SENATE RESOLUTION

8776

By Senators Roach, Fraser and Johnson

WHEREAS, the Washington State Senate has, on occasion, recognized the important role unique recreational and commercial resources play in providing the high quality of life our state is known for; and

WHEREAS, successful ongoing efforts to preserve such resources should be honored, and individuals who participate in such efforts should be thanked for cultivating civic participation, corporate responsibility and appropriate governmental action to achieve a public good; and 

WHEREAS, Lake Tapps, a constructed reservoir, is a unique recreational and commercial resource that has been in place for so many decades that it is generally regarded as a permanent feature of the landscape; and

WHEREAS, a large number of the citizens of the state of Washington have made their homes on the shore of Lake Tapps and have made substantial investments in their property in reliance on the continued existence of the lake; and

WHEREAS, taxes on the property surrounding Lake Tapps are a significant portion of the tax revenues of Pierce County and the county would suffer irreparable harm if it were deprived of such tax revenues; and

WHEREAS, Lake Tapps serves as the reservoir for a hydropower generation project and contributes to the production of electricity for Pacific Northwest homes and businesses; and

WHEREAS, Lake Tapps has long been one of the most popular and heavily used recreational sites in the Northwest; and

WHEREAS, fish-transport facilities associated with the lake and hydropower projects provide a method for White River fish, including threatened chinook salmon, to migrate past the Army Corps of Engineers' Mud Mountain Dam and spawn upriver; and

WHEREAS, Lake Tapps would cease to exist without agreement among a number of government and private parties; and

WHEREAS, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has authorized a collaborative effort to save the lake for the benefit of the public; and

WHEREAS the collaborative effort is carried out by the Lake Tapps Task Force, which is composed of representatives of federal, state and local governments and agencies, American Indian tribes and a broad range of citizens affected by the Lake Tapps agreement; and

WHEREAS, the cooperation and support of officials in all levels of government is needed to bring the collaborative process to a timely and successful conclusion; and

WHEREAS, Lake Tapps serves a number of public interests vital to federal, state and local governments and their constituents;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the State of Washington recognizes the tremendous commitment, cooperation and dedication demonstrated by all parties  and expresses our sincerest thanks to the Lake Tapps Task Force whose ongoing efforts have thus far achieved an agreement in principle regarding preservation of a vital public resource; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Honorable Gary Locke, Governor of the State of Washington; the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; the United States Army Corp of Engineers; the National Marine Fisheries Service; the Washington State Department of Ecology; the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife; the Honorable John Ladenburg, Pierce County Executive; and the Pierce County Council.

I, Tony M. Cook, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 8776,

adopted by the Senate March 2, 2002.

TONY M. COOK

Secretary of the Senate