HB 2741-S.E - DIGEST

(DIGEST AS ENACTED)

     Establishes the watershed coordinating council.

     Directs state agencies involved in watershed-based natural resource planning efforts to coordinate their planning and implementing processes.

     Requires a report to the legislature by December 15, 1994.

     Terminates the council on June 30, 1997.

VETO MESSAGE ON HB 2741-S

                   April 1, 1994

To the Honorable Speaker and Members,

  The House of Representatives of the State of Washington

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     I am returning herewith, without my approval as to section 5, Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 2741 entitled:

"AN ACT Relating to coordinated, watershed-based natural resource planning;"

     Increasingly, attention is being given to watersheds as a basis for natural resource management and environmental protection. While the term "watershed" connotes comprehensiveness, much of the natural resources planning, implementation, and restoration work in state watersheds is done in a piecemeal, uncoordinated basis often based on functional interest or land ownership. This lack of coordination is a problem, and the legislature is to be applauded for its attempt to deal with this problem through the provisions in Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 2741. It is a concern I share.

     Section 5 of Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 2741 establishes a watershed policy task force charged with making recommendations to the legislature on statewide goals and objectives for watershed planning and implementation efforts and facilitating watershed planning and implementation efforts on a local level.  Section 3 of Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 2741 establishes the watershed coordinating council. While the majority of tasks set out for the watershed policy task force are important, the task force itself unnecessarily duplicates the watershed coordinating council established in section 3. For this reason, I am vetoing section 5 of Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 2741, and by Executive Order, I will ask the watershed coordinating council established by this bill to perform the functions listed in section 5(2)(b), (c), (d), and (e) of Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 2741.

     Section 5(a) requires the task force to develop recommendations for goals and measurable objectives for watersheds on a statewide basis. There are many initiatives currently underway attempting to establish goals and objectives on a local watershed-by-watershed basis. This is an extremely difficult and time-consuming process, but goals and objectives must be established on a local watershed-by-watershed basis if they are to be real and meaningful. For this reason, I am also asking the watershed coordinating council to identify those watersheds where goals and objectives have already been established and to provide recommendations to facilitate the development of goals and objectives for the state's other watersheds.

     For the purpose of these section 5 tasks to be performed by the watershed coordinating council, the council should work with an advisory committee consisting of interested parties including tribes, affected landowners, the timber industry and the environmental community.

     With the exception of section 5, Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 2741 is approved.

                   Respectfully submitted,

                   Mike Lowry

                   Governor