TO
THE HONORABLE WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO
THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS
ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON
RESOURCES, AND TO THE UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND
TRANSPORTATION:
We,
your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of
Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and
petition as follows:
WHEREAS,
The state of Washington has embarked on a major salmon recovery effort as
reflected in significant legislation enacted in 1998 and 1999; and
WHEREAS,
The state of Washington has formulated a state-wide strategy to recover salmon;
and
WHEREAS,
The state of Washington has spent and is prepared to spend millions of dollars
to protect and restore salmon populations; and
WHEREAS,
The state of Washington is aggressively pursuing salmon recovery through a
comprehensive undertaking in partnerships with federal agencies, Indian tribal
nations, local governments, nonprofit organizations, and others; and
WHEREAS,
The national marine fisheries service has listed under the federal endangered
species act a number of salmon species that live in evolutionarily significant
units within Washington state; and
WHEREAS,
Predation by certain migratory birds such as the Caspian Tern is widely viewed
as a significant issue for recovery of listed fish species throughout
Washington inland and coastal waters; and
WHEREAS,
The federal migratory bird treaty act of 1918, 16 U.S.C.A. Sec. 703 et seq.,
has proven ineffective in managing migratory bird predation on salmonids; and
WHEREAS,
Washington's efforts toward salmon recovery, while addressing nearly all the
factors that have led to the decline of salmon, cannot currently, because of
federal law, effectively address predation by these migratory birds; and
WHEREAS,
Public confidence and support of Washington's salmon recovery efforts will be
diminished unless the interaction among migratory birds and salmonid
populations is better understood and site-specific conflicts are addressed;
NOW,
THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that Congress pass legislation
that amends the federal migratory bird treaty act of 1918, 16 U.S.C.A. Sec. 703
et seq., to provide a more effective means to allow for the protection and
restoration of salmonid populations.
Congress
is further urged to:
(1)
Fund joint federal and state research on migratory and resident predatory bird
interactions with salmonids, especially site-specific investigations to
determine the significance of migratory and resident bird predation on adult
and juvenile salmonids for stock recovery, and to develop a cohesive
conservation plan that balances protection of both migratory and resident birds
and salmonids;
(2)
Grant at least limited management authority for state and federal agencies to
remove those migratory and resident birds preying on listed fish stocks at
areas of restricted fish passage;
(3)
Prohibit the relocation of predatory bird nesting areas that could result in
shifting predation to salmonid stocks that need recovery in other geographic
areas.
BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately
transmitted to the Honorable William J. Clinton, President of the United
States, the United States House of Representatives Committee on Resources, the
United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the
President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.
