H-2431              _______________________________________________

                                      HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 12

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Representatives Sutherland, S. Wilson, Lundquist, Belcher, McMullen, Schmidt, Fuhrman, Barrett, Tanner, Isaacson, J. Williams, Basich, Sayan and K. Wilson

Read first time 4/17/85 and referred to Committee on Rules.

WHEREAS, Washington's wildlife represents one of the state's most important resources, providing opportunities for hunting, fishing, and viewing enjoyment to our citizens; and

          WHEREAS, Expenditures associated with the hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing industry in Washington state total hundreds of millions of dollars annually; and

          WHEREAS, Providing habitat for the wildlife enhances the opportunities for hunting, fishing, and viewing wildlife and improves the quality of the state's environment; and

          WHEREAS, The challenges of managing wildlife have increased as Washington's population has increased and the amount of habitat has decreased; and

          WHEREAS, Many state residents have expressed concerns with the management of Washington's wildlife resources, the means of administering the Department of Game, the need to review the current method of financing wildlife management, the responsiveness of the Game Commission to public opinion, and the policies adopted by the Game Commission and implemented by the Department of Game;

          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the House of Representatives of the state of Washington, the Senate concurring, That a joint select committee on wildlife management be established to review all phases of wildlife management and administration under the auspices of the Department of Game; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee address, study, and make recommendations with the purpose of considering possible legislation on the following issues:

          (1) The means by which the Game Commission adopts policies;

          (2) The policies adopted by the Game Commission and the role of the public in their adoption;

          (3) The purposes for which wildlife is or should be managed;

          (4) Existing and possible wildlife management goals;

          (5) The adequacy of the means selected to achieve these goals;

          (6) The ability of the Department of Game to achieve these goals;

          (7) The financial needs and funding sources appropriate for wildlife management;

          (8) The form of the administration established by legislation; and

          (9) Other topics the committee deems necessary; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the membership of the joint select committee shall consist of:

          (1) Two members from each caucus of the Senate selected by the President of the Senate from the membership of the Committee on Natural Resources; and

          (2) Two members from each caucus of the House of Representatives selected by the Speaker of the House from the membership of the Committee on Natural Resources;

          The chair of the committee shall be of the majority party of the House of Representatives and be selected by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.  The vice-chair of the committee shall be of the majority party of the Senate and be selected by the President of the Senate; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee chair may appoint knowledgeable members of the public and agency staff to assist the committee in gathering information, investigating concerns, and identifying proposed solutions.  The committee, and any subcommittees that may be established, shall be staffed by personnel of the Senate and House of Representatives pursuant to joint rule No. 26 of the Senate and House of Representatives; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, The committee shall report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature prior to the 1986 regular session of the Legislature.