BILL REQ. #: H-1237.1
State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2011 Regular Session |
Read first time 02/09/11. Referred to Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources.
AN ACT Relating to salmon and steelhead spawning beds; adding a new section to chapter 77.95 RCW; and prescribing penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 A new section is added to chapter 77.95 RCW
to read as follows:
The department shall prohibit activities that harm or disturb
spawning beds of salmon and steelhead and other fish on all rivers and
streams where spawning activities occur.
Prohibited activities include, but are not limited to, wading on
spawning beds, driving motor vehicles on spawning beds, use of high-powered jet or propeller-driven boats across spawning beds, dragging
anchors through spawning beds, digging or removing gravel from spawning
beds, or any other physical disturbance capable of disturbing spawning
fish or damaging or destroying nests of incubating eggs. The
department shall determine the time periods these rules are in effect.
Necessary in-river activities are allowed by permit from the
department.
The department shall adopt rules to carry out this section, and
make the rules known in brochures that are disseminated to persons
applying for fishing and boating licenses. The department must
distribute the brochures widely to retail outlets that cater to outdoor
recreation.
The department shall work cooperatively with the tribal comanagers
for all fish resources in implementing and enforcing the requirements
of this section.
A violation of this section is a natural resource infraction under
chapter 7.84 RCW.
The department shall report to the legislature concerning the
effectiveness of this section after at least two spawning cycles of
salmon and steelhead have occurred.