SB 5234-S - DIGEST

(AS OF SENATE 2ND READING 3/15/05)

Authorizes the director to make written agreements with the owners or lessees of real or personal property to provide for the use of the property for fish, shellfish, and wildlife-oriented recreation. These agreements terminate upon the sale of any portion of the real or personal property covered under an agreement. The director may only enter into agreements with a lessee where the owner of the real or personal property provides written consent to the agreement.

Authorizes the department to furnish money, material, or labor under these agreements where the agreements provide for public access to the real property.

Declares that a surcharge of five dollars for residents and twenty-five dollars for nonresidents is applied to all big game and all small game licenses not purchased with a big game license for management of recreational access and habitat enhancement agreements as authorized in RCW 77.12.320. The surcharge for the three-day nonresident small game license is five dollars.

Requires all revenue derived from this surcharge to be deposited in the state wildlife fund and must be used only for the management and implementation of wildlife recreational access and habitat enhancement agreements authorized in RCW 77.12.320. Administrative costs charged to this program may not exceed ten percent of annual expenditures.