| HB 2844-S2.E - DIGEST |
| (DIGEST AS ENACTED) |
Requires a prioritized statewide inventory and assessment of community and urban forests. |
Requires the department, with the advice of the evergreen cities partnership task force created in this act, to develop the criteria for an evergreen cities recognition program whereby the state can recognize cities and counties, to be designated as evergreen cities, who are developing excellent urban forest management programs that include urban forestry inventories, assessments, plans, ordinances, maintenance programs, partnerships, and community involvement. |
Requires the department to, subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, coordinate with the department of natural resources in the development and implementation of a needs-based evergreen cities grant and competitive awards program to provide financial assistance to cities, towns, and counties for the development, adoption, or implementation of evergreen cities management plans or ordinances developed under this act. |
Requires the department to develop model evergreen city urban forest management plans and ordinances pursuant to this act with measurable goals and timelines to guide local government plan and ordinance adoption or development consistent with this act. |
Allows a local jurisdiction to adopt an evergreen cities ordinance and an evergreen cities urban forest management plan, including enforcement mechanisms and civil penalties for violations of their jurisdiction's evergreen city ordinance. |
| VETO MESSAGE ON E2SHB 2844 |
| April 1, 2008 |
| To the Honorable Speaker and Members, |
| The House of Representatives of the State of Washington |
| Ladies and Gentlemen: |
| I am returning, without my approval as to Section 1, Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2844 entitled: |
"AN ACT Relating to preventing air and water pollution through urban forestry partnerships." |
| Section 1 is an unnecessarily prescriptive and detailed intent section. For this reason, I have vetoed Section 1 of Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2844 |
| I must note that the legislative budget only partially funds this bill. The Department of Community Trade and Economic Development (CTED) received funds for developing the Evergreen Communities grant program, model ordinances and plans. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is partially funded to provide CTED with technical expertise, to develop an urban forest inventory implementation plan, and to conduct two pilot inventories. |
| The highest priorities for these limited dollars are for DNR to (1) provide technical expertise to CTED and local governments, (2) develop the urban forest inventory implementation plan -- focusing on the use of existing data and current inventory technologies, and (3) then to begin the pilot projects. |
| Conducting the community and urban forest inventories statewide is premature until DNR develops and tests an efficient inventory process. Funding for subsequent inventories should be considered as a separate policy decision in the future. |
| With the exception of Section 1, Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2844 is approved. |
| Respectfully submitted, |
| Christine Gregoire |
| Governor |