Passed by the Senate April 21, 2003 YEAS 43 NAYS 0 ________________________________________ President of the Senate Passed by the House April 9, 2003 YEAS 92 NAYS 0 ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives		CERTIFICATE I, Milton H. Doumit, Jr., Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SENATE BILL 5011 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth. ________________________________________ Secretary
Approved ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington		FILED Secretary of State State of Washington

AN ACT Relating to promoting wildlife viewing; adding a new section to chapter 77.12 RCW; and creating a new section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 A new section is added to chapter 77.12 RCW to read as follows:
The department shall manage wildlife programs in a manner that provides for public opportunities to view wildlife and supports wildlife viewing tourism without impairing the state's wildlife resources.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) The departments of fish and wildlife and community, trade, and economic development shall host a working conference on promoting wildlife viewing tourism. The objective of the conference shall be to adopt a strategic plan and specific implementing actions to promote wildlife viewing tourism in Washington in a manner that both provides sustainable economic development in the state's rural areas and supports maintaining the state's wildlife diversity.
     (2) The departments shall work with interested local governments, state agencies, visitor and convention bureaus, the hospitality industry, tourism development organizations, and tour operators and wildlife conservation organizations in preparing for and conducting the conference. The departments shall guide preparation for the conference by surveying programs and activities in other states and compiling information on current programs, infrastructure, and promotional activities regarding wildlife viewing tourism in Washington. To enhance the effectiveness of the conference and its products, the departments shall seek to frame issues and outline options for improvement through white papers and preliminary meetings with interest groups.
     (3) Among the topics that the departments and interest groups should address at the conference are:
     (a) Strategies to increase revenues and benefits to Washington communities with wildlife viewing resources that have identified tourism as part of their economic development strategy;
     (b) Strengthening the wildlife viewing tourism elements of gateway community partnerships among state and local transportation, economic development, and parks and wildlife agencies;
     (c) Providing leadership and services by state agencies to assist local communities to assess their local wildlife viewing resources and to market tourism centered upon such resources;
     (d) Developing proposals to increase state funding to local communities to implement local wildlife viewing tourism plans, including assessing resources, providing infrastructure specific to wildlife viewing tourism, festival development, and marketing; and
     (e) Promoting wildlife viewing tourism as an element of tourism related to the Lewis and Clark bicentennial commemoration.
     (4) The departments shall schedule the conference at a time sufficient to prepare a summary of the conference proceedings and proposals for legislative funding to be submitted to the appropriate committees of the legislature no later than December 15, 2003.