SHB 2079 - H AMD 0123 ADOPTED 03/18/99

By Representative Regala

On page 1, after the enacting clause, insert the following:

ANEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 75.46 to read as follows:

AThe legislature finds that it is important to monitor the overall health of the salmon resource to determine if recovery efforts are providing expected returns. It is also important to monitor the effectiveness of the state=s overall salmon recovery efforts to secure federal acceptance of the state=s approach to salmon recovery. In addition, it is important to monitor salmon restoration projects to determine their effectiveness. Adaptive management cannot exist without monitoring. For these reasons, the legislature believes that a coordinated and integrated monitoring process should be developed in the salmon recovery office for use by local recovery efforts. The role of the salmon recovery office should be to develop and provide to entities involved in salmon recovery data quality objectives, a range of acceptable parameters to monitor, acceptable data formats, data calibration and coordination, a method of storing and retrieving data, and analysis and interpretation of data. The role of local recovery efforts should be to collect monitoring data in compliance with the recommended data quality objectives, parameters, and formats, and to provide such data to the state salmon recovery office for storage.@

Renumber the remaining sections consecutively, and correct internal references accordingly, and correct the title.

On page 3,after line 29, insert the following:

A(5) The independent science panel, in conjunction with the salmon recovery office, shall recommend standardized monitoring indicators and data quality guidelines for use by entities involved in salmon recovery activities across the state. The panel shall also recommend electronic formats that will allow data to be provided to the state salmon recovery office for storage and to be shared across the state in a salmon monitoring network.

(5) State salmon monitoring data provided by lead entities, regional fisheries enhancement groups, and others, shall be included in the salmon and steelhead inventory and assessment project.

(6) The independent science panel, in conjunction with the salmon recovery office, shall also recommend criteria for the systematic and periodic evaluation of monitoring data in order for the state to be able to answer critical questions about the effectiveness of the state=s salmon recovery efforts.

(7) The recommendations on monitoring as required in this section shall be provided in a report to the governor and to the legislature by the independent science panel, in conjunction with the salmon recovery office, no later than December 31, 2000. The report shall also include recommendations on the level of effort needed to sustain monitoring of salmon projects and other recovery efforts, and any other recommendations on monitoring deemed important by the independent science panel, in conjunction with the salmon recovery office.@

Renumber the remaining subsection consecutively and correct internal references accordingly.