S-1579

AN ACT Relating to bull trout; adding new sections to chapter 77.12 RCW; creating new sections; and making appropriations.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the United States fish and wildlife service has listed the Columbia river population segment of bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) as a threatened species under the endangered species act. A recovery plan for this species is urgently needed to restore the bull trout population to good health and to remove the burden of federal regulation. However, an adequate recovery plan depends on information about the status of the species and a determination of the strategies that will successfully recover bull trout. The department of fish and wildlife has successfully developed and implemented recovery projects on several stocks of salmon and is well suited to undertake this project.

The legislature also finds that there is significant community interest in helping the recovery process and that the recovery project can benefit greatly from the involvement of the local citizens and organizations.

It is the legislature's intent to create a bull trout recovery project in northeastern Washington to begin the restoration process for this species, and to create a cooperative project utilizing the scientific expertise of the department and the interest and enthusiasm of the local community.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 77.12 RCW to read as follows:

(1) There is established the northeastern Washington bull trout recovery project for the purpose of developing a recovery plan for the bull trout stocks in northeastern Washington. The recovery project shall:

(a) Focus its investigations on the bull trout stocks in the northeastern Washington salmon recovery region, including primarily Ferry, Stevens, Okanogan, and Pend Oreille counties;

(b) Determine the historic and current range of these stocks of bull trout and their abundance;

(d) Develop a plan for recovering this species that is adequate for the purposes of the endangered species act.

(2) The department shall administer the northeastern Washington bull trout recovery project, and shall conduct the project in partnership with the local conservation districts. The department should coordinate the activities of the recovery project with the governor's salmon recovery office, the United States fish and wildlife service, and shall seek additional funding from that agency and other appropriate sources. The local conservation districts should coordinate local involvement in the project, including volunteer support.

(3) The department shall recommend to the legislature those remedies that are needed to recover bull trout sufficiently that the species can be removed from the federal list of threatened species.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 77.12 RCW to read as follows:

The department is encouraged to seek out and accept funding from individual contributions, government sources, private sources, and Indian tribes to further the purposes of section 2 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) The sum of seventy thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2000, from the general fund to the department of fish and wildlife for the purposes of this act.

(2) The sum of seventy thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, from the general fund to the department of fish and wildlife for the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 1999, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.