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                       ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2628

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State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1992 Regular Session

By House Committee on Fisheries & Wildlife (originally sponsored by Representatives R. King, Orr, G. Cole, Rust, Belcher, Fraser, Horn, Morris, R. Meyers, Basich, Leonard, Valle and Jacobsen)

Read first time 02/07/92.  Protecting riparian-associated wildlife from agricultural and grazing land practices.

     AN ACT Relating to fish and wildlife habitat protection on grazing and agricultural lands; adding a new section to chapter 28B.30 RCW; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.      The legislature finds that fish and wildlife resources are affected by changes in habitat.  The northern spotted owl has been federally listed as threatened due to habitat decline, and more recently, certain wild stocks of salmonids have warranted listing under the endangered species act.  One cause of salmonid decline is habitat loss.  The department of natural resources and the department of wildlife manage and lease large acreages of public lands for agriculture and grazing purposes.  It is the intent of the legislature that state agencies conduct agricultural and grazing practices that do not prevent the departments of fisheries and wildlife from meeting their mandate to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish and wildlife.  It is the further intent of the legislature that all farm and livestock managers should have access to consistent information on fish, wildlife, and habitat management practices that can be used by the agricultural sector.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.      The department of wildlife shall appoint a technical advisory committee to assist in developing recommended best habitat management practices that may be used with land management activities in agriculture and range management.  These practices shall be designed to maintain or improve sufficient habitat to preserve, protect, and perpetuate wildlife and fish.  The technical advisory committee shall consist of scientists representing a broad spectrum of interests including agriculture, academia, the Washington state conservation commission, conservation districts, and the departments of ecology, fisheries, and natural resources.  The department shall complete these best habitat management practices by August 31, 1993, and shall report to the appropriate legislative committees by that date.  The department shall transmit copies of its finished product to the Washington state conservation commission, the Washington state conservation districts, the Washington State University agricultural extension service, and other interested parties.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.      The departments of wildlife and natural resources shall study methods of application of best habitat management practices as standards to agricultural and grazing lands owned or managed by the departments.  The study shall recognize the multiple use concept in chapter 79.68 RCW for application of recommended best habitat management practices to lands owned or managed by the department of natural resources.  The departments shall jointly report to the appropriate legislative committees by November 30, 1993, on the following:

     (1) Ownership and acreage of state-owned and managed lands to which best habitat management practices are applicable;

     (2) Feasible techniques to implement best habitat management practices; and

     (3) A reasonable time frame for implementation of best habitat management practices on state-owned and managed agricultural and grazing lands.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.      Washington State University shall report to the appropriate legislative committees by December 31, 1993, on how to best integrate fish and wildlife considerations with the existing curriculum in the university's agriculture department and with the university cooperative extension service.  The university shall also report on the feasibility and cost of creating a rotational assignment with the department of wildlife to accomplish cross-training in wildlife and fish habitat management and farm and grazing management.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.  A new section is added to chapter 28B.30 RCW to read as follows:

     The director of the extension service of Washington State University shall make available to the public, within budget and staffing constraints, information provided by the state departments of fisheries and wildlife on best habitat management practices for agriculture and range management.