S-4143.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6607

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By Senators Heavey, Jacobsen and Kline

Read first time 01/22/98.  Referred to Committee on Natural Resources & Parks.

Prescribing times when beach driving is allowed.

    AN ACT Relating to driving on ocean beaches; and amending RCW 43.51.710.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 43.51.710 and 1988 c 75 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Except as provided in RCW 43.51.715 and 43.51.720, ((a total of forty percent of)) the length of the beach subject to the recreation management plan shall be reserved for pedestrian use under this section and RCW 43.51.725.  Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, restrictions on motorized traffic under this section shall be from April 15th to the ((day following)) Friday before Labor ((day)) Day of each year.  Local jurisdictions may adopt provisions within recreation management plans that exceed the requirements of this section.  The commission shall ((not)) require that a plan designate ((for pedestrian use more than forty percent of the land subject to the plan)) the first one hundred yards onto the beach after leaving the existing road or right of way as being open for motor vehicle use in conformance with subsection (3) of this section.

    (2) In designating areas to be reserved for pedestrian use, the plan shall consider the following:

    (a) Public safety;

    (b) State-wide interest in recreational use of the ocean beaches;

    (c) Protection of shorebird and marine mammal habitats;

    (d) Preservation of native beach vegetation;

    (e) Protection of sand dune topography;

    (f) Prudent management of clam beds;

    (g) Economic impacts to the local community; and

    (h) Public access and parking availability.

(3) Motorized traffic on ocean beaches is permitted during the period from April 15th to the Friday before Labor Day only as follows:

(a) On Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of Memorial Day weekend; and

(b) On July 4th.

                            --- END ---