Federal Agency Programs in Living Aquatic Resources and Aquatic Habitat Protection

Eugene H. Buck
Senior Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division
August 15, 1995
95-937 ENR

SUMMARY

This report identifies the activities of Federal executive agencies related to living aquatic (freshwater and marine) resources (including fisheries and marine mammals), and aquatic habitats. Information on programs for these resources was originally requested from various agencies in the fall of 1984, and a compilation of responses was issued in January 1985 as CRS Report No. 85-35 ENR. That material was updated with agency comments in the fall of 1986, and several additional agencies were included to produce a revised document (CRS Report No. 87-125 ENR). A second updating of this material was conducted in October-November 1988 and released as CRS Report No. 89-53 ENR. After several staff inquiries for more recent data, agencies were again contacted in the fall of 1994 and revised material was gathered for this document. All data recorded for agencies are concerned strictly with living aquatic resources and aquatic habitats. In some cases, agency data on budget, personnel, and other procedures prevented convenient separation of living aquatic resource and aquatic habitat elements from larger programs, so the level of detail is not comparable among agencies.

The summary for each agency entry contains:

a) a brief description of living aquatic resource and habitat responsibilities,

b) citations of major statutory authority for these responsibilities,

c) a ten-year history of budget and personnel levels for these activities (unless specifically noted, budget figures have not been adjusted for inflation), d) a five-year history of personnel by Civil Service grade,

e) a list of any studies related to national policy or goals for living aquatic resources and aquatic habitats,

f) a description of interagency and State-Federal coordination mechanisms for living aquatic resource and aquatic habitat activities, and

g) a list of periodic or annual reports available related to living aquatic resource and aquatic habitat activities.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
-- Council on Environmental Quality
-- Office of Management and Budget
-- Office of the United States Trade Representative

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
-- Agricultural Research Service
-- Cooperative State Research Service
-- Extension Service and State Cooperative Extension Service
-- Farmers Home Administration
-- U.S. Forest Service
-- Natural Resources Conservation Service
-- Rural Development Administration, Cooperative Services

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
-- Bureau of the Census
-- Sanctuaries and Reserves Division, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
-- National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
-- National Sea Grant College Program
-- Office of Ocean Resources Conservation and Assessment, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
-- U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, International Trade Administration

-- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
-- Army Corps of Engineers
-- Office of Naval Research

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
-- Bonneville Power Administration
-- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
-- Centers for Disease Control
-- Food and Drug Administration

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
-- Bureau of Indian Affairs
-- Bureau of Land Management
-- Bureau of Reclamation
-- Fish and Wildlife Service
-- U.S. Geological Survey
-- Minerals Management Service
-- National Biological Service
-- National Park Service

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
-- Occupational Safety and Health Administration

DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
-- U.S. Coast Guard

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
-- Customs Service

INDEPENDENT AGENCIES
-- Agency for International Development
-- Environmental Protection Agency
-- International Trade Commission
-- Marine Mammal Commission
-- National Science Foundation
-- Peace Corps
-- Small Business Administration
-- Smithsonian Institution
-- Tennessee Valley Authority

-- AGENCY INDEX

Federal Agency Programs in Living Aquatic Resources and Aquatic Habitat Protection (1)

INTRODUCTION

This report identifies the activities of Federal executive agencies related to living aquatic (freshwater and marine) resources (including fisheries and marine mammals), and aquatic habitats. Information on programs for these resources was originally requested from various agencies in fall 1984, and a compilation of responses was issued in January 1985 as CRS Report No. 85-35 ENR. That material was updated with agency comments in the fall of 1986, and several additional agencies were included to produce a revised document (CRS Report No. 87-125 ENR). A second updating of this material was conducted in October-November 1988 and released as CRS Report No. 89-53 ENR. After several staff inquiries for more recent data, agencies were again contacted in the fall of 1994 and revised material was gathered for this document. All data recorded for agencies are concerned strictly with living aquatic resources and aquatic habitats. In some cases, agency data on budget, personnel, and other procedures prevented convenient separation of living aquatic resource and aquatic habitat elements from larger programs, so the level of detail is not comparable among agencies.

The summary for each agency entry contains:

a) a brief description of living aquatic resource and habitat responsibilities,

b) citations of major statutory authority for these responsibilities,

c) a ten-year history of budget and personnel levels for these activities (unless specifically noted, budget figures have not been adjusted for inflation),

d) a five-year history of personnel by Civil Service grade,

e) a list of any studies related to national policy or goals for living aquatic resources and aquatic habitats,

f) a description of interagency and State-Federal coordination mechanisms for living aquatic resource and aquatic habitat activities, and

g) a list of periodic or annual reports available related to living aquatic resource and aquatic habitat activities.

Any notation for an agency for which no studies of national policy or goals are available should be interpreted as applicable only to the limited scope of this summary and not to the larger mission and/or programs of the agency. To assist the reader, common acronyms used in this document include:

CA -- Cooperative Agreement

CFR -- Code of Federal Regulations

DOC -- Department of Commerce

DOI -- Department of the Interior

EPA -- Environmental Protection Agency

FTE -- Full time equivalents

FWS -- Fish and Wildlife Service

FY -- Fiscal year

GAO -- General Accounting Office

GPO -- Government Printing Office

IA -- Interagency Agreement

MOA -- Memorandum of Agreement

MOU -- Memorandum of Understanding

NMFS -- National Marine Fisheries Service

NOAA -- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

P.L. -- Public Law

SES -- Senior Executive Service

SIC -- Standard Industrial Classification

USDA -- U.S. Department of Agriculture

U.S.C. -- U.S. Code