CalTrout sent the following letter to the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday in opposition of H.R. 3964 and to protect the National Wild & Scenic Rivers Act.
February 4, 2014United States House of Representatives
Washington DC 20515Re: Oppose H.R. 3964
Dear Representative:
CalTrout urges you to oppose H.R. 3964.
For almost 50 years, the National Wild & Scenic Rivers Act has protected a few free-flowing segments of rivers with outstanding natural and cultural values to specifically balance the nation’s dam development policy on many other rivers. Removing federal protection from a portion of the Merced directly contradicts the purpose of the Act and sets a dangerous and unacceptable precedent for other protected rivers throughout the nation, including the McCloud River in California.
H.R. 3964 is a reactionary bill over drought distress in California. We can sympathize but H.R. 3964 is misdirected and harmful to the State and Federal Endangered Species Acts, the San Joaquin River Settlement, the National Environmental Policy Act, California water law and other state laws, responsibilities to other more senior legal users of water, and now our nation’s National Wild & Scenic Rivers System.
On behalf of California anglers, we ask you to reaffirm our nation’s commitment to our National Wild & Scenic Rivers system by opposing HR 3964.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Thompson
Executive Director
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Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.