FINAL BILL REPORT

                   SB 5894

                          C 125 L 95

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Planning for department of transportation wetlands.

Sponsors:  Senators Prentice, Owen, Haugen, Wood, Kohl, Fairley, Sellar, Rasmussen, Oke, Schow and Winsley.

Senate Committee on Transportation

House Committee on Transportation

Background:  A number of recommendations were made in the 1994 "Environmental Cost Savings and Permit Coordination Study" related to wetlands.  One finding was that the Department of Transportation is not prepared to assume the land management responsibilities related to the long-term monitoring and maintenance of wetlands.  Another was the recommendation that wetlands be mitigated on a watershed basis and wetland banks be utilized.

Summary:  The Department of Transportation is required to develop a strategic plan for the long-term monitoring and maintenance of wetlands owned by the department.  The plan must consider an evaluation of:  (1) the costs for monitoring and maintaining wetlands; (2) the feasibility of developing wetland banks; (3) the feasibility of selling, contracting, or transferring title of department owned wetlands to other public agencies or nonprofit environmental corporations; (4) the barriers prohibiting mitigation of wetlands on a regional or watershed basis; and (5) how wetland habitat can be valued and quantified, and how mitigation credits could be developed.

The department reports to the House and Senate Transportation Committees no later than January 15, 1997.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate    42 0

House     97 0

Effective:  July 23, 1995