Dingell Introduces Amendment to Preserve Transparency & Accountability in Fisheries Management Decisions

Press Release

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) today introduced an amendment to H.R. 1335, legislation to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The amendment would stop efforts to undermine the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and preserve transparency and accountability in fisheries management decisions. Dingell spoke on the House floor today about the amendment. Excerpts from her speech are below.

"NEPA has a simple promise -- look before you leap. For decades NEPA has improved our environment and fostered fairness in our communities by ensuring that the government remains accountable to the people. The NEPA process requires federal agencies to review their proposed actions in light of their potential impacts on the environment and the places where we all live, work and play."

"Sadly H.R. 1335, the bill we are considering today, would short-circuit public review and comment on fisheries management decisions, casting NEPA aside in favor of an inadequate, poorly defined process that would make regional fishery management councils the ultimate arbiters of whether or not their own decisions would impact coastal communities and ocean ecosystems."

"While I know my colleagues have good intentions, the practical impact of this language means that local communities and businesses will not have the same opportunity to comment and have input on decisions that will impact their livelihood. I don't think my colleagues on the other side of the aisle really want to limit public participation in this manner."

Dingell's amendment preserves current NEPA requirements, which require that plans to manage valuable resources be properly assessed before they are harvested.

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