SB 5120-S2 - DIGEST

(DIGEST AS PASSED LEGISLATURE)

     Requires the fish and wildlife commission to identify potential sites throughout the state and potential fish species for each site that are suitable for remote site incubators.

     Requires the initial selection of sites to be completed by July 1, 1998, and to be updated at least on an annual basis.

     Authorizes the director to dedicate existing employees of the fish and wildlife construction crew to the responsibility of constructing, and in some cases installing and maintaining, remote site incubators.

     Requires the director to contact the treaty Indian tribes, the federal fish and wildlife service, and the state fish management agencies of Oregon and Idaho for the purpose of obtaining donations of viable salmonid eggs for stocking remote site incubators.

     Provides that the director shall approve remote site incubator projects unless it violates the wild salmonid policy, or is a direct threat to the salmonid resource.

     Requires the director of fish and wildlife and the secretary of the department of corrections to jointly investigate the potential of producing remote site incubators through the prison industries program of the department of corrections, and they shall jointly report their finding to the natural resources committees of the house of representatives and the senate by December 1, 1998.

     Directs the warm water fish enhancement program of the department to investigate ways for applying the remote site incubator technology to the production of warm water fish.

VETO MESSAGE ON SB 5120-S2

                   May 20, 1997

To the Honorable President and Members,

  The Senate of the State of Washington

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     I am returning herewith, without my approval, Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5120 entitled:

"AN ACT Relating to fish enhancement with remote site incubators;"

     Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5120 establishes a program to promote Remote Site Incubators (RSI's) for salmonid recovery.  Although RSI's can play a role in salmonid recovery, I have specific concerns that this program is premature because our state's wild salmonid program is not yet in place.

     I urge the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) to look at RSI's in view of the Wild Salmonid Policy and potential Endangered Species Act listings.  I encourage DFW to work with the tribes and the legislature to develop guidelines which will allow the use of RSI's while protecting the state's vital wild salmon stocks. 

     For these reasons, I have vetoed Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5120 in its entirety.

     I am hereby returning, without my approval, Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5120.

                   Respectfully submitted,

                   Gary Locke

                   Governor