| 1 | 1 | | I |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | 119THCONGRESS |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | 1 |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | STSESSION H. R. 1150 |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to exclude certain populations |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | of the lake sturgeon from the authority of such Act. |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | FEBRUARY7, 2025 |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | Mr. W |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | IED(for himself, Mr. GROTHMAN, and Mr. TIFFANY) introduced the |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | A BILL |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to exclude |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | certain populations of the lake sturgeon from the author- |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | ity of such Act. |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1 |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sturgeon Protected 4 |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | and Exempt from Absurd Regulations Act of 2025’’ or 5 |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | the ‘‘SPEAR Act of 2025’’. 6 |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | SEC. 2. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN POPULATIONS OF LAKE 7 |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | STURGEON UNDER ENDANGERED SPECIES 8 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | ACT OF 1973. 9 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | (a) F |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | INDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 10 |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:36 Mar 07, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1150.IH H1150 |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 2 |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | •HR 1150 IH |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | (1) The lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) 1 |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | holds a special place in the cultural fabric of Wis-2 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | consin, especially for the communities located on 3 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | Lake Winnebago and the Winnebago System. 4 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | (2) Through the staunch dedication and close 5 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | public-private collaboration of the Wisconsin Depart-6 |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | ment of Natural Resources, Sturgeon for Tomorrow, 7 |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | the Sturgeon Advisory Committee, the Sturgeon 8 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | Guard, and local fishing, sportsmen, and conserva-9 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | tion groups, Wisconsin has become the global leader 10 |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | in lake sturgeon management. 11 |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | (3) As a result of these efforts and the develop-12 |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | ment and implementation of a comprehensive man-13 |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | agement plan, the Lake Winnebago system is home 14 |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | to a thriving lake sturgeon population, one of the 15 |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | largest in North America, and the most successful 16 |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | sustainable sturgeon fisheries in the world. 17 |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | (4) An integral component of this management 18 |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | plan is the annual sturgeon spearing season that is 19 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | meticulously managed and provides the data nec-20 |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | essary, along with data from detailed spawning as-21 |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | sessments, to maintain an accurate account of popu-22 |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | lation levels needed and allowable maximum harvest 23 |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | rates to ensure the health and sustainability of the 24 |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | species. 25 |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:36 Mar 07, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1150.IH H1150 |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 3 |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | •HR 1150 IH |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | (5) Mandatory registration stations are estab-1 |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | lished to collect detailed data on the length, weight, 2 |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | sex, and tag status of each harvested fish and en-3 |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | sure strict seasonal harvest caps are followed. 4 |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | (6) The spearing season has grown into a 5 |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | unique cultural event filled with strong traditions 6 |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | and community ties, drawing participants from 7 |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | throughout Wisconsin and many other States, and is 8 |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | crucial to the livelihoods of local communities and 9 |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | small businesses near the Winnebago System who 10 |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | rely on the annual season. 11 |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | (7) It is vital that this long-standing and cher-12 |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | ished tradition be protected and that Wisconsin is 13 |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | allowed to continue its successful Winnebago System 14 |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | and statewide management of lake sturgeon. 15 |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | (b) E |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | XCLUSIONFROMLISTING.—Section 4(a) of the 16 |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533(a)) is 17 |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | amended— 18 |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘The Sec-19 |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | retary shall by regulation’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as 20 |
|---|
| 79 | 79 | | provided in paragraph (4), the Secretary shall by 21 |
|---|
| 80 | 80 | | regulation’’; and 22 |
|---|
| 81 | 81 | | (2) by adding at the end the following: 23 |
|---|
| 82 | 82 | | ‘‘(4) A |
|---|
| 83 | 83 | | PPLICABILITY TOLAKESTURGEON.—The Sec-24 |
|---|
| 84 | 84 | | retary may not make a determination under this sub-25 |
|---|
| 85 | 85 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:36 Mar 07, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1150.IH H1150 |
|---|
| 86 | 86 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 4 |
|---|
| 87 | 87 | | •HR 1150 IH |
|---|
| 88 | 88 | | section that any population of the lake sturgeon 1 |
|---|
| 89 | 89 | | (Acipenser fulvescens) in Wisconsin is threatened or en-2 |
|---|
| 90 | 90 | | dangered.’’. 3 |
|---|
| 91 | 91 | | Æ |
|---|
| 92 | 92 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:36 Mar 07, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1150.IH H1150 |
|---|
| 93 | 93 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS |
|---|