2009.07.28: July 28, 2009: Headlines: Environment: Figures: COS - Colombia: Politics: Congress: The Salinas Californian: Farr's sea otter protection bill passes House
Peace Corps Online:
Directory:
Colombia:
Special Report: Sam Farr:
Sam Farr: Newest Stories:
2009.07.28: July 28, 2009: Headlines: Environment: Figures: COS - Colombia: Politics: Congress: The Salinas Californian: Farr's sea otter protection bill passes House
Farr's sea otter protection bill passes House
The legislation (H.R. 556) would require the Department of Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service to carry out a recovery program to include protection of existing populations; reduction of human activities that limit population growth; monitoring and analysis of otter populations; and public outreach about human effects on otters. "Helping the recovery of the Southern sea otter has the added benefit of increasing Central Coast tourism revenue," Rep. Farr said. "Fans of the otter contributed hundreds of thousands of tourism dollars every year to our communities, a big factor in contributing to the recovery of our local economy." The United States Geological Survey recently reported that the Southern sea otter population, currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, has declined, the first decrease in over a decade. Rep. Farr's bill was designed to address this issue by providing funding to understand the causes of this mortality and promote the recovery of these animals, thus restoring the health of the whole ecosystem. Congressman Sam Farr of California served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Colombia in the 1960's.
Farr's sea otter protection bill passes House
Farr's sea otter protection bill passes House
July 28, 2009
The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Research Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, earlier this year. The bill, which authorizes funding for recovery and research efforts to support the Southern sea otter, passed by a vote of 316-107.
Advertisement
"The Southern sea otters are a keystone species," Rep. Farr said during Monday's debate on the House floor. "That means if they break the chain, the whole ecological system falls apart."
The legislation (H.R. 556) would require the Department of Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service to carry out a recovery program to include protection of existing populations; reduction of human activities that limit population growth; monitoring and analysis of otter populations; and public outreach about human effects on otters.
"Helping the recovery of the Southern sea otter has the added benefit of increasing Central Coast tourism revenue," Rep. Farr said. "Fans of the otter contributed hundreds of thousands of tourism dollars every year to our communities, a big factor in contributing to the recovery of our local economy."
The United States Geological Survey recently reported that the Southern sea otter population, currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, has declined, the first decrease in over a decade. Rep. Farr's bill was designed to address this issue by providing funding to understand the causes of this mortality and promote the recovery of these animals, thus restoring the health of the whole ecosystem.
The bill would:
- Establish a Southern Sea Otter Health Assessment Plan to assess causes of population decline.
- Promote ecosystem sustainability by identifying key threats to ecosystem health and ways to mitigate those impacts.
- Award competitive research grants.
"H.R. 556 is necessary to provide a stable and reliable source of funding for critically needed research, monitoring and implementation of recovery actions," said Rep. Madeleine Bordallo, chair of the House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife. "It's provisions would apply directly to Southern sea otters, but because these otters are a keystone and a sentinel species, H.R. 556 would also benefit the California coastal ecosystem as a whole."
The Senate has not yet considered this legislation.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: July, 2009; RPCV Sam Farr (Colombia); Environment; Figures; Peace Corps Colombia; Directory of Colombia RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Colombia RPCVs; Politics; Congress; California
When this story was posted in August 2009, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| Director Ron Tschetter: The PCOL Interview Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter sat down for an in-depth interview to discuss the evacuation from Bolivia, political appointees at Peace Corps headquarters, the five year rule, the Peace Corps Foundation, the internet and the Peace Corps, how the transition is going, and what the prospects are for doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011. Read the interview and you are sure to learn something new about the Peace Corps. PCOL previously did an interview with Director Gaddi Vasquez. |
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: The Salinas Californian
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Environment; Figures; COS - Colombia; Politics; Congress
PCOL44466
99