SENATE BILL REPORT

                                   ESHB 1448

         AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES,

                               FEBRUARY 19, 1992

Brief Description:  Establishing the Union Bay wildlife habitat management area.

SPONSORS:House Committee on Fisheries & Wildlife (originally sponsored by Representatives Jacobsen, Anderson, Rust, Brekke, Prentice, Valle, Phillips, Heavey, Appelwick, Locke, H. Sommers, Belcher, Nelson, Hine, Fraser and Wineberry).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES & WILDLIFE

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended. 

      Signed by Senators Metcalf, Chairman; Oke, Vice Chairman; Amondson, Barr, Conner, Owen, Snyder, Sumner, and Sutherland.

Staff:  Vic Moon (786‑7469)

Hearing Dates:March 25, 1991; April 4, 1991; February 19, 1992

BACKGROUND:

Several state agencies including the Department of Wildlife, State Parks, and the Department of Natural Resources own or manage properties for conservation and/or recreation.  Some of these properties are valuable wildlife habitat.  Some are in urban settings.  Few state lands in urban areas are managed for unique wildlife values, and there are at least 175 bird species which use this area.

Montlake Fill is a popular birding area in the state.  It is located at Union Bay in Lake Washington.  The fill is part of the Center for Urban Horticulture at the University of Washington.  There is a large cattail marsh at the edge of Union Bay.  There was a refuse dump on this marsh from 1926-1965.  In 1971 the dumpsite was covered and graded with up to 12 feet of glacial till and was seeded with grasses.  The landowners of the Montlake Fill area include the University of Washington, Seattle City Light, the Department of Natural Resources, and the city of Seattle.  A comprehensive wildlife management plan does not presently exist for the area.

SUMMARY:

The Union Bay cooperative wildlife habitat management area is established at the Union Bay wetland area east of the Lake Washington ship canal.  The Department of Wildlife is directed to coordinate a cooperative planning effort for the area, to include all interested property owners and managers within or adjacent to the area as well as other interested parties.  The Department of Wildlife and cooperators are directed to identify wildlife resources and educational opportunities of, and management objectives for the area and to develop a plan for co-management. The Department of Wildlife shall provide progress reports to the House Fisheries and Wildlife and the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committees by December 1, 1991 and December 1, 1992.  The Department of Wildlife may accept gifts, grants and other funds for the purposes of coordinating the planning effort.

The act is null and void if the Omnibus Appropriations Act does not fund the act, referencing it by bill number.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  available

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED SENATE AMENDMENT:

An appropriation of $44,000 from the general fund is made and language is included to protect private property rights and water recreation.  The null and void language is removed.

TESTIMONY FOR:

A comprehensive planning effort is needed to get all state and local agencies to manage the wildlife resource in Union Bay.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Representative Jacobsen; Jeff Parsons, Sierra Club; Pam Madsen, Dept. of Wildlife; Jim King, Washington Sports Council; Jack Swanberg