Senators Patrick Leahy And Mike Lee
Press Intelligence And Justice Dept. Leaders On Surveillance Powers
WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Dec. 20, 2018) – Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) Thursday asked the Director of National Intelligence and the Acting Attorney General to report on the government’s implementation of surveillance authorities granted in the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015, which was authored by the two senators. The USA FREEDOM Act imposed substantial reforms on the government’s foreign intelligence surveillance powers, including to a controversial telephone metadata program that allowed for the bulk collection of Americans’ personal information. A number of these authorities are currently scheduled to expire in exactly one year from now, in December 2019.
In their letter, Leahy and Lee ask the government to explain how recent changes in Supreme Court caselaw, and the National Security Agency’s (NSA) report of a massive compliance problem earlier this year, have affected implementation of these powerful surveillance authorities. The senators also asked the officials to report how certain key statutory terms were being defined, and whether the government had asked the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to rule on any related novel legal issues.
Leahy and Lee also asked the officials to provide certain information about the NSA’s call detail record (CDR) program, which the government has not to date provided, despite a statutory obligation to do so. The senators wrote: “As you know, the law requires a ‘good faith estimate of’ this information (emphasis added), which should be possible even with these technical limitations. Without this information, it is difficult for the American people, and Congress, to evaluate how broadly the CDR program may impact privacy and civil liberties.”
The full text of the senators’ letter is below. A PDF copy is available here.
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Partners Set Records in 2018 for Quagga Mussel Inspections and Decontaminations
PAGE, AZ (Dec. 20, 2018) – The partnership of the Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the National Park Service (NPS) and the boating community has set records in 2018 for vessel inspection and decontamination for quagga mussels.
The two agencies contacted over 200,000 visitors, inspected over 64,000 vessels, and decontaminated over 4,200 vessels at five primary launch ramps at Lake Powell. Additionally, over 140 boats were placed in quarantine statewide.
“We appreciate our partnership with the State of Utah and our boating community to contain the quagga mussel infestation to Lake Powell and to prevent its spread to other water bodies,” said Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Superintendent, William Shott. “In 2017, the Department of the Interior released the Safeguarding the West Initiative and we are coordinating with federal, state, tribal and private partners at multiple park units across the west on quagga/zebra mussel prevention and containment efforts.”
“Lake Powell’s quagga mussel situation is always evolving, which requires us to be nimble and proactive as we work together as partnering agencies,” said DNR Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Program Coordinator, Nathan Owens. “This year we saw lower water levels, resulting in more boats having mussels aboard their vessels than in past years. By working together we identified these new challenges and allowed our inspection and decontamination processes to change to meet the increased needs.”
Earlier this year, technicians were finding quagga mussels on and in boats that had only been in Lake Powell for a day or two, something boaters hadn’t experienced in the past. As a result, DNR and NPS increased inspection, decontamination and enforcement efforts. Enhanced training was also incorporated to focus on anchor and sea strainer inspections and the flushing of cooling intakes and water systems. The adjustments proved successful.
More will be done in 2019 to further expand efforts to keep quagga mussels from reaching other Utah lakes and reservoirs. Governor Gary Herbert proposed in his 2020 fiscal year budget plan an additional $405,000. If approved, new AIS funding will be used to add needed technicians and equipment to increase the efficiency of inspection and decontamination efforts at Lake Powell.
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SIDEBAR: Aquatic Invasive Species Background
Aquatic invasive species can impair the delivery of water and power, diminish boating and fishing, and devastate lake ecosystem health. Once they are present, quagga mussels cannot be eradicated and the efforts to contain and manage the impacts can cost millions of dollars.
Combining containment efforts with proactive prevention at receiving waters is the most effective way to stop the spread and cannot be done by one agency alone. It is only accomplished through agency collaboration and ongoing partnerships with the boating community. The boating public is the first and most important line of defense. By effectively cleaning, draining and drying their vessels before launching in another body of water they can help stop the spread of invasive species.
First introduced by the shipping industry to the Great Lakes in the 1980s, zebra and quagga mussels spread outward via natural dispersion and watercraft to other regions of the country. They are among the many invasive species causing economic and ecological harm across the United States. While inspection and decontamination efforts mitigate risk, they are not always 100 percent effective. All boaters are responsible to adequately clean, drain and dry after every use. Through containment and prevention programs and the help of the boating community, we can safeguard our national parks, state lakes and reservoirs and other western waters.
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About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 418 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at http://www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.
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Get on the ice, have some fun
Basic ice fishing equipment, simple technique all you need to get started
If you’re looking for something fun to do with your family this winter, the nearest ice-covered water might be the answer. Ice fishing is easy to learn, it doesn’t take much equipment, and anyone—including kids—can catch lots of fish.
Many local waters were heavily stocked with fish this fall. Once the ice forms, the fish will be looking for an easy meal.
Randy Oplinger, sport fisheries coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says five reservoirs—Hyrum, Mantua, Echo and Rockport in northern Utah, and Jordanelle in north-central Utah—are especially good places to take your family fishing this winter. Other waters across the state are also good places to try.
Oplinger shares information about the basic equipment you’ll need, a technique that should put plenty of fish on the ice, and how to stay warm and safe.
Basic equipment
A short ice fishing rod and reel, some hooks and sinkers, wax worms or meal worms, an ice auger, and a large spoon or something you can use to scoop ice chunks that form in the hole you’re fishing, are all you need to get started.
“All of the gear you need shouldn’t cost more than $100,” Oplinger says, “and it could easily cost less. With the exception of worms and an occasional hook, you only need to buy the equipment once. After you do, you can enjoy it for years to come.”
Oplinger also encourages you to buy some small jigs, ice flies or small jigging spoons. Chartreuse and red are two colors that usually produce well in Utah. “Even though chartreuse and red are usually the best colors to use when ice fishing,” he says, “buy a variety of colors. That way, you’ll have the color the fish want on the day you’re fishing.”
Because fish bite softly in the winter, buying items that help you detect subtle bites is a great idea. Spring bobbers (a wire extension that attaches to the end or the top of your fishing rod) and various floats (also called bobbers) are among the items that will help you know a fish is on the end of your line.
Oplinger says rod and reel combos start at around $15, and the scoop, jigs, worms and spring bobbers are just a few dollars each. The most expensive item will be a hand auger, but you only need one per family. “Hand augers start at around $50,” he says.
A simple technique
Once you have your gear, and you’ve drilled a hole in the ice, it’s time to fish. Here’s a simple method that can put plenty of trout and panfish on the ice:
Tie a small jig to the end of your line, and thread a meal worm or a wax worm on the jig’s hook. After threading the worm, open the bail on your spinning reel, and lower the jig and worm until it touches the bottom of the water you’re fishing. (When your line goes slack, you’ll know it’s reached the bottom.)
After the lure touches bottom, close the bail, and reel the lure until it’s just a few inches off the bottom. Then, let it sit still and watch your bobber closely. It’s also a good idea to occasionally “twitch” the rod, to make the jig move.
If a trout or panfish is in the area, there’s a good chance it will swim in and take the jig. If your bobber starts to twitch, raise your rod, set the hook and reel your fish in.
“If you’ve waited a few minutes,” he says, “and a fish hasn’t taken your jig, reel it up a few inches, stop and start watching your bobber again. Keep doing that until you find the depth at which the fish are holding.”
If you don’t get any bites, pick up and move to a different location.
Staying safe and warm
If you wait until the ice is at least six inches thick, it should be safe to walk on. “Keep your eyes open, though,” Oplinger says. “Regardless of how thick the ice appears, there can always be thin spots or even open water.”
To stay warm and comfortable, dress in layers. “Dressing in layers allows you to remove or add clothes as the temperature gets warmer or colder,” Oplinger says.
Wearing boots that are waterproof is another good idea. “As the day warms up,” he says, “some water will start to form on top of the ice. Wearing waterproof boots will keep your feet warm and dry.”
Fishing reports
You can stay updated on where fishing is best in Utah at www.wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots. You can also subscribe to the free reports at www.wildlife.utah.gov/about-us/subscribe-to-updates.html.
Two additional websites—www.bigfishtackle.com and www.utahwildlife.net—also provide updated ice fishing information.
Ice fishing seminars
You can learn more about ice fishing by watching two DWR seminars on YouTube. The seminars are available at https://bit.ly/2zR5Ah9 and http://bit.ly/2nAvhi2.
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Fishing reports - available at http://wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots .
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