S-1578.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6031

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State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senators Jacobsen, Spanel, Regala, Kohl‑Welles and Fairley

Read first time 02/14/2001.  Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Parks & Shorelines.

Reviewing the feasibility of a state conservation pass.

    AN ACT Relating to a conservation pass; and creation new sections.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature recognizes that the state's fish and wildlife resources and the state's parks and recreation lands and facilities are some of the most popular and valuable resources in the state.

    Making these resources easily accessible to all of the citizens of the state is a priority goal.  The purpose of this act is to study and review the feasibility of combining the department of fish and wildlife's access pass with the proposed state parks' day use pass into a single, convenient, conservation pass.

    The legislature intends to provide an opportunity for nonprofit, conservation-oriented organizations to participate in the selling of the conservation pass.

    Further, the legislature intends to explore the possibility of providing new revenue for new watchable wildlife programs on state park lands.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  The legislature directs the department of fish and wildlife, the parks and recreation commission, and the department of revenue to convene a work group to explore the feasibility of creating a conservation pass that would accomplish the goals set out in section 1 of this act.  The work group must include members from interested stakeholder groups that represent a broad diversity of views and interests related to outdoor recreation.

    The work group must report its recommendation to the legislature by January 7, 2002.

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