FINAL BILL REPORT

                 2E2SSB 5595

                         PARTIAL VETO

                         C 13 L 99 E1

                      Synopsis as Enacted

 

Brief Description:  Establishing the salmon recovery funding board.

 

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Jacobsen and Fraser).

 

Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

 

Background:  A coordinated framework for responding to the endangered salmon crisis was passed in the 1998 legislative session.  A number of grant programs were developed and funded resulting from that legislation.

 

Concern exists that the decision-making process for habitat project or activity approval needs to be administered by a professional board with fiscal oversight and knowledge of local government and salmon recovery processes and functions.  In addition, needs were identified for increased monitoring of project effectiveness, integration with the Department of Fish and Wildlife salmon recovery programs, development of a statewide salmon recovery strategy, strengthening of technical and scientific review of projects, and to effect the technical changes necessary to transition from current law to the more comprehensive salmon recovery approach.

 

Summary:  A ten-member salmon recovery funding board is created to make grants and loans for salmon habitat projects and salmon recovery activities.  Five voting board members are chosen by the Governor, subject to Senate confirmation.  Five nonvoting members represent the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Conservation Commission, Department of Transporta­tion, Department of Ecology, and Department of Natural Resources.  Staff support to the board is provided by the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation.  The board is provided with a statutory framework for elements that must be considered while making funding decisions.

 

A technical review team is created to assist the funding board in ranking projects and activities, and developing standardized monitoring indicators and data quality guidelines in conjunction with the independent science team.  The technical review team is composed of at least five members selected by the Director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife and staffed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

 

The Governor and the Governor=s Salmon Recovery Office are required to develop a statewide salmon recovery strategy and submit it to the federal regulatory agencies by September 1, 1999.  The strategy must be updated through an active public involvement process beginning September 1, 2000.

 

The Independent Science Panel must develop guidelines for monitoring the effectiveness of salmon habitat restoration projects and report its findings to the Governor and the Legislature.  The Independent Science Panel shall be compensated by personal service contracts administered by the Salmon Recovery Office.

 

The Department of Fish and Wildlife=s salmon and steelhead inventory and assessment project and the salmon and steelhead habitat inventory and assessment project are integrated into the statewide salmon recovery framework.

 

The interagency review team established in the 1998 legislation is left in effect until July 1, 2000, when it expires.

 

Funding for administration of the Salmon Recovery Board is transferred from the office of the Governor and Office of Financial Management to the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation.  Funding is provided for grants to salmon recovery projects and activities including:

 

a)fish passage barrier removal

b)habitat projects

c)critical area updates

d)Southwest Washington recovery region

e)People for Salmon recovery initiative

f)conservation district implementation of Puget Sound plan

g)monitoring

h)technical assistance

i)stream corridor guidelines

j)engineering services

k)fish screening improvement

l)development of selective harvest techniques

m)reducing by-catch

n)jobs for the environment

o)commercial license buy-back

 

A salmon recovery account is created within the state treasury.

 

Numerous technical changes are made.

 

A severability clause is included.

 

Votes on Final Passage:

 

Senate 35 14

 

First Special Session

Senate    31 16

House     91 5 (House amended)

Senate    38 9 (Senate concurred)

 

Effective:  July 1, 1999

 

Partial Veto Summary:  The section changing salmon recovery definitions was vetoed.  The technical review team section was vetoed in its entirety, resulting in the removal of the science-based review process for salmon recovery projects.  Two sections removing funding for the Governor= office and the Office of Financial Management were vetoed.  Also vetoed was the majority of section 22, which provided specific appropriations for various salmon recovery activities, resulting in more discretion for funding decisions of the salmon recovery funding board.