BILL REQ. #:  S-2395.1 

Read first time 03/01/2007.   Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation.

     AN ACT Relating to a Pacific Northwest maritime national heritage area feasibility assessment; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   SHORT TITLE. This act may be cited as the "Pacific Northwest maritime national heritage area feasibility assessment act."

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   FINDINGS. The legislature finds that:
     (1) The natural and cultural geography of western Washington is shaped by the Pacific Ocean, the straits, and the inland waterways of Puget Sound;
     (2) For hundreds of years, native peoples relied upon these interconnected saltwater passages for sustenance and for mobility within the region and beyond;
     (3) The first Euro-American immigrants to the area continued to depend almost exclusively upon these waterways for the movement of people and goods;
     (4) The early industries of the region, including logging, mining, and agriculture, utilized the waterways for commerce even after the advent of railroads and overland roads;
     (5) All manner of vessels were designed, built, and maintained on the shores of western Washington, resulting in the proliferation of marine and boat building industries;
     (6) Fisheries, commercial water transport, and recreational boating became essential to the economic health of the region;
     (7) Maritime skills and traditions flourished in the form of sail making, knot work, boat building, woodworking, and maritime art, music, and storytelling;
     (8) This maritime culture has left a tangible legacy on the landscape of western Washington in the form of boatyards, canneries, coastguard stations, dry docks, ferry landings, lighthouses, marinas, naval stations, piers, shipyards, wharfs, and all manner of vessels;
     (9) In today's global economy our traditional maritime culture is increasingly endangered by the loss of jobs in the maritime industries, the decline of family fishing, the erosion of maritime skills, waterfront development pressures, the high cost of historic vessel preservation, and other factors;
     (10) Over seventy-five organizations and public agencies in western Washington currently focus on some aspect of preserving and interpreting our maritime heritage;
     (11) Over one hundred historic sites, museums, and attractions relating to maritime heritage currently exist in western Washington;
     (12) The communities of Gig Harbor, Grays Harbor, Port Townsend, Seattle, Tacoma, and others are working tirelessly to create significant regional maritime heritage centers that collect and steward important maritime resources, offer high quality educational programming, and promote heritage tourism;
     (13) These communities wish to collaborate with other interested organizations, agencies, tribes, and communities in positioning our collective maritime heritage as a premier regional attraction and distinctive cultural amenity; and
     (14) National heritage areas designated by the United States congress provide a mechanism to protect, enhance, celebrate, and promote such assemblages of thematically related natural, cultural, historic, and scenic resources through local partnerships.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   DEFINITIONS. The definitions in this section apply throughout this act unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (1) "Department" means the department of archaeology and historic preservation.
     (2) "Director" means the director of the department of archaeology and historic preservation.
     (3) "National heritage area" means a locally managed, congressional designation that focuses heritage-centered interpretation, conservation, and development projects over a complex matrix of public and private land.
     (4) "Study area" means (a) coastal areas of Washington counties bordering the Pacific Ocean, including Pacific, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, and Clallam counties; and (b) coastal areas of Washington counties bordering on Puget Sound and straits to the north, including Whatcom, San Juan, Skagit, Island, Snohomish, King, Pierce, Thurston, Mason, and Kitsap counties.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   PROPOSED PACIFIC NORTHWEST MARITIME NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA. (1) The director, in consultation with appropriate state, tribal, and local governmental agencies, with federal land managers within the study area, with the advisory group created in subsection (2) of this section, and with other interested organizations, shall conduct a preliminary assessment to determine the feasibility of seeking congressional designation for a Pacific Northwest maritime national heritage area in western Washington.
     (2) The director may consult with individuals from the public and private sector or ask the individuals to establish an advisory committee. Members of such an advisory committee are not entitled to expense reimbursement. The advisory committee shall include, but is not limited to, representatives from the following organizations:
     (a) 4Culture and Seattle/King county maritime heritage initiative partners;
     (b) Foss waterway seaport/working waterfront maritime museum;
     (c) Gig Harbor peninsula historical society/harbor history museum;
     (d) Grays Harbor historical seaport authority;
     (e) Northwest maritime center and wooden boat foundation;
     (f) Pacific Northwest maritime heritage council and member groups; and
     (g) United Indians of all tribes.
     (3) The assessment shall include analysis, documentation, and determinations on whether:
     (a) The study area:
     (i) Has an assemblage of natural, cultural, scenic, and historic resources that together represent distinctive aspects of American heritage worthy of recognition, conservation, interpretation, and continuing use;
     (ii) Reflects traditions, customs, beliefs, and folk life that are a valuable part of the national story;
     (iii) Provides outstanding conservation, recreation, and educational opportunities;
     (iv) Contains resources that are important to the identified theme and that retain a degree of integrity capable of supporting interpretation; and
     (v) Could be managed as an assemblage through partnerships among public and private entities at the local, regional, state, or federal level; and
     (b) The residents, business interests, nonprofit organizations, and federal, tribal, state, and local governments within the study area:
     (i) Have demonstrated support for designation of a national heritage area;
     (ii) Are involved in the planning;
     (iii) Support the proposed boundary map;
     (iv) Have developed a conceptual plan outlining roles for all participants; and
     (v) Have agreed upon a suitable and willing management entity to plan and implement the project.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   REPORT. Not later than two fiscal years after the date on which funds are made available to carry out the assessment, the director shall submit a report setting forth the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the director with respect to the feasibility assessment to the senate committee on natural resources, ocean and recreation, and to the house committee on community and economic development and trade.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   APPROPRIATION. The sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, from the general fund to the department of archaeology and historic preservation for the purposes of carrying out this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   CAPTIONS. Captions used in this act are not any part of the law.