H-1704.1

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 4210

ByRepresentatives Boehnke, Sutherland, and Dent

BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION ASSEMBLED:

THAT, At the next general election to be held in this state the secretary of state shall submit to the qualified voters of the state for their approval and ratification, or rejection, an amendment to Article I of the Constitution of the state of Washington by adding a new section to read as follows:

Article I, section . . .. (1) The individual right of the people to hunt and to fish using traditional methods is a valued part of the state's heritage and shall be forever preserved for the public good. This right is subject only to statute and rules adopted as provided by statute, to:

(a) Promote wildlife conservation and management;

(b) Provide reasonable regulation of hunting and fishing activities; and

(c) Preserve the future of hunting and fishing.

(2) Public hunting and fishing are the preferred means of managing and controlling wildlife.

(3) This section does not affect:

(a) Laws relating to trespass or property rights;

(b) The state's sovereign authority over the state's natural resources;

(c) The state's obligation to manage lands granted to the state under the enabling act; or

(d) Treaty-reserved hunting and fishing rights.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause notice of this constitutional amendment to be published at least four times during the four weeks next preceding the election in every legal newspaper in the state.

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