Title: An act relating to the sale of aquaculture products from leased state-owned aquatic lands.

Brief Description: Concerning the sale of aquaculture products produced on leased state-owned aquatic land.

Sponsors: By Senator Jacobsen.

Brief History:

Natural Resources, Ecology & Parks: 3/17/05, 3/24/05 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 4/8/05, 96-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, ECOLOGY & PARKS

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 10 members: Representatives B. Sullivan, Chair; Upthegrove, Vice Chair; Buck, Ranking Minority Member; Kretz, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Blake, DeBolt, Dickerson, Hunt, Orcutt and Williams.

Staff: Jason Callahan (786-7117).

Background:

State-owned aquatic lands may be leased by private enterprises for the production of aquaculture products. The Department of Natural Resources (Department) is authorized to enter into 30-year leases with aquaculture producers on tidelands and the beds of navigable waters. In most instances, the value of the aquaculture products produced on state-owned aquatic lands belongs to the lessee of the lands.

However, geoducks must be sold by the state as a valuable material, regardless if they are naturally-occurring or raised as an aquaculture product. All valuable materials must be sold at a public auction or by sealed bid to the highest responsible bidder.

Summary of Bill:

Aquaculture products that are produced on state-owned aquatic lands may be sold by the person that produced the product without going through a competitive bid or public auction process.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: This bill ensures that those leasing state owned aquatic lands for geoduck production can harvest their product. There are no geoducks being farmed on state lands as of now, but this is a first step towards inducing geoduck aquaculture. With this bill, geoducks will be treated like oysters and clams. The Department is working on a study now to look at the feasibility of geoduck aquaculture, and this is the first recommendation that has come from the feasibility study.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: Fran McNair, Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.