FINAL BILL REPORT

                  SSB 6324

                          C 251 L 98

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Rehabilitating salmon and trout populations with a remote site incubator program.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Morton, Rasmussen, Oke, Swecker and West).

Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Parks

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

House Committee on Natural Resources

House Committee on Appropriations

Background:  Remote site incubators are a cost-effective means of bypassing the early period of high mortality experienced by salmonid eggs that are naturally spawned in streams.

Remote site incubators may be useful for reintroduction of fish into areas that are not seeded by natural spawning and can therefore assist recovery efforts for threatened or endangered fish.

Summary:  The Department of Fish and Wildlife is required to develop a program to utilize remote site incubators for restoration of coho, chum and chinook salmon.  Approval of remote site incubator projects by the department must only occur when the projects are compatible with conservation of wild salmonid stocks.  Volunteer groups are the primary means of implementing remote site incubators.  Remote site incubators may be constructed by department employees.  The Director of Fish and Wildlife works with the Secretary of Corrections to investigate the possibility of producing incubators through the prison industries program.  The department must test remote site incubators for warm water fish production and report on the results of the remote site incubator program to the Legislature by December 1, 2000.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 48 0

House     97 0 (House amended)

Senate    47 0 (Senate concurred)

Effective:  June 11, 1998