S-0083.2 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5104
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State of Washington 55th Legislature 1997 Regular Session
By Senators Oke, Loveland, Hale, Morton, Swecker, Rossi, Snyder, West, Bauer, Haugen and Rasmussen
Read first time 01/15/97. Referred to Committee on Natural Resources & Parks.
AN ACT Relating to game birds; adding new sections to chapter 77.12 RCW; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that pheasant populations in eastern Washington have greatly decreased from their historic high levels and that pheasant hunting success rates have plummeted. The number of pheasant hunters has decreased due to reduced hunting success. There is an opportunity to enhance the pheasant population by release of pen-reared pheasants and habitat enhancements to create increased hunting opportunities on publicly owned and managed lands.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. There is created within the department the eastern Washington pheasant enhancement program. The purpose of the program is to improve the harvest of pheasants by releasing pen-reared rooster pheasants on sites accessible for public hunting and by providing grants for habitat enhancement on public or private lands under agreement with the department. The department may either purchase rooster pheasants from private contractors, or produce rooster pheasants from department-operated pheasant farms or department-sanctioned cooperative projects, or both, provided that the pheasants released meet minimum department standards for health and maturity. Pheasants produced for the eastern Washington pheasant enhancement program must not detrimentally affect the production or operation of the department's western Washington pheasant release program. The release of pheasants for hunting purposes must not conflict with or supplant other department efforts to improve upland bird habitat or naturally produced upland birds.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The department may utilize moneys from the eastern Washington pheasant surcharge for purposes of improving pheasant habitat. Grants may be offered to improve pheasant habitat on public or private lands that are open to public hunting. The department may enter partnerships with private landowners, nonprofit corporations, cooperative groups, and federal or state agencies for the purposes of pheasant habitat enhancement in areas that will be available for public hunting. Funds from the eastern Washington pheasant surcharge may be used for leasing of land for public pheasant hunting. The eastern Washington pheasant enhancement account funds must not be utilized for the purchase of land.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The commission must establish special pheasant hunting opportunities for juvenile hunters in eastern Washington for the 1998 season and future seasons.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Beginning September 1, 1997, a person who hunts for pheasant in eastern Washington must pay an annual surcharge of ten dollars, in addition to other licensing requirements. Funds from the surcharge must be deposited in the eastern Washington pheasant enhancement account created in section 6 of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The eastern Washington pheasant enhancement account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts under section 5 of this act must be deposited in the account. Expenditures from the account may be used only for the eastern Washington pheasant enhancement program. Only the director of the department or the director's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for expenditures.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The department of fish and wildlife must jointly investigate with the department of corrections the feasibility of producing pheasants for the eastern Washington pheasant enhancement program utilizing inmate labor and facilities at the Walla Walla state penitentiary. The two departments must report their findings to the senate and house of representatives natural resources committees on or before January 1, 1998.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. Sections 2 through 6 of this act are each added to chapter 77.12 RCW.
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