§941c. Great Lakes fishery resources restoration study
(a) In general
The Director shall conduct a comprehensive study of the status of, and the assessment, management, and restoration needs of, the fishery resources of the Great Lakes Basin and shall provide the opportunity for the Secretary, the Administrator, State Directors, Indian Tribes, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, appropriate Canadian Government entities, and other appropriate entities to participate in the study. The Director shall complete the study by October 1, 1994.
(b) Memorandum of understanding
To provide opportunities for the full participation of all affected entities in the planning and conduct of the study, the Director shall invite the entities identified in subsection (a) of this section to enter into a memorandum of understanding regarding the scope and focus of the study and the responsibilities of each participant for conducting the study.
(c) Content of study
A study under this section shall include, but not be limited to-
(1) identifying and describing the component drainages of the Great Lakes Basin (including the drainage for each of the Great Lakes), analyzing how the characteristics and current or expected land and water uses of those drainages have affected, and can be expected to affect in the future, the fishery resources and fish habitats of the Great Lakes Basin;
(2) analyzing historical fishery resource data for the Great Lakes Basin to identify the causes of past and continuing clines 1 of the fishery resources and the impediments to restoring those resources;
(3) evaluating the adequacy, effectiveness, and consistency of current Great Lakes interagency fisheries management plans and Federal and State water quality programs, with respect to their effects on Great Lakes fishery resources;
(4) analyzing the impacts of, and management control alternatives for, recently introduced nonindigenous species, including the zebra mussel, the ruffe, and the spiny water flea in accordance with the Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 [16 U.S.C. 4701 et seq.];
(5) developing recommendations regarding-
(A) an action plan to analyze the effects of contaminant levels on fishery resources;
(B) an action plan for the cooperative restoration and enhancement of depleted, nationally significant fish stocks, including lake trout, yellow perch, lake sturgeon, walleye, forage fish, and Atlantic salmon;
(C) planning and technical assistance that should be provided to the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, States, and Indian Tribes to assist their fishery resource restoration efforts;
(D) mitigation measures to restore and enhance fishery resources adversely affected by past Federal (including federally assisted or approved) water resource development projects and other activities;
(E) increasing the involvement of the International Joint Commission, the Great Lakes Commission, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, and other interjurisdictional entities regarding fishery resources protection, restoration, and enhancement;
(F) research projects and data gathering initiatives regarding population trends of fish stocks, including population abundance and structure, interspecific competition, survival rates, and behavioral patterns;
(G) important fishery resource habitat and other areas that should be protected, restored, or enhanced for the benefit of Great Lakes fishery resources;
(H) how private conservation organizations, recreational and commercial fishing interests, the aquaculture industry, and the general public could contribute to the implementation of the fishery resource restoration and enhancement recommendations developed pursuant to this chapter; and
(I) appropriate contributions that should be made by States and other non-Federal entities to the cost of activities undertaken to implement the recommendations, including a description of-
(i) the activities that shall be cost-shared;
(ii) the entities or individuals which shall share the costs of those activities;
(iii) the proportion of appropriate project and activity costs that shall be borne by non-Federal interests; and
(iv) how the entities or individuals who share costs should finance their contribution.
(d) Proposals for implementing recommendations
The Director shall develop proposals for implementing the recommendations of the study developed under subsection (c)(5) of this section. The proposals shall be consistent with the goals of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, as revised in 1987, the 1954 Great lakes 2 Fisheries Convention, State and tribal fishery management jurisdiction, and the 1980 Joint Strategic Plan for the management of Great Lakes fishery resources.
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References in Text
The Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990, referred to in subsec. (c)(4), probably means the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990, title I of
This chapter, referred to in subsec. (c)(5)(H), was in the original "this Act", which, to reflect the probable intent of Congress, was translated as reading "this title" meaning title I of
Codification
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 941f, 941g of this title.