CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

SENATE BILL 5011

Chapter 183, Laws of 2003

58th Legislature
2003 Regular Session



TOURISM--WILDLIFE VIEWING



EFFECTIVE DATE: 7/27/03

Passed by the Senate April 21, 2003
  YEAS 43   NAYS 0

BRAD OWEN
________________________________________    
President of the Senate
Passed by the House April 9, 2003
  YEAS 92   NAYS 0

FRANK CHOPP
________________________________________    
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.

MILTON H. DOUMIT JR.
________________________________________    
Secretary
Approved May 9, 2003.








GARY LOCKE
________________________________________    
Governor of the State of Washington
 
FILED
May 9, 2003 - 3:59 p.m.







Secretary of State
State of Washington


_____________________________________________ 

SENATE BILL 5011
_____________________________________________

AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

Passed Legislature - 2003 Regular Session
State of Washington58th Legislature2003 Regular Session

By Senators Jacobsen, Winsley and Kohl-Welles

Read first time 01/13/2003.   Referred to Committee on Parks, Fish & Wildlife.



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

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

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.


         Passed by the Senate April 21, 2003.
         Passed by the House April 9, 2003.
         Approved by the Governor May 9, 2003.
         Filed in Office of Secretary of State May 9, 2003.