Sec. 2. Pilot program to protect anadromous fish in the stanislaus river

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The Commissioner and districts, in consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, shall jointly develop and conduct a pilot non-native predator fish removal program to remove non-native striped bass, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, black bass, and other non-native predator fishes from the Stanislaus River. The pilot program shall— be scientifically based; include methods to quantify the number and size of predator fishes removed each year, the impact of such removal on the overall abundance of predator fishes, and the impact of such removal on the populations of juvenile anadromous fish found in the Stanislaus River by, among other things, evaluating the number of juvenile anadromous fish that migrate past the rotary screw trap located at Caswell; use wire fyke trapping, portable resistance board weirs, and boat electrofishing, which are the most effective predator collection techniques that minimize affects to native anadromous fish; be developed, including the application for all necessary scientific research and species enhancement permits under section 10(a)(1) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1539(a)(1) ), for the performance of the pilot program, not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act; be implemented on the first business day of the calendar year following the issuance of all necessary scientific research and species enhancement permits needed to begin the pilot program; and be implemented for a period of five consecutive calendar years.

The management of the pilot program shall be the joint responsibility of the Commissioner and the districts. Such parties shall work collaboratively to insure the performance of the pilot program, and shall discuss and agree upon, among other things, changes in the structure, management, personnel, techniques, strategy, data collection, reporting, and conduct of the pilot program. At the election of the districts, the pilot program may be conducted by their own personnel, qualified private contractors hired by the districts, personnel of, on loan to, or otherwise assigned to the Bureau of Reclamation, or a combination thereof.

In the event the districts elect to conduct the program using their own personnel or qualified private contractors hired by them, the Commissioner has the option to assign an employee of, on loan to, or otherwise assigned to the Bureau of Reclamation, to be present for all activities performed in the field. Such presence shall insure compliance with the agreed upon elements specified in subsection (b). The districts shall pay 100 percent of the cost of such participation as specified in subsection (d).

The districts shall notify the Commissioner of their election on or before October 15 of each calendar year of the pilot program, which election shall apply to the work performed in the subsequent calendar year. The districts shall be responsible for 100 percent of the cost of the pilot program. On or before December 1 of each year of the pilot program, the Commissioner shall submit to the districts an estimate of the cost to be incurred by the Bureau of Reclamation in the following calendar year, if any, including the cost of any data collection and posting under subsection (e).

If an amount equal to the estimate is not provided to the reclamation fund identified in section 3 of the Act of February 21, 1911 ( 43 U.S.C. 525 ), by the districts on or before December 31 of each year— the Bureau of Reclamation shall have no obligation to conduct the pilot program activities otherwise scheduled until full payment is made by the districts; and the districts shall be prohibited from conducting any aspect of the pilot program until full payment is made by the districts.

On or before September 1 of each calendar year, the Commissioner shall provide an accounting of the prior calendar year’s expenses to the districts. If the estimate paid by the districts was less than the actual costs incurred by the Bureau of Reclamation, the districts shall have until September 30 of that calendar year to pay the difference to the reclamation fund. If the estimate paid by the districts was greater than the actual costs incurred by the Bureau of Reclamation, then a credit shall be provided to the districts, which shall be deducted from the estimate payment the districts must make for the work performed by the Bureau of Reclamation, if any, in the next calendar year.

On or before the 15th day of each month, the Commissioner shall post on the Web site of the Bureau of Reclamation a tabular summary of the raw data collected in the prior month. On or before June 30 of the calendar year following the completion of the program, the Commissioner and districts shall jointly publish a peer reviewed report that— discusses the findings and conclusions of the pilot program; synthesizes the data collected under paragraph (1); and makes recommendations for further study and action.

Not later than 180 days after filing of an application by the Commissioner and the districts, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, or both, as appropriate, shall issue all necessary scientific research and species enhancement permits under section 10(a)(1) of the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 153(9)(a)(1)), for the performance of the pilot program. Any permit application that is not approved by the Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Commerce, or both, as appropriate, for any reason, within 180 days after receiving the application, shall be deemed approved.

All permits issued shall be in the name of the Bureau of Reclamation and the districts. Districts may delegate the authority to administer the permit authority to any qualified private contractor retained in accordance with subsection (c). The pilot program, including amendments thereto by the appropriate Federal and State agencies, shall constitute a conservation plan that complies with the requirements of section 10(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1539(a)(2)).

Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)) shall not apply with respect to section 2 and the issuance of any permit under this subsection during the seven-year period beginning on the date of the implementation of the pilot program.

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Sec. 2

Pilot program to protect anadromous fish in the stanislaus river

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