S-421                 _______________________________________________

 

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5122

                        _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

 

By Senators Owen, DeJarnatt and Stratton

 

 

Read first time 1/16/87 and referred to Committee on Natural Resources.

 

 


AN ACT Relating to aquaculture; and adding new sections to chapter 79.90 RCW.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.     The legislature recognizes the potential of marine salmon pen culture to the state as a new industry, and also recognizes the potential conflicts that marine salmon pen culture may have with existing maritime and shoreland uses.

          The department of natural resources shall investigate and identify potential sites on state-owned aquatic land for marine salmon pen culture that are aesthetically and environmentally acceptable.  The department of natural resources shall make every effort to coordinate its investigation of sites with the department of fisheries, the department of agriculture, the department of ecology, and the aquaculture industry.  Sites which are deemed acceptable shall be made available for lease by interested private aquaculturists.

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.     To acquire more information on environmental effects and aesthetic concerns of salmon pen culture, the department of natural resources shall lease up to ten aquaculture sites for a demonstration and study of salmon pen culture practices in Washington marine waters.  The numerical maximum of ten demonstration and study salmon pen aquaculture leases shall only apply to demonstration and study site leases and shall not apply to other aquaculture site leasing.  The encouragement of demonstration sites shall not be construed to limit other sites from being leased for commercial aquaculture.  The demonstration and study sites shall represent a variety of marine conditions in order to acquire the maximum amount of useful data on the effects of salmon pen culture.  The demonstration and study site leases shall be of sufficient size to accommodate full-sized production salmon farms and shall be closely monitored by state agencies.  The department of natural resources shall fully explore the feasibility of involving students and professors from the state's research universities in this study.

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.     The department of natural resources shall establish an aquaculture siting dispute resolution process.  The purpose of this process shall be to facilitate agreement between aquaculture applicants and local residents in the vicinity of specific aquaculture projects.  If agreement can be reached between aquaculture applicants and local residents, the siting restrictions otherwise applied by state or local governmental entities may be varied by mutual agreement between applicants and local residents.

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.     Sections 1 through 3 of this act are each added to chapter 79.90 RCW.