HB 2757-S.E - DIGEST

(AS OF HOUSE 2ND READING 2/19/02)

     Finds that:  (1) The department of fish and wildlife issues thousands of hydraulic project approval permits each year for hydraulic projects or work that will use, divert, obstruct, or change the natural flow or bed of any of the salt or fresh waters of the state.

     (2) The hydraulic project approval permit program can provide important habitat protection for salmon, steelhead, and trout stocks listed under the federal endangered species act.

     (3) Determining the cost of processing, issuing, and implementing decisions on hydraulic project approval permit applications and whether a funding system that fairly allocates benefits to the applicant and to the public is desirable or possible.

     (4) Since hydraulic project approval permit authority was first granted to the department of fish and wildlife there has been no external review and analysis of the program to determine its effectiveness.

     (5) The state fish and wildlife commission should take a lead role in conducting such a review and analysis of the hydraulic project approval permit program.

     Creates the hydraulic project approval permit program technical advisory group as a subcommittee of the state fish and wildlife commission.

     Requires that any recommendations of the hydraulic project approval permit program technical advisory group concerning fees must be consistent with the direction provided in RCW 76.09.030(2) to work for the integration of the forest practices and hydraulic permitting processes.  It is the legislature's intent that no hydraulic permit fees be charged once these two permitting processes are integrated.

     Requires the final report of the hydraulic project approval permit program technical advisory group to be provided to the commission, the governor, and the appropriate committees of the legislature by November 15, 2002.