H-2553.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1319

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By House Committee on Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Representatives Buck, Sheldon, Pennington, Kessler, Schoesler, Regala, Johnson, Mielke and Morris)

Read first time 03/05/97.

Increasing anadromous fish runs in the Elwha river.

    AN ACT Relating to increasing anadromous fish runs in the Elwha river; adding a new section to chapter 75.50 RCW; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that the Elwha river's remaining fish stocks have reached dangerously low levels.  Pending the outcome of dam removal proposals, the river's remaining native anadromous fish stocks must be preserved and increased.

    It is the intent of the legislature that the native anadromous fish runs of the Elwha river be increased and protected from possible extinction and that future choices for fisheries restoration not be foreclosed.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 75.50 RCW to read as follows:

    The department shall continue to cooperate with the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and the federal resource agencies in refining and implementing short-term action plans which preserve and increase existing native stocks in the Elwha river.  In addition, the department shall work with the federal resource agencies and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe to develop and implement short and long-term restoration actions to reintroduce native salmon into the tributaries and mainstem Elwha river above river mile 4.9.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  To prepare for the possibility that the Elwha dam is not removed, the department of fish and wildlife shall prepare a contingency plan to reintroduce native salmon into the tributaries above river mile 4.9 by June 30, 1998.  Upon completion, the plan shall be submitted to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature.  The plan shall include a detailed list of actions and timelines necessary to reintroduce native salmon above river mile 4.9.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  The sum of two hundred ninety-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1999, from the general fund to the department of fish and wildlife for the purpose of enhancing anadromous salmon stocks in the Elwha river as follows:

    (1) Twenty-five thousand dollars is provided for additional cool water habitat for chinook below the Elwha dam;

    (2) Twenty thousand dollars is provided solely to identify the return timing of rainbow trout returning to the upper river;

    (3) One hundred fifty thousand dollars is provided to reduce the mortality of prespawning chinook in the lower river; and

    (4) One hundred thousand dollars is provided to develop a contingency plan for reintroduction of native salmon into the tributaries above the Elwha dam.

                            --- END ---