SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SHB 2406

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

   Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation, February 23, 2000

Title:  An act relating to salmon recovery projects and activities.

Brief Description:  Changing salmon recovery provisions.

Sponsors:  House Committee on Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Representatives Regala and Buck).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation:  2/21/2000, 2/23/2000 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, PARKS & RECREATION

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

  Signed by Senators Jacobsen, Chair; T. Sheldon, Vice Chair; Hargrove, Morton, Oke, Rossi, Snyder, Spanel and Stevens.

Staff:  Ross Antipa (786-7413)

Background:  The Legislature created the Salmon Recovery Funding Board during the 1999 legislative session to make grants and loans for salmon recovery projects and activities.  The Governor vetoed the definition section to this legislation, 2E2SSB 5595, which included a definition for "salmon recovery activities."  There is no statutory direction regarding what constitutes an appropriate salmon recovery activity for purposes of funding by the board. There are no provisions which make assistance available to areas that have fish species listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act and that also lack baseline hydrological data to address the listing.

The interagency review team, which is scheduled to terminate on July 1, 2000, is required to consider habitat projects that make use of side channels, off-stream rearing enhancement, improvement in overwintering habitat, or use of acclimation ponds.  As a result of the Governor's veto of the definition section in 2E2SSB 5595, there is no requirement for the Salmon Recovery Funding Board to consider these types of projects.

There is no statutory direction given to the Salmon Recovery Funding Board regarding how much time a project sponsor must complete a project after a grant or loan is awarded.

Summary of Amended Bill:  Salmon recovery activities funded by the Salmon Recovery Funding Board must have as a principal purpose the protection and restoration of salmonid populations.  Local governments, tribes, other public entities, and private entities may conduct salmon recovery activities.  Salmon recovery activities include, but are not limited to, developing baseline hydrological data; preparing stream corridor guidelines; programmatic permitting; and preparing geographic information system protocols.

Definitions pertaining to salmon recovery funding are modified.  "Habitat projects" are defined to include side channels, off-stream rearing enhancement, improvement in overwintering habitat, acclimation ponds, fish passage correction projects, fish screening projects, and projects that accelerate the recovery process.

The Salmon Recovery Funding Board must establish a time limit for completing projects that are awarded grants or loans.  The time limit may not exceed five years from the time the funds are awarded.  The board cannot require a project sponsor to reapply for the same funds in subsequent funding cycles within the time limit imposed by the board.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:  Language specifying Aside channels,@ Aoff-stream rearing,@ Aoverwintering habitat,@ and Aacclimation ponds@ is retained but reordered to appear on an equal footing with other permissible habitat projects.  The separate section on salmon recovery activities is integrated into the definition section.  Baseline hydrologic data is more broadly defined as a permissible salmon recovery activity.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The bill is needed to allow for a broader range of projects to be funded by the Salmon Recovery Funding Board.  The Governor=s veto of E2SSB 5595 last year removed the definition section from the bill and these updates are needed.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Jerry Manuel, Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group; Wayne Beckwith, Olympia Thurston Chamber of Commerce; Tim Smith, WDFW.