BILL REQ. #:  S-4521.2 

READ FIRST TIME 02/03/06.   

     AN ACT Relating to the Columbia river safety and coastal crab mitigation work group; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The Columbia river safety and coastal crab mitigation work group is created and consists of the following members:
     (a) Three representatives of entities that are signatories to the coastal communities of southwest Washington agreement, appointed by the governor;
     (b) One representative each from the Columbia river crab fishermen's association and the Washington Dungeness crab fishermen's association, appointed by the governor;
     (c) One representative of port districts located on the Columbia river below the Bonneville dam, appointed by the governor; and
     (d) Two representatives from the Columbia river channel coalition, or Washington sponsoring ports, appointed by the governor.
     (2) Upon convening, the work group shall select a chair to preside over work group meetings and a vice-chair to preside in the chair's absence.
     (3) The work group may request technical assistance and staffing from entities represented on the work group and may invite nonmember individuals or entities to participate in the work group.
     (4) The work group shall evaluate the safety risks from wave amplification and the impacts to the coastal crab resource of the state from the Columbia river channel improvement project, including annual maintenance at the mouth of the Columbia river and all ocean and in-river disposal activity. The work group shall adopt recommendations for measures that would help to avoid, minimize, or compensate for such risks and impacts, and shall provide these recommendations to the appropriate committees of the senate and house of representatives by December 31, 2006.
     (5) The work group shall attempt to work cooperatively with the United States army corps of engineers as it carries out its duties under subsection (4) of this section. The work group shall attempt to work with the corps of engineers and Washington state's congressional delegation in order to address the risks and impacts from the Columbia river channel improvement project identified under subsection (4) of this section and to implement the work group's recommendations.
     (6) This section expires June 30, 2007.