Congress Passes Salmon Task Force Bill Established By Late Rep. Don Young

The late Rep. Don Young had multiple proposals passed by Congress posthumously, including one involving salmon management in Alaska. Here’s more from The Hill:

The Alaska Salmon Research Task Force Act would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to create a task force to examine research on Pacific salmon and point out areas that are in need of more research, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The task force would also support the sustainable control of salmon in Alaska and be required to create at least one working group to examine the topic of salmon migration in some western parts of the state.

Members of the task force will include a representative from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, among others.

Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) on the House floor Tuesday said the legislation is “a perfect example of how [Young] fought for what is best for Alaska.”

“I believe the bill is a fitting tribute to our departed friend. It elevates Alaskan voices, especially Native Alaskans, and it brings stakeholders together to build consensus and find a practical solutions to this pressing issue in our 49th state,” he later added.

Here’s more on some specific details of the bill:

H.R. 6651 would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force to review existing research on Pacific salmon, identify areas where additional research is necessary, and support sustainable management of salmon in Alaska. The task force also would be required to establish at least one working group to study salmon migration in particular regions of western Alaska.

Within one year of the task force’s establishment, the task force would be required to report to the Congress on its findings and any recommendations for additional areas of research that would benefit salmon sustainability. The bill would require that each member of the task force serve without compensation.

Using information about the cost of similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 6651 would increase costs by less than $500,000 over the 2022-2026 period because we expect that most activities of the task force would be completed without federal assistance.