H-1294.3          _______________________________________________

 

                                  HOUSE BILL 1846

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State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

 

By Representatives D. Sommers, Orr, Padden, Day, Mielke, Nealey, Morton, Silver, Chandler and Dellwo.

 

Read first time February 12, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.Protecting a scenic rock formation.


     AN ACT Relating to preservation of scenic beauty in highway project areas; and creating a new section.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.      The legislature declares that the preservation of scenic beauty is important to Washington state, and that, where possible, highway construction projects should have scenic preservation as a goal.  Specifically, in a project on Interstate 90 near Spokane, from Salnave Road to Four Lakes, there is a scenically notable outcropping of basalt with naturally occurring trees in the freeway median.  This rock formation shall not be disturbed in any way until all alternative methods of  protecting motorists from colliding with the formation have been thoroughly investigated by the department and the department has submitted a report on its findings to the legislative transportation committee.  The department may remove the basalt formations and trees only after review and approval by jurisdictional transportation committees, after consideration of all alternatives to removal.