H-4180.2 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 3025
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 56th Legislature 2000 Regular Session
By Representatives Mitchell, Fisher, Radcliff, Linville and Wood
Read first time 01/26/2000. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
AN ACT Relating to environmental permitting; and adding a new section to Title 81 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to Title 81 RCW to read as follows:
The legislature recognizes that use of programmatic approaches to natural resource regulation benefits agencies and applicants by permit streamlining and improves environmental resource protection by allowing staff and resources to focus on coordinating complex issues rather than routine documentation.
The legislature encourages the development of programmatic approaches and general permitting with state and federal agencies. The Washington state departments of fish and wildlife, ecology, community, trade, and economic development, and transportation shall work collaboratively to assess where the development of programmatic permits can improve coordination among regulatory agencies and the regulated community and to implement programmatic approaches to project permitting. This assessment should focus on coordination required by the federal endangered species act and clean water act.
A programmatic approach to environmental permitting is one that considers general categories of activities and outlines means by which these general activities or programs can be accomplished in compliance with regulations. This reduces the degree of project analysis and permit coordination by adopting general recommendations, methods, and parameters which minimize or eliminate impacts. This is most appropriate for routine activities with relatively minor environmental impacts.
These agencies shall report their findings to the legislature by January 1, 2001.
--- END ---