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SECOND
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1681
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AS
AMENDED BY THE SENATE
Passed
Legislature - 1999 Regular Session
State of Washington 56th
Legislature 1999 Regular Session
By
Read first time 03/08/1999.
Establishing
a program to purchase and plant privately grown trout.
AN
ACT Relating to state purchase of privately grown trout for planting in state
waters; adding new sections to Title 77 RCW; creating a new section; and
declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 1. The
legislature finds that it is beneficial to improve opportunities for trout
fishing in order to satisfy the public's demand for recreational fishing during
a time of declining opportunities to catch anadromous salmon and steelhead
trout.
Fish
farmers can produce trout in a triploid genetic configuration for the purpose
of certifying that the fish are sterile and that they cannot interbreed with
wild trout. These fish are ideally suited to planting into public lakes and
ponds to provide immediate recreational fishing at a reasonable cost. The fish
continue to grow throughout their life cycle and have the potential to grow to
trophy size.
Planting
of these catchable trout can provide increased angler participation, increased
fishing license sales, increased tourism activities, and a boost to local
economies.
The
department of fish and wildlife is authorized to purchase these privately
produced fish to supplement existing department trout hatchery production. The
planting of these catchable trout in water bodies with water quality sufficient
to support fish life must not have an adverse impact on the wild trout
population.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 2. The
fish and wildlife commission in consultation with the department is authorized
to determine which waters of the state are appropriate for this use during the
1999 and 2000 calendar years. In making this determination, the commission
shall seek geographic distribution to assure opportunity to fishers state-wide.
The
commission in consultation with the department will determine the maximum
number of fish that may be planted into state waters so as not to compete with
the wild populations of fish species in the water body.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 3. The
fish and wildlife commission may authorize purchase of privately produced fish
for the purposes of sections 1 and 2 of this act only if the cost of the
program will be recovered by the estimated increase in revenue from license
sales and federal funds directly attributable to the planting of these
privately purchased fish.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 4. The
department of fish and wildlife shall report to the appropriate legislative
committees by February 1, 2001, regarding the implementation of this act. The
report shall include information regarding the location and number of fish
planted, the size of the fish planted, and information relating to the cost-effectiveness
of the catchable trout program, including an estimate of new license revenues
generated by the programs.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 5.
Sections 1 through 3 of this act are each added to Title 77 RCW.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. This
act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or
safety, or support of the state government and its existing public
institutions, and takes effect immediately.
