2741-S AMH LINV H4207.1

SHB 2741 - H AMD 988 WITHDRAWN 2-14-94

By Representatives Linville, R. Johnson, and Schoesler

    Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

    "NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that:

    (1) In times of decreasing revenues and increasing demands, it is critically important to ensure the efficient use of scarce financial resources by avoiding overlap and duplication of effort among watershed-based planning efforts;

    (2) Comprehensive planning for the management of natural resources on a watershed basis is desirable because it has the potential to address multiple concerns in an integrated and efficient manner;

    (3) Implementation of watershed-based planning may be complicated by multiple land ownerships, different management missions and objectives, different ways of collecting information, and legal constraints such as federal and state antitrust statutes;

    (4) Many different entities, including federal, state, and local governments, tribes, and landowners are already conducting watershed-based planning, research, and monitoring programs;

    (5) There exists a compelling need for coordination of these various watershed-based planning efforts and for a consistent process for collecting and sharing information and data among all interested parties; and

    (6) There also exists a compelling need to identify regional natural resource goals and objectives as a clear direction for future planning efforts.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  (1) State agencies involved in watershed-based natural resource planning efforts shall coordinate their planning processes.  These cooperating state agencies shall include, but not be limited to, the departments of natural resources, agriculture, ecology, fish and wildlife, health, and community, trade, and economic development; the Puget Sound water quality authority; and the office of the governor.  These agencies will meet as a group and include at those meetings representatives of federal agencies, local governments, tribes, private landowners, environmental groups, and other interested parties.

    (2) The commissioner of public lands shall coordinate discussions of watershed-based natural resource planning among these various parties.  The department of natural resources will provide a reasonable level of staff support for the work of the group.

    (3) On or before December 15, 1994, the department of natural resources shall prepare a report for the legislature based on the group's discussions and findings.  At a minimum this report shall include:

    (a) Identification of barriers to coordination and cooperation in watershed-based planning and management of natural resources;

    (b) Recommendations on the collection, storage, and maintenance of information in watershed analysis, planning, monitoring, and research programs.  These recommendations could lead to the establishment of protocols governing data collection and information exchange;

    (c) Identification of actual and potential overlap and duplication of effort in watershed-based natural resource planning efforts;

    (d) Identification of gaps of coverage in existing and proposed watershed planning projects; and

    (e) Examination of the possible establishment of a central depository and of a process for periodically updating and distributing information on watershed-based natural resource planning efforts.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  The governor shall establish a process that yields:  (1) The identification of regional, results-oriented goals and objectives for the management of natural resources in the state of Washington, and (2) recommendations for ongoing, program-level coordination of watershed-based natural resource planning and management activities.  In developing this process, the legislature encourages the governor to seek input from all interested parties.  By December 15, 1995, the governor shall submit the recommendations to the legislature for possible adoption as state policy."

                            --- END ---