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The budget isn't the only topic up for discussion in Juneau this spring. Lawmakers are also considering several fisheries-related bills, from efforts to address who has the authority to provide certain water protections, to attempts to increase revenue.

Much of the attention has been focused on those water protections, called Tier III designations, or "Outstanding National Resources Waters." A bill introduced at the request of Gov. Bill Walker would task the state Legislature with deciding whether or not a body of water should receive that high-level protection.

That's been met with criticism from fisheries advocates, who say the decision should not be based on politics. But the state's Department of Environmental Conservation has said it isn't equipped to make that decision, and doesn't have the resources to take on new responsibilities.

Such a designation could prevent any activity that has the potential to impact the water — from nearby mining, to fish processing plants that have any sort of water discharge.

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