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: Senator Jacobsen.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation: 1/20/05, 1/24/05 [DP].

Passed Senate: 3/2/05, 48-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, OCEAN & RECREATION

Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by Senators Jacobsen, Chair; Doumit, Vice Chair; Fraser, Hargrove, Morton, Oke, Spanel, Stevens and Swecker.

Staff: Vic Moon (786-7469)

Background: Valuable materials such as sand, gravel, and shellfish must be sold at public auction if their value is over one hundred thousand dollars. The sale of the harvested geoducks is by the lease holder. It is the harvest tracts which are leased and not the geoducks. Therefore the statute needs to be amended to make sure that the lease holder can sell the harvested product.

Summary of Bill: Aquaculture products on leased lands may be sold by the leaseholder as long as the sale is consistent with the lease.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: This will allow the sale of geoducks into the market by persons who lease state lands. The requirements for the use of the leased lands is specified in the lease agreement.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: PRO: Loren Stern, Department of Natural Resources; Morris Barker, Department of Fish and Wildlife; Peter Downey, Discovery Bay Shellfish.