FINAL BILL REPORT

                  SSB 5410

                           C 82 L 95

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Designating the Washington park arboretum as an official state arboretum.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Ecology & Parks (originally sponsored by Senators C. Anderson, Rasmussen, Gaspard, Newhouse, Snyder, Bauer, Kohl, Pelz, Fraser, Sellar, Wood and Roach).

Senate Committee on Ecology & Parks

House Committee on Natural Resources

Background:  Washington State has a variety of designations symbolizing the uniqueness of the state.  Some of these include the state flag, state tree (western hemlock), state grass (bluebunch wheatgrass), state flower (rhododendron), state fruit (apple), state bird (willow goldfinch), state fish (steelhead trout), state song ("Washington My Home"), state folk song ("Roll on Columbia"), state dance (square dance), and the state seal.

The Washington Park Arboretum, formerly known as the University of Washington Arboretum, is a 200-acre arboretum run by the city of Seattle and the University of Washington.  In addition to being an area dedicated to preserving and displaying woody plant species from around the world that can thrive in the Northwest, it is a center for botanical and gardening information.

Summary:  Findings are made regarding the importance of arboreta to the state.  The Washington Park Arboretum is declared an official arboretum of the state of Washington.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate    48 0

House     95 1

Effective:  July 23, 1995