislation through, Republicans are already tamping down expectations. Republican New York Rep. Chris Collins predicted last week that the legislation would be kept mostly free of controversial add-ons.“We’re probably going to need bipartisan votes to keep the government open,” Collins said.The key complications are Trump’s requests for $30 billion for an immediate infusion of cash for the Pentagon and $3 billion for additional security measures on the U.S.-Mexico border, including $1 billion to build fencing and a levee wall along 60 miles or so in Texas and near San Diego.Democrats like Pelosi vow to oppose any wall funding, but are open to other security measures such as drones and sensors. Many Republicans, however, are also wary of Trump’s vision for a wall.“It might not be a physical wall everywhere, which has always been my point,” Republican Rep. Steve Pearce, who represents New Mexico’s entire southern border, said. “So we’ll take a look at it when they get it a little more developed.”Collins told reporters the wall could be handled in another, additional bill. “We don’t need to deal with that” in the catchall spending bill, he said.The Associated Press contributed to this article. Will Houston can be reached at 707-441-0504.  URL: http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20170405/letter-calls-for-approval-of-fishery-disaster-funds© 2017 Eureka Times-Standard (http://www.times-standard.com)
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