SENATE BILL REPORT

                           ESHB 1309

    AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS, APRIL 5, 1993

Brief Description:  Protecting and recovering wild salmonids.

SPONSORS: House Committee on Fisheries & Wildlife (originally sponsored by Representatives King, Orr, Scott, G. Cole, Basich, Lemmon, Morris, Jones, Rust, Holm, R. Meyers, Johanson, J. Kohl, Jacobsen and Leonard)

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES & WILDLIFE

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means. 

     Signed by Senators Owen, Chairman; Amondson, Erwin, Franklin, Haugen, Oke, Sellar, L. Smith, and Snyder.

Staff:  Ross Antipa (786‑7413)

Hearing Dates: March 29, 1993; April 2, 1993

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended by Committee on Natural Resources. 

     Signed by Senators Rinehart, Chairman; Spanel, Vice Chairman; Bauer, Bluechel, Cantu, Gaspard, Hargrove, Jesernig, McDonald, Moyer, Niemi, Owen, Quigley, L. Smith, Snyder, Sutherland, Talmadge, West, Williams, and Wojahn.

Staff:  Michael Groesch (786-7715)

Hearing Dates:  April 5, 1993

BACKGROUND:

Wild or naturally spawning stocks of salmon and trout in the Pacific Northwest are in a state of decline.  Wildlife habitat is also being lost.

Restoration of wild fish and native wildlife will require significant changes in human activities that adversely affect their habitat and survival.

SUMMARY:

A wild salmon and trout policy shall be developed jointly between the Departments of Fisheries and Wildlife and Indian tribes.  The departments shall assess the feasibility of selective marking to minimize the catch of wild salmonids.  Selective harvest methods shall be evaluated to reduce harvest of weak wild salmonid stocks in mixed stock fisheries.

Wildlife and fish goals are to be established for shrub steppe habitat and agricultural lands, and mandatory practices are to be established for management of state-owned lands.

Washington State University shall study integration of fish and wildlife considerations into their curriculum.

The Departments of Fisheries and Wildlife shall provide information on salmonid stock status to the Department of Ecology, local governments and water purveyors. 

Model conservation rate structures are to be developed by the Department of Health for public water systems.  Conservation rate structures are to be evaluated for irrigation uses.  The Department of Ecology may require metering of water diversions.

Wild salmonid production shall be the primary goal of the Department of Ecology instream flow evaluations.  Voluntary transfer of water rights shall be tested as a means of improving instream flow in high priority wild salmonid areas.

The Environmental Education Council shall raise and distribute funds for fish and wildlife education projects.

The act contains a null and void clause.

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED SENATE AMENDMENT:

The striking amendment provides that original elements of the legislation are continued with the following changes:  land management standards for the Department of Wildlife shall be the same as other state lands; measurement of water flows in diversions is not required to be at the point of diversion; development of goals for land management of agricultural and grazing lands is to be jointly developed by the Department of Wildlife, Department of Fisheries and the rangeland technical advisory committee; appointment of the technical advisory committee is moved forward to July 31, 1993; and specific funding must be provided for the Washington State University fish and wildlife curriculum program or the program is null and void.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

TESTIMONY FOR (Natural Resources):

Wild salmon and trout resources are diminishing and immediate action is needed to restore the runs.

TESTIMONY AGAINST (Natural Resources):

Protection measures for wild fish unfairly impacts certain water dependent industries.

TESTIFIED (Natural Resources):  Sheryl Hansen, Cran-Mar Trout Farm (pro); Hal Boynton, Trout Unlimited (pro); John Kelly, King County Outdoor Sports Council (pro); Ed Manary, Department of Fisheries; Stan Biles, Department of Natural Resources (pro); Bruce Crawford, Department of Wildlife (pro); Ken Slattery, Department of Ecology (pro); Joe LaTourrette, Federation of Fly Fishers, Washington Wildlife Federation (pro); Roger Attwood, Washington Trollers; Marlyta Deck, Washington Cattlemen's Association (con); Ray Shindler, Washington Association of Wheat Growers (pro); Mike Tracy, Puget Power (pro)

TESTIMONY FOR (Ways & Means):

Funding provided for the bill will be a small investment to avoid the large costs of threatened or endangered species designation.

TESTIMONY AGAINST (Ways & Means):  None

TESTIFIED (Ways & Means):   Representative Dick King (pro)