BILL REQ. #:  S-3576.3 

Read first time 01/10/2006.   Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation.

     AN ACT Relating to the duty of government regarding public natural resources; and adding a new section to chapter 1.20 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 1.20 RCW to read as follows:
     The legislature finds that the state of Washington has an affirmative duty to protect, manage, and conserve public natural resources such as the state's animal and plant life, and must take this public trust into account when making decisions with respect to natural resource-related policies and actions. Property rights in wild fish and animals are vested in the state for the benefit of all the people and the regulation of natural resources must be for the common good. The paramount interest of the public is retained by the state to protect the public's rights to natural resource use.
     The legislature further finds that while the state's general obligation is to act for the benefit of the public, the state's most fundamental specific obligation is to act as a trustee for all public natural resources. The principles cited in this section must be supported by every level of government and may not be abridged by any governmental action. The goal of the state must be to ensure the wise and prudent management and long-term protection of each of the state's natural resources through the implementation of comprehensive and integrated resource management policies and plans. Entities of government in the state of Washington must act with an undivided duty of loyalty to all public natural resources.