SENATE BILL REPORT

                                   2SSB 5083

                       AS PASSED SENATE, MARCH 12, 1991

Brief Description:  Reconstructing salmon hatcheries.

SPONSORS:Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators L. Smith, Snyder, Oke and Rasmussen).

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5083 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

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

Staff:  Ross Antipa (786‑7413)

Hearing Dates:February 4, 1991; February 19, 1991

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report:  That Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5083 be substituted therefor, and the second substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators McDonald, Chairman; Craswell, Vice Chairman; Bailey, Bluechel, Cantu, Gaspard, Hayner, L. Kreidler, Metcalf, Newhouse, Niemi, Owen, L. Smith, Talmadge, West, and Wojahn. 

Staff:  Michael Groesch (786-7715)

Hearing Date: February 25, 1991; February 26, 1991

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES & WILDLIFE

BACKGROUND:

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens destroyed the salmon hatcheries on the Toutle River.  Recent tests have shown that Toutle River conditions are suitable for salmon production, however, salmon rearing facilities on the Toutle River are in disrepair. 

SUMMARY:

The Department of Fisheries shall reconstruct and operate the state funded salmon hatcheries on the Toutle River to the extent that state funds are appropriated for this purpose.  The department shall request federal funding to reconstruct and operate the Green River salmon hatchery which is located on a tributary of the Toutle River.  In the event that federal funding is not available to construct and operate the Green River hatchery, then the department shall report to the Legislature by December 1, 1991 on the efforts made to secure funding and the department's allocation of salmon hatchery funding.  In no case shall the department's operation of Toutle River hatcheries be reduced below the level of January 1, 1991.

Passage of adult salmon above the hatchery is assured in order to facilitate natural spawning.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  requested January 30, 1991

TESTIMONY FOR (Environment & Natural Resources):

The hatchery should be reconstructed because it was very productive prior to the eruption of Mount St. Helens.

TESTIMONY AGAINST (Environment & Natural Resources):   None

TESTIFIED (Environment & Natural Resources):  Senator L. Smith, prime sponsor; Ed Manary, Department of Fisheries

TESTIMONY FOR (Ways & Means):

The potential for salmon production has increased in the Toutle watershed and the department should be putting resources in areas which provide the highest potential for return.

TESTIMONY AGAINST (Ways & Means):  None

TESTIFIED (Ways & Means):  Senator L. Smith, prime sponsor; Ed Manary, Department of Fisheries

HOUSE AMENDMENT(S):

The requirement that the Department of Fisheries operate the previously state funded salmon hatcheries in the Toutle River at maximum productive capacity is removed.  The requirement that the Toutle River Hatchery operations remain at the level in effect on January 1, 1991 is removed.  The federal funding that is requested is clarified that it shall be for the hatchery on the Green River.  The requirement that the hatchery on the Green River is to operate at full productive capacity is removed.  The reporting requirements are changed from a description of priorities used by the Department of Fisheries to allocate salmon hatchery funding in light of the failure to obtain federal funding to a description of priorities used by the Department of Fisheries to allocate salmon hatchery funding.