HOUSE BILL REPORT
SHB 1700
As Passed House:
March 8, 2023
Title: An act relating to establishing a memorial on the capitol campus to commemorate eastern Washington.
Brief Description: Establishing a cultural landscape feature on the capitol campus to commemorate eastern Washington.
Sponsors: House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations (originally sponsored by Representatives Kretz, Chapman, Dent, Barnard, Ormsby and Timmons).
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
State Government & Tribal Relations: 2/14/23, 2/15/23 [DPS].
Floor Activity:
Passed House: 3/8/23, 97-0.
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill
  • Specifies criteria for an Eastern Washington Cultural Landscape Feature (Feature) on the Capitol Campus in Olympia, including specific trees.
  • Creates a non-appropriated account for the deposit of funds, gifts, and grants to support the establishment and maintenance of the Feature.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT & TRIBAL RELATIONS
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.Signed by 7 members:Representatives Ramos, Chair; Stearns, Vice Chair; Abbarno, Ranking Minority Member; Christian, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Gregerson, Low and Mena.
Staff: Jason Zolle (786-7124).
Background:

The Capitol Campus in Olympia is home to many memorials for various events and groups of people.  These include the World War II Memorial, the Law Enforcement Memorial, the Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Memorial, the Medal of Honor Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Korean War Memorial.  The Legislature also authorized the creation of a Global War on Terrorism Memorial in 2022.

 

Eastern Washington is home to a number of species of plants and animals that are not generally found west of the crest of the Cascade Mountains.  These include:

  • Ponderosa Pine trees, a towering conifer with long needles that has bark smelling of vanilla or butterscotch when scratched;
  • Greater Sage-Grouse, a large and intricately plumaged ground-dwelling bird known for its elaborate courtship displays that involve strutting performances; and
  • Gray Wolves, a keystone species responsible for restoring healthy ecosystems through a trophic cascade that benefits numerous other species from songbirds and beavers to fish and butterflies.

 

Early settlements by European-Americans in Eastern Washington were located in the Walla Walla Valley and were primarily agricultural with a missionary focus on converting local Native Americans.  The first chapter in this history was punctuated by a number of violent conflicts between settlers and the tribes.  Currently, Eastern Washington produces roughly 70 percent of the country's production of apples, and Eastern Washington agriculture is responsible for the state being the largest national producer of hops, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries.
Summary of Substitute Bill:

Standards for an Eastern Washington Cultural Landscape Feature (Feature) on the Capitol Campus are established.  The Feature must recognize the flora and fauna, rich agriculture and forestry, and history of Eastern Washington.  The Feature must include Ponderosa Pine, Quaking Aspen, and Western Larch trees, or other site-adapted species.  The design of the Feature must celebrate Eastern Washington's unique beauty, agricultural significance, and history.

 

The Feature will be implemented by the State Capitol Committee in consultation with the Department of Enterprise Services and Department of Natural Resources.  A Washington State Eastern Washington Cultural Landscape Feature Account (Account) is created in the custody of the State Treasurer to support the establishment and maintenance of the Feature.  The Secretary of State (Secretary) may solicit and accept gifts, grants, or endowments for this purpose, which must be deposited into the Account.  The Account is subject to allotment but not appropriation, and only the Secretary may authorize expenditures.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This bill is a testament to the great trees of Eastern Washington.  There is incredible flora and fauna in that part of the state.  The Capitol Campus has many beautiful trees from Western Washington and around the world, but there is a remarkable absence of anything from Eastern Washington.

 

(Opposed) None.


(Other) A memorial is used to honor someone who died or a historic event, so this should be renamed a "cultural landscape feature."  Language should be added to ensure that the trees planted are site-appropriate, so that they can thrive and be a nice representation.
Persons Testifying: (In support) Representative Joel Kretz, prime sponsor.
(Other) Brent Chapman, Department of Enterprise Services.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.