HB 2348 - DIGEST

Prohibits the department from entering or reentering into any management plan with either a state or nonstate entity that would allow for the harvest of naturally occurring geoduck in Hood Canal below the mean low tide line until the commission adopts an administrative rule canceling or modifying the restriction.

Provides that the commission may adopt a rule allowing the department to enter into management agreements with state or nonstate entities that allow for the harvest of naturally occurring geoduck in Hood Canal below the mean low tide line only if a majority of the members of the commission vote to affirm that substantial, peer-reviewed research strongly indicates that the commercial harvest of geoduck in Hood Canal does not have either a significant short-term adverse effect or significant long-term adverse effect on the environmental health of Hood Canal, including water quality and dissolved oxygen levels. Any research considered must be specifically tailored to the unique conditions of Hood Canal and must address the effect of removing a large quantity of geoducks from Hood Canal.