BP BHEAD INT S [atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to a Cascade foothills state park; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the Cascade foothills state park study act of 1998.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The legislature finds that the population of the Puget Sound region will grow by more than one million by the year 2010, and that current and new residents will demand greater opportunities for outdoor recreation within a reasonable distance from their homes. Changing demographics, healthier and more active lifestyles, and improvements in recreation technology will all lead to growing public demand for areas and facilities in which to recreate. The western slope Cascade foothills from the international border south to Thurston county provides a wealth of existing and potential outdoor recreation areas that are close to the great majority of the urbanized areas of Puget Sound. Within this area are many state lands, including state park units, that may provide the nucleus for a state park comprised of multiple units to serve the region and the entire state.

It is the purpose of this act to direct the Washington state parks and recreation commission to study the feasibility of creating a Cascade foothills state park, and making recommendations to the legislature to this end.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The definitions in this section apply throughout sections 4 and 5 of this act unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Cascade foothills" means the area generally comprising the Cascade range and drainages lying between five hundred and two thousand feet above mean sea level, and located within the counties of Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, King, Pierce, and Thurston.

(2) "Commission" means the Washington state parks and recreation commission.

(3) "Counties" includes the counties of Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, King, Pierce, and Thurston.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The commission shall review existing and future recreational needs in the Cascade foothills and the means by which a Cascade foothills state park system may meet these needs. To this end the study should include:

(1) An assessment of the existing and the twenty-year growth projection for recreational demand of the population residing within one-hour driving time from the Cascade foothills;

(2) An inventory of existing facilities and lands accessible for recreational use within the Cascade foothills;

(3) A review of existing local, regional, state, and nongovernmental entities providing outdoor recreation facilities within the Cascade foothills and their coordination in meeting public outdoor recreation demand;

(4) A review of state lands within the Cascade foothills that may be managed principally or in part for outdoor recreation uses as a unit of a Cascade foothills state park, and recommendations for transitioning to such management;

(5) Recommendations for a regional entity to promote expanded outdoor recreation opportunities within the Cascade foothills, in coordination with an expanded state park system; and

(6) Methods to fund local, regional, and state outdoor recreation programs and facilities within the Cascade foothills.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) In conducting the study in section 4 of this act, the commission shall consult with and seek the assistance of the governing bodies of the counties within the Cascade foothills area. The commission shall hold its meetings within the Cascade foothills, which shall be open to the public and provide maximum opportunity for public participation.

(2) The report and recommendations shall be provided to the fiscal and parks committees of the senate and house of representatives no later than December 15, 1998.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The sum of thirty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund to the interagency committee for outdoor recreation for the biennium ending June 30, 1999, for the purposes of this act.