CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

 

             ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5411

 

 

                   Chapter 322, Laws of 1991

                         (partial veto)

 

 

                        52nd Legislature

                      1991 Regular Session

 

 

            FLOOD CONTROL MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

 

 

EFFECTIVE DATE:  7/28/91 - Except Section 22 which becomes effective on 5/21/91.

 

 


Passed by the Senate April 28, 1991

  Yeas 41   Nays 3

 

 

           JOEL PRITCHARD          

President of the Senate

 

Passed by the House April 28, 1991

  Yeas 98   Nays 0

 

 

              JOE KING             

Speaker of the

       House of Representatives

 

 

Approved May 21, 1991, with

the exception of section 25,

which is vetoed.

 

 

 

 

 

           BOOTH GARDNER           

Governor of the State of Washington


       CERTIFICATE

 

I, Gordon Golob, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5411 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.

 

 

           GORDON A. GOLOB            Secretary

 

 

 

                                     FILED         

 

 

 

                 May 21, 1991 - 10:36 a.m.

 

 

 

                        Secretary of State   

                       State of Washington  



 


                  _______________________________________________

 

                       ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5411

 

                              AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

                  _______________________________________________

 

                     Passed Legislature - 1991 Regular Session

 

 

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

 

By Senate Committee on Agriculture & Water Resources (originally sponsored by Senators Bailey, Anderson, Hansen, Barr, McMullen, Conner and Skratek).

 

Read first time March 4, 1991.Making changes relating to flood damage.


     AN ACT Relating to the alleviation of flood damage; amending RCW 86.26.050, 86.26.090, 86.26.100, 38.52.030, 36.70A.150, 79.90.130, 79.90.150, 79.90.300, 47.28.140, 75.20.100, 75.20.103, and 90.58.100; reenacting and amending RCW 86.16.110; reenacting RCW 86.15.178; adding new sections to chapter 86.12 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 86.15 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 86.16 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 75.20 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 79.90 RCW; creating new sections; recodifying RCW 79.01.135; repealing RCW 86.15.040, 86.16.027, 86.16.030, 86.16.040, 86.16.060, 86.16.065, 86.16.067, 86.16.070, 86.16.080, 86.16.090, 86.16.170, and 79.90.140; and declaring an emergency.

 

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

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.      (1) The legislature finds that:

     (a) Floods pose threats to public health and safety including loss or endangerment to human life; damage to homes; damage to public roads, highways, bridges, and utilities; interruption of travel, communication, and commerce; damage to private and public property; degradation of water quality; damage to fisheries, fish hatcheries, and fish habitat; harm to livestock; destruction or degradation of environmentally sensitive areas; erosion of soil, stream banks, and beds; and harmful accumulation of soil and debris in the beds of streams or other bodies of water and on public and private lands;

     (b) Alleviation of flood damage to property and to public health and safety is a matter of public concern;

     (c) Many land uses alter the pattern of runoff by decreasing the ability of upstream lands to store waters, thus increasing the rate of runoff and attendant downstream impacts; and

     (d) Prevention of flood damage requires a comprehensive approach, incorporating storm water management and basin-wide flood damage protection planning.

     (2) County legislative authorities are encouraged to use and coordinate all the regulatory, planning, and financing mechanisms available to those jurisdictions to address the problems of flooding in an equitable and comprehensive manner.

     (3) It is the intent of the legislature to develop a coordinated and comprehensive state policy to address the problems of flooding and the minimization of flood damage.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.      The purpose of sections 3 through 13 of this act is to permit counties in cooperation and consultation with cities and towns to adopt a comprehensive system of flood control management and protection within drainage basins and to coordinate the flood control activities of the state, counties, cities, towns, and special districts within such drainage basins.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 86.12 RCW to read as follows:

     The county legislative authority of any county may adopt a comprehensive flood control management plan for any drainage basin that is located wholly or partially within the county.

     A comprehensive flood control management plan shall include the following elements:

     (1) Designation of areas that are susceptible to periodic flooding, from inundation by bodies of water or surface water runoff, or both, including the river's meander belt or floodway;

     (2) Establishment of a comprehensive scheme of flood control protection and improvements for the areas that are subject to such periodic flooding, that includes:  (a) Determining the need for, and desirable location of, flood control improvements to protect or preclude flood damage to structures, works, and improvements, based upon a cost/benefit ratio between the expense of providing and maintaining these improvements and the benefits arising from these improvements; (b) establishing the level of flood protection that each portion of the system of flood control improvements will be permitted; (c) identifying alternatives to in-stream flood control work; (d) identifying areas where flood waters could be directed during a flood to avoid damage to buildings and other structures; and (e) identifying sources of revenue that will be sufficient to finance the comprehensive scheme of flood control protection and improvements;

     (3) Establishing land use regulations that preclude the location of structures, works, or improvements in critical portions of such areas subject to periodic flooding, including a river's meander belt or floodway, and permitting only flood-compatible land uses in such areas;

     (4) Establishing restrictions on construction activities in areas subject to periodic floods that require the flood proofing of those structures that are permitted to be constructed or remodeled; and

     (5) Establishing restrictions on land clearing activities and development practices that exacerbate flood problems by increasing the flow or accumulation of flood waters, or the intensity of drainage, on low-lying areas.  Land clearing activities do not include forest practices as defined in chapter 76.09 RCW.

     A comprehensive flood control management plan shall be subject to the minimum requirements for participation in the national flood insurance program, requirements exceeding the minimum national flood insurance program that have been adopted by the department of ecology for a specific flood plain pursuant to RCW 86.16.031, and rules adopted by the department of ecology pursuant to RCW 86.26.050 relating to flood plain management activities.  When a county plans under chapter 36.70A RCW, it may incorporate the portion of its comprehensive flood control management plan relating to land use restrictions in its comprehensive plan and development regulations adopted pursuant to chapter 36.70A RCW.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 86.12 RCW to read as follows:

     A comprehensive flood control management plan that includes an area within which a city or town, or a special district subject to chapter 85.38 RCW, is located shall be developed by the county with the full participation of officials from the city, town, or special district, including conservation districts, and appropriate state and federal agencies.  Where a comprehensive flood control management plan is being prepared for a river basin that is part of the common boundary between two counties, the county legislative authority of the county preparing the plan may allow participation by officials of the adjacently located county.

     Following adoption by the county, city, or town, a comprehensive flood control management plan shall be binding on each jurisdiction and special district that is located within an area included in the plan.  If within one hundred twenty days of the county's adoption, a city or town does not adopt the comprehensive flood control management plan, the city or county shall request arbitration on the issue or issues in dispute.  If parties cannot agree to the selection of an arbitrator, the arbitrator shall be selected according to the process described in RCW 7.04.050.  The cost of the arbitrator shall be shared equally by the participating parties and the arbitrator's decision shall be binding.  Any land use regulations and restrictions on construction activities contained in a comprehensive flood control management plan applicable to a city or town shall be minimum standards that the city or town may exceed.  A city or town undertaking flood or storm water control activities consistent with the comprehensive flood control management plan shall retain authority over such activities.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5.  A new section is added to chapter 86.12 RCW to read as follows:

     A county may create one or more advisory committees to assist in the development of proposed comprehensive flood control management plans and to provide general advice on flood problems.  The advisory committees may include city and town officials, officials of special districts subject to chapter 85.38 RCW, conservation districts, appropriate state and federal officials, and officials of other counties and other interested persons.

 

     Sec. 6.  RCW 86.26.050 and 1988 c 36 s 64 are each amended to read as follows:

     (1) State participation shall be in such preparation of comprehensive flood control management plans under this chapter and chapter 86.12 RCW, cost sharing feasibility studies for new flood control projects, projects pursuant to section 33 of this act, and flood control maintenance projects as are affected with a general public and state interest, as differentiated from a private interest, and as are likely to bring about public benefits commensurate with the amount of state funds allocated thereto.

     (2) No participation for flood control maintenance projects may occur with a county or other municipal corporation unless the director of ecology has approved the flood plain management activities of the county, city, or town having planning jurisdiction over the area where the flood control maintenance project will be, on the one hundred year flood plain surrounding such area.

     The department of ecology shall adopt rules concerning the flood plain management activities of a county, city, or town that are adequate to protect or preclude flood damage to structures, works, and improvements, including the restriction of land uses within a river's meander belt or floodway to only flood-compatible uses.  Whenever the department has approved county, city, and town flood plain management activities, as a condition of receiving an allocation of funds under this chapter, each revision to the flood plain management activities must be approved by the department of ecology, in consultation with the department of fisheries and the department of wildlife.

     No participation with a county or other municipal corporation for flood control maintenance projects may occur unless the county engineer of the county within which the flood control maintenance project is located certifies that a comprehensive flood control management plan has been completed and adopted by the appropriate local authority, or is being prepared for all portions of the river basin or other area, within which the project is located in that county, that are subject to flooding with a frequency of one hundred years or less.

     (3) Participation for flood control maintenance projects and preparation of comprehensive flood control management plans shall be made from grants made by the department of ecology from the flood control assistance account.  Comprehensive flood control management plans, and any revisions to the plans, must be approved by the department of ecology, in consultation with the department of fisheries and the department of wildlife.  The department may only grant financial assistance to local governments that, in the opinion of the department, are making good faith efforts to take advantage of, or comply with, federal and state flood control programs.

 

     Sec. 7.  RCW 86.26.090 and 1984 c 212 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

     The state shall participate with eligible local authorities in maintaining and restoring the normal and reasonably stable river and stream channel alignment and the normal and reasonably stable river and stream channel capacity for carrying off flood waters with a minimum of damage from bank erosion or overflow of adjacent lands and property; and in restoring, maintaining and repairing natural conditions, works and structures for the maintenance of such conditions.  State participation in the repair of flood control facilities may include the enhancement of such facilities.  The state shall likewise participate in the restoration and maintenance of natural conditions, works or structures for the protection of lands and other property from inundation or other damage by the sea or other bodies of water.  Funds from the flood control assistance account shall not be available for maintenance of works or structures maintained solely for the detention or storage of flood waters.

 

     Sec. 8.  RCW 86.26.100 and 1986 c 46 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

     State participation in the cost of any flood control maintenance project shall be provided for by a written memorandum agreement between the director of ecology and the legislative authority of the county submitting the request, which agreement, among other things, shall state the estimated cost and the percentage thereof to be borne by the state.  In no instance, except on emergency projects, shall the state's share exceed one-half the cost of the project, to include project planning and design.  Grants for cost sharing feasibility studies for new flood control projects shall not exceed fifty percent of the matching funds that are required by the federal government, and shall not exceed twenty-five percent of the total costs of the feasibility study.  However, grants to prepare a comprehensive flood control management plan required under RCW 86.26.050 shall not exceed seventy-five percent of the full planning costs, but not to exceed amounts for either purpose specified in rule and regulation by the department of ecology.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 9.  A new section is added to chapter 86.15 RCW to read as follows:

     A board may not establish a zone including an area located in another zone unless this area is removed from the other zone, or the other zone is dissolved, as part of the action creating the new zone.

 

     Sec. 10.  RCW 86.15.178 and 1983 c 315 s 23 and 1983 c 167 s 212 are each reenacted to read as follows:

     (1) The supervisors may authorize the issuance of revenue bonds to finance any flood control improvement or storm water control improvement.  The bonds may be issued by the supervisors in the same manner as prescribed in RCW 36.67.510 through 36.67.570 pertaining to counties.  The bonds shall be issued on behalf of the zone or participating zones when the improvement has by the resolution, provided in RCW 86.15.110, been found to be of benefit to a zone or participating zones. The bonds may be in any form, including bearer bonds or registered bonds.

     Each revenue bond shall state on its face that it is payable from a special fund, naming the fund and the resolution creating the fund.

     Revenue bond principal, interest, and all other related necessary expenses shall be payable only out of the appropriate special fund.

     A zone or participating zones shall have a lien for delinquent service charges, including interest thereon, against the premises benefited by a flood control improvement or storm water control improvement, which lien shall be superior to all other liens and encumbrances except general taxes and local and special assessments.  The lien shall be effective and shall be enforced and foreclosed in the same manner as provided for sewerage liens of cities and towns by RCW 35.67.200 through 35.67.290.

     (2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, such bonds may be issued and sold in accordance with chapter 39.46 RCW.

 

     Sec. 11.  RCW 86.16.110 and 1987 c 109 s 23 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

     Any person, association, or corporation, public, municipal, or private, feeling aggrieved at any order, decision, or determination of the department or director pursuant to this chapter, affecting his or her interest, may have the same reviewed pursuant to RCW 43.21B.310.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 12.     The department of fisheries and the department of wildlife shall process hydraulic project applications submitted under RCW 75.20.100 or 75.20.103 within thirty days of receipt of the application.  This requirement is only applicable for the repair and reconstruction of legally constructed dikes, seawalls, and other flood control structures damaged as a result of flooding or windstorms that occurred in November and December 1990.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 13.     The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:

     (1) RCW 86.15.040 and 1961 c 153 s 4;

     (2) RCW 86.16.027 and 1987 c 109 s 51 & 1935 c 159 s 9;

     (3) RCW 86.16.030 and 1987 c 109 s 52 & 1935 c 159 s 5;

     (4) RCW 86.16.040 and 1987 c 109 s 54 & 1935 c 159 s 11;

     (5) RCW 86.16.060 and 1987 c 109 s 55 & 1935 c 159 s 13;

     (6) RCW 86.16.065 and 1987 c 109 s 56 & 1935 c 159 s 14;

     (7) RCW 86.16.067 and 1987 c 109 s 57, 1985 c 469 s 86, & 1935 c 159 s 15;

     (8) RCW 86.16.070 and 1987 c 109 s 58 & 1935 c 159 s 16;

     (9) RCW 86.16.080 and 1987 c 109 s 59 & 1935 c 159 s 10;

     (10) RCW 86.16.090 and 1987 c 109 s 60, 1939 c 85 s 2, & 1935 c 159 s 7; and

     (11) RCW 86.16.170 and 1987 c 109 s 62 & 1973 c 75 s 3.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 14.     There is hereby created a joint select committee on state flood damage reduction composed of sixteen members as follows:  (1) Four members of the senate, two from each of the major caucuses, who are appointed by the president of the senate; (2) four members of the house of representatives, two from each of the major caucuses, who are appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and (3) eight additional members who are not legislators selected by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives.

     The staff support shall be provided by the senate committee services and the office of program research as mutually agreed by the cochairs of the joint select committee.  The cochairs shall be designated by the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate.

     The committee may seek assistance from appropriate state or federal agencies, including the United States army corps of engineers.  The expenses of the legislative members shall be paid by the legislature.  The expenses of any state agency officials, or their designees, shall be paid by their state agencies.  Members not employed by the state shall be compensated in accordance with RCW 43.03.220 and shall be entitled to reimbursement individually for travel expenses incurred in performance of their duties as members of the committee in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 15.     The joint select committee on state flood damage reduction shall consider the development of comprehensive state flood policies and a comprehensive and coordinated flood damage reduction plan, including the following elements:

     (1) Structural and nonstructural flood damage reduction projects;

     (2) Forest practice effects on watershed hydraulics as determined by applicable research projects conducted under the timber-fish-wildlife cooperative monitoring, evaluation, and research program, including:  (a) Percentage of watershed clearcut; (b) logging in very steep areas; and (c) logging in slide-prone areas;

     (3) Growth management and land uses, including:  (a) Flood plain development patterns; (b) loss of potential natural flood water storage areas; (c) future development restrictions in flood-prone areas; and (d) coordination with the state's growth management act and county flood comprehensive planning;

     (4) Comprehensive watershed and flood damage management;

     (5) Storm water runoff pattern alterations and accompanying liabilities, including an analysis of: (a) Increases in peak flood flows caused by inadequate storm water planning and controls; (b) the need for minimum standards for land use development activities employing natural watercourses for storm water conveyance; and (c) the need for a statutory cause of action to provide a remedy for downstream property owners who are damaged by accelerated storm water runoff caused by cumulative upstream activities, including a modification of the court-adopted "common enemy" doctrine;

     (6) Analysis of the federal, state, and local permitting requirements necessary for projects designed to reduce future flood damage or to restore areas damaged by floods, including any conflicting requirements that may exist;

     (7) Emergency work and coordination, and emergency preparedness planning;

     (8) Determination of the need for requirements to disclose the flood hazard to purchasers or renters of flood-prone property;

     (9) The role of dredging in flood damage reduction, including environmental effects, funding sources, and upstream uses that alter its effectiveness;

     (10) The role of dikes and levees in flood damage reduction, including environmental effects, construction and maintenance standards, sources of funding for construction and maintenance, and resultant upstream and downstream hydrologic effects;

     (11) Review criteria for evaluating and approving local plans and projects funded by grants from the flood control account; and

     (12) Public acquisition of properties to reduce flood damage.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 16.     The joint select committee on state flood damage reduction shall report its initial findings to the legislature on or before December 31, 1991.  The committee shall make a final report to the legislature on or before December 1, 1992.  The report shall include the following:  (1) Findings relating to a state flood damage reduction plan; (2) recommended state agency regulation and policy changes; (3) proposed legislation and associated costs to implement the state flood damage reduction plan; and (4) recommended local flood reduction and mitigation measures.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 17.  A new section is added to chapter 86.16 RCW to read as follows:

     Local governments that have adopted flood plain management regulations pursuant to this chapter shall include provisions that allow for the establishment of livestock flood sanctuary areas at a convenient location within a farming unit that contains domestic livestock.  Local governments may limit the size and configuration of the livestock flood sanctuary areas, but such limitation shall provide adequate space for the expected number of livestock on the farming unit and shall be at an adequate elevation to protect livestock.  Modification to flood plain management regulations required pursuant to this section shall be within the minimum federal requirements necessary to maintain coverage under the national flood insurance program.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 18.  A new section is added to chapter 75.20 RCW to read as follows:

     Whenever the placement of woody debris is required as a condition of a hydraulic permit approval issued pursuant to RCW 75.20.100 or 75.20.103, the department of fisheries and the department of wildlife, upon request, shall invite comment regarding that placement from the local governmental authority, affected tribes, affected federal and state agencies, and the project applicant.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 19.     The department of fisheries, the department of wildlife, and the department of ecology will work cooperatively with the United States army corps of engineers to develop a memorandum of agreement outlining dike vegetation management guidelines so that dike owners are eligible for coverage under P.L. 84-99, and state requirements established pursuant to RCW 75.20.100 and 75.20.103 are met.

 

     Sec. 20.  RCW 38.52.030 and 1986 c 266 s 25 are each amended to read as follows:

     (1) The director may employ such personnel and may make such expenditures within the appropriation therefor, or from other funds made available for purposes of emergency management, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

     (2) The director, subject to the direction and control of the governor, shall be responsible to the governor for carrying out the program for emergency management of this state.  The director shall coordinate the activities of all organizations for emergency management within the state, and shall maintain liaison with and cooperate with emergency management agencies and organizations of other states and of the federal government, and shall have such additional authority, duties, and responsibilities authorized by this chapter, as may be prescribed by the governor.

     (3) The director shall develop and maintain a comprehensive, all-hazard emergency plan for the state which shall include an analysis of the natural and man-caused hazards which could affect the state of Washington, and shall include the procedures to be used during emergencies for coordinating local resources, as necessary, and the resources of all state agencies, departments, commissions, and boards.  The comprehensive emergency management plan shall direct the department in times of state emergency to administer and manage the state's emergency operations center.  This will include representation from all appropriate state agencies and be available as a single point of contact for the authorizing of state resources or actions, including emergency permits.  The comprehensive, all-hazard emergency plan authorized under this subsection may not include preparation for emergency evacuation or relocation of residents in anticipation of nuclear attack.  This plan shall be known as the comprehensive emergency management plan.

     (4) In accordance with the comprehensive emergency management plans and the programs for the emergency management of this state, the director shall procure supplies and equipment, institute training programs and public information programs, and shall take all other preparatory steps, including the partial or full mobilization of emergency management organizations in advance of actual disaster, to insure the furnishing of adequately trained and equipped forces of emergency management personnel in time of need.

     (5) The director shall make such studies and surveys of the industries, resources, and facilities in this state as may be necessary to ascertain the capabilities of the state for emergency management, and shall plan for the most efficient emergency use thereof.

     (6) The director may appoint a communications coordinating committee consisting of six to eight persons with the director, or his or her designee, as chairman thereof.  Three of the members shall be appointed from qualified, trained and experienced telephone communications administrators or engineers actively engaged in such work within the state of Washington at the time of appointment, and three of the members shall be appointed from qualified, trained and experienced radio communication administrators or engineers actively engaged in such work within the state of Washington at the time of appointment.  This committee shall advise the director on all aspects of the communications and warning systems and facilities operated or controlled under the provisions of this chapter.

     (7) The director shall appoint a state coordinator of search and rescue operations to coordinate those state resources, services and facilities (other than those for which the state director of aeronautics is directly responsible) requested by political subdivisions in support of search and rescue operations, and on request to maintain liaison with and coordinate the resources, services, and facilities of political subdivisions when more than one political subdivision is engaged in joint search and rescue operations.

     (8) The director, subject to the direction and control of the governor, shall prepare and administer a state program for emergency assistance to individuals within the state who are victims of a natural or man-made disaster, as defined by RCW 38.52.010(6).  Such program may be integrated into and coordinated with disaster assistance plans and programs of the federal government which provide to the state, or through the state to any political subdivision thereof, services, equipment, supplies, materials, or funds by way of gift, grant, or loan for purposes of assistance to individuals affected by a disaster.  Further, such program may include, but shall not be limited to, grants, loans, or gifts of services, equipment, supplies, materials, or funds of the state, or any political subdivision thereof, to individuals who, as a result of a disaster, are in need of assistance and who meet standards of eligibility for disaster assistance established by the department of social and health services:  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That nothing herein shall be construed in any manner inconsistent with the provisions of Article VIII, section 5 or section 7 of the Washington state Constitution.

     (9) The director shall appoint a state coordinator for radioactive and hazardous waste emergency response programs.  The coordinator shall consult with the state radiation control officer in matters relating to radioactive materials.  The duties of the state coordinator for radioactive and hazardous waste emergency response programs shall include:

     (a) Assessing the current needs and capabilities of state and local radioactive and hazardous waste emergency response teams on an ongoing basis;

     (b) Coordinating training programs for state and local officials for the purpose of updating skills relating to emergency response;

     (c) Utilizing appropriate training programs such as those offered by the federal emergency management agency, the department of transportation and the environmental protection agency; and

     (d) Undertaking other duties in this area that are deemed appropriate by the director.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 21.  A new section is added to chapter 75.20 RCW to read as follows:

     The department of fisheries, the department of wildlife, the department of ecology, and the department of natural resources shall jointly develop an informational brochure that describes when permits and any other authorizations are required for flood damage prevention and reduction projects, and recommends ways to best proceed through the various regulatory permitting processes.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 22.     (1) This section shall apply only to projects:

     (a) Needed to repair streambank and other damage done by the November or December 1990 flood events, or remove accumulated debris and gravel that significantly contributed to flooding during the November and December 1990 flood events; and

     (b) That require permits or other authorization for removal of valuable materials as defined in RCW 79.90.060 or permits or authorization under RCW 75.20.100 or 75.20.103.

     (2) The department of fisheries, the department of wildlife, and the department of natural resources shall expedite and coordinate any required responses to the project application.  A complete application for approval shall contain general plans for the overall project, and complete plans and specifications of the proposed construction or work.  Upon receipt of a completed application, the agency that first receives that application shall, within fifteen days, schedule and hold a coordination meeting with all appropriate state, local, or county permitting or authorizing agencies.  The project applicant shall be invited to this meeting.  The appropriate city, county, or town may coordinate their permit approval processes with the state agencies.  As soon as possible, but no later than thirty days after the receipt of a complete application, all appropriate state agencies will deny or approve the project.  Any conditions placed upon project approvals shall be coordinated among the state agencies so that those conditions do not conflict.

     (3) It is the intent of the legislature that the process described in this section remain in effect until the legislature has an opportunity to enact legislation creating a coordinated, timely permitting process based on the report required in section 16 of this act.  This section shall expire on June 30, 1993.

 

     Sec. 23.  RCW 36.70A.150 and 1990 1st ex.s. c 17 s 15 are each amended to read as follows:

     Each county and city that is required or chooses to prepare a comprehensive land use plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall identify lands useful for public purposes such as utility corridors, transportation corridors, landfills, sewage treatment facilities, storm water management facilities, recreation, schools, and other public uses.  The county shall work with the state and the cities within its borders to identify areas of shared need for public facilities.  The jurisdictions within the county shall prepare a prioritized list of lands necessary for the identified public uses including an estimated date by which the acquisition will be needed.

     The respective capital acquisition budgets for each jurisdiction shall reflect the jointly agreed upon priorities and time schedule.

 

     Sec. 24.  RCW 79.90.130 and 1982 1st ex.s. c 21 s 19 are each amended to read as follows:

     ((Valuable materials situated within or upon tidelands, shorelands, or the beds of navigable waters belonging to the state may be sold separately from the land, when in the judgment of the department of natural resources, it is in the best interests of the state to sell the same.  When application is made for the purchase of any valuable material, situated within or upon aquatic lands, the department shall inspect and appraise the value of the material applied for:  PROVIDED, That no valuable material shall be sold for less than the appraised value thereof:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That)) The department is authorized and empowered to confer with and enter into any agreements with the public authorities of the state of Oregon, which in the judgment of the department will assist the state of Washington and the state of Oregon in securing the maximum revenues for sand, gravel or other valuable materials taken from the bed of the Columbia river where said river forms the boundary line between said states.The text of the following section has been vetoed by the Governor.  It is noted in bold italic.

 

   *

 

     Sec. 25.  RCW 79.90.150 and 1982 1st ex.s. c 21 s 21 are each amended to read as follows:

     When gravel, rock, sand, silt or other material from any aquatic lands is removed by any public agency or under public contract for channel or harbor improvement, or flood control, or for preventing or minimizing flood damages as defined in RCW 86.16.120, use of such material may be authorized by the department of natural resources for a public purpose on land owned or leased by the federal government, state, or any municipality, county, city, town, or public corporation:  PROVIDED, That when no public land site is available for deposit of such material, its deposit on private land with the landowner's permission is authorized and may be designated by the department of natural resources to be for a public purpose.  Prior to removal and use, the federal agency, state agency, municipality, county, city, town, or public corporation contemplating or arranging such use shall first obtain written permission from the department of natural resources.  No payment of royalty shall be required for such gravel, rock, sand, silt, or other material used for such public purpose, but a charge will be made if such material is subsequently sold or used for some other purpose:  PROVIDED, That the department may authorize such public agency or private landowner to dispose of such material without charge when necessary to implement disposal of material.  No charge shall be required for any use of the material obtained under the provisions of this chapter when used solely on an authorized site.  Nothing in this section shall repeal or modify the provisions of RCW 75.20.100 or eliminate the necessity of obtaining a permit for such removal from other state or federal agencies as otherwise required by law.  For the purpose of this section, "public purpose" includes, but is not limited to, the construction, maintenance, improvement, or repair of any public street, road, highway, dike, levee, or project undertaken pursuant to chapter 86.26 RCW.

*Sec. 25 was vetoed, see message at end of chapter.

 

     Sec. 26.  RCW 79.90.300 and 1982 1st ex.s. c 21 s 36 are each amended to read as follows:

     The department of natural resources, upon application by any person or when determined by the department to be in the best interest of the state, may enter into a contract or lease providing for the removal and sale of rock, gravel, sand, and silt, or other valuable materials located within or upon beds of navigable waters, or upon any tidelands or shorelands belonging to the state and providing for payment to be made therefor by such royalty as the department may fix, by negotiation, by sealed bid, or at public auction.  If application is made for the purchase of any valuable material situated within or upon aquatic lands the department shall inspect and appraise the value of the material in the application.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 27.     RCW 79.01.135 is recodified as a section in chapter 79.90 RCW.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 28.     RCW 79.90.140 and 1982 1st ex.s. c 21 s 20 are each repealed.

 

     Sec. 29.  RCW 47.28.140 and 1984 c 7 s 174 are each amended to read as follows:

     When in the opinion of the governing authorities representing the department and any agency, instrumentality, municipal corporation, or political subdivision of the state of Washington, any highway, road, or street will be benefited or improved by constructing, reconstructing, locating, relocating, laying out, repairing, surveying, altering, improving, or maintaining, or by the establishment adjacent to, under, upon, within, or above any portion of any such highway, road, or street of an urban public transportation system, by either the department or any agency, instrumentality, municipal corporation, or political subdivision of the state, and it is in the public interest to do so, the authorities may enter into cooperative agreements wherein either agrees to perform the work and furnish the materials necessary and pay the cost thereof, including necessary engineering assistance, which costs and expenses shall be reimbursed by the party whose responsibility it was to do or perform the work or improvement in the first instance.  The work may be done by either day labor or contract, and the cooperative agreement between the parties shall provide for the method of reimbursement.  In the case of some special benefit or improvement to a state highway derived from any project that assists in preventing or minimizing flood damages as defined in RCW 86.16.120 or from the construction of any public works project, including any urban public transportation system, the department may contribute to the cost thereof by making direct payment to the particular state department, agency, instrumentality, municipal corporation, or political subdivision on the basis of benefits received, but such payment shall be made only after a cooperative agreement has been entered into for a specified amount or on an actual cost basis prior to the commencement of the particular public works project.

 

     Sec. 30.  RCW 75.20.100 and 1988 c 272 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

     In the event that any person or government agency desires to construct any form of hydraulic project or perform other work that will use, divert, obstruct, or change the natural flow or bed of any of the salt or fresh waters of the state, such person or government agency shall, before commencing construction or work thereon and to ensure the proper protection of fish life, secure the written approval of the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife as to the adequacy of the means proposed for the protection of fish life.  This approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.  Except as provided in sections 12 and 22 of this act, the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife shall grant or deny approval within forty-five calendar days of the receipt of a complete application and notice of compliance with any applicable requirements of the state environmental policy act, made in the manner prescribed in this section.  The applicant may document receipt of application by filing in person or by registered mail.  A complete application for approval shall contain general plans for the overall project, complete plans and specifications of the proposed construction or work within the mean higher high water line in salt water or within the ordinary high water line in fresh water, and complete plans and specifications for the proper protection of fish life.  The forty-five day requirement shall be suspended if (1) after ten working days of receipt of the application, the applicant remains unavailable or unable to arrange for a timely field evaluation of the proposed project; (2) the site is physically inaccessible for inspection; or (3) the applicant requests delay.  Immediately upon determination that the forty-five day period is suspended, the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons for the delay.  Approval is valid for a period of up to five years from date of issuance.  The permittee must demonstrate substantial progress on construction of that portion of the project relating to the approval within two years of the date of issuance.  If either the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife denies approval, that department shall provide the applicant, in writing, a statement of the specific reasons why and how the proposed project would adversely affect fish life.  Protection of fish life shall be the only ground upon which approval may be denied  or conditioned.  Chapter 34.05 RCW applies to any denial of project approval, conditional approval, or requirements for project modification upon which approval may be contingent.  If any person or government agency commences construction on any hydraulic works or projects subject to this section without first having obtained written approval of the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife as to the adequacy of the means proposed for the protection of fish life, or if any person or government agency fails to follow or carry out any of the requirements or conditions as are made a part of such approval, the person or director of the agency is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.  If any such person or government agency is convicted of violating any of the provisions of this section and continues construction on any such works or projects without fully complying with the provisions hereof, such works or projects are hereby declared a public nuisance and shall be subject to abatement as such.

     For the purposes of this section and RCW 75.20.103, "bed" shall mean the land below the ordinary high water lines of state waters.  This definition shall not include irrigation ditches, canals, storm water run-off devices, or other artificial watercourses except where they exist in a natural watercourse that has been altered by man.

     The phrase "to construct any form of hydraulic project or perform other work" shall not include the act of driving across an established ford.  Driving across streams or on wetted stream beds at areas other than established fords requires approval.  Work within the ordinary high water line of state waters to construct or repair a ford or crossing requires approval.

     For each application, the department of fisheries and the department of wildlife shall mutually agree on whether the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife shall administer the provisions of this section, in order to avoid duplication of effort.  The department designated to act shall cooperate with the other department in order to protect all species of fish life found at the project site.  If the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife receives an application concerning a site not in its jurisdiction, it shall transmit the application to the other department within three days and notify the applicant.

     In case of an emergency arising from weather or stream flow conditions or other natural conditions, the department of fisheries or department of wildlife, through their authorized representatives, shall issue immediately upon request oral approval for removing any obstructions, repairing existing structures, restoring stream banks, or to protect property threatened by the stream or a change in the stream flow without the necessity of obtaining a written approval prior to commencing work.  Conditions of an oral approval shall be reduced to writing within thirty days and complied with as provided for in this section.  Oral approval shall be granted immediately upon request, for a stream crossing during an emergency situation.

     This section shall not apply to the construction of any form of hydraulic project or other work which diverts water for agricultural irrigation or stock watering purposes authorized under or recognized as being valid by the state's water codes, or when such hydraulic project or other work is associated with streambank stabilization to protect farm and agricultural land as defined in RCW 84.34.020.  These irrigation or stock watering diversion and streambank stabilization  projects shall be governed by RCW 75.20.103.

 

     Sec. 31.  RCW 75.20.103 and 1988 c 272 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

     In the event that any person or government agency desires to construct any form of hydraulic project or other work that diverts water for agricultural irrigation or stock watering purposes, or when such hydraulic project or other work is associated with streambank stabilization to protect farm and agricultural land as defined in RCW 84.34.020, and when such diversion or streambank stabilization will use, divert, obstruct, or change the natural flow or bed of any river or stream or will utilize any waters of the state or materials from the stream beds, the person or government agency shall, before commencing construction or work thereon and to ensure the proper protection of fish life, secure a written approval from the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife as to the adequacy of the means proposed for the protection of fish life.  This approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.  Except as provided in sections 12 and 22 of this act, the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife shall grant or deny the approval within forty-five calendar days of the receipt of a complete application  and notice of compliance with any applicable requirements of the state environmental policy act, made in the manner prescribed in this section.  The applicant may document receipt of application by filing in person or by registered mail.  A complete application for an approval shall contain general plans for the overall project, complete plans and specifications of the proposed construction or work within ordinary high water line, and complete plans and specifications for the proper protection of fish life.  The forty-five day requirement shall be suspended if (1) after ten working days of receipt of the application, the applicant remains unavailable or unable to arrange for a timely field evaluation of the proposed project; (2) the site is physically inaccessible for inspection; or (3) the applicant requests delay.

     Immediately upon determination that the forty-five day period is suspended, the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons for the delay.

     An approval shall remain in effect without need for periodic renewal for projects that divert water for agricultural irrigation or stock watering purposes and that involve seasonal construction or other work.  Approval for streambank stabilization projects shall remain in effect without need for periodic renewal if the problem causing the need for the streambank stabilization occurs on an annual or more frequent basis.  The permittee must notify the appropriate agency before commencing the construction or other work within the area covered by the approval.

     The permittee must demonstrate substantial progress on construction of that portion of the project relating to the approval within two years of the date of issuance.  If either the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife denies approval, that department shall provide the applicant, in writing, a statement of the specific reasons why and how the proposed project would adversely affect fish life.  Protection of fish life shall be the only ground upon which approval may be denied  or conditioned.  Issuance, denial, conditioning, or modification shall be appealable to the hydraulic appeals board established in RCW 43.21B.005 within thirty days of the notice of decision.  The burden shall be upon the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife to show that the denial or conditioning of an approval is solely aimed at the protection of fish life.

     The department granting approval may, after consultation with the permittee, modify an approval due to changed conditions.  The modifications shall become effective unless appealed to the hydraulic appeals board within thirty days from the notice of the proposed modification.  The burden is on the department issuing the approval to show that changed conditions warrant the modification in order to protect fish life.

     A permittee may request modification of an approval due to changed conditions.  The request shall be processed within forty-five calendar days of receipt of the written request.  A decision by the department that issued the approval may be appealed to the hydraulic appeals board within thirty days of the notice of the decision.  The burden is on the permittee to show that changed conditions warrant the requested modification and that such modification will not impair fish life.

     If any person or government agency commences construction on any hydraulic works or projects subject to this section without first having obtained written approval of the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife as to the adequacy of the means proposed for the protection of fish life, or if any person or government agency fails to follow or carry out any of the requirements or conditions as are made a part of such approval, the person or director of the agency is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.  If any such person or government agency is convicted of violating any of the provisions of this section and continues construction on any such works or projects without fully complying with the provisions hereof, such works or projects are hereby declared a public nuisance and shall be subject to abatement as such.

     For each application, the department of fisheries and the department of wildlife shall mutually agree on whether the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife shall administer the provisions of this section, in order to avoid duplication of effort.  The department designated to act shall cooperate with the other department in order to protect all species of fish life found at the project site.  If the department of fisheries or the department of wildlife receives an application concerning a site not in its jurisdiction, it shall transmit the application to the other department within three days and notify the applicant.

     In case of an emergency arising from weather or stream flow conditions or other natural conditions, the department of fisheries or department of wildlife, through their authorized representatives, shall issue immediately upon request oral approval for removing any obstructions, repairing existing structures, restoring stream banks, or to protect property threatened by the stream or a change in the stream flow without the necessity of obtaining a written approval prior to commencing work.  Conditions of an oral approval shall be reduced to writing within thirty days and complied with as provided for in this section.

     For purposes of this chapter, "streambank stabilization" shall include but not be limited to log and debris removal, bank protection (including riprap, jetties, and groins), gravel removal and erosion control.

 

     Sec. 32.  RCW 90.58.100 and 1971 ex.s. c 286 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:

     (1) The master programs provided for in this chapter, when adopted and approved by the department, as appropriate, shall constitute use regulations for the various shorelines of the state.  In preparing the master programs, and any amendments thereto, the department and local governments shall to the extent feasible:

     (a) Utilize a systematic interdisciplinary approach which will insure the integrated use of the natural and social sciences and the environmental design arts;

     (b) Consult with and obtain the comments of any federal, state, regional, or local agency having any special expertise with respect to any environmental impact;

     (c) Consider all plans, studies, surveys, inventories, and systems of classification made or being made by federal, state, regional, or local agencies, by private individuals, or by organizations dealing with pertinent shorelines of the state;

     (d) Conduct or support such further research, studies, surveys, and interviews as are deemed necessary;

     (e) Utilize all available information regarding hydrology, geography, topography, ecology, economics, and other pertinent data;

     (f) Employ, when feasible, all appropriate, modern scientific data processing and computer techniques to store, index, analyze, and manage the information gathered.

     (2) The master programs shall include, when appropriate, the following:

     (a) An economic development element for the location and design of industries, transportation facilities, port facilities, tourist facilities, commerce and other developments that are particularly dependent on their location on or use of the shorelines of the state;

     (b) A public access element making provision for public access to publicly owned areas;

     (c) A recreational element for the preservation and enlargement of recreational opportunities, including but not limited to parks, tidelands, beaches, and recreational areas;

     (d) A circulation element consisting of the general location and extent of existing and proposed major thoroughfares, transportation routes, terminals, and other public utilities and facilities, all correlated with the shoreline use element;

     (e) A use element which considers the proposed general distribution and general location and extent of the use on shorelines and adjacent land areas for housing, business, industry, transportation, agriculture, natural resources, recreation, education, public buildings and grounds, and other categories of public and private uses of the land;

     (f) A conservation element for the preservation of natural resources, including but not limited to scenic vistas, aesthetics, and vital estuarine areas for fisheries and wildlife protection;

     (g) An historic, cultural, scientific, and educational element for the protection and restoration of buildings, sites, and areas having historic, cultural, scientific, or educational values; ((and))

     (h) An element that gives consideration to the state-wide interest in the prevention and minimization of flood damages; and

     (i) Any other element deemed appropriate or necessary to effectuate the policy of this chapter.

     (3) The master programs shall include such map or maps, descriptive text, diagrams and charts, or other descriptive material as are necessary to provide for ease of understanding.

     (4) Master programs will reflect that state-owned shorelines of the state are particularly adapted to providing wilderness beaches, ecological study areas, and other recreational activities for the public and will give appropriate special consideration to same.

     (5) Each master program shall contain provisions to allow for the varying of the application of use regulations of the program, including provisions for permits for conditional uses and variances, to insure that strict implementation of a program will not create unnecessary hardships or thwart the policy enumerated in RCW 90.58.020.  Any such varying shall be allowed only if extraordinary circumstances are shown and the public interest suffers no substantial detrimental effect.  The concept of this subsection shall be incorporated in the rules adopted by the department relating to the establishment of a permit system as provided in RCW 90.58.140(3).

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 33.     (1) The purpose of this section is to develop, and test on a pilot basis, a cooperative, interjurisdictional approach to processing permit applications for projects related to flood control.  The objectives of the pilot shall be to:

     (a)(i) Identify opportunities and methods for expediting and coordinating permit decision-making processes that involve multiple jurisdictions and state agencies; and (ii) assess the effects of acting in a coordinated and expedited manner; and

     (b)(i) Identify opportunities during the permit decision-making process for state agencies and local governments to consider potential flood control benefits consistent with the policies, mandates, and requirements of current law; (ii) identify where in the permitting process, impediments to the consideration of potential flood control benefits exist; and (iii) assess how the consideration of any potential flood control benefits of an individual project during the permitting process for that project, may or may not be compatible with the objective of comprehensive and coordinated flood control.

     (2) The pilot shall consist of up to one project in each of the counties declared a federal disaster area as a result of the November and December 1990 floods.

     (3)(a) The departments of ecology, wildlife, fisheries, and natural resources shall participate in the pilot.  The department of ecology shall act as the lead agency among the state agencies and shall coordinate among the state agencies as necessary.

     (b) The department of ecology shall notify each of the eligible counties of the pilot, describe the nature of the pilot, and invite county participation.  When a county, eligible to participate in the pilot, receives an application for a project that will require permits or authorizations from multiple jurisdictions, and in the county's judgment the proposed project offers an appropriate opportunity to test the permitting process under subsection (1) of this section, the county, with the approval of the project applicant, may request that the department of ecology include the project as part of the pilot.  The department of ecology shall make a decision on the county's request and inform the county of its decision within seven working days.

     In selecting projects for the pilot, the department of ecology shall provide an opportunity to test and evaluate a variety of applications of subsection (1) of this section, including, but not limited to:  Application to storm water management, dredging, streambank stabilization, and dike construction or repair.  When the county receives notification that a project has been approved for inclusion in the pilot, the county shall schedule an initial coordination meeting and contact all appropriate agencies and the project applicant. Other local jurisdictions, including but not limited to cities, diking districts, and flood management districts, shall be invited to participate when a project is selected for inclusion in the pilot and those jurisdictions have a role in the permitting process.

     The purpose of the coordination meeting shall be to:

     (i) Identify all necessary permit requirements;

     (ii) Determine the sequence of permitting decisions and opportunities where those decisions can be made concurrently;

     (iii) Determine a timeline for the decisions and how those decisions can be expedited; and

     (iv) Work with the applicant to make sure that he or she understands how the process will work, what the applicant is responsible for, and when those responsibilities must be met in order to adhere to the overall permitting timeline.

     (4) The department of ecology shall determine the number of projects to be included in the pilot based on available funding in the flood control assistance account.  The department shall authorize flood control assistance account funding for a minimum of three projects.

     (5) The department of ecology, in cooperation with the participating counties, other participating local jurisdictions, and state agencies, shall submit a final report on the pilot to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 1992.  The report shall include an assessment of the degree to which the pilot project achieved the objectives identified in subsection (1) of this section.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 34.     Section 22  of this act  is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.


     Passed the Senate April 28, 1991.

     Passed the House April 28, 1991.

Approved by the Governor May 21, 1991, with the exception of certain items which were vetoed.

     Filed in Office of Secretary of State May 21, 1991.


 

     Note: Governor's explanation of partial veto is as follows:

 

     "I am returning herewith, without my approval as to section 25, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No. 5411 entitled:

 

"AN ACT Relating to the alleviation of flood damage."

 

     Section 25 of Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No. 5411 requires the Department of Natural Resources to not charge for removal of material from state-owned aquatic lands when such material is used for public purposes.  Public purposes are defined by section 25 to include construction, maintenance, improvement or repair of roads, dikes, and levees.  Similar language is contained in Substitute House Bill No. 1864.  For this reason I have vetoed section 25 of this bill.

    

     With the exception of section 25, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No. 5411 is approved."