S-1692.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5979

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Senators Rossi, Anderson, Hargrove, Swecker, Haugen, Heavey, Morton, Stevens and Strannigan

Read first time 02/24/97.  Referred to Committee on Natural Resources & Parks.

Conducting open public meetings on steelhead trout management plans.

    AN ACT Relating to steelhead trout management plans; and adding a new section to chapter 77.12 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 77.12 RCW to read as follows:

    The fish and wildlife commission shall conduct open public meetings on the development of steelhead trout management plans for the purpose of informing the public about allocation of the resource.  The meetings are open to the public and are held prior to the negotiation process with the treaty tribes.  The commission shall allow the public an ample opportunity to participate in the public process and to review management options that are being evaluated by the department staff.  The public is allowed an opportunity to comment upon each management option on a stream-by-stream or run-by-run basis for every stream and steelhead trout run in the state.

    The public process for steelhead trout management planning is held annually in the fall of the year beginning in 1997 and each year thereafter.  The commission's approved steelhead management plan must be made available to the public prior to negotiations with the treaty tribes.  The final steelhead management plan as approved by the tribes and the commission must be available to the public on or before December 1st of each year.

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