Brief Description: Concerning the management of public lands.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation (originally sponsored by Senators Parlette, Fraser and Rockefeller).

Hearing Date: 3/19/07

Staff: Jason Callahan (786-7117).

Background:

The Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation (IAC) was required by Chapter 263, Laws of 2004 to report to the Legislature and the Governor by June 30, 2005, regarding public acquisition of habitat and recreational lands. The report included an inventory of recreation and habitat land transfers by state agencies since 1980, and covered specified types of transfers, principal uses of the land, agencies involved, costs and returns, funding sources, and a review of land transfer authorizations. The report also included a recommended statewide strategy for coordinating habitat and recreation acquisitions by state agencies.

The required report was filed in 2005, and entitled "Toward A Coordination Strategy for Habitat and Recreation Land Acquisitions in Washington State". The IAC found that the proper scope of agency coordination was one of the biggest challenges faced in the development of the report.

Summary of Bill:

The Habitat and Recreation Lands Coordinating Group (Coordinating Group) is created to include representatives of the IAC, the State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Appropriate stakeholder organizations and local government must also be considered for participation in the Coordinating Group.

The Coordinating Group must take a number of actions in regard to state land acquisition and disposal. These actions include the following:

• Review agency land acquisition and disposal plans to ensure coordination, and produce a statewide biennial forecast of the plans to be published on websites;
• Convene an annual forum where agencies can coordinate near-term acquisition and disposal plans;
• Recommend a method of using geographic information system-based documentation of land acquisition and disposal;
• Recommend a standard process for acquisition and disposal record keeping;
• Develop an approach for monitoring the success of acquisitions;
• Identify a way to work with state and federal partners to develop an inventory of potential public lands for transfer into habitat and recreational land management status;
• Review existing habitat conservation plans to foster coordination and save costs;
• Develop options for centralizing coordination of acquisitions made with federal funding; and
• Revisit the planning requirements of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program to determine if coordination between agencies can be enhanced.    

Progress towards completion of these tasks must be reported to the Office of Financial Management annually.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available. New fiscal note requested on March 13, 2007.

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