BILL REQ. #: Z-0557.2
State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2011 Regular Session |
Read first time 02/04/11. Referred to Committee on Natural Resources & Marine Waters.
AN ACT Relating to consolidating natural resources agencies and programs; amending RCW 43.17.010, 43.17.020, 42.17A.705, 43.03.028, 79.64.020, 79.64.100, 79.70.020, 79.70.030, 79.70.070, 79.70.080, 79.70.090, 79.70.100, 79.70.120, 77.12.650, 77.04.012, 77.04.030, 77.04.055, 77.04.060, 77.04.120, 77.04.130, 77.04.150, 77.08.010, 77.08.020, 77.08.022, 77.08.030, 77.12.010, 77.12.020, 77.12.035, 77.12.037, 77.12.037, 77.12.045, 77.12.047, 77.12.068, 77.12.140, 77.12.150, 77.12.152, 77.12.170, 77.12.177, 77.12.210, 77.12.220, 77.12.275, 77.12.285, 77.12.320, 77.12.323, 77.12.325, 77.12.330, 77.12.420, 77.12.455, 77.12.560, 77.12.570, 77.12.722, 77.12.760, 77.12.800, 77.12.850, 77.12.875, 77.12.878, 77.12.882, 77.15.065, 77.15.096, 77.15.120, 77.15.130, 77.15.160, 77.15.245, 77.15.250, 77.15.253, 77.15.290, 77.15.382, 77.15.400, 77.15.425, 77.15.520, 77.15.522, 77.15.530, 77.15.554, 77.15.590, 77.15.700, 77.15.710, 77.15.720, 77.18.060, 77.32.007, 77.32.025, 77.32.050, 77.32.070, 77.32.090, 77.32.155, 77.32.237, 77.32.238, 77.32.370, 77.32.400, 77.32.430, 77.32.440, 77.32.450, 77.32.470, 77.32.500, 77.32.525, 77.32.530, 77.32.535, 77.32.550, 77.32.560, 77.32.565, 77.32.570, 77.36.030, 77.36.100, 77.36.110, 77.36.150, 77.50.010, 77.50.020, 77.50.040, 77.50.050, 77.50.070, 77.50.090, 77.50.100, 77.50.110, 77.55.191, 77.60.020, 77.60.030, 77.60.100, 77.65.420, 77.65.480, 77.65.510, 77.70.450, 77.70.460, 77.70.470, 77.75.020, 77.75.040, 77.75.100, 77.75.140, 77.85.220, 77.95.010, 77.95.020, 77.95.030, 77.95.040, 77.95.060, 77.95.090, 77.95.100, 77.95.140, 77.95.200, 77.100.060, 77.100.080, 77.115.010, 43.300.020, 9.46.010, 9.46.400, 79.105.430, 79.135.320, 79A.05.793, 79A.05.010, 79A.05.015, 79A.05.020, 79A.05.025, 79A.05.035, 79A.05.040, 79A.05.045, 79A.05.050, 79A.05.055, 79A.05.059, 79A.05.060, 79A.05.065, 79A.05.070, 79A.05.080, 79A.05.085, 79A.05.090, 79A.05.095, 79A.05.100, 79A.05.105, 79A.05.110, 79A.05.115, 79A.05.120, 79A.05.125, 79A.05.130, 79A.05.140, 79A.05.145, 79A.05.150, 79A.05.155, 79A.05.160, 79A.05.165, 79A.05.170, 79A.05.175, 79A.05.178, 79A.05.180, 79A.05.185, 79A.05.195, 79A.05.200, 79A.05.205, 79A.05.210, 79A.05.220, 79A.05.225, 79A.05.230, 79A.05.235, 79A.05.240, 79A.05.250, 79A.05.280, 79A.05.285, 79A.05.290, 79A.05.310, 79A.05.320, 79A.05.325, 79A.05.330, 79A.05.335, 79A.05.340, 79A.05.345, 79A.05.351, 79A.05.355, 79A.05.360, 79A.05.370, 79A.05.375, 79A.05.380, 79A.05.390, 79A.05.395, 79A.05.410, 79A.05.415, 79A.05.425, 79A.05.505, 79A.05.510, 79A.05.515, 79A.05.525, 79A.05.530, 79A.05.535, 79A.05.540, 79A.05.545, 79A.05.610, 79A.05.615, 79A.05.620, 79A.05.625, 79A.05.630, 79A.05.650, 79A.05.665, 79A.05.670, 79A.05.685, 79A.05.688, 79A.05.690, 79A.05.695, 79A.05.705, 79A.05.710, 79A.05.715, 79A.05.735, 79A.05.780, 79A.05.793, 46.10.370, 70.114.010, 79.10.030, 79A.30.010, 79A.30.020, 79A.30.030, 79A.30.050, 79A.40.030, 79A.60.010, 79A.65.010, 79A.25.005, 79A.25.010, 79A.25.020, 79A.25.110, 79A.25.150, 79A.25.220, 79A.25.240, 79A.25.830, 43.41.270, 43.99N.060, 46.09.530, 77.85.020, 77.85.030, 77.85.110, 77.85.120, 84.34.055, 17.15.020, 17.26.020, 19.02.050, 39.04.155, 39.04.290, 42.52.570, 43.17.400, 43.19.450, 43.21F.062, 43.81.010, 43.82.010, 43.220.020, 79.19.080, 79.100.010, 79.145.030, 79A.15.010, 79A.20.030, 79A.25.260, 84.34.055, 90.48.366, 90.48.368, 89.08.020, 89.08.030, 89.08.040, 89.08.050, 89.08.070, 89.08.080, 89.08.090, 89.08.100, 89.08.110, 89.08.120, 89.08.130, 89.08.140, 89.08.150, 89.08.160, 89.08.170, 89.08.180, 89.08.185, 89.08.190, 89.08.200, 89.08.210, 89.08.220, 89.08.341, 89.08.350, 89.08.370, 89.08.410, 89.08.470, 89.08.480, 89.08.520, 89.08.530, 89.08.540, 89.08.550, 89.08.580, 89.08.590, 43.03.028, 43.41.270, 43.325.020, 77.85.020, 77.85.220, 89.10.010, 70.148.005, 70.148.010, 70.148.020, 70.148.025, 70.148.030, 70.148.035, 70.148.040, 70.148.050, 70.148.060, 70.148.070, 70.148.080, 70.148.090, 70.148.130, 70.148.140, 70.148.150, 70.148.160, 70.148.170, 70.149.010, 70.149.030, 70.149.040, 70.149.050, 70.149.060, 70.149.090, 70.149.120, 90.46.005, 90.46.010, 90.46.015, 90.46.030, 90.46.050, 90.46.090, 90.46.120, 90.46.150, 90.46.160, 90.46.200, 90.46.210, 90.46.220, 90.46.230, 90.46.240, 90.46.250, 90.46.260, 90.46.270, 43.200.015, 43.200.080, 43.200.170, 43.200.180, 43.200.190, 43.200.200, 43.200.230, 70.98.030, 70.98.085, 70.98.095, 70.98.098, 70.98.130, 43.334.010, 43.334.020, 43.334.060, 43.334.070, 43.334.075, 43.334.077, 43.334.080, 27.34.020, 27.34.220, 27.34.230, 27.34.240, 27.34.270, 27.34.280, 27.34.330, 27.34.415, 27.44.055, 27.53.020, 27.53.030, 27.53.060, 27.53.080, 27.53.090, 27.53.095, 27.53.100, 27.53.110, 27.53.120, 27.53.130, 27.53.140, 41.06.095, 43.17.010, 43.17.020, 43.360.010, 43.360.020, 43.360.030, 68.24.090, 68.50.645, 68.60.030, 68.60.050, 68.60.055, 68.60.060, 82.73.010, 82.73.050, 88.02.660, and 90.48.366; reenacting and amending RCW 77.55.011, 79A.05.030, 79A.05.255, 79A.05.385, 46.10.300, 46.10.320, 79A.55.010, 43.21J.030, 43.60A.150, 77.85.050, 77.85.140, 43.21B.110, 43.21B.110, 43.21J.030, 43.60A.150, 27.53.070, and 35.100.020; adding a new section to chapter 41.06 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 79.70 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 41.80 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 77.04 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 79A.05 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 79A.25 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 77.85 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 89.08 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 70.148 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 90.46 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.97 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 70.98 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.200 RCW; adding a new chapter to Title 43 RCW; repealing RCW 77.04.013, 77.04.020, 77.04.080, 77.04.090, 77.04.140, 77.15.005, 43.300.010, 43.300.040, 43.300.050, 79A.05.075, 79A.05.300, 79A.05.315, 89.08.060, 90.46.020, 90.46.072, 90.46.110, 43.200.210, 43.334.030, 43.334.040, 43.334.050, and 43.334.900; creating new sections; providing effective dates; providing expiration dates; providing contingent expiration dates; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1001 The definitions in this section apply
throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Department" means the department of conservation and
recreation.
(2) "Director" means the director of the department of conservation
and recreation.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1002 (1) The department of conservation and
recreation is created as an executive branch agency. The department is
vested with all powers and duties transferred to it under this act and
such other powers and duties as may be authorized by law.
(2) Any powers, duties, and functions assigned to the department of
fish and wildlife, the parks commission, and the recreation and
conservation office are transferred to the department of conservation
and recreation.
(3) The primary duties of the department are to:
(a) Preserve, protect, and perpetuate the fish and wildlife
resources for the benefit of the state's citizens;
(b) Wisely manage our state parks and trail systems, promote
outdoor recreation education and safety, and protect our cultural,
historical, and natural sites; and
(c) Be good stewards of public funds that perpetuate healthy
ecosystems and open spaces, restore habitat important to our fish and
wildlife, and support outdoor recreation and recreational places and
facilities.
(4) The department must be structured organizationally to maintain
at least two distinct areas of focus: One for fish and wildlife
management and one for parks and recreation management.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1003 (1) The executive head and appointing
authority of the department is the director. The director shall be
appointed by the governor, subject to confirmation by the senate. The
director shall serve at the pleasure of the governor. The director
shall be paid a salary fixed by the governor in accordance with RCW
43.03.040. If a vacancy occurs in the position of director while the
senate is not in session, the governor shall make a temporary
appointment until the next meeting of the senate at which time the
governor shall present to that body the governor's nomination for the
position.
(2) The director may employ staff members, who shall be exempt from
chapter 41.06 RCW, and any additional staff members as are necessary to
administer this act, and such other duties as may be authorized by law.
The director may delegate any power or duty vested in the director by
this act or other law, including authority to make final decisions and
enter final orders in hearings conducted under chapter 34.05 RCW.
(3) The director may create such administrative structures as the
director considers appropriate, except as otherwise specified by law.
The director may employ such personnel as necessary for the general
administration of the office. This employment shall be in accordance
with the state civil service law, chapter 41.06 RCW, and the state
collective bargaining law, chapter 41.80 RCW, except as otherwise
provided.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1004 The director shall:
(1) Supervise and administer the activities of the department of
conservation and recreation;
(2) Exercise all the powers and perform all the duties prescribed
by law with respect to the administration of Title 77 RCW;
(3) In addition to other powers and duties granted to the director,
have the following powers and duties:
(a) Enter into contracts on behalf of the state to carry out the
purposes of this chapter;
(b) Accept and expend gifts and grants that are related to the
purposes of this act, whether such gifts or grants be of federal or
other funds;
(c) Appoint no more than three deputy directors and such assistant
directors and special assistants as may be needed to administer the
department. These employees are exempt from the provisions of chapter
41.06 RCW;
(d) Adopt rules in accordance with chapter 34.05 RCW and perform
all other functions necessary and proper to carry out the purposes of
this act;
(e) Delegate powers, duties, and functions as the director deems
necessary for efficient administration, but the director is responsible
for the official acts of the officers and employees of the department;
and
(f) Perform other duties as are necessary and consistent with law.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1005 On the effective date of this section,
the directors of the departments of fish and wildlife, natural
resources, the parks and recreation commission, and recreation and
conservation funding office must each designate one deputy, or similar
representative, to serve on the natural resources consolidation
transition team. The natural resources consolidation transition team
must, with the assistance of the natural resources agencies, develop
the following work products:
(1) A natural resources consolidation transition team report, to be
submitted to the office of financial management and the legislature by
August 1, 2011. This report must, at a minimum, detail all legislative
and fiscal changes necessary for the successful implementation of
natural resources agency consolidation and identify expected costs and
savings associated with the consolidation.
(2) A supplemental budget request, if necessary, for consideration
during the 2012 legislative session. This request must encompass any
necessary budgetary and legislative changes for all natural resources
agencies affected by this act, and be submitted to the office of
financial management by September 1, 2011.
(3) A second natural resources consolidation transition team
report, to be submitted to the director of conservation and recreation
by July 1, 2012. This report must, at a minimum, detail all additional
legislative and fiscal changes necessary for the successful
implementation of natural resources agency consolidation and identify
expected costs and savings associated with the consolidation.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1006 A new section is added to chapter 41.06
RCW to read as follows:
In addition to the exemptions under RCW 41.06.070, the provisions
of this chapter do not apply in the department of conservation and
recreation to the director, the director's confidential secretary,
assistant directors, and any other exempt staff members provided for in
section 1004 of this act.
Sec. 1007 RCW 43.17.010 and 2009 c 565 s 25 are each amended to
read as follows:
There shall be departments of the state government which shall be
known as (1) the department of social and health services, (2) the
department of ecology, (3) the department of labor and industries, (4)
the department of agriculture, (5) the department of ((fish and
wildlife)) conservation and recreation, (6) the department of
transportation, (7) the department of licensing, (8) the department of
general administration, (9) the department of commerce, (10) the
department of veterans affairs, (11) the department of revenue, (12)
the department of retirement systems, (13) the department of
corrections, (14) the department of health, (15) the department of
financial institutions, (16) ((the department of archaeology and
historic preservation, (17))) the department of early learning, and
(((18))) (17) the Puget Sound partnership, which shall be charged with
the execution, enforcement, and administration of such laws, and
invested with such powers and required to perform such duties, as the
legislature may provide.
Sec. 1008 RCW 43.17.020 and 2009 c 565 s 26 are each amended to
read as follows:
There shall be a chief executive officer of each department to be
known as: (1) The secretary of social and health services, (2) the
director of ecology, (3) the director of labor and industries, (4) the
director of agriculture, (5) the director of ((fish and wildlife))
conservation and recreation, (6) the secretary of transportation, (7)
the director of licensing, (8) the director of general administration,
(9) the director of commerce, (10) the director of veterans affairs,
(11) the director of revenue, (12) the director of retirement systems,
(13) the secretary of corrections, (14) the secretary of health, (15)
the director of financial institutions, (16) ((the director of the
department of archaeology and historic preservation, (17))) the
director of early learning, and (((18))) (17) the executive director of
the Puget Sound partnership.
Such officers((, except the director of fish and wildlife,)) shall
be appointed by the governor, with the consent of the senate, and hold
office at the pleasure of the governor. ((The director of fish and
wildlife shall be appointed by the fish and wildlife commission as
prescribed by RCW 77.04.055.))
Sec. 1009 RCW 42.17A.705 and 2010 c 204 s 902 are each amended to
read as follows:
For the purposes of RCW 42.17A.700, "executive state officer"
includes:
(1) The chief administrative law judge, the director of
agriculture, the director of the department of services for the blind,
the director of the state system of community and technical colleges,
the director of commerce, the director of conservation and recreation,
the secretary of corrections, the director of early learning, the
director of ecology, the commissioner of employment security, the chair
of the energy facility site evaluation council, the secretary of the
state finance committee, the director of financial management, ((the
director of fish and wildlife, the executive secretary of the forest
practices appeals board,)) the director of the gambling commission, the
director of general administration, the secretary of health, the
administrator of the Washington state health care authority, the
executive secretary of the health care facilities authority, the
executive secretary of the higher education facilities authority, the
executive secretary of the horse racing commission, the executive
secretary of the human rights commission, the executive secretary of
the indeterminate sentence review board, the director of the department
of information services, the executive director of the state investment
board, the director of labor and industries, the director of licensing,
the director of the lottery commission, the director of the office of
minority and women's business enterprises, ((the director of parks and
recreation,)) the director of personnel, the executive director of the
public disclosure commission, the executive director of the Puget Sound
partnership, ((the director of the recreation and conservation
office,)) the director of retirement systems, the director of revenue,
the secretary of social and health services, the chief of the
Washington state patrol, the executive secretary of the board of tax
appeals, the secretary of transportation, the secretary of the
utilities and transportation commission, the director of veterans
affairs, the president of each of the regional and state universities
and the president of The Evergreen State College, and each district and
each campus president of each state community college;
(2) Each professional staff member of the office of the governor;
(3) Each professional staff member of the legislature; and
(4) Central Washington University board of trustees, the boards of
trustees of each community college and each technical college, each
member of the state board for community and technical colleges, state
convention and trade center board of directors, Eastern Washington
University board of trustees, Washington economic development finance
authority, Washington energy northwest executive board, The Evergreen
State College board of trustees, executive ethics board, fish and
wildlife commission, ((forest practices appeals board,)) forest
practices board, gambling commission, Washington health care facilities
authority, higher education coordinating board, higher education
facilities authority, horse racing commission, state housing finance
commission, human rights commission, indeterminate sentence review
board, board of industrial insurance appeals, information services
board, state investment board, commission on judicial conduct,
legislative ethics board, life sciences discovery fund authority board
of trustees, liquor control board, lottery commission, Pacific
Northwest electric power and conservation planning council, parks and
recreation commission, Washington personnel resources board, board of
pilotage commissioners, pollution control hearings board, public
disclosure commission, public employees' benefits board, recreation and
conservation funding board, salmon recovery funding board, shorelines
hearings board, board of tax appeals, transportation commission,
University of Washington board of regents, utilities and transportation
commission, Washington State University board of regents, and Western
Washington University board of trustees.
Sec. 1010 RCW 43.03.028 and 2010 1st sp.s. c 7 s 2 are each
amended to read as follows:
(1) The department of personnel shall study the duties and salaries
of the directors of the several departments and the members of the
several boards and commissions of state government, who are subject to
appointment by the governor or whose salaries are fixed by the
governor, and of the chief executive officers of the following agencies
of state government:
The arts commission; the human rights commission; the board of
accountancy; the board of pharmacy; the eastern Washington historical
society; the Washington state historical society; ((the recreation and
conservation office;)) the criminal justice training commission; the
department of personnel; the state library; the traffic safety
commission; the horse racing commission; the advisory council on
vocational education; the public disclosure commission; ((the state
conservation commission;)) the commission on Hispanic affairs; the
commission on Asian Pacific American affairs; the state board for
volunteer firefighters and reserve officers; the transportation
improvement board; the public employment relations commission; ((the
forest practices appeals board;)) and the energy facilities site
evaluation council.
(2) The department of personnel shall report to the governor or the
chairperson of the appropriate salary fixing authority at least once in
each fiscal biennium on such date as the governor may designate, but
not later than seventy-five days prior to the convening of each regular
session of the legislature during an odd-numbered year, its
recommendations for the salaries to be fixed for each position.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1011 The law enforcement program and employees
within the department of natural resources are transferred to the
department of conservation and recreation. The department of
conservation and recreation and the department of natural resources
shall enter into an interagency agreement before July 1, 2012, to
enforce laws and rules on state trust lands. This agreement must
include, but is not limited to, the level of law enforcement services
provided on state trust lands and the level of funding to cover the
cost of increased enforcement. The services may not be less than that
provided by department of natural resources' law enforcement staff as
of the effective date of this section.
Sec. 1012 RCW 79.64.020 and 2008 c 328 s 6004 are each amended to
read as follows:
A resource management cost account in the state treasury is created
to be used solely for the purpose of defraying the costs and expenses
necessarily incurred by the department in managing and administering
state lands and aquatic lands and the making and administering of
leases, sales, contracts, licenses, permits, easements, and rights-of-way as authorized under the provisions of this title. The account may
also be used to defray the costs and expenses necessarily incurred by
the department of conservation and recreation in the enforcement of
laws and rules on state trust lands. Appropriations from the resource
management cost account to the department shall be expended for no
other purposes. Funds in the resource management cost account may be
appropriated or transferred by the legislature for the benefit of all
of the trusts from which the funds were derived. For the 2007-2009
biennium, moneys in the account may be used for the purposes identified
in section 3044, chapter 328, Laws of 2008.
Sec. 1013 RCW 79.64.100 and 2003 c 334 s 219 are each amended to
read as follows:
There is created a forest development account in the state
treasury. The state treasurer shall keep an account of all sums
deposited therein and expended or withdrawn therefrom. Any sums placed
in the forest development account shall be pledged for the purpose of
paying interest and principal on the bonds issued by the department
under RCW 79.22.080 and 79.22.090 and the provisions of this chapter,
and for the purchase of land for growing timber. Any bonds issued
shall constitute a first and prior claim and lien against the account
for the payment of principal and interest. No sums for the above
purposes shall be withdrawn or paid out of the account except upon
approval of the department.
Appropriations may be made by the legislature from the forest
development account to the department for the purpose of carrying on
the activities of the department on state forest lands, lands managed
on a sustained yield basis as provided for in RCW 79.10.320, and for
reimbursement of expenditures that have been made or may be made from
the resource management cost account in the management of state forest
lands. The account may also be used to defray the costs and expenses
necessarily incurred by the department of conservation and recreation
in the enforcement of laws and rules on state trust lands.
Sec. 1014 RCW 79.70.020 and 2004 c 180 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter
unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Department" means the department of natural resources.
(2) "Natural areas" and "natural area preserves" include such
public or private areas of land or water which have retained their
natural character, although not necessarily completely natural and
undisturbed, or which are important in preserving rare or vanishing
flora, fauna, geological, natural historical or similar features of
scientific or educational value and which are acquired or voluntarily
registered or dedicated by the owner under this chapter.
(3) "Public lands" and "state lands" have the meaning set out in
RCW 79.02.010.
(4) "Council" means the natural heritage advisory council as
established in RCW 79.70.070.
(5) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of public lands.
(6) "Important bird area" means those areas jointly identified by
the natural heritage program and a qualifying nonprofit organization
using internationally recognized scientific criteria. These areas have
been found to be necessary to conserve populations of wild waterfowl,
upland game birds, songbirds, and other birds native to and migrating
through Washington, and contain the habitats that birds are dependent
upon for breeding, migration, shelter, and sustenance.
(7) "Instrument of dedication" means any written document intended
to convey an interest in real property pursuant to chapter 64.04 RCW.
(8) "Natural heritage resources" means the plant community types,
aquatic types, unique geologic types, and special plant and animal
species and their critical habitat as defined in the natural heritage
plan established under RCW 79.70.030.
(9) "Plan" means the natural heritage plan as established under RCW
79.70.030.
(10) "Program" means the natural heritage program as established
under RCW 79.70.030.
(11) "Qualifying nonprofit organization" means a national nonprofit
organization, or a branch of a national nonprofit organization, that
conserves and restores natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other
wildlife, and their habitat.
(12) "Register" means the Washington register of natural area
preserves as established under RCW 79.70.030.
(13) "Director" means the director of the department of
conservation and recreation.
Sec. 1015 RCW 79.70.030 and 2003 c 334 s 549 are each amended to
read as follows:
In order to set aside, preserve, and protect natural areas within
the state, the department is authorized, in addition to any other
powers, to:
(1) Establish the criteria for selection, acquisition, management,
protection, and use of such natural areas, including:
(a) Limiting public access to natural area preserves consistent
with the purposes of this chapter. Where appropriate, and on a case-by-case basis, a buffer zone with an increased low level of public
access may be created around the environmentally sensitive areas;
(b) Developing a management plan for each designated natural area
preserve. The plan must identify the significant resources to be
conserved consistent with the purposes of this chapter and identify the
areas with potential for low-impact public and environmental
educational uses. The plan must specify the types of management
activities and public uses that are permitted, consistent with the
purposes of this chapter. The department must make the plans available
for review and comment by the public, and state, tribal, and local
agencies, prior to final approval;
(2) Cooperate or contract with any federal, state, or local
governmental agency, private organizations, or individuals in carrying
out the purpose of this chapter;
(3) Consistent with the plan, acquire by gift, devise, purchase,
grant, dedication, or means other than eminent domain, the fee or any
lesser right or interest in real property which shall be held and
managed as a natural area;
(4) Acquire by gift, devise, grant, or donation any personal
property to be used in the acquisition and/or management of natural
areas; and
(5) Inventory existing public, state, and private lands in
cooperation with the council to assess possible natural areas to be
preserved within the state((;)).
(6) Maintain a natural heritage program to provide assistance in
the selection and nomination of areas containing natural heritage
resources for registration or dedication. The program shall maintain
a classification of natural heritage resources, an inventory of their
locations, and a data bank for such information. The department shall
cooperate with the department of fish and wildlife in the selection and
nomination of areas from the data bank that relate to critical wildlife
habitats. Information from the data bank shall be made available to
public and private agencies and individuals for environmental
assessment and proprietary land management purposes. Usage of the
classification, inventory, or data bank of natural heritage resources
for any purpose inconsistent with the natural heritage program is not
authorized;
(7) Prepare a natural heritage plan which shall govern the natural
heritage program in the conduct of activities to create and manage a
system of natural areas that includes natural resources conservation
areas, and may include areas designated under the research natural area
program on federal lands in the state;
(a) The plan shall list the natural heritage resources to be
considered for registration and shall provide criteria for the
selection and approval of natural areas under this chapter;
(b) The department shall provide opportunities for input, comment,
and review to the public, other public agencies, and private groups
with special interests in natural heritage resources during preparation
of the plan;
(c) Upon approval by the council and adoption by the department,
the plan shall be updated and submitted biennially to the appropriate
committees of the legislature for their information and review. The
plan shall take effect ninety days after the adjournment of the
legislative session in which it is submitted unless the reviewing
committees suggest changes or reject the plan; and
(8) Maintain a state register of natural areas containing
significant natural heritage resources to be called the Washington
register of natural area preserves. Selection of natural areas for
registration shall be in accordance with criteria listed in the natural
heritage plan and accomplished through voluntary agreement between the
owner of the natural area and the department. No privately owned lands
may be proposed to the council for registration without prior notice to
the owner or registered without voluntary consent of the owner. No
state or local governmental agency may require such consent as a
condition of any permit or approval of or settlement of any civil or
criminal proceeding or to penalize any landowner in any way for failure
to give, or for withdrawal of, such consent.
(a) The department shall adopt rules as authorized by RCW 43.12.065
and 79.70.030(1) and chapter 34.05 RCW relating to voluntary natural
area registration.
(b) After approval by the council, the department may place sites
onto the register or remove sites from the register.
(c) The responsibility for management of registered natural area
preserves shall be with the preserve owner. A voluntary management
agreement may be developed between the department and the owners of the
sites on the register.
(d) Any public agency may register lands under provisions of this
chapter
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1016 A new section is added to chapter 79.70
RCW to read as follows:
The department of conservation and recreation is authorized, in
addition to any other powers, to:
(1) Maintain a natural heritage program to provide assistance in
the selection and nomination of areas containing natural heritage
resources for registration or dedication. The program shall maintain
a classification of natural heritage resources, an inventory of their
locations, and a data bank for this information. The department of
conservation and recreation shall include in the selection and
nomination of areas from the data bank that relate to critical wildlife
habitats. Information from the data bank must be made available to
public and private agencies and individuals for environmental
assessment and proprietary land management purposes. Usage of the
classification, inventory, or data bank of natural heritage resources
for any purpose inconsistent with the natural heritage program is not
authorized;
(2) Prepare a natural heritage plan, in consultation with the
department of natural resources, that governs the natural heritage
program in the conduct of activities to create and manage a system of
natural areas that includes natural resources conservation areas, and
may include areas designated under the research natural area program on
federal lands in the state;
(a) The plan must list the natural heritage resources to be
considered for registration and provide criteria for the selection and
approval of natural areas under this chapter;
(b) The department of conservation and recreation shall provide
opportunities for input, comment, and review to the public, other
public agencies, and private groups with special interests in natural
heritage resources during preparation of the plan;
(c) Upon approval by the council and adoption by the department of
conservation and recreation, the plan must be updated and submitted
biennially to the appropriate committees of the legislature for their
information and review. The plan takes effect ninety days after the
adjournment of the legislative session in which it is submitted unless
the reviewing committees suggest changes or reject the plan; and
(3) Maintain a state register of natural areas containing
significant natural heritage resources to be called the Washington
register of natural area preserves. Selection of natural areas for
registration must be in accordance with criteria listed in the natural
heritage plan and accomplished through voluntary agreement between the
owner of the natural area and the department. No privately owned lands
may be proposed to the council for registration without prior notice to
the owner or registered without voluntary consent of the owner. No
state or local governmental agency may require such consent as a
condition of any permit or approval of or settlement of any civil or
criminal proceeding or to penalize any landowner in any way for failure
to give, or for withdrawal of, such consent.
(a) The department of conservation and recreation shall adopt rules
as authorized by RCW 43.12.065 and 79.70.030(1) and chapter 34.05 RCW
relating to voluntary natural area registration.
(b) After approval by the council, the department of conservation
and recreation may place sites onto the register or remove sites from
the register.
(c) The responsibility for management of registered natural area
preserves is with the preserve owner. A voluntary management agreement
may be developed between the department and the owners of the sites on
the register.
(d) Any public agency may register lands under provisions of this
chapter.
Sec. 1017 RCW 79.70.070 and 2007 c 241 s 24 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The natural heritage advisory council is hereby established.
The council shall consist of ((fifteen)) thirteen members, ten of whom
shall be chosen as follows and who shall elect from the council's
membership a chairperson:
(a) Five individuals, appointed by the ((commissioner)) director,
who shall be recognized experts in the ecology of natural areas and
represent the public, academic, and private sectors. Desirable fields
of expertise are biological and geological sciences; and
(b) Five individuals, appointed by the ((commissioner)) director,
who shall be selected from the various regions of the state. At least
one member shall be or represent a private forest landowner and at
least one member shall be or represent a private agricultural
landowner.
(2) Members appointed under subsection (1) of this section shall
serve for terms of four years.
(3) In addition to the members appointed by the ((commissioner))
director, the director ((of the department of fish and wildlife)), the
director of the department of ecology, and the supervisor of the
department of natural resources, ((the director of the state parks and
recreation commission, and the director of the recreation and
conservation office,)) or an authorized representative of each agency
officer, shall serve as ex officio, nonvoting members of the council.
(4) Any vacancy on the council shall be filled by appointment for
the unexpired term by the ((commissioner)) director.
(5) ((In order to provide for staggered terms, of the initial
members of the council:)) Members of the council shall serve without compensation.
Members shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW
43.03.050 and 43.03.060 as now or hereafter amended.
(a) Three shall serve for a term of two years;
(b) Three shall serve for a term of three years; and
(c) Three shall serve for a term of four years.
(6) Members of the natural preserves advisory committee serving on
July 26, 1981, shall serve as members of the council until the
commissioner appoints a successor to each. The successor appointment
shall be specifically designated to replace a member of the natural
preserves advisory committee until all members of that committee have
been replaced. A member of the natural preserves advisory committee is
eligible for appointment to the council if otherwise qualified.
(7)
Sec. 1018 RCW 79.70.080 and 2002 c 284 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The council shall:
(a) Meet at least annually and more frequently at the request of
the chairperson;
(b) Recommend policy for the natural heritage program through the
review and approval of the natural heritage plan;
(c) Advise the department, the department of ((fish and wildlife,
the state parks and recreation commission)) conservation and
recreation, and other state agencies managing state-owned land or
natural resources regarding areas under their respective jurisdictions
which are appropriate for natural area registration or dedication;
(d) Advise the department of conservation and recreation of rules
and regulations that the council considers necessary in carrying out
this chapter;
(e) Review and approve area nominations by the department of
conservation and recreation or other agencies for registration and
review and comment on legal documents for the voluntary dedication of
such areas;
(f) Recommend whether new areas proposed for protection be
established as natural area preserves, natural resources conservation
areas, a combination of both, or by some other protected status; and
(g) Review and comment on management plans proposed for individual
natural area preserves.
(2) From time to time, the council shall identify areas from the
natural heritage data bank which qualify for registration. Priority
shall be based on the natural heritage plan and shall generally be
given to those resources which are rarest, most threatened, or under-represented in the heritage conservation system on a statewide basis.
After qualifying areas have been identified, the department of
conservation and recreation shall advise the owners of such areas of
the opportunities for acquisition or voluntary registration or
dedication.
Sec. 1019 RCW 79.70.090 and 2003 c 334 s 550 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The owner of a registered natural area, whether a private
individual or an organization, may voluntarily agree to dedicate the
area as a natural area by executing with the state an instrument of
dedication in a form approved by the council. The instrument of
dedication shall be effective upon its recording in the real property
records of the appropriate county or counties in which the natural area
is located. The county assessor in computing assessed valuation shall
take into consideration any reductions in property values and/or
highest and best use which result from natural area dedication.
(2) A public agency owning or managing a registered natural area
preserve may dedicate lands under the provisions of this chapter.
(3) The department of conservation and recreation shall adopt rules
as authorized by RCW 43.12.065 and 79.70.030(1) relating to voluntary
natural area dedication and defining:
(a) The types of real property interests that may be transferred;
(b) Real property transfer methods and the types of consideration
of payment possible;
(c) Additional dedication provisions, such as natural area
management, custody, use, and rights and privileges retained by the
owner; and
(d) Procedures for terminating dedication arrangements.
Sec. 1020 RCW 79.70.100 and 1998 c 50 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
The department of conservation and recreation shall hold a public
hearing in the county where the majority of the land in a proposed
natural area preserve is located prior to establishing the boundary.
Sec. 1021 RCW 79.70.120 and 2004 c 180 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
Prior to recognizing an important bird area under this chapter, the
department of conservation and recreation must:
(1) Publish notice of the proposed important bird area in the
Washington state register;
(2) Publish notice of the proposed important bird area in a
newspaper of general circulation in the county where the proposed
important bird area is located; and
(3) Conduct at least one public hearing in the county where the
proposed important bird area is located.
Sec. 1022 RCW 77.12.650 and 1987 c 506 s 52 are each amended to
read as follows:
The department shall cooperate with other local, state, and federal
agencies and governments to protect bald eagles and their essential
habitats through existing governmental programs, including but not
limited to:
(1) The natural heritage program managed by the department of
((natural resources)) conservation and recreation under chapter 79.70
RCW;
(2) The natural area preserve program managed by the department of
natural resources under chapter 79.70 RCW;
(3) The shoreline management master programs adopted by local
governments and approved by the department of ecology under chapter
90.58 RCW.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1023 A new section is added to chapter 41.80
RCW to read as follows:
(1) By April 1, 2012, the commission shall review the existing
collective bargaining units within the department of fish and wildlife,
the parks and recreation commission, the recreation and conservation
office, and the portions of the existing collective bargaining units
within the department of natural resources that represent the law
enforcement and heritage programs to determine if these units would be
appropriate units within the department of conservation and recreation.
In determining appropriateness of bargaining units, the commission
shall utilize and apply the organizational restructure detail created
by the department of conservation and the natural resources
consolidation transition team created in section 1005 of this act.
(2) If the commission determines that an existing collective
bargaining unit is appropriate pursuant to RCW 41.80.070, the exclusive
bargaining representative certified to represent the bargaining unit
prior to July 1, 2012, shall continue as the exclusive bargaining
representative without the necessity of an election and will be so
certified by the commission.
(3) If the commission determines that existing collective
bargaining units are not appropriate, the commission may modify those
units and order an election pursuant to RCW 41.80.080. Certified
exclusive bargaining representatives will not be required to
demonstrate a showing of interest to be included on the ballot.
(4) The commission may require an election pursuant to RCW
41.80.080 if similarly situated employees are represented by more than
one employee organization. Certified exclusive bargaining
representatives will not be required to demonstrate a showing of
interest to be included on the ballot.
(5) Certification under this section will not preclude any
subsequent actions allowable under this chapter.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1024 Sections 1001 through 1004 of this act
constitute a new chapter in Title
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1025 Section 1009 of this act takes effect
January 1, 2012.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1026 (1) The code reviser shall note wherever
the director or department of fish and wildlife is used or referred to
in statute that the name of the department has changed.
(2) The code reviser shall prepare legislation for the 2012 regular
legislative session that changes all statutory references to the
director or department of fish and wildlife to department of
conservation and recreation.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1027 (1) The code reviser shall note wherever
the director or office of recreation and conservation is used or
referred to in statute that the name of the department has changed.
(2) The code reviser shall prepare legislation for the 2012 regular
legislative session that changes all statutory references to the
director or office of recreation and conservation to department of
conservation and recreation.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1028 The consolidation directed pursuant to
sections 1001 through 1027 of this act takes effect July 1, 2012.
Sec. 2001 RCW 77.04.012 and 2000 c 107 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
Wildlife, fish, and shellfish are the property of the state. The
((commission, director, and the)) department shall preserve, protect,
perpetuate, and manage the wildlife and food fish, game fish, and
shellfish in state waters and offshore waters.
The department shall conserve the wildlife and food fish, game
fish, and shellfish resources in a manner that does not impair the
resource. In a manner consistent with this goal, the department shall
seek to maintain the economic well-being and stability of the fishing
industry in the state. The department shall promote orderly fisheries
and shall enhance and improve recreational and commercial fishing in
this state.
The ((commission)) department may authorize the taking of wildlife,
food fish, game fish, and shellfish only at times or places, or in
manners or quantities, as in the judgment of the ((commission))
department does not impair the supply of these resources.
The ((commission)) department shall attempt to maximize the public
recreational game fishing and hunting opportunities of all citizens,
including juveniles, ((disabled)) individuals with disabilities, and
senior citizens.
Recognizing that the management of our state wildlife, food fish,
game fish, and shellfish resources depends heavily on the assistance of
volunteers, the department shall work cooperatively with volunteer
groups and individuals to achieve the goals of this title to the
greatest extent possible.
Nothing in this title shall be construed to infringe on the right
of a private property owner to control the owner's private property.
Sec. 2002 RCW 77.04.030 and 2001 c 155 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
The fish and wildlife advisory commission within the department of
conservation and recreation consists of nine registered voters of the
state. In January of each odd-numbered year, the governor shall
appoint ((with the advice and consent of the senate)) three registered
voters to the commission to serve for terms of six years from that
January or until their successors are appointed and qualified. If a
vacancy occurs on the commission prior to the expiration of a term, the
governor shall appoint a registered voter within sixty days to complete
the term. Three members shall be residents of that portion of the
state lying east of the summit of the Cascade mountains, and three
shall be residents of that portion of the state lying west of the
summit of the Cascade mountains. Three additional members shall be
appointed at-large. No two members may be residents of the same
county. ((The legal office of the commission is at the administrative
office of the department in Olympia.))
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2003 A new section is added to chapter 77.04
RCW to read as follows:
In addition to duties listed in this chapter, the commission has
the following responsibilities and duties:
(1) In consultation with stakeholders, advise the director
regarding fish and wildlife policies and rule proposals that govern
hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, habitat protection and restoration,
and the use of department-owned and managed lands.
(2) Advise the director on department agreements relating to fish
and wildlife harvest with tribal, interstate, international, and other
parties.
(3) Advise the director prior to the director determining the
status of threatened or endangered species.
(4) Advise the director in developing long-term funding strategies
to carry out the department's mission and delivery of programs to the
public.
(5) In providing advice to the director on agency proposed policies
and rules, the commission shall consider the following factors:
(a) The effect of the management measures on local economies and
social structures;
(b) The welfare of the constituent group affected;
(c) Potential conflicts among user groups using a specific fishery
or wildlife resource; and
(d) Enforcement issues unique to a particular fishery or wildlife
issue.
Sec. 2004 RCW 77.04.055 and 2000 c 107 s 204 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) In establishing policies to preserve, protect, and perpetuate
wildlife, fish, and wildlife and fish habitat, the department, with the
advice of the commission shall ((meet annually with the governor to)):
(a) Review and prescribe basic goals and objectives related to
those policies; and
(b) Review the performance of the department in implementing fish
and wildlife policies.
The ((commission)) department shall maximize fishing, hunting, and
outdoor recreational opportunities compatible with healthy and diverse
fish and wildlife populations.
(2) The ((commission)) department shall establish hunting,
trapping, and fishing seasons and prescribe the time, place, manner,
and methods that may be used to harvest or enjoy game fish and
wildlife.
(3) The ((commission)) department shall establish provisions
regulating food fish and shellfish as provided in RCW 77.12.047.
(4) The ((commission)) department shall have final approval
authority for tribal, interstate, international, and any other
department agreements relating to fish and wildlife.
(5) The ((commission)) department shall adopt rules to implement
the state's fish and wildlife laws.
(((6) The commission shall have final approval authority for the
department's budget proposals.))
(7) The commission shall select its own staff and shall appoint the
director of the department. The director and commission staff shall
serve at the pleasure of the commission.
Sec. 2005 RCW 77.04.060 and 1993 sp.s. c 2 s 63 are each amended
to read as follows:
The commission shall hold at least one regular meeting during the
first two months of each calendar quarter, and special meetings when
called by the chair and by five members. Five members constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business.
The commission at a meeting in each odd-numbered year shall elect
one of its members as ((chairman)) chair and another member as vice
((chairman)) chair, each of whom shall serve for a term of two years or
until a successor is elected and qualified.
Members of the commission ((shall be compensated in accordance with
RCW 43.03.250. In addition, members)) are allowed their travel
expenses incurred while absent from their usual places of residence in
accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
Sec. 2006 RCW 77.04.120 and 2000 c 107 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((director)) department shall investigate the habits,
supply, and economic use of food fish and shellfish in state and
offshore waters.
(2) The ((director)) department shall make an annual report to the
governor on the operation of the department and the statistics of the
fishing industry.
(3) Subject to RCW 40.07.040, the ((director)) department shall
provide a comprehensive biennial report of all departmental operations
to the chairs of the committees on natural resources of the senate and
house of representatives, the senate ways and means committee, and the
house of representatives appropriations committee((, including one copy
to the staff of each of the committees,)) to reflect the previous
fiscal period. The ((format of the)) report shall ((be similar to
reports issued by the department from 1964-1970 and the report shall))
include, but not be limited to, descriptions of all department
activities including: Revenues generated, program costs, capital
expenditures, personnel, special projects, new and ongoing research,
environmental controls, cooperative projects, intergovernmental
agreements, and outlines of ongoing litigation, recent court decisions
and orders on major issues with the potential for state liability. The
report shall describe the status of the resource and its recreational,
commercial, and tribal utilization. The report shall be made available
to the public.
Sec. 2007 RCW 77.04.130 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 2 s 12 are each
amended to read as follows:
(1) Rules of the ((commission)) department shall be adopted by the
((commission)) director or a designee in accordance with chapter 34.05
RCW.
(2) Rules of the ((commission)) department shall be admitted as
evidence in the courts of the state when accompanied by an affidavit
from the ((commission)) director or a designee certifying that the rule
has been lawfully adopted and the affidavit is prima facie evidence of
the adoption of the rule.
(3) The ((commission)) director may designate department employees
to act on the ((commission's)) department's behalf in the adoption and
certification of rules.
Sec. 2008 RCW 77.04.150 and 2008 c 294 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) director must appoint an advisory committee
to generally represent the interests of hunters and fishers with
disabilities on matters including, but not limited to, special hunts,
modified sporting equipment, access to public land, and hunting and
fishing opportunities. The advisory committee is composed of seven
members, each being an individual with a disability. The advisory
committee members must represent the entire state. The members must be
appointed so that each of the six department administrative regions, as
they existed on January 1, 2007, are represented with one resident on
the advisory committee. One additional member must be appointed at
large. The chair of the advisory committee must be a member of the
advisory committee and shall be selected by the members of the advisory
committee.
(2) For the purposes of this section, an individual with a
disability includes but is not limited to:
(a) An individual with a permanent disability who is not ambulatory
over natural terrain without a prosthesis or assistive device;
(b) An individual with a permanent disability who is unable to walk
without the use of assistance from a brace, cane, crutch, wheelchair,
scooter, walker, or other assistive device;
(c) An individual who has a cardiac condition to the extent that
the individual's functional limitations are severe;
(d) An individual who is restricted by lung disease to the extent
that the individual's functional limitations are severe;
(e) An individual who is totally blind or visually impaired; or
(f) An individual with a permanent disability with upper or lower
extremity impairments who does not have the use of one or both upper or
lower extremities.
(3) The members of the advisory committee are appointed for a four-year term. If a vacancy occurs on the advisory committee prior to the
expiration of a term, the ((commission)) director must appoint a
replacement within sixty days to complete the term.
(4) The advisory committee must meet at least semiannually, and may
meet at other times as requested by a majority of the advisory
committee members for any express purpose that directly relates to the
duties set forth in subsection (1) of this section. A majority of
members currently serving on the advisory committee constitutes a
quorum. The department must provide staff support for all official
advisory committee meetings.
(5) Each member of the advisory committee shall serve without
compensation but may be reimbursed for travel expenses as authorized in
RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
(6) The members of the advisory committee, or individuals acting on
their behalf, are immune from civil liability for official acts
performed in the course of their duties.
(7) Beginning December 1, 2011, and again at least once every four
years, the ((commission)) department shall present a report to the
appropriate legislative committees detailing the effectiveness of the
advisory committee including, but not limited to, the participation
levels, general interest, quality of advice, and recommendations as to
the advisory committee's continuance or modification.
Sec. 2009 RCW 77.08.010 and 2009 c 333 s 12 are each amended to
read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this title or
rules adopted under this title unless the context clearly requires
otherwise.
(1) "Angling gear" means a line attached to a rod and reel capable
of being held in hand while landing the fish or a hand-held line
operated without rod or reel.
(2) "Aquatic invasive species" means any invasive, prohibited,
regulated, unregulated, or unlisted aquatic animal or plant species as
defined under subsections (3), (28), (40), (44), (58), and (59) of this
section, aquatic noxious weeds as defined under RCW 17.26.020(((5)))
(4)(c), and aquatic nuisance species as defined under RCW 77.60.130(1).
(3) "Aquatic plant species" means an emergent, submersed, partially
submersed, free-floating, or floating-leaving plant species that grows
in or near a body of water or wetland.
(4) "Bag limit" means the maximum number of game animals, game
birds, or game fish which may be taken, caught, killed, or possessed by
a person, as specified by rule of the ((commission)) department for a
particular period of time, or as to size, sex, or species.
(5) "Closed area" means a place where the hunting of some or all
species of wild animals or wild birds is prohibited.
(6) "Closed season" means all times, manners of taking, and places
or waters other than those established by rule of the ((commission))
department as an open season. "Closed season" also means all hunting,
fishing, taking, or possession of game animals, game birds, game fish,
food fish, or shellfish that do not conform to the special restrictions
or physical descriptions established by rule of the ((commission))
department as an open season or that have not otherwise been deemed
legal to hunt, fish, take, harvest, or possess by rule of the
((commission)) department as an open season.
(7) "Closed waters" means all or part of a lake, river, stream, or
other body of water, where fishing or harvesting is prohibited.
(8) "Commercial" means related to or connected with buying,
selling, or bartering.
(9) "Commission" means the state fish and wildlife advisory
commission within the department of conservation and recreation.
(10) "Concurrent waters of the Columbia river" means those waters
of the Columbia river that coincide with the Washington-Oregon state
boundary.
(11) "Contraband" means any property that is unlawful to produce or
possess.
(12) "Deleterious exotic wildlife" means species of the animal
kingdom not native to Washington and designated as dangerous to the
environment or wildlife of the state.
(13) "Department" means the department of ((fish and wildlife))
conservation and recreation.
(14) "Director" means the director of ((fish and wildlife))
conservation and recreation.
(15) "Endangered species" means wildlife designated by the
((commission)) department as seriously threatened with extinction.
(16) "Ex officio fish and wildlife officer" means a commissioned
officer of a municipal, county, state, or federal agency having as its
primary function the enforcement of criminal laws in general, while the
officer is in the appropriate jurisdiction. The term "ex officio fish
and wildlife officer" includes special agents of the national marine
fisheries service, state parks commissioned officers, United States
fish and wildlife special agents, ((department of natural resources
enforcement officers,)) and United States forest service officers,
while the agents and officers are within their respective
jurisdictions.
(17) "Fish" includes all species classified as game fish or food
fish by statute or rule, as well as all fin fish not currently
classified as food fish or game fish if such species exist in state
waters. The term "fish" includes all stages of development and the
bodily parts of fish species.
(18) "Fish and wildlife officer" means a person appointed and
commissioned by the director, with authority to enforce this title and
rules adopted pursuant to this title, and other statutes as prescribed
by the legislature. Fish and wildlife officer includes a person
commissioned before June 11, 1998, as a wildlife agent or a fisheries
patrol officer. Fish and wildlife officer includes a person
commissioned before July 1, 2012, as a department of natural resources
enforcement officer.
(19) "Fish broker" means a person whose business it is to bring a
seller of fish and shellfish and a purchaser of those fish and
shellfish together.
(20) "Fishery" means the taking of one or more particular species
of fish or shellfish with particular gear in a particular geographical
area.
(21) "Freshwater" means all waters not defined as saltwater
including, but not limited to, rivers upstream of the river mouth,
lakes, ponds, and reservoirs.
(22) "Fur-bearing animals" means game animals that shall not be
trapped except as authorized by the ((commission)) department.
(23) "Game animals" means wild animals that shall not be hunted
except as authorized by the ((commission)) department.
(24) "Game birds" means wild birds that shall not be hunted except
as authorized by the ((commission)) department.
(25) "Game farm" means property on which wildlife is held or raised
for commercial purposes, trade, or gift. The term "game farm" does not
include publicly owned facilities.
(26) "Game reserve" means a closed area where hunting for all wild
animals and wild birds is prohibited.
(27) "Illegal items" means those items unlawful to be possessed.
(28) "Invasive species" means a plant species or a nonnative animal
species that either:
(a) Causes or may cause displacement of, or otherwise threatens,
native species in their natural communities;
(b) Threatens or may threaten natural resources or their use in the
state;
(c) Causes or may cause economic damage to commercial or
recreational activities that are dependent upon state waters; or
(d) Threatens or harms human health.
(29) "License year" means the period of time for which a
recreational license is valid. The license year begins April 1st, and
ends March 31st.
(30) "Limited-entry license" means a license subject to a license
limitation program established in chapter 77.70 RCW.
(31) "Money" means all currency, script, personal checks, money
orders, or other negotiable instruments.
(32) "Nonresident" means a person who has not fulfilled the
qualifications of a resident.
(33) "Offshore waters" means marine waters of the Pacific Ocean
outside the territorial boundaries of the state, including the marine
waters of other states and countries.
(34) "Open season" means those times, manners of taking, and places
or waters established by rule of the ((commission)) department for the
lawful hunting, fishing, taking, or possession of game animals, game
birds, game fish, food fish, or shellfish that conform to the special
restrictions or physical descriptions established by rule of the
((commission)) department or that have otherwise been deemed legal to
hunt, fish, take, harvest, or possess by rule of the ((commission))
department. "Open season" includes the first and last days of the
established time.
(35) "Owner" means the person in whom is vested the ownership
dominion, or title of the property.
(36) "Person" means and includes an individual; a corporation; a
public or private entity or organization; a local, state, or federal
agency; all business organizations, including corporations and
partnerships; or a group of two or more individuals acting with a
common purpose whether acting in an individual, representative, or
official capacity.
(37) "Personal property" or "property" includes both corporeal and
incorporeal personal property and includes, among other property,
contraband and money.
(38) "Personal use" means for the private use of the individual
taking the fish or shellfish and not for sale or barter.
(39) "Predatory birds" means wild birds that may be hunted
throughout the year as authorized by the ((commission)) department.
(40) "Prohibited aquatic animal species" means an invasive species
of the animal kingdom that has been classified as a prohibited aquatic
animal species by the ((commission)) department.
(41) "Protected wildlife" means wildlife designated by the
((commission)) department that shall not be hunted or fished.
(42) "Raffle" means an activity in which tickets bearing an
individual number are sold for not more than twenty-five dollars each
and in which a permit or permits are awarded to hunt or for access to
hunt big game animals or wild turkeys on the basis of a drawing from
the tickets by the person or persons conducting the raffle.
(43) "Recreational and commercial watercraft" includes the boat, as
well as equipment used to transport the boat, and any auxiliary
equipment such as attached or detached outboard motors.
(44) "Regulated aquatic animal species" means a potentially
invasive species of the animal kingdom that has been classified as a
regulated aquatic animal species by the ((commission)) department.
(45) "Resident" means:
(a) A person who has maintained a permanent place of abode within
the state for at least ninety days immediately preceding an application
for a license, has established by formal evidence an intent to continue
residing within the state, and who is not licensed to hunt or fish as
a resident in another state; and
(b) A person age eighteen or younger who does not qualify as a
resident under (a) of this subsection, but who has a parent that
qualifies as a resident under (a) of this subsection.
(46) "Retail-eligible species" means commercially harvested salmon,
crab, and sturgeon.
(47) "Saltwater" means those marine waters seaward of river mouths.
(48) "Seaweed" means marine aquatic plant species that are
dependent upon the marine aquatic or tidal environment, and exist in
either an attached or free floating form, and includes but is not
limited to marine aquatic plants in the classes Chlorophyta,
Phaeophyta, and Rhodophyta.
(49) "Senior" means a person seventy years old or older.
(50) "Shellfish" means those species of marine and freshwater
invertebrates that have been classified and that shall not be taken
except as authorized by rule of the ((commission)) department. The
term "shellfish" includes all stages of development and the bodily
parts of shellfish species.
(51) "State waters" means all marine waters and fresh waters within
ordinary high water lines and within the territorial boundaries of the
state.
(52) "To fish," "to harvest," and "to take," and their derivatives
means an effort to kill, injure, harass, or catch a fish or shellfish.
(53) "To hunt" and its derivatives means an effort to kill, injure,
capture, or harass a wild animal or wild bird.
(54) "To process" and its derivatives mean preparing or preserving
fish, wildlife, or shellfish.
(55) "To trap" and its derivatives means a method of hunting using
devices to capture wild animals or wild birds.
(56) "Trafficking" means offering, attempting to engage, or
engaging in sale, barter, or purchase of fish, shellfish, wildlife, or
deleterious exotic wildlife.
(57) "Unclaimed" means that no owner of the property has been
identified or has requested, in writing, the release of the property to
themselves nor has the owner of the property designated an individual
to receive the property or paid the required postage to effect delivery
of the property.
(58) "Unlisted aquatic animal species" means a nonnative animal
species that has not been classified as a prohibited aquatic animal
species, a regulated aquatic animal species, or an unregulated aquatic
animal species by the ((commission)) department.
(59) "Unregulated aquatic animal species" means a nonnative animal
species that has been classified as an unregulated aquatic animal
species by the ((commission)) department.
(60) "Wholesale fish dealer" means a person who, acting for
commercial purposes, takes possession or ownership of fish or shellfish
and sells, barters, or exchanges or attempts to sell, barter, or
exchange fish or shellfish that have been landed into the state of
Washington or entered the state of Washington in interstate or foreign
commerce.
(61) "Wild animals" means those species of the class Mammalia whose
members exist in Washington in a wild state and the species Rana
catesbeiana (bullfrog). The term "wild animal" does not include feral
domestic mammals or old world rats and mice of the family Muridae of
the order Rodentia.
(62) "Wild birds" means those species of the class Aves whose
members exist in Washington in a wild state.
(63) "Wildlife" means all species of the animal kingdom whose
members exist in Washington in a wild state. This includes but is not
limited to mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and
invertebrates. The term "wildlife" does not include feral domestic
mammals, old world rats and mice of the family Muridae of the order
Rodentia, or those fish, shellfish, and marine invertebrates classified
as food fish or shellfish by the director. The term "wildlife"
includes all stages of development and the bodily parts of wildlife
members.
(64) "Youth" means a person fifteen years old for fishing and under
sixteen years old for hunting.
Sec. 2010 RCW 77.08.020 and 1989 c 218 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) As used in this title or rules of the ((commission))
department, "game fish" means those species of the class Osteichthyes
that shall not be fished for except as authorized by rule of the
((commission)) department and includes:
Scientific Name | Common Name |
rock bass | |
lake white fish | |
blue catfish | |
black bullhead | |
yellow bullhead | |
brown bullhead | |
channel catfish | |
green sunfish | |
pumpkinseed | |
warmouth | |
bluegill | |
burbot or fresh water ling | |
smallmouth bass | |
largemouth bass | |
kokanee or silver trout | |
yellow perch | |
white crappie | |
black crappie | |
mountain white fish | |
golden trout | |
cutthroat trout | |
rainbow or steelhead trout | |
Atlantic salmon | |
brown trout | |
eastern brook trout | |
Dolly Varden trout | |
lake trout | |
Walleye | |
arctic grayling |
Sec. 2011 RCW 77.08.022 and 2000 c 107 s 208 are each amended to
read as follows:
"Food fish" means those species of the classes Osteichthyes,
Agnatha, and Chondrichthyes that have been classified and that shall
not be fished for except as authorized by rule of the ((commission))
department. The term "food fish" includes all stages of development
and the bodily parts of food fish species.
Sec. 2012 RCW 77.08.030 and 1980 c 78 s 11 are each amended to
read as follows:
As used in this title or rules of the ((commission)) department,
"big game" means the following species:
Scientific Name | Common Name |
Cervus canadensis | elk or wapiti |
Odocoileus hemionus | blacktail deer or mule deer |
Odocoileus virginianus | whitetail deer |
Alces americana | moose |
Oreamnos americanus | mountain goat |
Rangifer caribou | caribou |
Ovis canadensis | mountain sheep |
Antilocapra americana | pronghorn antelope |
Felis concolor | cougar or mountain lion |
Euarctos americana | black bear |
Ursus horribilis | grizzly bear |
Sec. 2013 RCW 77.12.010 and 2000 c 107 s 210 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department shall not adopt rules that
categorically prohibit fishing with bait or artificial lures in
streams, rivers, beaver ponds, and lakes except that the ((commission))
department may adopt rules and regulations restricting fishing methods
upon a determination by the director that an individual body of water
or part thereof clearly requires a fishing method prohibition to
conserve or enhance the fisheries resource or to provide selected
fishing alternatives.
Sec. 2014 RCW 77.12.020 and 2002 c 281 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The director shall investigate the habits and distribution of
the various species of wildlife native to or adaptable to the habitats
of the state. The ((commission)) director shall determine whether a
species should be managed by the department and, if so, classify it
under this section.
(2) The ((commission)) department may classify by rule wild animals
as game animals and game animals as fur-bearing animals.
(3) The ((commission)) department may classify by rule wild birds
as game birds or predatory birds. All wild birds not otherwise
classified are protected wildlife.
(4) In addition to those species listed in RCW 77.08.020, the
((commission)) department may classify by rule as game fish other
species of the class Osteichthyes that are commonly found in fresh
water except those classified as food fish by the director.
(5) The director may recommend ((to the commission)) that a species
of wildlife should not be hunted or fished. The ((commission))
department may designate species of wildlife as protected.
(6) If the director determines that a species of wildlife is
seriously threatened with extinction in the state of Washington, the
((director)) department may ((request its designation as an endangered
species. The commission may)) designate it as an endangered species.
(7) If the director determines that a species of the animal
kingdom, not native to Washington, is dangerous to the environment or
wildlife of the state, the ((director)) department may ((request its
designation)) designate it as deleterious exotic wildlife. ((The
commission may designate deleterious exotic wildlife.))
(8) ((Upon recommendation by the director,)) The ((commission))
department may classify nonnative aquatic animal species according to
the following categories:
(a) Prohibited aquatic animal species: These species are
considered by the ((commission)) department to have a high risk of
becoming an invasive species and may not be possessed, imported,
purchased, sold, propagated, transported, or released into state waters
except as provided in RCW 77.15.253;
(b) Regulated aquatic animal species: These species are considered
by the ((commission)) department to have some beneficial use along with
a moderate, but manageable risk of becoming an invasive species, and
may not be released into state waters, except as provided in RCW
77.15.253. The ((commission)) department shall classify the following
commercial aquaculture species as regulated aquatic animal species, and
allow their release into state waters pursuant to rule of the
((commission)) department: Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas),
kumamoto oyster (Crassostrea sikamea), European flat oyster (Ostrea
edulis), eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica), manila clam (Tapes
philippinarum), blue mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis), and suminoe
oyster (Crassostrea ariankenisis);
(c) Unregulated aquatic animal species: These species are
considered by the ((commission)) department as having some beneficial
use along with a low risk of becoming an invasive species, and are not
subject to regulation under this title;
(d) Unlisted aquatic animal species: These species are not
designated as a prohibited aquatic animal species, regulated aquatic
animal species, or unregulated aquatic animal species by the
((commission)) department, and may not be released into state waters.
((Upon request,)) The ((commission)) department may determine the
appropriate category for an unlisted aquatic animal species and
classify the species accordingly;
(e) This subsection (8) does not apply to the transportation or
release of nonnative aquatic animal species by ballast water or ballast
water discharge.
(9) ((Upon recommendation by the director,)) The ((commission))
department may develop a work plan to eradicate native aquatic species
that threaten human health. Priority shall be given to water bodies
that the department of health has classified as representing a threat
to human health based on the presence of a native aquatic species.
Sec. 2015 RCW 77.12.035 and 2000 c 107 s 211 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department shall protect grizzly bears and
develop management programs on publicly owned lands that will encourage
the natural regeneration of grizzly bears in areas with suitable
habitat. Grizzly bears shall not be transplanted or introduced into
the state. Only grizzly bears that are native to Washington state may
be utilized by the department for management programs. The department
is directed to fully participate in all discussions and negotiations
with federal and state agencies relating to grizzly bear management and
shall fully communicate, support, and implement the policies of this
section.
Sec. 2016 RCW 77.12.037 and 2000 c 107 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department may acquire by gift, easement,
purchase, lease, or condemnation lands, buildings, water rights,
rights-of-way, or other necessary property, and construct and maintain
necessary facilities for purposes consistent with this title. The
((commission)) department may ((authorize the director to)) acquire
property under this section, but the power of condemnation may only be
exercised by the director when an appropriation has been made by the
legislature for the acquisition of a specific property, except to clear
title and acquire access rights-of-way.
(2) The ((commission)) director may sell, lease, convey, or grant
concessions upon real or personal property under the control of the
department.
Sec. 2017 RCW 77.12.037 and 2000 c 107 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department may acquire by gift, easement,
purchase, lease, or condemnation lands, buildings, water rights,
rights-of-way, or other necessary property, and construct and maintain
necessary facilities for purposes consistent with this title. The
((commission)) department may ((authorize the director to)) acquire
property under this section, but the power of condemnation may only be
exercised by the director when an appropriation has been made by the
legislature for the acquisition of a specific property, except to clear
title and acquire access rights-of-way.
(2) The ((commission)) department may sell, lease, convey, or grant
concessions upon real or personal property under the control of the
department.
Sec. 2018 RCW 77.12.045 and 2001 c 253 s 13 are each amended to
read as follows:
Consistent with federal law, the ((commission's)) department's
authority extends to all areas and waters within the territorial
boundaries of the state, to the offshore waters, and to the concurrent
waters of the Columbia river.
Consistent with federal law, the ((commission's)) department's
authority extends to fishing in offshore waters by residents of this
state.
The ((commission)) department may adopt rules consistent with the
regulations adopted by the United States department of commerce for the
offshore waters. The ((commission)) department may adopt rules
consistent with the recommendations or regulations of the Pacific
marine fisheries commission, Columbia river compact, the Pacific salmon
commission as provided in chapter 77.75 RCW, or the international
Pacific halibut commission.
Sec. 2019 RCW 77.12.047 and 2001 c 253 s 14 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department may adopt, amend, or repeal rules
as follows:
(a) Specifying the times when the taking of wildlife, fish, or
shellfish is lawful or unlawful.
(b) Specifying the areas and waters in which the taking and
possession of wildlife, fish, or shellfish is lawful or unlawful.
(c) Specifying and defining the gear, appliances, or other
equipment and methods that may be used to take wildlife, fish, or
shellfish, and specifying the times, places, and manner in which the
equipment may be used or possessed.
(d) Regulating the importation, transportation, possession,
disposal, landing, and sale of wildlife, fish, shellfish, or seaweed
within the state, whether acquired within or without the state.
(e) Regulating the prevention and suppression of diseases and pests
affecting wildlife, fish, or shellfish.
(f) Regulating the size, sex, species, and quantities of wildlife,
fish, or shellfish that may be taken, possessed, sold, or disposed of.
(g) Specifying the statistical and biological reports required from
fishers, dealers, boathouses, or processors of wildlife, fish, or
shellfish.
(h) Classifying species of marine and freshwater life as food fish
or shellfish.
(i) Classifying the species of wildlife, fish, and shellfish that
may be used for purposes other than human consumption.
(j) Regulating the taking, sale, possession, and distribution of
wildlife, fish, shellfish, or deleterious exotic wildlife.
(k) Establishing game reserves and closed areas where hunting for
wild animals or wild birds may be prohibited.
(l) Regulating the harvesting of fish, shellfish, and wildlife in
the federal exclusive economic zone by vessels or individuals
registered or licensed under the laws of this state.
(m) Authorizing issuance of permits to release, plant, or place
fish or shellfish in state waters.
(n) Governing the possession of fish, shellfish, or wildlife so
that the size, species, or sex can be determined visually in the field
or while being transported.
(o) Other rules necessary to carry out this title and the purposes
and duties of the department.
(2) Subsections (1)(a), (b), (c), (d), and (f) of this section do
not apply to private tideland owners and lessees and the immediate
family members of the owners or lessees of state tidelands, when they
take or possess oysters, clams, cockles, borers, or mussels, excluding
razor clams, produced on their own private tidelands or their leased
state tidelands for personal use.
"Immediate family member" for the purposes of this section means a
spouse, brother, sister, grandparent, parent, child, or grandchild.
(3) Except for subsection (1)(g) of this section, this section does
not apply to private sector cultured aquatic products as defined in RCW
15.85.020. Subsection (1)(g) of this section does apply to such
products.
Sec. 2020 RCW 77.12.068 and 2008 c 225 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
The department ((and the state parks and recreation commission))
shall disseminate information about RCW 77.15.740, whale and wildlife
viewing guidelines, and other responsible wildlife viewing messages to
educate Washington's citizens on how to reduce the risk of disturbing
southern resident orca whales. The department ((and the state parks
and recreation commission)) must, at minimum, disseminate this
information on their internet sites and through appropriate ((agency))
department publications, brochures, and other information sources. The
department ((and the state parks and recreation commission)) shall also
attempt to reach the state's boating community by coordinating with
appropriate state and nongovernmental entities to provide this
information at marinas, boat shows, boat dealers, during boating safety
training courses, and in conjunction with vessel registration or
licensing.
Sec. 2021 RCW 77.12.140 and 1987 c 506 s 23 are each amended to
read as follows:
The director((, acting in a manner not inconsistent with criteria
established by the commission,)) may obtain by purchase, gift, or
exchange and may sell or transfer wildlife and their eggs for stocking,
research, or propagation.
Sec. 2022 RCW 77.12.150 and 2003 c 385 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) By emergency rule only, ((and in accordance with criteria
established by the commission,)) the director may close or shorten a
season for game animals, game birds, or game fish, and after a season
has been closed or shortened, may reopen it and reestablish bag limits
on game animals, game birds, or game fish during that season. ((The
director shall advise the commission of the adoption of emergency
rules.)) A copy of an emergency rule, certified as a true copy by the
director or by a person authorized in writing by the director to make
the certification, is admissible in court as prima facie evidence of
the adoption and validity of the rule.
(2)(a) If the director finds that game animals have increased in
numbers in an area of the state so that they are damaging public or
private property or over-utilizing their habitat, the ((commission))
department may establish a special hunting season and designate the
time, area, and manner of taking and the number and sex of the animals
that may be killed or possessed by a licensed hunter. The director
shall include notice of the special season in the rules establishing
open seasons.
(b) When the department receives six complaints concerning damage
to commercial agricultural and horticultural crop production by
wildlife from the owner or tenant of real property, or from several
owners or tenants in a locale, the ((commission)) department shall
conduct a special hunt or special hunts or take remedial action to
reduce the potential for the damage, and shall authorize either one or
two permits per hunter. Each complaint must be confirmed by qualified
department staff, or their designee.
(c) The director shall determine by random selection the identity
of hunters who may hunt within the area of the special hunt and shall
determine the conditions and requirements of the selection process.
Within this process, the department must maintain a list of all persons
holding valid wildlife hunting licenses, arranged by county of
residence, who may hunt deer or elk that are causing damage to crops.
The department must update the list annually and utilize the list when
contacting persons to assist in controlling game damage to crops. The
department must make all reasonable efforts to contact individuals
residing within the county where the hunting of deer or elk will occur
before contacting a person who is not a resident of that county. The
department must randomize the names of people on the list in order to
provide a fair distribution of the hunting opportunities. Hunters who
participate in hunts under this section must report any kills to the
department. The department must include a summary of the wildlife
harvested in these hunts in the annual game management reports it makes
available to the public.
Sec. 2023 RCW 77.12.152 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 2 s 14 are each
amended to read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may designate the boundaries of
fishing areas by driving piling or by establishing monuments or by
description of landmarks or section lines and directional headings.
Sec. 2024 RCW 77.12.170 and 2009 c 333 s 13 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) There is established in the state treasury the state wildlife
account which consists of moneys received from:
(a) Rentals or concessions of the department;
(b) The sale of real or personal property held for department
purposes, unless the property is seized or recovered through a fish,
shellfish, or wildlife enforcement action;
(c) The assessment of administrative penalties, and the sale of
licenses, permits, tags, and stamps required by chapter 77.32 RCW and
RCW 77.65.490, except annual resident adult saltwater and all annual
razor clam and shellfish licenses, which shall be deposited into the
state general fund;
(d) Fees for informational materials published by the department;
(e) Fees for personalized vehicle, Wild on Washington, and
Endangered Wildlife license plates and Washington's Wildlife license
plate collection as provided in chapter ((46.16)) 46.17 RCW;
(f) Articles or wildlife sold by the director under this title;
(g) Compensation for damage to department property or wildlife
losses or contributions, gifts, or grants received under RCW 77.12.320.
However, this excludes fish and shellfish overages, and court-ordered
restitution or donations associated with any fish, shellfish, or
wildlife enforcement action, as such moneys must be deposited pursuant
to RCW 77.15.425;
(h) Excise tax on anadromous game fish collected under chapter
82.27 RCW;
(i) The department's share of revenues from auctions and raffles
authorized by the ((commission)) department; and
(j) The sale of watchable wildlife decals under RCW 77.32.560.
(2) State and county officers receiving any moneys listed in
subsection (1) of this section shall deposit them in the state treasury
to be credited to the state wildlife account.
Sec. 2025 RCW 77.12.177 and 2001 c 253 s 16 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Except as provided in this title, state and county officers
receiving the following moneys shall deposit them in the state general
fund:
(a) The sale of commercial licenses required under this title,
except for licenses issued under RCW 77.65.490; and
(b) Moneys received for damages to food fish or shellfish.
(2) The director shall make weekly remittances to the state
treasurer of moneys collected by the department.
(3) All fines and forfeitures collected or assessed by a district
court for a violation of this title or rule of the department shall be
remitted as provided in chapter 3.62 RCW.
(4) Proceeds from the sale of food fish or shellfish taken in test
fishing conducted by the department, to the extent that these proceeds
exceed the estimates in the budget approved by the legislature, may be
allocated as unanticipated receipts under RCW 43.79.270 to reimburse
the department for unanticipated costs for test fishing operations in
excess of the allowance in the budget approved by the legislature.
(5) Proceeds from the sale of salmon carcasses and salmon eggs from
state general funded hatcheries by the department of general
administration shall be deposited in the regional fisheries enhancement
group account established in RCW 77.95.090.
(6) Moneys received by the ((commission)) department under RCW
77.12.039, to the extent these moneys exceed estimates in the budget
approved by the legislature, may be allocated as unanticipated receipts
under RCW 43.79.270. Allocations under this subsection shall be made
only for the specific purpose for which the moneys were received,
unless the moneys were received in settlement of a claim for damages to
food fish or shellfish, in which case the moneys may be expended for
the conservation of these resources.
(7) Proceeds from the sale of herring spawn on kelp fishery
licenses by the department, to the extent those proceeds exceed
estimates in the budget approved by the legislature, may be allocated
as unanticipated receipts under RCW 43.79.270. Allocations under this
subsection shall be made only for herring management, enhancement, and
enforcement.
Sec. 2026 RCW 77.12.210 and 2009 c 333 s 33 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The director shall maintain and manage real or personal
property owned, leased, or held by the department and shall control the
construction of buildings, structures, and improvements in or on the
property. The director may adopt rules for the operation and
maintenance of the property.
(2) The ((commission)) director may ((authorize the director to))
sell, lease, convey, or grant concessions upon real or personal
property under the control of the department. This includes the
authority to sell timber, gravel, sand, and other materials or products
from real property held by the department, and to sell or lease the
department's real or personal property or grant concessions or
rights-of-way for roads or utilities in the property. Oil and gas
resources owned by the state which lie below lands owned, leased, or
held by the department shall be offered for lease by the commissioner
of public lands pursuant to chapter 79.14 RCW with the proceeds being
deposited in the state wildlife account created in RCW 77.12.170((:
PROVIDED, That)). However, the commissioner of public lands shall
condition such leases at the request of the department to protect
wildlife and its habitat.
(3)(a) If the ((commission)) director determines that real or
personal property held by the department cannot be used advantageously
by the department, the director may dispose of that property if it is
in the public interest.
(b) If the state acquired real property with use limited to
specific purposes, the director may negotiate terms for the return of
the property to the donor or grantor. Other real property shall be
sold to the highest bidder at public auction. After appraisal, notice
of the auction shall be published at least once a week for two
successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation within the
county where the property is located at least twenty days prior to
sale.
(c) Proceeds from the sales shall be deposited in the state
wildlife account created in RCW 77.12.170.
Sec. 2027 RCW 77.12.220 and 2000 c 107 s 219 are each amended to
read as follows:
For purposes of this title, the ((commission)) department may make
agreements to obtain real or personal property or to transfer or convey
property held by the state to the United States or its agencies or
instrumentalities, units of local government of this state, public
service companies, or other persons, if in the judgment of the
((commission)) director and the attorney general the transfer and
conveyance is consistent with public interest. For purposes of this
section, "local government" means any city, town, county, special
district, municipal corporation, or quasi-municipal corporation.
If the ((commission)) department agrees to a transfer or conveyance
under this section or to a sale or return of real property under RCW
77.12.210, the director shall certify, with the attorney general, to
the governor that the agreement has been made. The certification shall
describe the real property. The governor then may execute and the
secretary of state attest and deliver to the appropriate entity or
person the instrument necessary to fulfill the agreement.
Sec. 2028 RCW 77.12.275 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 2 s 7 are each
amended to read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may negotiate agreements with the
United States department of defense to coordinate fishing in state
waters over which the department of defense has assumed control.
Sec. 2029 RCW 77.12.285 and 2000 c 107 s 6 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department may enter into agreements with
and receive funds from the United States for the construction,
maintenance, and operation of fish cultural stations, laboratories, and
devices in the Columbia River basin for improvement of feeding and
spawning conditions for fish, for the protection of migratory fish from
irrigation projects and for facilitating free migration of fish over
obstructions.
(2) The director and the department may acquire by gift, purchase,
lease, easement, or condemnation the use of lands where the
construction or improvement is to be carried on by the United States.
Sec. 2030 RCW 77.12.320 and 2001 c 253 s 19 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department may make agreements with persons,
political subdivisions of this state, or the United States or its
agencies or instrumentalities, regarding fish, shellfish, and wildlife-oriented recreation and the propagation, protection, conservation, and
control of fish, shellfish, and wildlife.
(2) The director may 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. The
director may adopt rules governing the conduct of persons in or on the
real property.
(3) The director may accept compensation for fish, shellfish, and
wildlife losses or gifts or grants of personal property for use by the
department.
Sec. 2031 RCW 77.12.323 and 2009 c 333 s 35 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) There is established in the state wildlife account created in
RCW 77.12.170 a special wildlife account. Moneys received under RCW
77.12.320 as now or hereafter amended as compensation for wildlife
losses shall be deposited in the state treasury to be credited to the
special wildlife account.
(2) The director may advise the state treasurer and the state
investment board of a surplus in the special wildlife account above the
current needs. The state investment board may invest and reinvest the
surplus, as the ((commission)) department deems appropriate, in an
investment authorized by RCW 43.84.150 or in securities issued by the
United States government as defined by RCW 43.84.080 (1) and (4).
Income received from the investments shall be deposited to the credit
of the special wildlife account.
Sec. 2032 RCW 77.12.325 and 2001 c 253 s 20 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may cooperate with the Oregon fish
and wildlife commission in the adoption of rules to ensure an annual
yield of fish, shellfish, and wildlife on the Columbia river and to
prevent the taking of fish, shellfish, and wildlife at places or times
that might endanger fish, shellfish, and wildlife.
Sec. 2033 RCW 77.12.330 and 1980 c 78 s 53 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may establish by rule exclusive
fishing waters for minors within specified ages.
Sec. 2034 RCW 77.12.420 and 1987 c 506 s 46 are each amended to
read as follows:
The director may spend moneys to improve natural growing conditions
for fish by constructing fishways, installing screens, and removing
obstructions to migratory fish. The eradication of undesirable fish
shall be authorized by the ((commission)) department. The director may
enter into cooperative agreements with state, county, municipal, and
federal agencies, and with private individuals for these purposes.
Sec. 2035 RCW 77.12.455 and 2001 c 253 s 22 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may prohibit the introduction,
transportation or transplanting of fish, shellfish, organisms,
material, or other equipment which in the ((commission's)) department's
judgment may transmit any disease or pests affecting fish or shellfish.
Sec. 2036 RCW 77.12.560 and 1980 c 78 s 127 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may adopt rules regarding the use of
the tidelands as shooting grounds.
Sec. 2037 RCW 77.12.570 and 1987 c 506 s 49 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department shall establish the qualifications
and conditions for issuing a game farm license. The ((director))
department shall adopt rules governing the operation of game farms.
Private sector cultured aquatic products as defined in RCW 15.85.020
are exempt from regulation under this section.
Sec. 2038 RCW 77.12.722 and 2000 c 107 s 259 are each amended to
read as follows:
For the purposes of establishing a season or bag limit restriction
on Canada goose hunting, the ((commission)) department shall not
consider leg length or bill length of dusky Canada geese (Branta
canadensis occidentalis).
Sec. 2039 RCW 77.12.760 and 1993 sp.s. c 2 s 78 are each amended
to read as follows:
Steelhead trout shall be managed solely as a recreational fishery
for non-Indian ((fishermen)) fishers under the rule-setting authority
of the ((fish and wildlife commission)) department.
Commercial non-Indian steelhead fisheries are not authorized.
Sec. 2040 RCW 77.12.800 and 1997 c 422 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department must establish special pheasant
hunting opportunities for juvenile hunters in eastern Washington for
the 1998 season and future seasons.
Sec. 2041 RCW 77.12.850 and 1999 c 342 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 77.12.850
through 77.12.860 unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Salmon" means all species of the genus Oncorhynchus, except
those classified as game fish in this title, and includes:
Scientific Name | Common Name |
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha | Chinook salmon |
Oncorhynchus kisutch | Coho salmon |
Oncorhynchus keta | Chum salmon |
Oncorhynchus gorbuscha | Pink salmon |
Oncorhynchus nerka | Sockeye salmon |
Sec. 2042 RCW 77.12.875 and 2002 c 281 s 5 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department may designate by rule state
waters as infested if the director determines that these waters contain
a prohibited aquatic animal species.
(2) The ((commission)) department, in consultation with the
department of ecology, may designate state waters as infested if it is
determined that these waters contain an invasive aquatic plant species.
(3) The department shall work with the aquatic nuisance species
committee and its member agencies to create educational materials
informing the public of state waters that are infested with invasive
species, and advise them of applicable rules and practices designed to
reduce the spread of the invasive species infesting the waters.
Sec. 2043 RCW 77.12.878 and 2002 c 281 s 6 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The director shall create a rapid response plan in cooperation
with the aquatic nuisance species committee and its member agencies
that describes actions to be taken when a prohibited aquatic animal
species is found to be infesting a water body. These actions include
eradication or control programs where feasible and containment of
infestation where practical through notification, public education, and
the enforcement of regulatory programs.
(2) The ((commission)) department may adopt rules to implement the
rapid response plan.
(3) The director((,)) and the department of ecology((, and the
Washington state parks and recreation commission)) may post signs at
water bodies that are infested with aquatic animal species that are
classified as prohibited aquatic animal species under RCW 77.12.020 or
with invasive species of the plant kingdom. The signs should identify
the prohibited plant and animal species present and warn users of the
water body of the hazards and penalties for possessing and transporting
these species. Educational signs may be placed at uninfested sites.
Sec. 2044 RCW 77.12.882 and 2007 c 350 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The department shall adopt rules governing how and when the
owners of recreational and commercial watercraft may request an
inspection of the watercraft for the presence of aquatic invasive
species. The department may coordinate with other states on inspection
requirements and may determine when other state inspections meet
Washington standards.
(2) The department shall develop and post signs warning vessel
owners of the threat of aquatic invasive species, the penalties
associated with introduction of an aquatic invasive species, and the
contact information for obtaining a free inspection. The signs should
provide enough information for the public to discern whether the vessel
has been operated in an area that would warrant the need for an
inspection. The department shall consult with the state patrol and the
department of transportation regarding proper placement and
authorization for sign posting.
(3) All port districts, privately or publicly owned marinas, state
parks, and all state agencies or political subdivisions that own or
lease a boat launch must display a sign provided by the department as
described under subsection (2) of this section. Signs must be posted
in a location near the boat launch to provide maximum visibility to the
public.
(4) The department must ((coordinate with the Washington state
parks and recreation commission to)) include such information in all
boating publications provided to the public. The department shall also
include the information on the department's internet site.
Sec. 2045 RCW 77.15.065 and 1996 c 267 s 9 are each amended to
read as follows:
If the prosecuting attorney of the county in which a violation of
this title or rule of the department occurs fails to file an
information against the alleged violator, the attorney general upon
request of the ((commission)) department may file an information in the
superior court of the county and prosecute the case in place of the
prosecuting attorney. The ((commission)) department may request
prosecution by the attorney general if thirty days have passed since
the ((commission)) department informed the county prosecuting attorney
of the alleged violation.
Sec. 2046 RCW 77.15.096 and 2002 c 128 s 5 are each amended to
read as follows:
Fish and wildlife officers may inspect without warrant at
reasonable times and in a reasonable manner the premises, containers,
fishing equipment, fish, seaweed, shellfish, and wildlife, and records
required by the department of any commercial fisher or wholesale dealer
or fish buyer. Fish and wildlife officers may similarly inspect
without warrant the premises, containers, fishing equipment, fish,
shellfish, and wildlife, and records required by the department of any
shipping agent or other person placing or attempting to place fish,
shellfish, or wildlife into interstate commerce, any cold storage plant
that the department has probable cause to believe contains fish,
shellfish, or wildlife, or of any taxidermist or fur buyer. Fish and
wildlife officers may inspect without warrant the records required by
the department of any retail outlet selling fish, shellfish, or
wildlife, and, if the officers have probable cause to believe a
violation of this title or rules of the ((commission)) department has
occurred, they may inspect without warrant the premises, containers,
and fish, shellfish, and wildlife of any retail outlet selling fish,
shellfish, or wildlife. Authority granted under this section does not
extend to quarters in a boat, building, or other property used
exclusively as a private domicile, does not extend to transitory
residences in which a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy,
and does not allow search and seizure without a warrant if the thing or
place is protected from search without warrant within the meaning of
Article I, section 7 of the state Constitution.
Sec. 2047 RCW 77.15.120 and 2000 c 107 s 236 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A person is guilty of unlawful taking of endangered fish or
wildlife in the second degree if the person hunts, fishes, possesses,
maliciously harasses or kills fish or wildlife, or maliciously destroys
the nests or eggs of fish or wildlife and the fish or wildlife is
designated by the ((commission)) department as endangered, and the
taking has not been authorized by rule of the ((commission))
department.
(2) A person is guilty of unlawful taking of endangered fish or
wildlife in the first degree if the person has been:
(a) Convicted under subsection (1) of this section or convicted of
any crime under this title involving the killing, possessing,
harassing, or harming of endangered fish or wildlife; and
(b) Within five years of the date of the prior conviction the
person commits the act described by subsection (1) of this section.
(3)(a) Unlawful taking of endangered fish or wildlife in the second
degree is a gross misdemeanor.
(b) Unlawful taking of endangered fish or wildlife in the first
degree is a class C felony. The department shall revoke any licenses
or tags used in connection with the crime and order the person's
privileges to hunt, fish, trap, or obtain licenses under this title to
be suspended for two years.
Sec. 2048 RCW 77.15.130 and 1998 c 190 s 14 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A person is guilty of unlawful taking of protected fish or
wildlife if:
(a) The person hunts, fishes, possesses, or maliciously kills
protected fish or wildlife, or the person possesses or maliciously
destroys the eggs or nests of protected fish or wildlife, and the
taking has not been authorized by rule of the ((commission))
department; or
(b) The person violates any rule of the ((commission)) department
regarding the taking, harming, harassment, possession, or transport of
protected fish or wildlife.
(2) Unlawful taking of protected fish or wildlife is a misdemeanor.
Sec. 2049 RCW 77.15.160 and 2000 c 107 s 237 are each amended to
read as follows:
A person is guilty of an infraction, which shall be cited and
punished as provided under chapter 7.84 RCW, if the person:
(1) Fails to immediately record a catch of fish or shellfish on a
catch record card required by RCW 77.32.430, or required by rule of the
((commission)) department under this title; or
(2) Fishes for personal use using barbed hooks in violation of any
rule; or
(3) Violates any other rule of the ((commission or)) director that
is designated by rule as an infraction.
Sec. 2050 RCW 77.15.245 and 2005 c 107 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of RCW 77.12.240, ((77.36.020,))
77.36.030, or any other provisions of law, it is unlawful to take,
hunt, or attract black bear with the aid of bait.
(a) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the
killing of black bear with the aid of bait by employees or agents of
county, state, or federal agencies while acting in their official
capacities for the purpose of protecting livestock, domestic animals,
private property, or the public safety.
(b) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent the
establishment and operation of feeding stations for black bear in order
to prevent damage to commercial timberland.
(c) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the
director from issuing a permit or memorandum of understanding to a
public agency, university, or scientific or educational institution for
the use of bait to attract black bear for scientific purposes.
(d) As used in this subsection, "bait" means a substance placed,
exposed, deposited, distributed, scattered, or otherwise used for the
purpose of attracting black bears to an area where one or more persons
hunt or intend to hunt them.
(2) Notwithstanding RCW 77.12.240, ((77.36.020,)) 77.36.030, or any
other provisions of law, it is unlawful to hunt or pursue black bear,
cougar, bobcat, or lynx with the aid of a dog or dogs.
(a) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the
killing of black bear, cougar, bobcat, or lynx with the aid of a dog or
dogs by employees or agents of county, state, or federal agencies while
acting in their official capacities for the purpose of protecting
livestock, domestic animals, private property, or the public safety.
A dog or dogs may be used by the owner or tenant of real property
consistent with a permit issued and conditioned by the director.
(b) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the
director from issuing a permit or memorandum of understanding to a
public agency, university, or scientific or educational institution for
the use of a dog or dogs for the pursuit, capture and relocation, of
black bear, cougar, bobcat, or lynx for scientific purposes.
(c) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the
director from issuing a permit or memorandum of understanding to a
public agency, university, or scientific or educational institution for
the use of a dog or dogs for the killing of black bear, cougar, or
bobcat, for the protection of a state and/or federally listed
threatened or endangered species.
(3)(a) Notwithstanding subsection (2) of this section, the
((commission)) department shall authorize the use of dogs only in
selected areas within a game management unit to address a public safety
need presented by one or more cougar. This authority may only be
exercised after the ((commission)) department has determined that no
other practical alternative to the use of dogs exists, and after the
((commission)) department has adopted rules describing the conditions
in which dogs may be used. Conditions that may warrant the use of dogs
within a game management unit include, but are not limited to,
confirmed cougar/human safety incidents, confirmed cougar/livestock and
cougar/pet depredations, and the number of cougar capture attempts and
relocations.
(b) The department shall post on their internet web site the known
details of all reported cougar/human, cougar/pet, or cougar/livestock
interactions within ten days of receiving the report. The posted
material must include, but is not limited to, the location and time of
all reported sightings, and the known details of any cougar/livestock
incidents.
(4) A person who violates subsection (1) or (2) of this section is
guilty of a gross misdemeanor. In addition to appropriate criminal
penalties, the department shall revoke the hunting license of a person
who violates subsection (1) or (2) of this section and order the
suspension of wildlife hunting privileges for a period of five years
following the revocation. Following a subsequent violation of
subsection (1) or (2) of this section by the same person, a hunting
license shall not be issued to the person at any time.
Sec. 2051 RCW 77.15.250 and 2001 c 253 s 32 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1)(a) A person is guilty of unlawfully releasing, planting, or
placing fish, shellfish, or wildlife if the person knowingly releases,
plants, or places live fish, shellfish, wildlife, or aquatic plants
within the state, and the fish, shellfish, or wildlife have not been
classified as deleterious wildlife. This subsection does not apply to
a release of game fish into private waters for which a game fish
stocking permit has been obtained, or the planting of fish or shellfish
by permit of the ((commission)) department.
(b) A violation of this subsection is a gross misdemeanor. In
addition, the department shall order the person to pay all costs the
department incurred in capturing, killing, or controlling the fish,
shellfish, aquatic plants, or wildlife released or its progeny. This
does not affect the existing authority of the department to bring a
separate civil action to recover costs of capturing, killing,
controlling the fish, shellfish, aquatic plants, or wildlife released
or their progeny, or restoration of habitat necessitated by the
unlawful release.
(2)(a) A person is guilty of unlawful release of deleterious exotic
wildlife if the person knowingly releases, plants, or places live fish,
shellfish, or wildlife within the state and such fish, shellfish, or
wildlife has been classified as deleterious exotic wildlife by rule of
the ((commission)) department.
(b) A violation of this subsection is a class C felony. In
addition, the department shall also order the person to pay all costs
the department incurred in capturing, killing, or controlling the fish,
shellfish, or wildlife released or its progeny. This does not affect
the existing authority of the department to bring a separate civil
action to recover costs of capturing, killing, controlling the fish,
shellfish, or wildlife released or their progeny, or restoration of
habitat necessitated by the unlawful release.
Sec. 2052 RCW 77.15.253 and 2007 c 350 s 5 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A person is guilty of unlawful use of a prohibited aquatic
animal species if he or she possesses, imports, purchases, sells,
propagates, transports, or releases a prohibited aquatic animal species
within the state, except as provided in this section.
(2) Unless otherwise prohibited by law, a person may:
(a) Transport prohibited aquatic animal species to the department,
or to another destination designated by the ((director)) department, in
a manner designated by the ((director)) department, for purposes of
identifying a species or reporting the presence of a species;
(b) Possess a prohibited aquatic animal species if he or she is in
the process of removing it from watercraft or equipment in a manner
specified by the department;
(c) Release a prohibited aquatic animal species if the species was
caught while fishing and it is being immediately returned to the water
from which it came; or
(d) Possess, transport, or release a prohibited aquatic animal
species as the ((commission)) department may otherwise prescribe.
(3) Unlawful use of a prohibited aquatic animal species is a gross
misdemeanor. A subsequent violation of subsection (1) of this section
within five years is a class C felony.
(4) A person is guilty of unlawful release of a regulated aquatic
animal species if he or she releases a regulated aquatic animal species
into state waters, unless allowed by the ((commission)) department.
(5) Unlawful release of a regulated aquatic animal species is a
gross misdemeanor.
(6) A person is guilty of unlawful release of an unlisted aquatic
animal species if he or she releases an unlisted aquatic animal species
into state waters without requesting a ((commission)) department
designation under RCW 77.12.020.
(7) Unlawful release of an unlisted aquatic animal species is a
gross misdemeanor.
(8) This section does not apply to:
(a) The transportation or release of organisms in ballast water;
(b) A person stopped at an aquatic invasive species check station
who possesses a recreational or commercial watercraft that is
contaminated with an aquatic invasive species, if that person complies
with all department directives for the proper decontamination of the
watercraft and equipment; or
(c) A person who has voluntarily submitted a recreational or
commercial watercraft for inspection by the department and has received
a receipt verifying that the watercraft has not been contaminated since
its last use.
Sec. 2053 RCW 77.15.290 and 2007 c 350 s 6 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A person is guilty of unlawful transportation of fish or
wildlife in the second degree if the person:
(a) Knowingly imports, moves within the state, or exports fish,
shellfish, or wildlife in violation of any rule of the ((commission or
the director)) department governing the transportation or movement of
fish, shellfish, or wildlife and the transportation does not involve
big game, endangered fish or wildlife, deleterious exotic wildlife, or
fish, shellfish, or wildlife having a value greater than two hundred
fifty dollars; or
(b) Possesses but fails to affix or notch a big game transport tag
as required by rule of the ((commission or director)) department.
(2) A person is guilty of unlawful transportation of fish or
wildlife in the first degree if the person:
(a) Knowingly imports, moves within the state, or exports fish,
shellfish, or wildlife in violation of any rule of the ((commission or
the director)) department governing the transportation or movement of
fish, shellfish, or wildlife and the transportation involves big game,
endangered fish or wildlife, deleterious exotic wildlife, or fish,
shellfish, or wildlife with a value of two hundred fifty dollars or
more; or
(b) Knowingly transports shellfish, shellstock, or equipment used
in commercial culturing, taking, handling, or processing shellfish
without a permit required by authority of this title.
(3)(a) Unlawful transportation of fish or wildlife in the second
degree is a misdemeanor.
(b) Unlawful transportation of fish or wildlife in the first degree
is a gross misdemeanor.
(4) A person is guilty of unlawful transport of aquatic plants if
the person transports aquatic plants on any state or public road,
including forest roads, except as provided in this section.
(5) Unless otherwise prohibited by law, a person may transport
aquatic plants:
(a) To the department, or to another destination designated by the
((director)) department, in a manner designated by the department, for
purposes of identifying a species or reporting the presence of a
species;
(b) When legally obtained for aquarium use, wetland or lakeshore
restoration, or ornamental purposes;
(c) When transporting a commercial aquatic plant harvester to a
suitable location for purposes of removing aquatic plants;
(d) In a manner that prevents their unintentional dispersal, to a
suitable location for disposal, research, or educational purposes; or
(e) As the ((commission)) department may otherwise prescribe.
(6) Unlawful transport of aquatic plants is a misdemeanor.
(7) This section does not apply to: (a) Any person stopped at an
aquatic invasive species check station who possesses a recreational or
commercial watercraft that is contaminated with an aquatic invasive
species if that person complies with all department directives for the
proper decontamination of the watercraft and equipment; or (b) any
person who has voluntarily submitted a recreational or commercial
watercraft for inspection by the department or its designee and has
received a receipt verifying that the watercraft has not been
contaminated since its last use.
Sec. 2054 RCW 77.15.382 and 2010 c 193 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A person is guilty of the unlawful use of shellfish gear for
personal use purposes if the person:
(a) Takes, fishes for, or possesses crab, shrimp, or crawfish for
personal use purposes with shellfish gear that is constructed or
altered in a manner that violates any rule of the ((commission))
department relating to required gear design specifications; or
(b) Is found in possession of, upon any vessel located on the
waters of the state, shellfish gear that is constructed or altered in
a manner that violates any rule of the ((commission)) department
relating to required gear design specifications, unless a person holds
a valid crab pot removal permit under RCW 77.70.500 and is in the
process of transporting removed crab pots as part of the Dungeness crab
pot removal program.
(2) The unlawful use of shellfish gear for personal use purposes is
a misdemeanor.
Sec. 2055 RCW 77.15.400 and 2006 c 148 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A person is guilty of unlawful hunting of wild birds in the
second degree if the person:
(a) Hunts for, takes, or possesses a wild bird and the person does
not have and possess all licenses, tags, stamps, and permits required
under this title;
(b) Maliciously destroys, takes, or harms the eggs or nests of a
wild bird except when authorized by permit;
(c) Violates any rule of the ((commission or director)) department
regarding seasons, bag or possession limits but less than two times the
bag or possession limit, closed areas, closed times, or other rule
addressing the manner or method of hunting or possession of wild birds;
or
(d) Possesses a wild bird taken during a closed season for that
wild bird or taken from a closed area for that wild bird.
(2) A person is guilty of unlawful hunting of wild birds in the
first degree if the person takes or possesses two times or more than
the possession or bag limit for wild birds allowed by rule of the
((commission or director)) department.
(3)(a) Unlawful hunting of wild birds in the second degree is a
misdemeanor.
(b) Unlawful hunting of wild birds in the first degree is a gross
misdemeanor.
(4) In addition to the penalties set forth in this section, if a
person, other than a youth as defined in RCW 77.08.010 for hunting
purposes, violates a rule adopted by the ((commission)) department
under the authority of this title that requires the use of nontoxic
shot, upon conviction:
(a) The court shall require a payment of one thousand dollars as a
criminal wildlife penalty assessment that must be paid to the clerk of
the court and distributed to the state treasurer for deposit in the
fish and wildlife enforcement reward account created in RCW 77.15.425.
The criminal wildlife penalty assessment must be imposed regardless of
and in addition to any sentence, fine, or costs imposed for violating
this section. The criminal wildlife penalty assessment must be
included by the court in any pronouncement of sentence and may not be
suspended, waived, modified, or deferred in any respect; and
(b) The department shall revoke the hunting license of the person
and order a suspension of small game hunting privileges for two years.
Sec. 2056 RCW 77.15.425 and 2009 c 333 s 18 are each amended to
read as follows:
The fish and wildlife enforcement reward account is created in the
custody of the state treasurer. Deposits to the account include:
Receipts from fish and shellfish overages as a result of a department
enforcement action; fees for hunter education deferral applications;
fees for master hunter applications and master hunter certification
renewals; all receipts from criminal wildlife penalty assessments under
RCW 77.15.400 and 77.15.420; all receipts of court-ordered restitution
or donations associated with any fish, shellfish, or wildlife
enforcement action; and proceeds from forfeitures and evidence pursuant
to RCW 77.15.070 and 77.15.100. The department may accept money or
personal property from persons under conditions requiring the property
or money to be used consistent with the intent of expenditures from the
fish and wildlife enforcement reward account. Expenditures from the
account may be used only for investigation and prosecution of fish and
wildlife offenses, to provide rewards to persons informing the
department about violations of this title and rules adopted under this
title, to offset department-approved costs incurred to administer the
hunter education deferral program and the master hunter (([permit]))
permit program, and for other valid enforcement uses as determined by
the ((commission)) department. Only the director or the director's
designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is
subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an
appropriation is not required for expenditures.
Sec. 2057 RCW 77.15.520 and 2010 c 193 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Except for actions involving shellfish gear punishable under
RCW 77.15.522, a person is guilty of commercial fishing using unlawful
gear or methods if the person acts for commercial purposes and takes or
fishes for any fish or shellfish using any gear or method in violation
of a rule of the ((commission)) department specifying, regulating, or
limiting the gear or method for taking, fishing, or harvesting of such
fish or shellfish.
(2) Commercial fishing using unlawful gear or methods is a gross
misdemeanor.
Sec. 2058 RCW 77.15.522 and 2010 c 193 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A person is guilty of the unlawful use of shellfish gear for
commercial purposes if the person:
(a) Takes, fishes for, or possesses crab, shrimp, or crawfish for
commercial purposes with shellfish gear that is constructed or altered
in a manner that violates any rule of the ((commission)) department
relating to required gear design specifications; or
(b) Is found in possession of, upon any vessel located on the
waters of the state, shellfish gear that is constructed or altered in
a manner that violates any rule of the ((commission)) department
relating to required gear design specifications, unless a person holds
a valid crab pot removal permit under RCW 77.70.500 and is in the
process of transporting removed crab pots as part of the Dungeness crab
pot removal program.
(2) The unlawful use of shellfish gear for commercial purposes is
a gross misdemeanor.
Sec. 2059 RCW 77.15.530 and 2000 c 107 s 249 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A person who holds a fishery license required by chapter 77.65
RCW, or who holds an operator's license and is designated as an
alternate operator on a fishery license required by chapter 77.65 RCW,
is guilty of unlawful use of a nondesignated vessel if the person
takes, fishes for, or delivers from that fishery using a vessel not
designated on the person's license, when vessel designation is required
by chapter 77.65 RCW.
(2) Unlawful use of a nondesignated vessel is a gross misdemeanor.
(3) A nondesignated vessel may be used, subject to appropriate
notification to the department and in accordance with rules established
by the ((commission)) department, when a designated vessel is
inoperative because of accidental damage or mechanical breakdown.
(4) If the person commits the act described by subsection (1) of
this section and the vessel designated on the person's fishery license
was used by any person in the fishery on the same day, then the
violation for using a nondesignated vessel is a class C felony. Upon
conviction the department shall order revocation and suspension of all
commercial fishing privileges under chapter 77.65 RCW for a period of
one year.
Sec. 2060 RCW 77.15.554 and 2003 c 386 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The license suspension review committee is created. The
license suspension review committee may only hear appeals from
commercial fishers who have had a license revoked or suspended pursuant
to RCW 77.15.552.
(2)(a) The license suspension review committee is composed of five
voting members and up to four alternates.
(b) Two of the members must be appointed by the director and may be
department employees.
(c) Three members, and up to four alternates, must be peer-group
members, who are individuals owning a commercial fishing license issued
by the department. If a peer-group member appears before the license
suspension review committee because of a qualifying commercial fishing
violation, the member must recuse himself or herself from the
proceedings relating to that violation. No two voting peer-group
members may reside in the same county. All peer-group members must be
appointed by the ((commission)) director, who may accept
recommendations from professional organizations that represent
commercial fishing interests or from the legislative authority of any
Washington county.
(d) All license suspension review committee members serve a two-year renewable term.
(e) The ((commission)) department may develop minimum member
standards for service on the license suspension review committee, and
standards for terminating a member before the expiration of his or her
term.
(3) The license suspension review committee must convene and
deliver an opinion on a license renewal suspension within three months
of appeal or of referral from the department. The director shall
consider the committee's opinion and make a decision and may issue, not
issue, or modify the license suspension.
(4) The license suspension review committee shall collect the
information and hear the testimony that it feels necessary to deliver
an opinion on the proper length, if any, of a suspension of a
commercial license. The opinion may be based on extenuating
circumstances presented by the individual convicted of the qualifying
commercial fishing violation or considerations of the type and
magnitude of violations that have been committed by the individual.
The maximum length of any suspension may not exceed one year.
(5) All opinions of the license suspension review committee must be
by a majority vote of all voting members. Alternate committee members
may only vote when one of the voting members is unavailable, has been
recused, or has decided not to vote on the case before the committee.
Nonvoting alternates may be present and may participate at all license
suspension review committee meetings.
(6) Members of the license suspension review committee serve as
volunteers, and are not eligible for compensation other than travel
expenses pursuant to RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
(7) Staff of the license suspension review committee must be
provided by the department.
Sec. 2061 RCW 77.15.590 and 1998 c 190 s 51 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A person is guilty of unlawful use of a commercial fishing
vessel, except as may be authorized by rule of the ((commission))
department, for recreational or charter fishing if the person uses,
operates, or controls a vessel on the same day for both:
(a) Charter or recreational fishing; and
(b) Commercial fishing or shellfish harvesting.
(2) Unlawful use of a commercial fishing vessel for recreational or
charter fishing is a gross misdemeanor.
Sec. 2062 RCW 77.15.700 and 2009 c 333 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The department shall impose revocation and suspension of
privileges in the following circumstances:
(a) Upon conviction, if directed by statute for an offense.
(b) Upon conviction of a violation not involving commercial
fishing, if the department finds that actions of the defendant
demonstrated a willful or wanton disregard for conservation of fish or
wildlife. Suspension of privileges under this subsection may be
permanent.
(c) If a person is convicted twice within ten years for a violation
involving unlawful hunting, killing, or possessing big game.
Revocation and suspension under this subsection must be ordered for all
hunting privileges for two years.
(d) If a person violates, three times or more in a ten-year period,
recreational hunting or fishing laws or rules for which the person:
(i) Is convicted of an offense; (ii) has an uncontested notice of
infraction; (iii) fails to appear at a hearing to contest a fish and
wildlife infraction; or (iv) is found to have committed an infraction.
Revocation and suspension under this subsection must be ordered of all
recreational hunting and fishing privileges for two years.
(2)(a) A violation punishable as an infraction counts towards the
revocation and suspension of recreational hunting and fishing
privileges under this section if that violation is:
(i) Punishable as a crime on July 24, 2005, and is subsequently
decriminalized; or
(ii) One of the following violations, as they exist on July 24,
2005: RCW 77.15.160; WAC 220-56-116; WAC 220-56-315(11); or WAC 220-56-355 (1) through (4).
(b) The ((commission)) department may, by rule, designate
infractions that do not count towards the revocation and suspension of
recreational hunting and fishing privileges.
(3) If either the deferred education licensee or the required
nondeferred accompanying person, hunting under the authority of RCW
77.32.155(2), is convicted of a violation of this title, except for a
violation of RCW 77.15.400 (1) through (3), the department may revoke
all hunting licenses and tags and may order a suspension of either or
both the deferred education licensee's and the nondeferred accompanying
person's hunting privileges for one year.
Sec. 2063 RCW 77.15.710 and 2000 c 107 s 257 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department shall revoke all hunting,
fishing, or other licenses issued under this title and order a ten-year
suspension of all privileges extended under the authority of the
department of a person convicted of assault on a fish and wildlife
officer, ex officio officer, employee, agent, or personnel acting for
the department, if the employee assaulted was on duty at the time of
the assault and carrying out the provisions of this title. The
suspension shall be continued beyond this period if any damages to the
victim have not been paid by the suspended person.
(2) For the purposes of this section, the definition of assault
includes:
(a) RCW 9A.32.030; murder in the first degree;
(b) RCW 9A.32.050; murder in the second degree;
(c) RCW 9A.32.060; manslaughter in the first degree;
(d) RCW 9A.32.070; manslaughter in the second degree;
(e) RCW 9A.36.011; assault in the first degree;
(f) RCW 9A.36.021; assault in the second degree; and
(g) RCW 9A.36.031; assault in the third degree.
Sec. 2064 RCW 77.15.720 and 2000 c 107 s 258 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) If a person shoots another person or domestic livestock while
hunting, the director shall revoke all hunting licenses and suspend all
hunting privileges for three years. If the shooting of another person
or livestock is the result of criminal negligence or reckless or
intentional conduct, then the person's privileges shall be suspended
for ten years. The suspension shall be continued beyond these periods
if damages owed to the victim or livestock owner have not been paid by
the suspended person. A hunting license shall not be reissued to the
suspended person unless authorized by the director.
(2) Within twenty days of service of an order suspending privileges
or imposing conditions under this section or RCW 77.15.710, a person
may petition for administrative review under chapter 34.05 RCW by
serving the director with a petition for review. The order is final
and unappealable if there is no timely petition for administrative
review.
(3) The ((commission)) department may by rule authorize petitions
for reinstatement of administrative suspensions and define
circumstances under which reinstatement will be allowed.
Sec. 2065 RCW 77.18.060 and 2005 c 87 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((fish and wildlife commission in consultation with the))
department is authorized to determine which waters of the state are
appropriate for this use. In making this determination, the
((commission)) department shall seek geographic distribution to assure
opportunity to fishers statewide.
The ((commission in consultation with the)) department will
determine the maximum number of fish that may be planted into state
waters so as not to compete with the wild populations of fish species
in the water body.
Sec. 2066 RCW 77.32.007 and 1984 c 240 s 8 are each amended to
read as follows:
For the purposes of this chapter "special hunting season" means a
hunting season established by rule of the ((commission)) department for
the purpose of taking specified wildlife under a special hunting
permit.
Sec. 2067 RCW 77.32.025 and 1998 c 191 s 9 are each amended to
read as follows:
Notwithstanding RCW 77.32.010, the ((commission)) department may
adopt rules designating times and places for the purposes of family
fishing days when licenses and catch record cards are not required to
fish or to harvest shellfish.
Sec. 2068 RCW 77.32.050 and 2009 c 333 s 71 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) All recreational licenses, permits, tags, and stamps required
by this title and raffle tickets authorized under chapter 77.12 RCW
shall be issued under the authority of the ((commission)) department.
The ((commission)) department shall adopt rules for the issuance of
recreational licenses, permits, tags, stamps, and raffle tickets, and
for the collection, payment, and handling of license fees, terms and
conditions to govern dealers, and dealers' fees. A transaction fee on
recreational documents issued through an automated licensing system may
be set by the ((commission)) department and collected from licensees.
The department may authorize all or part of such fee to be paid
directly to a contractor providing automated licensing system services.
Fees retained by dealers shall be uniform throughout the state. The
department shall authorize dealers to collect and retain dealer fees of
at least two dollars for purchase of a standard hunting or fishing
recreational license document, except that the ((commission))
department may set a lower dealer fee for issuance of tags or when a
licensee buys a license that involves a stamp or display card format
rather than a standard department licensing document form.
(2) For the 2009-2011 biennium, the department shall charge an
additional transaction fee of ten percent on all recreational licenses,
permits, tags, stamps, or raffle tickets. These transaction fees must
be deposited into the state wildlife account, created in RCW 77.12.170,
for funding fishing and hunting opportunities for recreational license
holders.
Sec. 2069 RCW 77.32.070 and 2008 c 244 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Applicants for a license, permit, tag, or stamp shall furnish
the information required by the director. However, the director may
not require the purchaser of a razor clam license under RCW 77.32.520
to provide any personal information except for proof of residency. The
((commission)) department may adopt rules requiring licensees or
permittees to keep records and make reports concerning the taking of or
effort to harvest fish, shellfish, and wildlife. The reporting
requirement may be waived where, for any reason, the department is not
able to receive the report. The department must provide reasonable
options for a licensee to submit information to a live operator prior
to the reporting deadline.
(2) The ((commission)) department may, by rule, set an
administrative penalty for failure to comply with rules requiring the
reporting of taking or effort to harvest wildlife. The ((commission))
department may also adopt rules requiring hunters who have not reported
for the previous license year to complete a report and pay the assessed
administrative penalty before a new hunting license is issued.
(a) The total administrative penalty per hunter set by the
((commission)) department must not exceed ten dollars.
(b) By December 31st of each year, the department shall report the
rate of hunter compliance with the harvest reporting requirement, the
administrative penalty imposed for failing to report, and the amount of
administrative penalties collected during that year to the appropriate
fiscal and policy committees of the senate and house of
representatives.
(3) The ((commission)) department may, by rule, set an
administrative penalty for failure to comply with rules requiring the
reporting of data from catch record cards officially endorsed for Puget
Sound Dungeness crab. The ((commission)) department may also adopt
rules requiring fishers who possessed a catch record card officially
endorsed for Puget Sound Dungeness crab and who have not reported for
the previous license year to complete a report and pay the assessed
administrative penalty before a new catch record card officially
endorsed for Puget Sound Dungeness crab is issued.
(a) The total administrative penalty per fisher set by the
((commission)) department must not exceed ten dollars.
(b) By December 31st of each year, the department shall report the
rate of fisher compliance with the Puget Sound Dungeness crab catch
record card reporting requirement, the administrative penalty imposed
for failing to report, and the amount of administrative penalties
collected during that year to the appropriate fiscal and policy
committees of the senate and house of representatives.
Sec. 2070 RCW 77.32.090 and 2000 c 107 s 267 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may adopt rules pertaining to the
form, period of validity, use, possession, and display of licenses,
permits, tags, stamps, and raffle tickets required by this chapter.
Sec. 2071 RCW 77.32.155 and 2009 c 269 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1)(a) When purchasing any hunting license, persons under the age
of eighteen shall present certification of completion of a course of
instruction of at least ten hours in the safe handling of firearms,
safety, conservation, and sportsmanship. All persons purchasing any
hunting license for the first time, if born after January 1, 1972,
shall present such certification.
(b)(i) The ((director)) department may establish a program for
training persons in the safe handling of firearms, conservation, and
sportsmanship and shall prescribe the type of instruction and the
qualifications of the instructors. The ((director)) department shall,
as part of establishing the training program, exempt members of the
United States military from the firearms skills portion of any
instruction course completed over the internet.
(ii) The ((director)) department may cooperate with the National
Rifle Association, organized sportsmen's groups, or other public or
private organizations when establishing the training program.
(c) Upon the successful completion of a course established under
this section, the trainee shall receive a hunter education certificate
signed by an authorized instructor. The certificate is evidence of
compliance with this section.
(d) The ((director)) department may accept certificates from other
states that persons have successfully completed firearm safety, hunter
education, or similar courses as evidence of compliance with this
section.
(2)(a) The ((director)) department may authorize a once in a
lifetime, one license year deferral of hunter education training for
individuals who are accompanied by a nondeferred Washington-licensed
hunter who has held a Washington hunting license for the prior three
years and is over eighteen years of age. The ((commission)) department
shall adopt rules for the administration of this subsection to avoid
potential fraud and abuse.
(b) The ((director)) department is authorized to collect an
application fee, not to exceed twenty dollars, for obtaining the once
in a lifetime, one license year deferral of hunter education training
from the department. This fee must be deposited into the fish and
wildlife enforcement reward account and must be used exclusively to
administer the deferral program created in this subsection.
(c) For the purposes of this subsection, "accompanied" means to go
along with another person while staying within a range of the other
person that permits continual unaided visual and auditory
communication.
(3) To encourage the participation of an adequate number of
instructors for the training program, the ((commission)) department
shall develop nonmonetary incentives available to individuals who
commit to serving as an instructor. The incentives may include
additional hunting opportunities for instructors.
Sec. 2072 RCW 77.32.237 and 2007 c 254 s 6 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department shall attempt to enhance the hunting
opportunities for persons with a disability. The ((commission shall
authorize the director)) department is authorized to issue disabled
hunter permits to persons with a disability. The ((commission))
department shall adopt rules governing the conduct of persons with a
disability who hunt and their designated licensed hunter.
Sec. 2073 RCW 77.32.238 and 2007 c 254 s 5 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department shall adopt rules defining who is
a person with a disability and governing the conduct of persons with a
disability who hunt and their designated licensed hunters. It is
unlawful for any person to possess a loaded firearm in or on a motor
vehicle except a person with a disability who possesses a disabled
hunter permit and all appropriate hunting licenses may discharge a
firearm or other legal hunting device from a nonmoving motor vehicle
that has the engine turned off. A person with a disability who
possesses a disabled hunter permit shall not be exempt from permit
requirements for carrying concealed weapons, or from rules, laws, or
ordinances concerning the discharge of these weapons. No hunting shall
be permitted from a motor vehicle that is parked on or beside the
maintained portion of a public road, except as authorized by the
((commission)) department by rule.
(2) A person with a disability holding a disabled hunter permit may
be accompanied by one licensed hunter who may assist the person with a
disability by killing game wounded by the person with a disability, and
by tagging and retrieving game killed by the person with a disability
or the designated licensed hunter. A nondisabled hunter shall not
possess a loaded gun in, or shoot from, a motor vehicle.
Sec. 2074 RCW 77.32.370 and 1998 c 191 s 26 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A special hunting season permit is required to hunt in each
special season established under chapter 77.12 RCW.
(2) Persons may apply for special hunting season permits as
provided by rule of the ((commission)) department.
(3) The application fee to enter the drawing for a special hunting
permit is five dollars for residents, fifty dollars for nonresidents,
and three dollars for youth.
Sec. 2075 RCW 77.32.400 and 2007 c 254 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department shall authorize the director to
issue designated harvester cards to persons with a disability. The
((commission)) department shall adopt rules defining who is a person
with a disability and rules governing the conduct of persons with a
disability who fish and harvest shellfish and their designated
harvesters.
(2) It is lawful for a designated harvester to fish for, take, or
possess the personal-use daily bag limit of fish or shellfish for a
person with a disability if the harvester is licensed and has a
designated harvester card, and if the person with a disability is
present on site and in possession of the appropriate fishing license
issued under this chapter. Except as provided in subsection (4) of
this section, the person with a disability must be present and
participating in the fishing activity.
(3) A designated harvester card will be issued to such a person
with a disability upon written application to the ((director))
department. The application must be submitted on a department official
form and must be accompanied by a licensed medical doctor's
certification of disability.
(4) A person with a disability utilizing the services of a
designated harvester is not required to be present at the location
where the designated harvester is harvesting shellfish for the person
with a disability. The person with a disability is required to be in
the direct line of sight of the designated harvester who is harvesting
shellfish for him or her, unless it is not possible to be in a direct
line of sight because of a physical obstruction or other barrier. If
such a barrier or obstruction exists, the person with a disability is
required to be within one-quarter mile of the designated harvester who
is harvesting shellfish for him or her.
Sec. 2076 RCW 77.32.430 and 2010 c 193 s 11 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Catch record card information is necessary for proper
management of the state's food fish and game fish species and shellfish
resources. Catch record card administration shall be under rules
adopted by the ((commission)) department. There is no charge for an
initial catch record card. Each subsequent or duplicate catch record
card costs ten dollars.
(2) A license to take and possess Dungeness crab is only valid in
Puget Sound waters east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line if the fisher has
in possession a valid catch record card officially endorsed for
Dungeness crab. The endorsement shall cost no more than three dollars,
including any or all fees authorized under RCW 77.32.050, when
purchased for a personal use saltwater, combination, or shellfish and
seaweed license. The endorsement shall cost no more than one dollar,
including any or all fees authorized under RCW 77.32.050, when
purchased for a temporary combination fishing license authorized under
RCW 77.32.470(3)(a).
(3) Catch record cards issued with affixed temporary short-term
charter stamp licenses are not subject to the ten-dollar charge nor to
the Dungeness crab endorsement fee provided for in this section.
Charter boat or guide operators issuing temporary short-term charter
stamp licenses shall affix the stamp to each catch record card issued
before fishing commences. Catch record cards issued with a temporary
short-term charter stamp are valid for one day.
(4) The department shall include provisions for recording marked
and unmarked salmon in catch record cards issued after March 31, 2004.
(5)(a) The funds received from the sale of catch record cards and
the Dungeness crab endorsement must be deposited into the state
wildlife account created in RCW 77.12.170. The funds received from the
Dungeness crab endorsement may be used only for the sampling,
monitoring, and management of catch associated with the Dungeness crab
recreational fisheries. Until June 30, 2011, funds received from the
Dungeness crab endorsement may be used for the removal and disposal of
derelict shellfish gear either directly by the department or under
contract with a third party.
(b) Moneys allocated under this section shall supplement and not
supplant other federal, state, and local funds used for Dungeness crab
recreational fisheries management.
Sec. 2077 RCW 77.32.440 and 1999 c 235 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department shall adopt rules to continue
funding current enhancement programs at levels equal to the
participation of licensees in each of the individual enhancement
programs. All enhancement funding will continue to be deposited
directly into the individual accounts created for each enhancement.
(2) In implementing subsection (1) of this section with regard to
warm water game fish, the department shall deposit in the warm water
game fish account the sum of one million two hundred fifty thousand
dollars each fiscal year during the fiscal years 1999 and 2000, based
on two hundred fifty thousand warm water anglers. Beginning in fiscal
year 2001, and each year thereafter, the deposit to the warm water game
fish account established in this subsection shall be adjusted annually
to reflect the actual numbers of license holders fishing for warm water
game fish based on an annual survey of licensed anglers from the
previous year conducted by the department beginning with the April 1,
1999, to March 31, 2000, license year survey.
Sec. 2078 RCW 77.32.450 and 2005 c 140 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A big game hunting license is required to hunt for big game.
A big game license allows the holder to hunt for forest grouse,
unclassified wildlife, and the individual species identified within a
specific big game combination license package. Each big game license
includes one transport tag for each species purchased in that package.
A hunter may not purchase more than one license for each big game
species except as authorized by rule of the ((commission)) department.
The fees for annual big game combination packages are as follows:
(a) Big game number 1: Deer, elk, bear, and cougar. The fee for
this license is sixty-six dollars for residents, six hundred sixty
dollars for nonresidents, and thirty-three dollars for youth.
(b) Big game number 2: Deer and elk. The fee for this license is
fifty-six dollars for residents, five hundred sixty dollars for
nonresidents, and twenty-eight dollars for youth.
(c) Big game number 3: Deer or elk, bear, and cougar. At the time
of purchase, the holder must identify either deer or elk. The fee for
this license is forty-six dollars for residents, four hundred sixty
dollars for nonresidents, and twenty-three dollars for youth.
(d) Big game number 4: Deer or elk. At the time of purchase, the
holder must identify either deer or elk. The fee for this license is
thirty-six dollars for residents, three hundred sixty dollars for
nonresidents, and eighteen dollars for youth.
(e) Big game number 5: Bear and cougar. The fee for this license
is twenty dollars for residents, two hundred dollars for nonresidents,
and ten dollars for youth.
(2) In the event that the ((commission)) department authorizes a
two animal big game limit, the fees for the second animal are as
follows:
(a) Elk: The fee is twenty dollars for residents, two hundred
dollars for nonresidents, and ten dollars for youth.
(b) Deer: The fee is twenty dollars for residents, two hundred
dollars for nonresidents, and ten dollars for youth.
(c) Bear: The fee is ten dollars for residents, one hundred
dollars for nonresidents, and five dollars for youth.
(d) Cougar: The fee is ten dollars for residents, one hundred
dollars for nonresidents, and five dollars for youth.
(3) In the event that the ((commission)) department authorizes a
special permit hunt for goat, sheep, or moose, the permit fees are as
follows:
(a) Mountain goat: The fee is one hundred dollars for residents,
one thousand dollars for nonresidents, and fifty dollars for youth.
(b) Sheep: The fee is one hundred dollars for residents, one
thousand dollars for nonresidents, and fifty dollars for youth.
(c) Moose: The fee is one hundred dollars for residents, one
thousand dollars for nonresidents, and fifty dollars for youth.
(4) Multiple season big game permit: The ((commission)) department
may, by rule, offer permits for hunters to hunt deer or elk during more
than one general season. Only one deer or elk may be harvested
annually under a multiple season big game permit. The fee is one
hundred fifty dollars for residents and one thousand five hundred
dollars for nonresidents.
(5) Authorization to hunt the species set out under subsection
(3)(a) through (c) of this section or in multiple seasons as set out in
subsection (4) of this section is by special permit issued under RCW
77.32.370.
(6) The ((commission)) department may adopt rules to reduce the
price of a license or eliminate the transportation tag requirements
concerning bear or cougar when necessary to meet harvest objectives.
Sec. 2079 RCW 77.32.470 and 2009 c 333 s 6 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A personal use saltwater, freshwater, combination, temporary,
or family fishing weekend license is required for all persons fifteen
years of age or older to fish for or possess fish taken for personal
use from state waters or offshore waters.
(2) The fees for annual personal use saltwater, freshwater, or
combination licenses are as follows:
(a) A combination license allows the holder to fish for or possess
fish, shellfish, and seaweed from state waters or offshore waters. The
fee for this license is thirty-six dollars for residents, seventy-two
dollars for nonresidents, and five dollars for youth. There is an
additional fifty-cent surcharge for this license, to be deposited in
the rockfish research account created in RCW 77.12.702.
(b) A saltwater license allows the holder to fish for or possess
fish taken from saltwater areas. The fee for this license is eighteen
dollars for residents, thirty-six dollars for nonresidents, and five
dollars for resident seniors. There is an additional fifty-cent
surcharge for this license, to be deposited in the rockfish research
account created in RCW 77.12.702.
(c) A freshwater license allows the holder to fish for, take, or
possess food fish or game fish species in all freshwater areas. The
fee for this license is twenty dollars for residents, forty dollars for
nonresidents, and five dollars for resident seniors.
(3)(a) A temporary combination fishing license is valid for one to
five consecutive days and allows the holder to fish for or possess
fish, shellfish, and seaweed taken from state waters or offshore
waters. The fee for this temporary fishing license is:
(i) One day - Seven dollars for residents and fourteen dollars for
nonresidents;
(ii) Two days - Ten dollars for residents and twenty dollars for
nonresidents;
(iii) Three days - Thirteen dollars for residents and twenty-six
dollars for nonresidents;
(iv) Four days - Fifteen dollars for residents and thirty dollars
for nonresidents; and
(v) Five days - Seventeen dollars for residents and thirty-four
dollars for nonresidents.
(b) The fee for a charter stamp is seven dollars for a one-day
temporary combination fishing license for residents and nonresidents
for use on a charter boat as defined in RCW 77.65.150.
(c) A transaction fee to support the automated licensing system
will be taken from the amounts set forth in this subsection for
temporary licenses.
(d) Except for active duty military personnel serving in any branch
of the United States armed forces, the temporary combination fishing
license is not valid on game fish species for an eight-consecutive-day
period beginning on the opening day of the lowland lake fishing season
as defined by rule of the ((commission)) department.
(e) The temporary combination fishing license fee for active duty
military personnel serving in any branch of the United States armed
forces is the resident rate as set forth in (a) of this subsection.
Active duty military personnel must provide a valid military
identification card at the time of purchase of the temporary license to
qualify for the resident rate.
(f) There is an additional fifty-cent surcharge on the temporary
combination fishing license and the associated charter stamp, to be
deposited in the rockfish research account created in RCW 77.12.702.
(4) A family fishing weekend license allows for a maximum of six
anglers: One resident and five youth; two residents and four youth; or
one resident, one nonresident, and four youth. This license allows the
holders to fish for or possess fish taken from state waters or offshore
waters. The fee for this license is twenty dollars. This license is
only valid during periods as specified by rule of the department.
(5) The ((commission)) department may adopt rules to create and
sell combination licenses for all hunting and fishing activities at or
below a fee equal to the total cost of the individual license contained
within any combination.
(6) The ((commission)) department may adopt rules to allow the use
of two fishing poles per fishing license holder for use on selected
state waters. If authorized by the ((commission)) department, license
holders must purchase a two-pole stamp to use a second pole. The
proceeds from the sale of the two-pole stamp must be deposited into the
state wildlife account created in RCW 77.12.170 and used for the
operation and maintenance of state-owned fish hatcheries. The fee for
a two-pole stamp is twenty dollars for residents and nonresidents, and
five dollars for resident seniors.
Sec. 2080 RCW 77.32.500 and 1998 c 191 s 41 are each amended to
read as follows:
In order to simplify fishing license requirements in transition
areas between saltwater and freshwater, the ((commission)) department
may adopt rules designating specific waters where either a freshwater
or a saltwater license is valid.
Sec. 2081 RCW 77.32.525 and 1987 c 506 s 48 are each amended to
read as follows:
The director ((shall administer rules adopted by the commission))
has the authority to adopt rules governing the time, place, and manner
of holding hunting and fishing contests and competitive field trials
involving live wildlife for hunting dogs. The department shall
prohibit contests and field trials that are not in the best interests
of wildlife.
Sec. 2082 RCW 77.32.530 and 2009 c 333 s 41 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission in consultation with the)) director may
authorize hunting of big game animals and wild turkeys through auction.
The department may conduct the auction for the hunt or contract with a
nonprofit wildlife conservation organization to conduct the auction for
the hunt.
(2) The ((commission in consultation with the)) director may
authorize hunting of up to a total of thirty big game animals and wild
turkeys per year through raffle. The department may conduct raffles or
contract with a nonprofit wildlife conservation organization to conduct
raffles for hunting these animals. In consultation with the gambling
commission, the director may adopt rules for the implementation of
raffles involving hunting.
(3) The director shall establish the procedures for the hunts,
which shall require any participants to obtain any required license,
permit, or tag. Representatives of the department may participate in
the hunt ((upon the request of the commission)) to ensure that the
animals to be killed are properly identified.
(4) After deducting the expenses of conducting an auction or
raffle, any revenues retained by a nonprofit organization, as specified
under contract with the department, shall be devoted solely for
wildlife conservation, consistent with its qualification as a bona fide
nonprofit organization for wildlife conservation.
(5) The department's share of revenues from auctions and raffles
shall be deposited in the state wildlife account created in RCW
77.12.170. The revenues shall be used to improve game management and
shall supplement, rather than replace, other funds budgeted for
management of game species. The ((commission)) department may solicit
input from groups or individuals with special interest in and expertise
on a species in determining how to use these revenues.
(6) A nonprofit wildlife conservation organization may petition the
((commission)) department to authorize an auction or raffle for a
special hunt for big game animals and wild turkeys.
Sec. 2083 RCW 77.32.535 and 2001 c 253 s 52 are each amended to
read as follows:
If a private entity has a private lands wildlife management area
agreement in effect with the department, the ((commission)) department
may authorize the private entity to conduct raffles for access to hunt
for big game animals and wild turkeys to meet the conditions of the
agreement. The private entity shall comply with all applicable rules
adopted under RCW 77.32.530 for the implementation of raffles; however,
raffle hunts conducted pursuant to this section shall not be counted
toward the number of raffle hunts the ((commission)) department may
authorize under RCW 77.32.530. The ((director)) department shall
establish the procedures for the hunts, which shall require any
participants to obtain any required license, permit, or tag.
Representatives of the department may participate in the hunt ((upon
the request of the commission)) to ensure that the animals to be killed
are properly identified.
Sec. 2084 RCW 77.32.550 and 2007 c 254 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A group fishing permit allows a group of individuals to fish,
and harvest shellfish, without individual licenses or the payment of
individual license fees.
(2) The director must issue a group fishing permit on a seasonal
basis to a state-operated facility or state-licensed nonprofit facility
or program for persons with physical or mental disabilities, hospital
patients, seriously or terminally ill persons, persons who are
dependent on the state because of emotional or physical developmental
disabilities, or senior citizens who are in the care of the facility.
The permit is valid only for use during open season.
(3) The director may set conditions and issue a group fishing
permit to groups working in partnership with and participating in
department outdoor education programs. At the discretion of the
director, a processing fee may be applied.
(4) The ((commission)) department may adopt rules that provide the
conditions under which a group fishing permit is issued.
Sec. 2085 RCW 77.32.560 and 2009 c 333 s 42 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The department may sell watchable wildlife decals. Proceeds
from the sale of the decal must be deposited into the state wildlife
account created in RCW 77.12.170 and must be dedicated to the support
of the department's watchable wildlife activities. The department may
also use proceeds from the sale of the decal for marketing the decal
and for marketing watchable wildlife activities in the state.
(2) The term "watchable wildlife activities" includes but is not
limited to: Initiating partnerships with communities to jointly
develop watchable wildlife projects, building infrastructure to serve
wildlife viewers, assisting and training communities in conducting
wildlife watching events, developing destination wildlife viewing
corridors and trails, tours, maps, brochures, and travel aides, and
offering grants to assist rural communities in identifying key wildlife
attractions and ways to protect and promote them.
(3) The ((commission)) department must adopt by rule the cost of
the watchable wildlife decal. A person may, at their discretion,
contribute more than the cost as set by the ((commission)) department
by rule for the watchable wildlife decal in order to support watchable
wildlife activities. A person who purchases a watchable wildlife decal
must be issued one vehicle use permit free of charge.
Sec. 2086 RCW 77.32.565 and 2008 c 10 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) In order to facilitate hunting and fishing opportunities for a
terminally ill person, the director may provide any licenses, tags,
permits, stamps, and other fees without charge including transaction
and dealer fees.
(2) The director may accept special permits or other special
hunting opportunities, including raffle tags, auction tags, and
multiple season opportunities from donors seeking to facilitate hunting
opportunities for a terminally ill person. The director shall
distribute these donations pursuant to rules adopted under subsection
(4) of this section.
(3) The director may take other actions consistent with
facilitating hunting and fishing opportunities for a terminally ill
person. These actions may include, but are not limited to, entering
into agreements with willing landowners pursuant to RCW 77.12.320.
(4) In addition to rules required under subsection (2) of this
section, the ((commission)) department may adopt rules as necessary to
effectuate the purpose and policies of this section.
Sec. 2087 RCW 77.32.570 and 2009 c 333 s 15 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) In order to effectively manage wildlife in areas or at times
when a higher proficiency and demonstrated skill level are needed for
resource protection or public safety, the department establishes the
master hunter permit program. The master hunter permit program
emphasizes safe, ethical, responsible, and lawful hunting practices.
Program goals include improving the public's perception of hunting and
perpetuating the highest hunting standards.
(2) A master hunter permit is required to participate in controlled
hunts to eliminate problem animals that damage property or threaten
public safety. The ((commission)) department may establish by rule the
requirements an applicant must comply with when applying for or
renewing a master hunter permit, including but not limited to a
criminal background check. The director may establish an advisory
group to assist the department with administering the master hunter
(([permit])) permit program.
(3) The fee for an initial master hunter permit may not exceed
fifty dollars, and the cost of renewing a master hunter permit may not
exceed twenty-five dollars. Funds generated under this section must be
deposited into the fish and wildlife enforcement reward account
established in RCW 77.15.425, and the funds must be used exclusively to
administer the master hunter (([permit])) permit program.
Sec. 2088 RCW 77.36.030 and 2009 c 333 s 61 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Subject to limitations and conditions established by the
((commission)) department, the owner, the owner's immediate family
member, the owner's documented employee, or a tenant of real property
may trap, consistent with RCW 77.15.194, or kill wildlife that is
threatening human safety or causing property damage on that property,
without the licenses required under RCW 77.32.010 or authorization from
the director under RCW 77.12.240.
(2) The ((commission)) department shall establish the limitations
and conditions of this section by rule. The rules must include:
(a) Appropriate protection for threatened or endangered species;
(b) Instances when verbal or written permission is required to kill
wildlife;
(c) Species that may be killed under this section; and
(d) Requirements for the disposal of wildlife trapped or killed
under this section.
(3) In establishing the limitations and conditions of this section,
the ((commission)) department shall take into consideration the
recommendations of the Washington state wolf conservation and
management plan.
Sec. 2089 RCW 77.36.100 and 2009 c 333 s 55 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1)(a) Except as limited by RCW 77.36.070 and 77.36.080, the
department shall offer to distribute money appropriated to pay claims
to the owner of commercial crops for damage caused by wild deer or elk
or to the owners of commercial livestock that has been killed by bears,
wolves, or cougars, or injured by bears, wolves, or cougars to such a
degree that the market value of the commercial livestock has been
diminished. Payments for claims for damage to commercial livestock are
not subject to the limitations of RCW 77.36.070 and 77.36.080, but may
not exceed the total amount specifically appropriated therefor.
(b) Owners of commercial crops or commercial livestock are only
eligible for a claim under this subsection if:
(i) The owner satisfies the definition of "eligible farmer" in RCW
82.08.855;
(ii) The conditions of RCW 77.36.110 have been satisfied; and
(iii) The damage caused to the commercial crop or commercial
livestock satisfies the criteria for damage established by the
((commission)) department under this subsection.
(c) The ((commission)) department shall adopt and maintain by rule
criteria that clarifies the damage to commercial crops and commercial
livestock qualifying for compensation under this subsection. An owner
of a commercial crop or commercial livestock must satisfy the criteria
prior to receiving compensation under this subsection. The criteria
for damage adopted under this subsection must include, but not be
limited to, a required minimum economic loss to the owner of the
commercial crop or commercial livestock, which may not be set at a
value of less than five hundred dollars.
(2)(a) The department may offer to provide noncash compensation
only to offset wildlife interactions to a person who applies to the
department for compensation for damage to property other than
commercial crops or commercial livestock that is the result of a
mammalian or avian species of wildlife on a case-specific basis if the
conditions of RCW 77.36.110 have been satisfied and if the damage
satisfies the criteria for damage established by the ((commission))
department under this subsection.
(b) The ((commission)) department shall adopt and maintain by rule
criteria for damage to property other than a commercial crop or
commercial livestock that is damaged by wildlife and may be eligible
for compensation under this subsection, including criteria for filing
a claim for compensation under this subsection.
(3)(a) To prevent or offset wildlife interactions, the department
may offer materials or services to a person who applies to the
department for assistance in providing mitigating actions designed to
reduce wildlife interactions if the actions are designed to address
damage that satisfies the criteria for damage established by the
((commission)) department under this subsection.
(b) The ((commission)) department shall adopt and maintain by rule
criteria for mitigating actions designed to address wildlife
interactions that may be eligible for materials and services under this
section, including criteria for submitting an application under this
section.
(4) An owner who files a claim under this section may appeal the
decision of the department pursuant to rules adopted by the
((commission)) department if the claim:
(a) Is denied; or
(b) Is disputed by the owner and the owner disagrees with the
amount of compensation determined by the department.
Sec. 2090 RCW 77.36.110 and 2009 c 333 s 56 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) No owner may receive compensation for wildlife interactions
under this chapter unless the owner has, as determined by the
department, first:
(a) Utilized applicable legal and practicable self-help preventive
measures available to prevent the damage, including the use of
nonlethal methods and department-provided materials and services when
available under RCW 77.36.100; and
(b) Exhausted all available compensation options available from
nonprofit organizations that provide compensation to private property
owners due to financial losses caused by wildlife interactions.
(2) In determining if the requirements of this section have been
satisfied, the department may recognize and consider the following:
(a) Property losses may occur without future or anticipated
knowledge of potential problems resulting in an owner being unable to
take preemptive measures.
(b) Normal agricultural practices, animal husbandry practices,
recognized standard management techniques, and other industry-recognized management practices may represent adequate preventative
efforts.
(c) Under certain circumstances, as determined by the department,
wildlife may not logistically or practicably be managed by nonlethal
efforts.
(d) Not all available legal preventative efforts are cost-effective
for the owner to practicably employ.
(e) There are certain effective preventative control options not
available due to federal or state restrictions.
(f) Under certain circumstances, as determined by the department,
permitting public hunting may not be a practicable self-help method due
to the size and nature of the property, the property's setting, or the
ability of the landowner to accommodate public access.
(3) An owner is not eligible to receive compensation if the damages
are covered by insurance.
(4) The ((commission)) department shall adopt rules implementing
this section, including requirements that owners document nonlethal
preventive efforts undertaken and all permits issued by the department
under RCW 77.12.240 and 77.12.150.
Sec. 2091 RCW 77.36.150 and 2009 c 333 s 64 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((fish and wildlife commission)) department shall formally
review the rules and policies adopted under sections 53 through 66,
chapter 333, Laws of 2009. If, in the process of reviewing the rules,
the ((fish and wildlife commission)) department identifies recommended
statutory changes related to the subject of sections 53 through 66,
chapter 333, Laws of 2009 and to the ability of the ((fish and wildlife
commission)) department to fulfill the intent of sections 53 through
66, chapter 333, Laws of 2009, those recommendations must be forwarded
to the appropriate policy committees of the legislature during the
regularly scheduled 2014 legislative session.
Sec. 2092 RCW 77.50.010 and 2002 c 311 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department may authorize commercial fishing
for sockeye salmon within the waters described in subsection (2) of
this section only during the period June 10th to July 25th and for
other salmon only from the second Monday of September through November
30th, except during the hours between 4:00 p.m. of Friday and 4:00 p.m.
of the following Sunday.
(2) All waters east and south of a line commencing at a concrete
monument on Angeles Point in Clallam county near the mouth of the Elwha
River on which is inscribed "Angeles Point Monument" (latitude 48° 9'
3" north, longitude 123° 33' 01" west of Greenwich Meridian); thence
running east on a line 81° 30' true across the flashlight and bell buoy
off Partridge Point and thence continued to longitude 122° 40' west;
thence north to the southerly shore of Sinclair Island; thence along
the southerly shore of the island to the most easterly point of the
island; thence 46° true to Carter Point, the most southerly point of
Lummi Island; thence northwesterly along the westerly shore line of
Lummi Island to where the shore line intersects line of longitude 122°
40' west; thence north to the mainland, including: The southerly
portion of Hale Passage, Bellingham Bay, Padilla Bay, Fidalgo Bay,
Guemes Channel, Skagit Bay, Similk Bay, Saratoga Passage, Holmes
Harbor, Possession Sound, Admiralty Inlet, Hood Canal, Puget Sound, and
their inlets, passages, waters, waterways, and tributaries.
(3) The ((commission)) department may authorize commercial fishing
for salmon with gill net, purse seine, and other lawful gear prior to
the second Monday in September within the waters of Hale Passage,
Bellingham Bay, Samish Bay, Padilla Bay, Fidalgo Bay, Guemes Channel,
Skagit Bay, and Similk Bay, to wit: Those waters northerly and
easterly of a line commencing at Stanwood, thence along the south shore
of Skagit Bay to Rocky Point on Camano Island; thence northerly to
Polnell Point on Whidbey Island.
(4) Whenever the ((commission)) department determines that a stock
or run of salmon cannot be harvested in the usual manner, and that the
stock or run of salmon may be in danger of being wasted and surplus to
natural or artificial spawning requirements, the ((commission))
department may authorize units of gill net and purse seine gear in any
number or equivalents, by time and area, to fully utilize the
harvestable portions of these salmon runs for the economic well being
of the citizens of this state. Gill net and purse seine gear other
than emergency and test gear authorized by the director shall not be
used in Lake Washington.
(5) The ((commission)) department may authorize commercial fishing
for pink salmon in each odd-numbered year from August 1st through
September 1st in the waters lying inside of a line commencing at the
most easterly point of Dungeness Spit and thence projected to Point
Partridge on Whidbey Island and a line commencing at Olele Point and
thence projected easterly to Bush Point on Whidbey Island.
Sec. 2093 RCW 77.50.020 and 1998 c 190 s 76 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department may authorize commercial fishing
for coho salmon in the Pacific Ocean and the Straits of Juan de Fuca
only from June 16th through October 31st.
(2) The ((commission)) department may authorize commercial fishing
for chinook salmon in the Pacific Ocean and the Straits of Juan de Fuca
only from March 15th through October 31st.
Sec. 2094 RCW 77.50.040 and 1998 c 190 s 78 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department shall adopt rules defining
geographical boundaries of the following Columbia river tributaries and
sloughs:
(a) Washougal river;
(b) Camas slough;
(c) Lewis river;
(d) Kalama river;
(e) Cowlitz river;
(f) Elokomin river;
(g) Elokomin sloughs;
(h) Skamokawa sloughs;
(i) Grays river;
(j) Deep river;
(k) Grays bay.
(2) The ((commission)) department may authorize commercial net
fishing for salmon in the tributaries and sloughs from September 1st to
November 30th only, if the time, areas, and level of effort are
regulated in order to maximize the recreational fishing opportunity
while minimizing excess returns of fish to hatcheries. The
((commission)) department shall not authorize commercial net fishing if
a significant catch of steelhead would occur.
Sec. 2095 RCW 77.50.050 and 1998 c 190 s 79 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department shall not authorize use of reef net
fishing gear except in the reef net areas described in this section.
(1) Point Roberts reef net fishing area includes those waters
within 250 feet on each side of a line projected 129° true from a point
at longitude 123° 01' 15" W. latitude 48° 58' 38" N. to a point one
mile distant, as such description is shown upon the United States Coast
and Geodetic Survey map numbered 6300, published September, 1941, in
Washington, D.C., eleventh edition.
(2) Cherry Point reef net fishing area includes those waters inland
and inside the 10-fathom line between lines projected 205° true from
points on the mainland at longitude 122° 44' 54" latitude 48° 51' 48"
and longitude 122° 44' 18" latitude 48° 51' 33", ((a [as])) as such
descriptions are shown upon the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey
map numbered 6380, published March, 1947, in Washington, D.C., eighth
edition.
(3) Lummi Island reef net fishing area includes those waters inland
and inside a line projected from Village Point 208° true to a point 900
yards distant, thence 129° true to the point of intersection with a
line projected 259° true from the shore of Lummi Island 122° 40' 42"
latitude 48° 41' 32", as such descriptions are shown upon the United
States Coast and Geodetic Survey map numbered 6380, published March,
1947, in Washington, D.C., eighth edition, revised 11-25-57, save and
except that there shall be excluded therefrom all waters lying inside
of a line projected 259° true from a point at 122° 40' 42" latitude 48°
41' 32" to a point 300 yards distant from high tide, thence in a
northerly direction to the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey
reference mark number 2, 1941-1950, located on that point on Lummi
Island known as Lovers Point, as such descriptions are shown upon the
United States Coast and Geodetic Survey map number 6380 as aforesaid.
The term "Village Point" as used herein shall be construed to mean a
point of location on Village Point, Lummi Island, at the mean high tide
line on a true bearing of 43° 53' a distance of 457 feet to the center
of the chimney of a wood frame house on the east side of the county
road. Said chimney and house being described as Village Point Chimney
on page 612 of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey list of
geographic positions No. G-5455, Rosario Strait.
(4) Sinclair Island reef net fishing area includes those waters
inland and inside a line projected from the northern point of Sinclair
Island to Boulder reef, thence 200° true to the northwesterly point of
Sinclair Island, as such descriptions are shown upon the United States
Coast and Geodetic Survey map numbered 6380, published March, 1947, in
Washington, D.C., eighth edition.
(5) Flat Point reef net fishing area includes those waters within
a radius of 175 feet of a point off Lopez Island located at longitude
122° 55' 24" latitude 48° 32' 33", as such description is shown upon
the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey map numbered 6380,
published March, 1947, in Washington, D.C., eighth edition.
(6) Lopez Island reef net fishing area includes those waters within
400 yards of shore between lines projected true west from points on the
shore of Lopez Island at longitude 122° 55' 04" latitude 48° 31' 59"
and longitude 122° 55' 54" latitude 48° 30' 55", as such descriptions
are shown upon the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey map numbered
6380, published March, 1947, in Washington, D.C., eighth edition.
(7) Iceberg Point reef net fishing area includes those waters
inland and inside a line projected from Davis Point on Lopez Island to
the west point of Long Island, thence to the southern point of Hall
Island, thence to the eastern point at the entrance to Jones Bay, and
thence to the southern point at the entrance to Mackaye Harbor on Lopez
Island; and those waters inland and inside a line projected 320° from
Iceberg Point light on Lopez Island, a distance of 400 feet, thence
easterly to the point on Lopez Island at longitude 122° 53' 00"
latitude 48° 25' 39", as such descriptions are shown upon the United
States Coast and Geodetic Survey map numbered 6380, published March,
1947, in Washington, D.C., eighth edition.
(8) Aleck Bay reef net fishing area includes those waters inland
and inside a line projected from the southwestern point at the entrance
to Aleck Bay on Lopez Island at longitude 122° 51' 11" latitude 48° 25'
14" southeasterly 800 yards to the submerged rock shown on U.S.G.S. map
number 6380, thence northerly to the cove on Lopez Island at longitude
122° 50' 49" latitude 48° 25' 42", as such descriptions are shown upon
the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey map numbered 6380,
published March, 1947, in Washington, D.C., eighth edition.
(9) Shaw Island reef net fishing area number 1 includes those
waters within 300 yards of shore between lines projected true south
from points on Shaw Island at longitude 122° 56' 14" latitude 48° 33'
28" and longitude 122° 57' 29" latitude 48° 32' 58", as such
descriptions are shown upon the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey
map numbered 6380, published March, 1947, in Washington, D.C., eighth
edition.
(10) Shaw Island reef net fishing area number 2 includes those
waters inland and inside a line projected from Point George on Shaw
Island to the westerly point of Neck Point on Shaw Island, as such
description is shown upon the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey
map numbered 6380, published March, 1947, in Washington, D.C., eighth
edition.
(11) Stuart Island reef net fishing area number 1 includes those
waters within 600 feet of the shore of Stuart Island between lines
projected true east from points at longitude 123° 10' 47" latitude 48°
39' 47" and longitude 123° 10' 47" latitude 48° 39' 33", as such
descriptions are shown upon the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey
map numbered 6380, published March, 1947, in Washington, D.C., eighth
edition.
(12) Stuart Island reef net fishing area number 2 includes those
waters within 250 feet of Gossip Island, also known as Happy Island, as
such description is shown upon the United States Coast and Geodetic
Survey map numbered 6380, published March, 1947, in Washington, D.C.,
eighth edition.
(13) Johns Island reef net fishing area includes those waters
inland and inside a line projected from the eastern point of Johns
Island to the northwestern point of Little Cactus Island, thence
northwesterly to a point on Johns Island at longitude 123° 09' 24"
latitude 48° 39' 59", as such descriptions are shown upon the United
States Coast and Geodetic Survey map numbered 6380, published March,
1947, in Washington, D.C., eighth edition.
(14) Battleship Island reef net fishing area includes those waters
lying within 350 feet of Battleship Island, as such description is
shown upon the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey map numbered
6380, published March, 1947, in Washington, D.C., eighth edition.
(15) Open Bay reef net fishing area includes those waters lying
within 150 feet of shore between lines projected true east from a point
on Henry Island at longitude 123° 11' 34 1/2" latitude 48° 35' 27 1/2"
at a point 250 feet south, as such descriptions are shown upon the
United States Coast and Geodetic Survey map numbered 6380, published
March, 1947, in Washington, D.C., eighth edition.
(16) Mitchell Reef net fishing area includes those waters within a
line beginning at the rock shown on U.S.G.S. map number 6380 at
longitude 123° 10' 56" latitude 48° 34' 49 1/2", and projected 50 feet
northwesterly, thence southwesterly 250 feet, thence southeasterly 300
feet, thence northeasterly 250 feet, thence to the point of beginning,
as such descriptions are shown upon the United States Coast and
Geodetic Survey map numbered 6380, published March, 1947, in
Washington, D.C., eighth edition.
(17) Smugglers Cove reef fishing area includes those waters within
200 feet of shore between lines projected true west from points on the
shore of San Juan Island at longitude 123° 10' 29" latitude 48° 33' 50"
and longitude 123° 10' 31" latitude 48° 33' 45", as such descriptions
are shown upon the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey map numbered
6380, published March, 1947, in Washington, D.C., eighth edition.
(18) Andrews Bay reef net fishing area includes those waters lying
within 300 feet of the shore of San Juan Island between a line
projected true south from a point at the northern entrance of Andrews
Bay at longitude 123° 09' 53 1/2" latitude 48° 33' 00" and the cable
crossing sign in Andrews Bay, at longitude 123° 09' 45" latitude 48°
33' 04", as such descriptions are shown upon the United States Coast
and Geodetic Survey map numbered 6380, published March, 1947, in
Washington, D.C., eighth edition.
(19) Orcas Island reef net fishing area includes those waters
inland and inside a line projected true west a distance of 1,000 yards
from the shore of Orcas Island at longitude 122° 57' 40" latitude 48°
41' 06" thence northeasterly to a point 500 feet true west of Point
Doughty, then true east to Point Doughty, as such descriptions are
shown upon the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey map numbered
6380, published March, 1947, in Washington, D.C., eighth edition.
Sec. 2096 RCW 77.50.070 and 1998 c 190 s 80 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the
((commission)) department shall not authorize gear other than troll
gear or angling gear for taking salmon within the offshore waters or
the waters of the Pacific Ocean over which the state has jurisdiction
lying west of the following line: Commencing at the point of
intersection of the international boundary line in the Strait of Juan
de Fuca and a line drawn between the lighthouse on Tatoosh Island in
Clallam County and Bonilla Point on Vancouver Island; thence southerly
to the lighthouse on Tatoosh Island; thence southerly to the most
westerly point of Cape Flattery; thence southerly along the state
shoreline of the Pacific Ocean, crossing any river mouths at their most
westerly points of land, to Point Brown at the entrance to Grays
Harbor; thence southerly to Point Chehalis Light on Point Chehalis;
thence southerly from Point Chehalis along the state shoreline of the
Pacific Ocean to the Cape Shoalwater tower at the entrance to Willapa
Bay; thence southerly to Leadbetter Point; thence southerly along the
state shoreline of the Pacific Ocean to the inshore end of the North
jetty at the entrance to the Columbia River; thence southerly to the
knuckle of the South jetty at the entrance to said river.
(2) The ((commission)) department may authorize the use of nets for
taking salmon in the waters described in subsection (1) of this section
for scientific investigations.
Sec. 2097 RCW 77.50.090 and 1998 c 190 s 82 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department shall not authorize commercial bottom
trawling for food fish and shellfish in all areas of Hood Canal south
of a line projected from Tala Point to Foulweather Bluff and in Puget
Sound south of a line projected from Foulweather Bluff to Double Bluff
and including all marine waters east of Whidbey Island and Camano
Island.
Sec. 2098 RCW 77.50.100 and 1998 c 190 s 83 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department shall not authorize any commercial
fisher to use more than fifty shrimp pots while commercially fishing
for shrimp in that portion of Hood Canal lying south of the Hood Canal
floating bridge.
Sec. 2099 RCW 77.50.110 and 1998 c 190 s 84 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department shall not authorize angling gear or
other personal use gear for commercial salmon fishing.
Sec. 2100 RCW 77.55.011 and 2010 c 210 s 26 are each reenacted
and amended to read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter
unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Bed" means the land below the ordinary high water lines of
state waters. This definition does not include irrigation ditches,
canals, storm water runoff devices, or other artificial watercourses
except where they exist in a natural watercourse that has been altered
artificially.
(2) "Board" means the pollution control hearings board created in
chapter 43.21B RCW.
(3) "Commission" means the ((state)) fish and wildlife advisory
commission within the department of conservation and recreation.
(4) "Date of receipt" has the same meaning as defined in RCW
43.21B.001.
(5) "Department" means the department of ((fish and wildlife))
conservation and recreation.
(6) "Director" means the director of the department of ((fish and
wildlife)) conservation and recreation.
(7) "Emergency" means an immediate threat to life, the public,
property, or of environmental degradation.
(8) "Hydraulic project" means the construction or performance of
work that will use, divert, obstruct, or change the natural flow or bed
of any of the salt or freshwaters of the state.
(9) "Imminent danger" means a threat by weather, water flow, or
other natural conditions that is likely to occur within sixty days of
a request for a permit application.
(10) "Marina" means a public or private facility providing boat
moorage space, fuel, or commercial services. Commercial services
include but are not limited to overnight or live-aboard boating
accommodations.
(11) "Marine terminal" means a public or private commercial wharf
located in the navigable water of the state and used, or intended to be
used, as a port or facility for the storing, handling, transferring, or
transporting of goods to and from vessels.
(12) "Ordinary high water line" means the mark on the shores of all
water that will be found by examining the bed and banks and
ascertaining where the presence and action of waters are so common and
usual, and so long continued in ordinary years as to mark upon the soil
or vegetation a character distinct from the abutting upland. Provided,
that in any area where the ordinary high water line cannot be found,
the ordinary high water line adjoining saltwater is the line of mean
higher high water and the ordinary high water line adjoining fresh
water is the elevation of the mean annual flood.
(13) "Permit" means a hydraulic project approval permit issued
under this chapter.
(14) "Sandbars" includes, but is not limited to, sand, gravel,
rock, silt, and sediments.
(15) "Small scale prospecting and mining" means the use of only the
following methods: Pans; nonmotorized sluice boxes; concentrators; and
minirocker boxes for the discovery and recovery of minerals.
(16) "Spartina," "purple loosestrife," and "aquatic noxious weeds"
have the same meanings as defined in RCW 17.26.020.
(17) "Streambank stabilization" means those projects that prevent
or limit erosion, slippage, and mass wasting. These projects include,
but are not limited to, bank resloping, log and debris relocation or
removal, planting of woody vegetation, bank protection using rock or
woody material or placement of jetties or groins, gravel removal, or
erosion control.
(18) "Tide gate" means a one-way check valve that prevents the
backflow of tidal water.
(19) "Waters of the state" and "state waters" means all salt and
fresh waters waterward of the ordinary high water line and within the
territorial boundary of the state.
Sec. 2101 RCW 77.55.191 and 2005 c 146 s 506 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Except for the north fork of the Lewis river and the White
Salmon river, all streams and rivers tributary to the Columbia river
downstream from McNary dam are established as an anadromous fish
sanctuary. This sanctuary is created to preserve and develop the food
fish and game fish resources in these streams and rivers and to protect
them against undue industrial encroachment.
(2) Within the sanctuary area:
(a) The department shall not issue a permit to construct a dam
greater than twenty-five feet high within the migration range of
anadromous fish as determined by the department.
(b) A person shall not divert water from rivers and streams in
quantities that will reduce the respective stream flow below the annual
average low flow, based upon data published in United States geological
survey reports.
(3) The ((commission)) department may acquire and abate a dam or
other obstruction, or acquire any water right vested on a sanctuary
stream or river, which is in conflict with the provisions of subsection
(2) of this section.
(4) Subsection (2)(a) of this section does not apply to the
sediment retention structure to be built on the North Fork Toutle river
by the United States army corps of engineers.
Sec. 2102 RCW 77.60.020 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 2 s 28 are each
amended to read as follows:
Only upon recommendation of the ((commission)) department may the
state oyster reserves be sold, leased, or otherwise disposed of by the
department of natural resources.
Sec. 2103 RCW 77.60.030 and 2000 c 107 s 22 are each amended to
read as follows:
It is the policy of the state to improve state oyster reserves so
that they are productive and yield a revenue sufficient for their
maintenance. In fixing the price of oysters and other shellfish sold
from the reserves, the director shall take into consideration this
policy. It is also the policy of the state to maintain the oyster
reserves to furnish shellfish to growers and processors and to stock
public beaches.
Shellfish may be harvested from state oyster reserves for personal
use as prescribed by rule of the director.
The director shall periodically inventory the state oyster reserves
and assign the reserve lands into management categories:
(1) Native Olympia oyster broodstock reserves;
(2) Commercial shellfish harvesting zones;
(3) Commercial shellfish propagation zones designated for long-term
leasing to private aquaculturists;
(4) Public recreational shellfish harvesting zones;
(5) Unproductive land.
The director shall manage each category of oyster reserve land to
maximize the sustained yield production of shellfish consistent with
the purpose for establishment of each management category.
The ((commission)) department shall develop an oyster reserve
management plan, to include recommendations for leasing reserve lands,
in coordination with the shellfish industry, by January 1, 1986.
The director shall protect, reseed, improve the habitat of, and
replant state oyster reserves. The director shall also issue cultch
permits and oyster reserve fishery licenses.
Sec. 2104 RCW 77.60.100 and 2000 c 107 s 26 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may examine the clam, mussel, and
oyster beds located on aquatic lands belonging to the state and request
the commissioner of public lands to withdraw these lands from sale and
lease for the purpose of establishing reserves or public beaches. The
((director)) department shall conserve, protect, and develop these
reserves and the oyster, shrimp, clam, and mussel beds on state lands.
Sec. 2105 RCW 77.65.420 and 2000 c 107 s 53 are each amended to
read as follows:
By July 1, 1994, the ((commission)) department jointly with the
appropriate Indian tribes, shall each establish a wild salmonid policy.
The policy shall ensure that department actions and programs are
consistent with the goals of rebuilding wild stock populations to
levels that permit commercial and recreational fishing opportunities.
Sec. 2106 RCW 77.65.480 and 2009 c 333 s 11 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A taxidermy license allows the holder to practice taxidermy for
commercial purposes, as that term is defined in RCW 77.15.110. The fee
for this license is one hundred eighty dollars.
(2) A fur dealer's license allows the holder to purchase, receive,
or resell raw furs for commercial purposes, as that term is defined in
RCW 77.15.110. The fee for this license is one hundred eighty dollars.
(3) A game fish guide license allows the holder to offer or perform
the services of a game fish guide in the taking of game fish. The fee
for this license is one hundred eighty dollars for a resident and six
hundred dollars for a nonresident.
(4) A game farm license allows the holder to operate a game farm to
acquire, breed, grow, keep, and sell wildlife under conditions
prescribed by the rules adopted pursuant to this title. The fee for
this license is seventy-two dollars for the first year and forty-eight
dollars for each following year.
(5) A game fish stocking permit allows the holder to release game
fish into the waters of the state as prescribed by rule of the
((commission)) department. The fee for this permit is twenty-four
dollars.
(6) A fishing or field trial permit allows the holder to promote,
conduct, hold, or sponsor a fishing or field trial contest in
accordance with rules of the ((commission)) department. The fee for a
fishing contest permit is twenty-four dollars. The fee for a field
trial contest permit is twenty-four dollars.
(7)(a) An anadromous game fish buyer's license allows the holder to
purchase or sell steelhead trout and other anadromous game fish
harvested by Indian fishers lawfully exercising fishing rights reserved
by federal statute, treaty, or executive order, under conditions
prescribed by rule of the director. The fee for this license is one
hundred eighty dollars.
(b) An anadromous game fish buyer's license is not required for
those businesses that buy steelhead trout and other anadromous game
fish from Washington licensed game fish dealers and sell solely at
retail.
Sec. 2107 RCW 77.65.510 and 2009 c 195 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The department must establish and administer a direct retail
endorsement to serve as a single license that permits a Washington
license holder or alternate operator to commercially harvest retail-eligible species and to clean, dress, and sell his or her catch
directly to consumers at retail, including over the internet. The
direct retail endorsement must be issued as an optional addition to all
holders of: (a) A commercial fishing license for retail-eligible
species that the department offers under this chapter; and (b) an
alternate operator license who are designated as an alternate operator
on a commercial fishing license for retail eligible species.
(2) The direct retail endorsement must be offered at the time of
application for the qualifying commercial fishing license. Individuals
in possession of a qualifying commercial fishing license issued under
this chapter, and alternate operators designated on such a license, may
add a direct retail endorsement to their current license at any time.
Individuals who do not have a commercial fishing license for retail-eligible species issued under this chapter, and who are not designated
as alternate operators on such a license, may not receive a direct
retail endorsement. The costs, conditions, responsibilities, and
privileges associated with the endorsed commercial fishing license is
not affected or altered in any way by the addition of a direct retail
endorsement. These costs include the base cost of the license and any
revenue and excise taxes.
(3) An individual need only add one direct retail endorsement to
his or her license portfolio. If a direct retail endorsement is
selected by an individual holding more than one commercial fishing
license issued under this chapter, a single direct retail endorsement
is considered to be added to all qualifying commercial fishing licenses
held by that individual, and is the only license required for the
individual to sell at retail any retail-eligible species permitted by
all of the underlying endorsed licenses. If a direct retail
endorsement is selected by an individual designated as an alternate
operator on more than one commercial license issued under this chapter,
a single direct retail endorsement is the only license required for the
individual to sell at retail any retail-eligible species permitted by
all of the underlying endorsed licenses on which the individual is
designated as an alternate operator. The direct retail endorsement
applies only to the Washington license holder or alternate operator
obtaining the endorsement.
(4) In addition to any fees charged for the endorsed licenses and
harvest documentation as required by this chapter or the rules of the
department, the department may set a reasonable annual fee not to
exceed the administrative costs to the department for a direct retail
endorsement.
(5) The holder of a direct retail endorsement is responsible for
documenting the commercial harvest of salmon and crab according to the
provisions of this chapter, the rules of the department for a wholesale
fish dealer, and the reporting requirements of the endorsed license.
Any retail-eligible species caught by the holder of a direct retail
endorsement must be documented on fish tickets.
(6) The direct retail endorsement must be displayed in a readily
visible manner by the seller wherever and whenever a sale to someone
other than a licensed wholesale dealer occurs. The ((commission))
department may require that the holder of a direct retail endorsement
notify the department up to eighteen hours before conducting an in-person sale of retail-eligible species, except for in-person sales that
have a cumulative retail sales value of less than one hundred fifty
dollars in a twenty-four hour period that are sold directly from the
vessel. For sales occurring in a venue other than in person, such as
over the internet, through a catalog, or on the phone, the direct
retail endorsement number of the seller must be provided to the buyer
both at the time of sale and the time of delivery. All internet sales
must be conducted in accordance with federal laws and regulations.
(7) The direct retail endorsement is to be held by a natural person
and is not transferrable or assignable. If the endorsed license is
transferred, the direct retail endorsement immediately becomes void,
and the transferor is not eligible for a full or prorated reimbursement
of the annual fee paid for the direct retail endorsement. Upon
becoming void, the holder of a direct retail endorsement must surrender
the physical endorsement to the department.
(8) The holder of a direct retail endorsement must abide by the
provisions of Title 69 RCW as they apply to the processing and retail
sale of seafood. The department must distribute a pamphlet, provided
by the department of agriculture, with the direct retail endorsement
generally describing the labeling requirements set forth in chapter
69.04 RCW as they apply to seafood.
(9) The holder of a qualifying commercial fishing license issued
under this chapter, or an alternate operator designated on such a
license, must either possess a direct retail endorsement or a wholesale
dealer license provided for in RCW 77.65.280 in order to lawfully sell
their catch or harvest in the state to anyone other than a licensed
wholesale dealer.
(10) The direct retail endorsement entitles the holder to sell a
retail-eligible species only at a temporary food service establishment
as that term is defined in RCW 69.06.045, or directly to a restaurant
or other similar food service business.
Sec. 2108 RCW 77.70.450 and 2003 c 174 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
The commercial fisheries buyback account is created in the custody
of the state treasurer. All receipts from money collected by the
((commission)) department under RCW 77.70.460, moneys appropriated for
the purposes of this section, and other gifts, grants, or donations
specifically made to the fund must be deposited into the account.
Expenditures from the account may be used only for the purpose of
repaying moneys advanced by the federal government under a groundfish
fleet reduction program established by the federal government, or for
other fleet reduction efforts, commercial fishing license buyback
programs, or similar programs designed to reduce the harvest capacity
in a commercial fishery. Only the director ((of the department)) or
the director's designee may authorize expenditures from the account.
The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW,
but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.
Sec. 2109 RCW 77.70.460 and 2003 c 174 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department shall collect a fee upon all
deliveries of fish or shellfish from persons holding: (a) A federal
pacific groundfish limited entry permit with a trawl endorsement; (b)
an ocean pink shrimp delivery license issued under RCW 77.65.390; (c)
a Dungeness crab -- coastal fishery license issued under RCW 77.70.280;
(d) a food fish delivery license issued under RCW 77.65.200; or (e) a
shrimp trawl license under RCW 77.65.220, to repay the federal
government for moneys advanced by the federal government under a
groundfish fleet reduction program established by the federal
government.
(2) The ((commission)) department shall adopt a fee schedule by
rule for the collection of the fee required by subsection (1) of this
section. The fee schedule adopted shall limit the total amount of
moneys collected through the fee to the minimum amount necessary to
repay the moneys advanced by the federal government, but be sufficient
to repay the debt obligation of each fishery. The fee charged to the
holders of a Dungeness crab -- coastal fishery license may not exceed two
percent of the total ex-vessel value of annual landings, and the fee
charged to all other eligible license holders may not exceed five
percent of the total ex-vessel value of annual landings. The
((commission)) department may adjust the fee schedule as necessary to
ensure that the funds collected are adequate to repay the debt
obligation of each fishery.
(3) The ((commission)) department shall deposit moneys collected
under this section in the commercial fisheries buyback account created
in RCW 77.70.450.
(4) This section expires January 1, 2033, or when the groundfish
fleet reduction program referenced in this section is completed,
whichever is sooner.
Sec. 2110 RCW 77.70.470 and 2003 c 174 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department may not assess the fee specified
under RCW 77.70.460 until after the federal government creates a
groundfish fleet reduction program.
(2) This section expires January 1, 2033, or when the groundfish
fleet reduction program referenced in RCW 77.70.460 is completed,
whichever is sooner.
Sec. 2111 RCW 77.75.020 and 2000 c 107 s 86 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may give to the state of Oregon such
consent and approbation of the state of Washington as is necessary
under the compact set out in RCW 77.75.010. For the purposes of RCW
77.75.010, the states of Washington and Oregon have concurrent
jurisdiction in the concurrent waters of the Columbia river.
Sec. 2112 RCW 77.75.040 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 2 s 20 are each
amended to read as follows:
A member selected by ((or a designee of the fish and wildlife
commission)) the department, ex officio, and two appointees of the
governor representing the fishing industry shall act as the
representatives of this state on the Pacific Marine Fisheries
Commission. The appointees of the governor are subject to confirmation
by the state senate.
Sec. 2113 RCW 77.75.100 and 1980 c 78 s 62 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may cooperate with the Idaho fish and
game commission in the adoption and enforcement of rules regarding
wildlife on that portion of the Snake river forming the boundary
between Washington and Idaho.
Sec. 2114 RCW 77.75.140 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 2 s 21 are each
amended to read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may adopt and enforce the provisions
of the treaty between the government of the United States and the
government of Canada concerning Pacific salmon, treaty document number
99-2, entered into force March 18, 1985, at Quebec City, Canada, and
the regulations of the ((commission)) department adopted under
authority of the treaty.
Sec. 2115 RCW 77.85.220 and 2003 c 391 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) If a limiting factors analysis has been conducted under this
chapter for a specific geographic area and that analysis shows
insufficient intertidal salmon habitat, the department ((of fish and
wildlife)) and the county legislative authorities of the affected
counties may jointly initiate a salmon intertidal habitat restoration
planning process to develop a plan that addresses the intertidal
habitat goals contained in the limiting factors analysis. The ((fish
and wildlife commission)) department and the county legislative
authorities of the geographic area shall jointly appoint a task force
composed of the following members:
(a) One representative of the ((fish and wildlife commission))
department, appointed by the ((chair of the commission)) director;
(b) Two representatives of the agricultural industry familiar with
agricultural issues in the geographic area, one appointed by an
organization active in the geographic area and one appointed by a
statewide organization representing the industry;
(c) Two representatives of environmental interest organizations
with familiarity and expertise of salmon habitat, one appointed by an
organization in the geographic area and one appointed by a statewide
organization representing environmental interests;
(d) One representative of a diking and drainage district, appointed
by the individual districts in the geographic area or by an association
of diking and drainage districts;
(e) One representative of the lead entity for salmon recovery in
the geographic area, appointed by the lead entity;
(f) One representative of each county in the geographic area,
appointed by the respective county legislative authorities; and
(g) One representative from the office of the governor.
(2) Representatives of the United States environmental protection
agency, the United States natural resources conservation service,
federal fishery agencies, as appointed by their regional director, and
tribes with interests in the geographic area shall be invited and
encouraged to participate as members of the task force.
(3) The task force shall elect a chair and adopt rules for
conducting the business of the task force. Staff support for the task
force shall be provided by the Washington state conservation
commission.
(4) The task force shall:
(a) Review and analyze the limiting factors analysis for the
geographic area;
(b) Initiate and oversee intertidal salmon habitat studies for
enhancement of the intertidal area as provided in RCW 77.85.230;
(c) Review and analyze the completed assessments listed in RCW
77.85.230;
(d) Develop and draft an overall plan that addresses identified
intertidal salmon habitat goals that has public support; and
(e) Identify appropriate demonstration projects and early
implementation projects that are of high priority and should commence
immediately within the geographic area.
(5) The task force may request briefings as needed on legal issues
that may need to be considered when developing or implementing various
plan options.
(6) Members of the task force shall be reimbursed by the
conservation commission for travel expenses as provided in RCW
43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
(7) The task force shall provide annual reports that provide an
update on its activities to the ((fish and wildlife commission))
department, to the involved county legislative authorities, and to the
lead entity formed under this chapter.
Sec. 2116 RCW 77.95.010 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 2 s 33 are each
amended to read as follows:
Currently, many of the salmon stocks of Washington state are
critically reduced from their sustainable level. The best interests of
all fishing groups and the citizens as a whole are served by a stable
and productive salmon resource. Immediate action is needed to reverse
the severe decline of the resource and to insure its very survival.
The legislature finds a state of emergency exists and that immediate
action is required to restore its fishery.
Disagreement and strife have dominated the salmon fisheries for
many years. Conflicts among the various fishing interests have only
served to erode the resource. It is time for the state of Washington
to make a major commitment to increasing productivity of the resource
and to move forward with an effective rehabilitation and enhancement
program. The ((commission)) department is directed to dedicate its
efforts ((and the efforts of the department)) to seek resolution to the
many conflicts that involve the resource.
Success of the enhancement program can only occur if projects
efficiently produce salmon or restore habitat. The expectation of the
program is to optimize the efficient use of funding on projects that
will increase artificially and naturally produced salmon, restore and
improve habitat, or identify ways to increase the survival of salmon.
The full utilization of state resources and cooperative efforts with
interested groups are essential to the success of the program.
Sec. 2117 RCW 77.95.020 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 2 s 34 are each
amended to read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department shall develop long-term regional
policy statements regarding the salmon fishery resources before
December 1, 1985. The ((commission)) department shall consider the
following in formulating and updating regional policy statements:
(a) Existing resource needs;
(b) Potential for creation of new resources;
(c) Successful existing programs, both within and outside the
state;
(d) Balanced utilization of natural and hatchery production;
(e) Desires of the fishing interest;
(f) Need for additional data or research;
(g) Federal court orders; and
(h) Salmon advisory council recommendations.
(2) The ((commission)) department shall review and update each
policy statement at least once each year.
Sec. 2118 RCW 77.95.030 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 2 s 35 are each
amended to read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department shall develop a detailed salmon
enhancement plan with proposed enhancement projects. The plan and the
regional policy statements shall be submitted to the secretary of the
senate and chief clerk of the house of representatives for legislative
distribution by June 30, 1986. The enhancement plan and regional
policy statements shall be provided by June 30, 1986, to the natural
resources committees of the house of representatives and the senate.
The ((commission)) department shall provide a maximum opportunity for
the public to participate in the development of the salmon enhancement
plan. To ((insure)) ensure full participation by all interested
parties, the ((commission)) department shall solicit and consider
enhancement project proposals from Indian tribes, sports ((fishermen))
fishers, commercial ((fishermen)) fishers, private aquaculturists, and
other interested groups or individuals for potential inclusion in the
salmon enhancement plan. Joint or cooperative enhancement projects
shall be considered for funding.
(2) The following criteria shall be used by the ((commission))
department in formulating the project proposals:
(a) Compatibility with the long-term policy statement;
(b) Benefit/
(c) Needs of all fishing interests;
(d) Compatibility with regional plans, including harvest management
plans;
(e) Likely increase in resource productivity;
(f) Direct applicability of any research;
(g) Salmon advisory council recommendations;
(h) Compatibility with federal court orders;
(i) Coordination with the salmon and steelhead advisory commission
program;
(j) Economic impact to the state;
(k) Technical feasibility; and
(l) Preservation of native salmon runs.
(3) The ((commission)) department shall not approve projects that
serve as replacement funding for projects that exist prior to May 21,
1985, unless no other sources of funds are available.
(4) The ((commission)) department shall prioritize various projects
and establish a recommended implementation time schedule.
Sec. 2119 RCW 77.95.040 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 2 s 36 are each
amended to read as follows:
Upon approval by the legislature of funds for its implementation,
the ((commission)) department shall monitor the progress of projects
detailed in the salmon enhancement plan.
The ((commission)) department shall be responsible for establishing
criteria which shall be used to measure the success of each project in
the salmon enhancement plan.
Sec. 2120 RCW 77.95.060 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 2 s 38 are each
amended to read as follows:
The legislature finds that it is in the best interest of the salmon
resource of the state to encourage the development of regional
fisheries enhancement groups. The accomplishments of one existing
group, the Grays Harbor fisheries enhancement task force, have been
widely recognized as being exemplary. The legislature recognizes the
potential benefits to the state that would occur if each region of the
state had a similar group of dedicated citizens working to enhance the
salmon resource.
The legislature authorizes the formation of regional fisheries
enhancement groups. These groups shall be eligible for state financial
support and shall be actively supported by the ((commission and the))
department. The regional groups shall be operated on a strictly
nonprofit basis, and shall seek to maximize the efforts of volunteer
and private donations to improve the salmon resource for all citizens
of the state.
Sec. 2121 RCW 77.95.090 and 2009 c 340 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
The dedicated regional fisheries enhancement group account is
created in the custody of the state treasurer. Only the ((commission
or the commission's)) director or director's designee may authorize
expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment
procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required
for expenditures.
A portion of each recreational fishing license fee shall be used as
provided in RCW 77.32.440. A surcharge of one hundred dollars shall be
collected on each commercial salmon fishery license, each salmon
delivery license, and each salmon charter license sold in the state.
All receipts shall be placed in the regional fisheries enhancement
group account and shall be used exclusively for regional fisheries
enhancement group projects for the purposes of RCW 77.95.110. Except
as provided in RCW 77.95.320, funds from the regional fisheries
enhancement group account shall not serve as replacement funding for
department operated salmon projects that exist on January 1, 1991.
All revenue from the department's sale of salmon carcasses and eggs
that return to group facilities shall be deposited in the regional
fisheries enhancement group account for use by the regional fisheries
enhancement group that produced the surplus. The ((commission))
department shall adopt rules to implement this section pursuant to
chapter 34.05 RCW.
Sec. 2122 RCW 77.95.100 and 2010 1st sp.s. c 7 s 82 are each
amended to read as follows:
The department may provide start-up funds to regional fisheries
enhancement groups for costs associated with any enhancement project.
The ((commission)) department shall develop guidelines for providing
funds to the regional fisheries enhancement groups.
Sec. 2123 RCW 77.95.140 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 2 s 41 are each
amended to read as follows:
The ((commission)) department shall prepare a salmon recovery plan
for the Skagit river. The plan shall include strategies for employing
displaced timber workers to conduct salmon restoration and other tasks
identified in the plan. The plan shall incorporate the best available
technology in order to achieve maximum restoration of depressed salmon
stocks. The plan must encourage the restoration of natural spawning
areas and natural rearing of salmon but must not preclude the
development of an active hatchery program.
Sec. 2124 RCW 77.95.200 and 2009 c 333 s 29 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The department shall develop and implement a program utilizing
remote site incubators in Washington state. The program shall identify
sites in tributaries that are suitable for reestablishing self-sustaining, locally adapted populations of coho, chum, or chinook
salmon. The initial selection of sites shall be updated annually.
(2) The department may only approve a remote site incubator project
if the department deems it is consistent with the conservation of wild
salmon and trout. The department shall only utilize appropriate
salmonid eggs in remote site incubators, and may acquire eggs by gift
or purchase.
(3) The department shall depend chiefly upon volunteer efforts to
implement the remote site incubator program through volunteer
cooperative projects and the regional fisheries enhancement groups.
The department may prioritize remote site incubator projects within
regional enhancement areas.
(4) The department may purchase remote site incubators and may use
agency employees to construct remote site incubators.
(5) The department shall investigate the use of the remote site
incubator technology for the production of warm water fish.
(6) Annual reports on the progress of the program shall be
provided to the ((fish and wildlife commission)) department.
Sec. 2125 RCW 77.100.060 and 2001 c 337 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department shall establish by rule:
(1) The procedure for entering a cooperative agreement and the
application forms for a permit to release fish or wildlife ((required
by RCW 77.12.457)). The procedure shall indicate the information
required from the volunteer group as well as the process of review by
the department. The process of review shall include the means to
coordinate with other agencies and Indian tribes when appropriate and
to coordinate the review of any necessary hydraulic permit approval
applications.
(2) The procedure for providing within forty-five days of receipt
of a proposal a written response to the volunteer group indicating the
date by which an acceptance or rejection of the proposal can be
expected, the reason why the date was selected, and a written summary
of the process of review. The response should also include any
suggested modifications to the proposal which would increase its
likelihood of approval and the date by which such modified proposal
could be expected to be accepted. If the proposal is rejected, the
department must provide in writing the reasons for rejection. The
volunteer group may request the director or the director's designee to
review information provided in the response.
(3) The priority of the uses to which eggs, seed, juveniles, or
brood stock are put. Use by cooperative projects shall be second in
priority only to the needs of programs of the department or of other
public agencies within the territorial boundaries of the state. Sales
of eggs, seed, juveniles, or brood stock have a lower priority than use
for cooperative projects. The rules must identify and implement
appropriate protocols for brood stock handling, including the
outplanting of adult fish, spawning, incubation, rearing, and release
and establish a prioritized schedule for implementation of chapter 337,
Laws of 2001, and shall include directives for allowing more hatchery
salmon to spawn naturally in areas where progeny of hatchery fish have
spawned, including the outplanting of adult fish, in order to increase
the number of viable salmon eggs and restore healthy numbers of fish
within the state.
(4) The procedure for the director to notify a volunteer group that
the agreement for the project is being revoked for cause and the
procedure for revocation. Revocation shall be documented in writing to
the volunteer group. Cause for revocation may include: (a) The
unavailability of adequate biological or financial resources; (b) the
development of unacceptable biological or resource management
conflicts; or (c) a violation of agreement provisions. Notice of cause
to revoke for a violation of agreement provisions may specify a
reasonable period of time within which the volunteer group must comply
with any violated provisions of the agreement.
(5) An appropriate method of distributing among volunteer groups
fish, bird, or animal food or other supplies available for the program.
Sec. 2126 RCW 77.100.080 and 2000 c 107 s 113 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The volunteer group shall:
(a) Provide care and diligence in conducting the cooperative
project; and
(b) Maintain accurately the required records of the project on
forms provided by the department.
(2) The volunteer group shall acknowledge that fish and game reared
in cooperative projects are public property and must be handled and
released for the benefit of all citizens of the state. The fish and
game are to remain public property until reduced to private ownership
under rules of the ((commission)) department.
Sec. 2127 RCW 77.115.010 and 2000 c 107 s 122 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The director of agriculture and the director shall jointly
develop a program of disease inspection and control for aquatic farmers
as defined in RCW 15.85.020. The program shall be administered by the
department under rules established under this section. The purpose of
the program is to protect the aquaculture industry and wildstock
fisheries from a loss of productivity due to aquatic diseases or
maladies. As used in this section "diseases" means, in addition to its
ordinary meaning, infestations of parasites or pests. The disease
program may include, but is not limited to, the following elements:
(a) Disease diagnosis;
(b) Import and transfer requirements;
(c) Provision for certification of stocks;
(d) Classification of diseases by severity;
(e) Provision for treatment of selected high-risk diseases;
(f) Provision for containment and eradication of high-risk
diseases;
(g) Provision for destruction of diseased cultured aquatic
products;
(h) Provision for quarantine of diseased cultured aquatic products;
(i) Provision for coordination with state and federal agencies;
(j) Provision for development of preventative or control measures;
(k) Provision for cooperative consultation service to aquatic
farmers; and
(l) Provision for disease history records.
(2) The ((commission)) department shall adopt rules implementing
this section. However, such rules shall have the prior approval of the
director of agriculture and shall provide therein that the director of
agriculture has provided such approval. The director of agriculture or
the director's designee shall attend the rule-making hearings conducted
under chapter 34.05 RCW and shall assist in conducting those hearings.
The authorities granted the department by these rules and by RCW
77.12.047(1)(g), 77.60.060, 77.60.080, 77.65.210, ((77.115.020,))
77.115.030, and 77.115.040 constitute the only authorities of the
department to regulate private sector cultured aquatic products and
aquatic farmers as defined in RCW 15.85.020. Except as provided in
subsection (3) of this section, no action may be taken against any
person to enforce these rules unless the department has first provided
the person an opportunity for a hearing. In such a case, if the
hearing is requested, no enforcement action may be taken before the
conclusion of that hearing.
(3) The rules adopted under this section shall specify the
emergency enforcement actions that may be taken by the department, and
the circumstances under which they may be taken, without first
providing the affected party with an opportunity for a hearing.
Neither the provisions of this subsection nor the provisions of
subsection (2) of this section shall preclude the department from
requesting the initiation of criminal proceedings for violations of the
disease inspection and control rules.
(4) A person shall not violate the rules adopted under subsection
(2) or (3) of this section or violate RCW 77.115.040.
(5) In administering the program established under this section,
the department shall use the services of a pathologist licensed to
practice veterinary medicine.
(6) The director in administering the program shall not place
constraints on or take enforcement actions in respect to the
aquaculture industry that are more rigorous than those placed on the
department or other fish-rearing entities.
Sec. 2128 RCW 43.300.020 and 1993 sp.s. c 2 s 3 are each amended
to read as follows:
((As used in this chapter, unless the context indicates other-
wise:)) The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter
unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Department" means the department of ((fish and wildlife))
conservation and recreation.
(2) "Director" means the director of ((fish and wildlife)) the
department of conservation and recreation.
(3) "Commission" means the fish and wildlife advisory commission
within the department.
Sec. 2129 RCW 9.46.010 and 1996 c 101 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
The public policy of the state of Washington on gambling is to keep
the criminal element out of gambling and to promote the social welfare
of the people by limiting the nature and scope of gambling activities
and by strict regulation and control.
It is hereby declared to be the policy of the legislature,
recognizing the close relationship between professional gambling and
organized crime, to restrain all persons from seeking profit from
professional gambling activities in this state; to restrain all persons
from patronizing such professional gambling activities; to safeguard
the public against the evils induced by common gamblers and common
gambling houses engaged in professional gambling; and at the same time,
both to preserve the freedom of the press and to avoid restricting
participation by individuals in activities and social pastimes, which
activities and social pastimes are more for amusement rather than for
profit, do not maliciously affect the public, and do not breach the
peace.
The legislature further declares that the raising of funds for the
promotion of bona fide charitable or nonprofit organizations is in the
public interest as is participation in such activities and social
pastimes as are hereinafter in this chapter authorized.
The legislature further declares that the conducting of bingo,
raffles, and amusement games and the operation of punchboards, pull-tabs, card games and other social pastimes, when conducted pursuant to
the provisions of this chapter and any rules and regulations adopted
pursuant thereto, are hereby authorized, as are only such lotteries for
which no valuable consideration has been paid or agreed to be paid as
hereinafter in this chapter provided.
The legislature further declares that fishing derbies shall not
constitute any form of gambling and shall not be considered as a
lottery, a raffle, or an amusement game and shall not be subject to the
provisions of this chapter or any rules and regulations adopted
hereunder.
The legislature further declares that raffles authorized by the
((fish and wildlife commission)) department of conservation and
recreation involving hunting big game animals or wild turkeys shall not
be subject to the provisions of this chapter or any rules and
regulations adopted hereunder, with the exception of this section and
RCW 9.46.400.
All factors incident to the activities authorized in this chapter
shall be closely controlled, and the provisions of this chapter shall
be liberally construed to achieve such end.
Sec. 2130 RCW 9.46.400 and 1996 c 101 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
Any raffle authorized by the ((fish and wildlife commission))
department of conservation and recreation involving hunting big game
animals or wild turkeys shall not be subject to any provisions of this
chapter other than RCW 9.46.010 and this section or to any rules or
regulations of the gambling commission.
Sec. 2131 RCW 79.105.430 and 2005 c 155 s 106 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The abutting residential owner to state-owned shorelands,
tidelands, or related beds of navigable waters, other than harbor
areas, may install and maintain without charge a dock on the areas if
used exclusively for private recreational purposes and the area is not
subject to prior rights, including any rights of upland, tideland, or
shoreland owners as provided in RCW 79.125.400, 79.125.460, 79.125.410,
and 79.130.010. The dock cannot be sold or leased separately from the
upland residence. The dock cannot be used to moor boats for commercial
or residential use. This permission is subject to applicable local,
state, and federal rules and regulations governing location, design,
construction, size, and length of the dock. Nothing in this subsection
(1) prevents the abutting owner from obtaining a lease if otherwise
provided by law.
(2) The abutting residential owner to state-owned shorelands,
tidelands, or related beds of navigable waters, other than harbor
areas, may install and maintain a mooring buoy without charge if the
boat that is moored to the buoy is used for private recreational
purposes, the area is not subject to prior rights, including any rights
of upland, tideland, or shoreland owners as provided in RCW 79.125.400,
79.125.460, 79.125.410, and 79.130.010, and the buoy will not obstruct
the use of mooring buoys previously authorized by the department.
(a) The buoy must be located as near to the upland residence as
practical, consistent with applicable rules and regulations and the
provisions of this section. The buoy must be located, or relocated if
necessary, to accommodate the use of lawfully installed and maintained
buoys.
(b) If two or more residential owners, who otherwise qualify for
free use under the provisions of this section, are in dispute over
assertion of rights to install and maintain a mooring buoy in the same
location, they may seek formal settlement through adjudication in
superior court for the county in which the buoy site is located. In
the adjudication, preference must be given to the residential owner
that first installed and continually maintained and used a buoy on that
site, if it meets all applicable rules, regulations, and provisions of
this section, and then to the owner of the residential property nearest
the site. Nothing in this section requires the department to mediate
or otherwise resolve disputes between residential owners over the use
of the same site for a mooring buoy.
(c) The buoy cannot be sold or leased separately from the abutting
residential property. The buoy cannot be used to moor boats for
commercial or residential use, nor to moor boats over sixty feet in
length.
(d) If the department determines that it is necessary for secure
moorage, the abutting residential owner may install and maintain a
second mooring buoy, under the same provisions as the first, the use of
which is limited to a second mooring line to the boat moored at the
first buoy.
(e) The permission granted in this subsection (2) is subject to
applicable local, state, and federal rules and regulations governing
location, design, installation, maintenance, and operation of the
mooring buoy, anchoring system, and moored boat. Nothing in this
subsection (2) prevents a boat owner from obtaining a lease if
otherwise provided by law. This subsection (2) also applies to areas
that have been designated by the commissioner or the ((fish and
wildlife commission)) department of conservation and recreation as
aquatic reserves.
(3) This permission to install and maintain a recreational dock or
mooring buoy may be revoked by the department, or the department may
direct the owner of a recreational dock or mooring buoy to relocate
their dock or buoy, if the department makes a finding of public
necessity to protect waterward access, ingress rights of other
landowners, public health or safety, or public resources.
Circumstances prompting a finding of public necessity may include, but
are not limited to, the dock, buoy, anchoring system, or boat posing a
hazard or obstruction to navigation or fishing, contributing to
degradation of aquatic habitat, or contributing to decertification of
shellfish beds otherwise suitable for commercial or recreational
harvest. The revocation may be appealed as provided for under RCW
79.105.160.
(4) Nothing in this section authorizes a boat owner to abandon a
vessel at a recreational dock, mooring buoy, or elsewhere.
Sec. 2132 RCW 79.135.320 and 2005 c 155 s 712 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) In the event that the ((fish and wildlife commission))
department of conservation and recreation approves the vacation of the
whole or any part of a reserve, the department may vacate and offer for
lease the parts or all of the reserve as it deems to be for the best
interest of the state, and all moneys received for the lease of the
lands shall be paid to the department.
(2) Notwithstanding RCW 77.60.020, subsection (1) of this section,
or any other provision of state law, the state oyster reserves in Eld
Inlet, Hammersley Inlet, or Totten Inlet, situated in Mason or Thurston
counties shall permanently be designated as state oyster reserve lands.
Sec. 2133 RCW 79A.05.793 and 2000 c 11 s 64 are each amended to
read as follows:
Nothing in RCW 79A.05.750 through 79A.05.795 shall be construed to
interfere with the powers, duties, and authority of the ((state
department of fish and wildlife or the state fish and wildlife
commission)) department of conservation and recreation to regulate,
manage, conserve, and provide for the harvest of wildlife within such
area((: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That)). However, no hunting shall be
permitted in any state park.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2134 (1) The powers, duties, and functions of
the department of fish and wildlife are hereby transferred to the
department of conservation and recreation. All references to the
department of fish and wildlife in the Revised Code of Washington shall
be construed to mean the director or the department of conservation and
recreation.
(2)(a) All reports, documents, surveys, books, records, files,
papers, or written material in the possession of the department of fish
and wildlife shall be delivered to the custody of the department of
conservation and recreation. All cabinets, furniture, office
equipment, motor vehicles, and other tangible property employed by the
department of fish and wildlife shall be made available to the
department of conservation and recreation. All funds, credits, or
other assets held by the department of fish and wildlife shall be
assigned to the department of conservation and recreation.
(b) Any appropriations made to the department of fish and wildlife
shall, on the effective date of this section, be transferred and
credited to the department of conservation and recreation.
(c) If any question arises as to the transfer of any personnel,
funds, books, documents, records, papers, files, equipment, or other
tangible property used or held in the exercise of the powers and the
performance of the duties and functions transferred, the director of
financial management shall make a determination as to the proper
allocation and certify the same to the state agencies concerned.
(3) All rules and all pending business before the department of
fish and wildlife shall be continued and acted upon by the department
of conservation and recreation. All existing contracts and obligations
shall remain in full force and shall be performed by the department of
conservation and recreation.
(4) The transfer of the powers, duties, functions, and personnel of
the department of fish and wildlife shall not affect the validity of
any act performed before the effective date of this section.
(5) If apportionments of budgeted funds are required because of the
transfers directed by this section, the director of financial
management shall certify the apportionments to the agencies affected,
the state auditor, and the state treasurer. Each of these shall make
the appropriate transfer and adjustments in funds and appropriation
accounts and equipment records in accordance with the certification.
(6) All employees of the department of fish and wildlife engaged in
performing the powers, functions, and duties transferred to the
department of conservation and recreation, are transferred to the
department of conservation and recreation. All employees classified
under chapter 41.06 RCW, the state civil service law, are assigned to
the department of conservation and recreation to perform their usual
duties upon the same terms as formerly, without any loss of rights,
subject to any action that may be appropriate thereafter in accordance
with the laws and rules governing state civil service law.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2135 (1) The powers, duties, and functions of
the law enforcement and heritage program at the department of natural
resources are hereby transferred to the department of conservation and
recreation.
(2) All employees of the department of natural resources engaged in
performing the powers, functions, and duties transferred to the
department of conservation and recreation, are transferred to the
department of conservation and recreation. All employees classified
under chapter 41.06 RCW, the state civil service law, are assigned to
the department of conservation and recreation to perform their usual
duties upon the same terms as formerly, without any loss of rights,
subject to any action that may be appropriate thereafter in accordance
with the laws and rules governing state civil service law.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2136 The following acts or parts of acts are
each repealed:
(1) RCW 77.04.013 (Findings and intent) and 1995 1st sp.s. c 2 s 1;
(2) RCW 77.04.020 (Composition of department -- Powers and duties)
and 2000 c 107 s 202, 1996 c 267 s 32, 1993 sp.s. c 2 s 59, 1987 c 506
s 4, 1980 c 78 s 3, & 1955 c 36 s 77.04.020;
(3) RCW 77.04.080 (Director -- Qualifications -- Duties -- Salary) and
2000 c 107 s 205, 1995 1st sp.s. c 2 s 5, 1993 sp.s. c 2 s 64, 1987 c
506 s 9, 1980 c 78 s 8, & 1955 c 36 s 77.04.080;
(4) RCW 77.04.090 (Rule-making authority -- Certified copy as
evidence) and 1996 c 267 s 35, 1995 c 403 s 111, 1984 c 240 s 1, 1980
c 78 s 16, & 1955 c 36 s 77.12.050;
(5) RCW 77.04.140 (Unofficial printings of laws or rules -- Approval
required) and 1995 1st sp.s. c 2 s 13, 1983 1st ex.s. c 46 s 17, & 1955
c 12 s 75.08.110;
(6) RCW 77.15.005 (Finding -- Intent) and 1998 c 190 s 1;
(7) RCW 43.300.010 (Department created -- Transfer of powers, duties,
and functions) and 1993 sp.s. c 2 s 2;
(8) RCW 43.300.040 (Director's duties) and 1996 c 267 s 33 & 1993
sp.s. c 2 s 5; and
(9) RCW 43.300.050 (Exempt positions) and 1993 sp.s. c 2 s 6.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2137 Section 2091 of this act expires July 30,
2014.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2138 The consolidation directed pursuant to
sections 2001 through 2137 of this act takes effect July 1, 2012.
Sec. 3001 RCW 79A.05.010 and 1999 c 249 s 101 are each amended to
read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this title unless
the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Commission" means the ((state)) parks and recreation advisory
commission.
(2) "Chair" means the member of the commission elected pursuant to
RCW 79A.05.025.
(3) "Director" and "director of ((the state parks and recreation
commission)) conservation and recreation" mean the director of
((parks)) the department of conservation and recreation or the
director's designee.
(4) "Recreation" means those activities of a voluntary and leisure
time nature that aid in promoting entertainment, pleasure, play,
relaxation, or instruction.
(5) "Natural forest" means a forest that faithfully represents, or
is meant to become representative of, its unaltered state.
(6) "Department" means the department of conservation and
recreation.
Sec. 3002 RCW 79A.05.015 and 1999 c 249 s 201 are each amended to
read as follows:
((There is hereby created a "state parks and recreation commission"
consisting)) The parks and recreation advisory commission is created
within the department of conservation and recreation. The commission
consists of seven citizens of the state. The members of the commission
shall be appointed by the governor ((by and with the advice and consent
of the senate)) and shall serve for a term of six years, expiring on
December 31st of even-numbered years, and until their successors are
appointed. In case of a vacancy, the governor shall fill the vacancy
for the unexpired term of the commissioner whose office has become
vacant.
In making the appointments to the commission, the governor shall
choose citizens who understand park and recreation needs and interests.
No person shall serve if he or she holds any elective or full-time
appointive state, county, or municipal office. Members of the
commission ((shall be compensated in accordance with RCW 43.03.240 and
in addition)) shall be allowed their travel expenses incurred while
absent from their usual places of residence in accordance with RCW
43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
((Payment of expenses pertaining to the operation of the commission
shall be made upon vouchers certified to by such persons as shall be
designated by the commission.))
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3003 A new section is added to chapter 79A.05
RCW to read as follows:
The commission shall provide guidance to the director regarding
policies associated with acquiring, operating, enhancing, and
protecting a diverse system of recreational, cultural, historical, and
natural sites and state parks.
The commission has the following responsibilities and duties:
(1) To provide a forum for public involvement to guide decision
making related to outdoor recreation and parks management and the
adoption of policies and regulations that promote the outdoor
recreation, cultural, historical, and natural resources protection,
education, funding, and wise management of our state parks system.
(2) To provide guidance to the department in developing long-range
strategies for funding and managing the state parks system and winter
recreation and boating programs.
(3) To assist the department in developing communication
strategies, budgets, and revenue proposals.
(4) To solicit public input regarding the acquisition, transfer,
sales, or leasing of state park lands.
(5) To advise the director on current trends and public opinions
regarding outdoor recreation and parks management.
Sec. 3004 RCW 79A.05.020 and 1999 c 249 s 301 are each amended to
read as follows:
In addition to whatever other duties may exist in law or be imposed
in the future, it is the duty of the ((commission)) department to:
(1) Implement integrated pest management practices and regulate
pests as required by RCW 17.15.020;
(2) Take steps necessary to control spartina and purple loosestrife
as required by RCW 17.26.020;
(3) Participate in the implementation of chapter 19.02 RCW;
(4) ((Coordinate planning and provide staffing and administrative
assistance to the Lewis and Clark trail committee as required by RCW
27.34.340;)) Administer those portions of chapter 46.10 RCW not dealing
with registration and licensing of snowmobiles as required by RCW
((
(5)46.10.210)) 46.10.370;
(((6))) (5) Consult and participate in the scenic and recreational
highway system as required by chapter 47.39 RCW; and
(((7))) (6) Develop, prepare, and distribute information relating
to marine oil recycling tanks and sewage holding tank pumping stations,
in cooperation with other departments, as required by chapter 88.02
RCW.
((The commission has the power reasonably necessary to carry out
these duties.))
Sec. 3005 RCW 79A.05.025 and 1999 c 249 s 202 are each amended to
read as follows:
The commission shall elect one of its members as chair. The
commission may be convened at such times as the chair deems
necessary((, and a)). A majority of the members shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business.
Sec. 3006 RCW 79A.05.030 and 2005 c 373 s 1 and 2005 c 360 s 5
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
The ((commission)) department shall:
(1) Have the care, charge, control, and supervision of all parks
and parkways acquired or set aside by the state for park or parkway
purposes.
(2) Adopt policies, and adopt, issue, and enforce rules pertaining
to the use, care, and administration of state parks and parkways. The
((commission)) department shall cause a copy of the rules to be kept
posted in a conspicuous place in every state park to which they are
applicable, but failure to post or keep any rule posted shall be no
defense to any prosecution for the violation thereof.
(3) Permit the use of state parks and parkways by the public under
such rules as shall be adopted.
(4) Clear, drain, grade, seed, and otherwise improve or beautify
parks and parkways, and erect structures, buildings, fireplaces, and
comfort stations and build and maintain paths, trails, and roadways
through or on parks and parkways.
(5) Grant concessions or leases in state parks and parkways, upon
such rentals, fees, or percentage of income or profits and for such
terms, in no event longer than fifty years, and upon such conditions as
shall be approved by the ((commission)) department: PROVIDED, ((That
leases exceeding a twenty-year term shall require a unanimous vote of
the commission: PROVIDED FURTHER, That if, during the term of any
concession or lease, it is the opinion of the commission that it would
be in the best interest of the state, the commission may, with the
consent of the concessionaire or lessee, alter and amend the terms and
conditions of such concession or lease: PROVIDED FURTHER,)) That
television station leases shall be subject to the provisions of RCW
79A.05.085, only: PROVIDED FURTHER, That the rates of such concessions
or leases shall be renegotiated at five-year intervals. No concession
shall be granted which will prevent the public from having free access
to the scenic attractions of any park or parkway.
(6) ((Employ such)) Authorize voluntary assistance as it deems
necessary. ((Commission)) Department expenses relating to its use of
volunteer assistance shall be limited to premiums or assessments for
the insurance of volunteers by the department of labor and industries,
compensation of staff who assist volunteers, materials and equipment
used in authorized volunteer projects, training, reimbursement of
volunteer travel as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060, and other
reasonable expenses relating to volunteer recognition. The
((commission)) department, at its discretion, may waive ((commission))
department fees otherwise applicable to volunteers. The ((commission))
department shall not use volunteers to replace or supplant classified
positions. The use of volunteers may not lead to the elimination of
any employees or permanent positions in the bargaining unit.
(7) ((By majority vote of its authorized membership)) Select and
purchase or obtain options upon, lease, or otherwise acquire for and in
the name of the state such tracts of land, including shore and tide
lands, for park and parkway purposes as it deems proper. If the
((commission)) department cannot acquire any tract at a price it deems
reasonable, it may((, by majority vote of its authorized membership,))
obtain title thereto, or any part thereof, by condemnation proceedings
conducted by the attorney general as provided for the condemnation of
rights-of-way for state highways. Option agreements executed under
authority of this subsection shall be valid only if:
(a) The cost of the option agreement does not exceed one dollar;
and
(b) Moneys used for the purchase of the option agreement are from
(i) funds appropriated therefor, or (ii) funds appropriated for
undesignated land acquisitions, or (iii) funds deemed by the
((commission)) department to be in excess of the amount necessary for
the purposes for which they were appropriated; and
(c) The maximum amount payable for the property upon exercise of
the option does not exceed the appraised value of the property.
(8) Cooperate with the United States, or any county or city of this
state, in any matter pertaining to the acquisition, development,
redevelopment, renovation, care, control, or supervision of any park or
parkway, and enter into contracts in writing to that end. All parks or
parkways, to which the state contributed or in whose care, control, or
supervision the state participated pursuant to the provisions of this
section, shall be governed by the provisions hereof.
(9) Within allowable resources, maintain policies that increase the
number of people who have access to free or low-cost recreational
opportunities for physical activity, including noncompetitive physical
activity.
(10) Adopt rules establishing the requirements for a criminal
history record information search for the following: Job applicants,
volunteers, and independent contractors who have unsupervised access to
children or vulnerable adults, or who will be responsible for
collecting or disbursing cash or processing credit/debit card
transactions. These background checks will be done through the
Washington state patrol criminal identification section and may include
a national check from the federal bureau of investigation, which shall
be through the submission of fingerprints. A permanent employee of the
((commission)) department, employed as of July 24, 2005, is exempt from
the provisions of this subsection.
Sec. 3007 RCW 79A.05.035 and 1999 c 249 s 303 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department shall:
(a) Manage timber and land under its jurisdiction to maintain and
enhance aesthetic and recreational values;
(b) Apply modern conservation practices to maintain and enhance
aesthetic, recreational, and ecological resources; and
(c) Designate and preserve certain forest areas throughout the
state as natural forests or natural areas for interpretation, study,
and preservation purposes.
(2) Trees may be removed from state parks:
(a) When hazardous to persons, property, or facilities;
(b) As part of a park maintenance or development project, or
conservation practice;
(c) As part of a road or utility easement; or
(d) When damaged by a catastrophic forest event.
(3) Tree removal under subsection (2) of this section shall be done
by ((commission)) department personnel, unless the personnel lack
necessary expertise. Except in emergencies and when feasible,
significant trees shall be removed only after they have been marked or
appraised by a professional forester. The removal of significant trees
from a natural forest may take place only after a public hearing has
been held, except in emergencies.
(4) When feasible, felled timber shall be left on the ground for
natural purposes or used for park purposes including, but not limited
to, building projects, trail mulching, and firewood. In natural forest
areas, first consideration shall be given to leaving timber on the
ground for natural purposes.
(5) The ((commission)) department may issue permits to individuals
under RCW 4.24.210 and 79A.05.090 for the removal of wood debris from
state parks for personal firewood use.
(6) Only timber that qualifies for cutting or removal under
subsection (2) of this section may be sold. Timber shall be sold only
when surplus to the needs of the park.
(7) Net revenue derived from timber sales shall be deposited in the
state parks renewal and stewardship account created in RCW 79A.05.215.
Sec. 3008 RCW 79A.05.040 and 1999 c 249 s 401 are each amended to
read as follows:
((In addition to other duties the commission may from time to time
impose,)) It is the duty of the director or the director's designee to:
(1) Ensure the control of weeds in parks to the extent required by
RCW 17.04.160 and 17.10.205; and
(2) Participate in the operations of the environmental enhancement
and job creation task force under chapter 43.21J RCW.
The director or the director's designee has the power reasonably
necessary to carry out these duties.
Sec. 3009 RCW 79A.05.045 and 1999 c 249 s 304 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department shall provide waste reduction and
recycling information in each state park campground and day-use area.
(2) The ((commission)) department shall provide recycling
receptacles in the day-use and campground areas of at least forty state
parks. The receptacles shall be clearly marked for the disposal of at
least two of the following recyclable materials: Aluminum, glass,
newspaper, plastic, and tin. The ((commission)) department shall
endeavor to provide recycling receptacles in parks that are near urban
centers or in heavily used parks.
(3) The ((commission)) department shall provide daily maintenance
of such receptacles from April through September of each year.
(4) The ((commission)) department is authorized to enter into
agreements with any person, company, or nonprofit organization to
provide for the collection and transport of recyclable materials and
related activities under this section.
Sec. 3010 RCW 79A.05.050 and 2002 c 175 s 52 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department shall establish a policy and
procedures for supervising and evaluating community restitution
activities that may be imposed under RCW 70.93.060(3) including a
description of what constitutes satisfactory completion of community
restitution.
(2) The ((commission)) department shall inform each state park of
the policy and procedures regarding community restitution activities,
and each state park shall then notify the ((commission)) department as
to whether or not the park elects to participate in the community
restitution program. The ((commission)) department shall transmit a
list notifying the district courts of each state park that elects to
participate.
Sec. 3011 RCW 79A.05.055 and 1997 c 137 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may:
(1) Study and appraise parks and recreational needs of the state
and assemble and disseminate information relative to parks and
recreation;
(2) Make provisions for the publication and sale of interpretive,
recreational, and historical materials and literature. Proceeds from
such sales shall be directed to the parks improvement account; and
(3) Coordinate the parks and recreational functions of the various
state departments, and cooperate with state and federal agencies in the
promotion of parks and recreational opportunities.
Sec. 3012 RCW 79A.05.059 and 2010 c 161 s 1162 are each amended
to read as follows:
The state parks education and enhancement account is created in the
custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from the sale of
Washington state department of conservation and recreation, division of
parks and recreation ((commission)) special license plates, after the
deductions permitted by RCW 46.68.425, must be deposited into the
account. Expenditures from the account may only be used to provide
public educational opportunities and enhancement of Washington state
parks. Only the director or the director's designee may authorize
expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment
procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not
required for expenditures.
Sec. 3013 RCW 79A.05.060 and 1999 c 249 s 402 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The parks improvement account is hereby established in the
state treasury.
(2) The ((commission)) department shall deposit all moneys received
from the sale of interpretive, recreational, and historical literature
and materials in this account. Moneys in the account may be spent only
for development, production, and distribution costs associated with
literature and materials.
(3) Disbursements from the account shall be on the authority of the
director, or the director's designee. The account is subject to the
allotment procedure provided under chapter 43.88 RCW. No appropriation
is required for disbursement of moneys to be used for support of
further production of materials provided for in RCW 79A.05.055(2). The
director may transfer a portion of the moneys in this account to the
state parks renewal and stewardship account and may expend moneys so
transferred for any purpose provided for in RCW 79A.05.215.
Sec. 3014 RCW 79A.05.065 and 2010 c 161 s 1163 are each amended
to read as follows:
(1)(a) The ((commission)) department shall grant to any person who
meets the eligibility requirements specified in this section a senior
citizen's pass which shall: (i) Entitle such a person, and members of
his or her camping unit, to a fifty percent reduction in the campsite
rental fee prescribed by the ((commission)) department; and (ii)
entitle such a person to free admission to any state park.
(b) The ((commission)) department shall grant a senior citizen's
pass to any person who applies for the senior citizen's pass and who
meets the following requirements:
(i) The person is at least sixty-two years of age;
(ii) The person is a domiciliary of the state of Washington and
meets reasonable residency requirements prescribed by the
((commission)) department; and
(iii) The person and his or her spouse have a combined income that
would qualify the person for a property tax exemption pursuant to RCW
84.36.381. The financial eligibility requirements of this subsection
(1)(b)(iii) apply regardless of whether the applicant for a senior
citizen's pass owns taxable property or has obtained or applied for
such property tax exemption.
(c) Each senior citizen's pass granted pursuant to this section is
valid as long as the senior citizen meets the requirements of (b)(ii)
of this subsection. A senior citizen meeting the eligibility
requirements of this section may make a voluntary donation for the
upkeep and maintenance of state parks.
(d) A holder of a senior citizen's pass shall surrender the pass
upon request of a ((commission)) department employee when the employee
has reason to believe the holder fails to meet the criteria in (b) of
this subsection. The holder shall have the pass returned upon
providing proof to the satisfaction of the director that the holder
meets the eligibility criteria for obtaining the senior citizen's pass.
(2)(a) Any resident of Washington who is disabled as defined by the
social security administration and who receives social security
benefits for that disability, or any other benefits for that disability
from any other governmental or nongovernmental source, or who is
entitled to benefits for permanent disability under RCW 71A.10.020(3)
due to unemployability full time at the minimum wage, or who is legally
blind or profoundly deaf, or who has been issued a card, decal, or
special license plate for a permanent disability under RCW
((46.16.381)) 46.19.010 shall be entitled to receive, regardless of age
and upon making application therefor, a disability pass at no cost to
the holder. The pass shall: (i) Entitle such a person, and members of
his or her camping unit, to a fifty percent reduction in the campsite
rental fee prescribed by the ((commission)) department; and (ii)
entitle such a person to free admission to any state park.
(b) A card, decal, or special license plate issued for a permanent
disability under RCW 46.19.010 may serve as a pass for the holder to
entitle that person and members of the person's camping unit to a fifty
percent reduction in the campsite rental fee prescribed by the
((commission)) department, and to allow the holder free admission to
state parks.
(3) Any resident of Washington who is a veteran and has a service-connected disability of at least thirty percent shall be entitled to
receive a lifetime veteran's disability pass at no cost to the holder.
The pass shall: (a) Entitle such a person, and members of his or her
camping unit, to free use of any campsite within any state park; (b)
entitle such a person to free admission to any state park; and (c)
entitle such a person to an exemption from any reservation fees.
(4)(a) Any Washington state resident who provides out-of-home care
to a child, as either a licensed foster-family home or a person related
to the child, is entitled to a foster home pass.
(b) An applicant for a foster home pass must request a pass in the
manner required by the ((commission)) department. Upon receipt of a
properly submitted request, the ((commission)) department shall verify
with the department of social and health services that the applicant
qualifies under (a) of this subsection. Once issued, a foster home
pass is valid for the period, which may not be less than one year,
designated by the ((commission)) department.
(c) When accompanied by a child receiving out-of-home care from the
pass holder, a foster home pass: (i) Entitles such a person, and
members of his or her camping unit, to free use of any campsite within
any state park; and (ii) entitles such a person to free admission to
any state park.
(d) For the purposes of this subsection (4):
(i) "Out-of-home care" means placement in a foster-family home or
with a person related to the child under the authority of chapter
13.32A, 13.34, or 74.13 RCW;
(ii) "Foster-family home" has the same meaning as defined in RCW
74.15.020; and
(iii) "Person related to the child" means those persons referred to
in RCW 74.15.020(2)(a) (i) through (vi).
(5) All passes issued pursuant to this section are valid at all
parks any time during the year. However, the pass is not valid for
admission to concessionaire operated facilities.
(6) The ((commission)) department shall negotiate payment and
costs, to allow holders of a foster home pass free access and usage of
park campsites, with the following nonoperated, nonstate-owned parks:
Central Ferry, Chief Timothy, Crow Butte, and Lyons Ferry. The
((commission)) department shall seek state general fund reimbursement
on a biennial basis.
(7) The ((commission)) department may deny or revoke any Washington
state park pass issued under this section for cause, including but not
limited to the following:
(a) Residency outside the state of Washington;
(b) Violation of laws or state park rules resulting in eviction
from a state park;
(c) Intimidating, obstructing, or assaulting a park employee or
park volunteer who is engaged in the performance of official duties;
(d) Fraudulent use of a pass;
(e) Providing false information or documentation in the application
for a state parks pass;
(f) Refusing to display or show the pass to park employees when
requested; or
(g) Failing to provide current eligibility information upon request
by the agency or when eligibility ceases or changes.
(8) This section shall not affect or otherwise impair the power of
the ((commission)) department to continue or discontinue any other
programs it has adopted for senior citizens.
(9) The ((commission)) department may engage in a mutually agreed
upon reciprocal or discounted program for all or specific pass programs
with other outdoor recreation agencies.
(10) The ((commission)) department shall adopt those rules as it
finds appropriate for the administration of this section. Among other
things, the rules shall prescribe a definition of "camping unit" which
will authorize a reasonable number of persons traveling with the person
having a pass to stay at the campsite rented by such a person, a
minimum Washington residency requirement for applicants for a senior
citizen's pass, and an application form to be completed by applicants
for a senior citizen's pass.
Sec. 3015 RCW 79A.05.070 and 2006 c 141 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may:
(1) Make rules and regulations for the proper administration of its
duties;
(2) Accept any grants of funds made with or without a matching
requirement by the United States, or any agency thereof, for purposes
in keeping with the purposes of this chapter; accept gifts, bequests,
devises and endowments for purposes in keeping with such purposes;
enter into cooperative agreements with and provide for private
nonprofit groups to use state park property and facilities to raise
money to contribute gifts, grants, and support to the ((commission))
department for the purposes of this chapter. The ((commission))
department may assist the nonprofit group in a cooperative effort by
providing necessary agency personnel and services, if available.
However, none of the moneys raised may inure to the benefit of the
nonprofit group, except in furtherance of its purposes to benefit the
((commission)) department as provided in this chapter. The agency and
the private nonprofit group shall agree on the nature of any project to
be supported by such gift or grant prior to the use of any agency
property or facilities for raising money. Any such gifts may be in the
form of recreational facilities developed or built in part or in whole
for public use on agency property, provided that the facility is
consistent with the purposes of the agency;
(3) Require certification by the ((commission)) department of all
((parks and recreation)) division workers employed in state aided or
state controlled programs;
(4) Act jointly, when advisable, with the United States, any other
state agencies, institutions, departments, boards, or commissions in
order to carry out the objectives and responsibilities of this chapter;
(5) Grant franchises and easements for any legitimate purpose on
parks or parkways, for such terms and subject to such conditions and
considerations as the ((commission)) department shall specify;
(6) Charge such fees for services, utilities, and use of facilities
as the ((commission)) department shall deem proper. The ((commission))
department may not charge fees for general park access or parking;
(7) Enter into agreements whereby individuals or companies may rent
undeveloped parks or parkway land for grazing, agricultural, or mineral
development purposes ((upon such terms and conditions as the commission
shall deem proper)), for a term not to exceed forty years; and
(8) ((Determine the qualifications of and employ a director of
parks and recreation who shall receive a salary as fixed by the
governor in accordance with the provisions of RCW 43.03.040 and
determine the qualifications and salary of and employ such other
persons as may be needed to carry out the provisions hereof; and)) Without being limited to the powers ((
(9)hereinbefore))
enumerated, the ((commission)) department shall have such other powers
as in the judgment of a majority of its members are deemed necessary to
effectuate the purposes of this chapter: PROVIDED, That the
((commission)) department shall not have power to supervise directly
any local park or recreation district, and no funds shall be made
available for such purpose.
Sec. 3016 RCW 79A.05.080 and 1965 c 8 s 43.51.062 are each
amended to read as follows:
The ((state parks and recreation commission)) department is hereby
authorized to lease the use of such areas in Mount Spokane state park,
Steptoe Butte state park, Kamiak Butte state park or any other state
park for television stations as the ((commission)) department may
decide are suitable for that purpose: PROVIDED, That this authority
shall not extend to school lands or lands held by the state of
Washington for educational purposes.
Sec. 3017 RCW 79A.05.085 and 1974 ex.s. c 151 s 1 are each
amended to read as follows:
The ((commission)) department shall determine the fair market value
for television station leases based upon independent appraisals and
existing leases for television stations shall be extended at said fair
market rental for at least one period of not more than twenty years:
PROVIDED, That the rates in said leases shall be renegotiated at five
year intervals: PROVIDED FURTHER, That said stations shall permit the
attachment of antennae of publicly operated broadcast and microwave
stations where electronically practical to combine the towers:
PROVIDED FURTHER, That notwithstanding any term to the contrary in any
lease, this section shall not preclude the ((commission)) department
from prescribing new and reasonable lease terms relating to the
modification, placement or design of facilities operated by or for a
station, and any extension of a lease granted under this section shall
be subject to this proviso((: PROVIDED FURTHER, That notwithstanding
any other provision of law the director in his discretion may waive any
requirement that any environmental impact statement or environmental
assessment be submitted as to any lease negotiated and signed between
January 1, 1974 and December 31, 1974)).
Sec. 3018 RCW 79A.05.090 and 1983 c 193 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
Persons over the age of sixty-five are exempt from any permit or
other administrative fee imposed by the ((commission)) department for
the collection of wood debris in state parks, if such wood is for
personal use.
Sec. 3019 RCW 79A.05.095 and 1999 c 249 s 901 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) director may receive and accept donations of
lands for state park purposes, and shall be responsible for the
management and control of all lands so acquired. ((It)) The director
may from time to time recommend to the legislature the acquisition of
lands for park purposes by purchase or condemnation.
Sec. 3020 RCW 79A.05.100 and 1997 c 137 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) director may receive in trust any money donated
or bequeathed to it, and carry out the terms of such donation or
bequest, or, in the absence of such terms, expend the same as it may
deem advisable for park or parkway purposes.
Money so received shall be deposited in the state parks renewal and
stewardship account.
Sec. 3021 RCW 79A.05.105 and 1965 c 8 s 43.51.100 are each
amended to read as follows:
Inasmuch as the value of land with standing timber is increasing
and will continue to increase from year to year and no loss will be
caused to the common school fund or other fund into which the proceeds
of the sale of any land held by the state would be paid by postponing
the sale thereof, the commissioner of public lands may, upon his or her
own motion, and shall, when directed so to do by the ((state parks and
recreation commission)) department, withdraw from sale any land held by
the state abutting on any public highway and certify to the
((commission)) director that such land is withheld from sale pursuant
to the terms of this section.
Such lands shall not be sold until directed by the legislature, and
shall in the meantime be under the care, charge, control, and
supervision of the ((commission)) department.
Sec. 3022 RCW 79A.05.110 and 1999 c 249 s 902 are each amended to
read as follows:
The commissioner of public lands may, upon his or her own motion,
and shall, when directed so to do by the ((commission)) director,
withdraw from sale any land held by the state and not acquired directly
from the United States with reservations as to the manner of sale
thereof and the purposes for which it may be sold, and certify to the
((commission)) department that such land is withheld from sale pursuant
to the terms of this section.
All such land shall be under the care, charge, control, and
supervision of the ((commission)) department, and after appraisal in
such manner as the ((commission)) department directs may be exchanged
for land of equal value, and to this end the ((chair and secretary of
the commission)) director may execute deeds of conveyance in the name
of the state.
Sec. 3023 RCW 79A.05.115 and 2009 c 338 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department shall develop and maintain a
cross-state trail facility with appropriate appurtenances.
(2) This section expires July 1, 2019, unless the department of
transportation enters into a franchise agreement for a rail line over
any of the portions of the Milwaukee Road corridor between Ellensburg
and Marengo by July 1, 2019.
Sec. 3024 RCW 79A.05.120 and 2009 c 338 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) To facilitate completion of a cross-state trail under the
management of the ((parks and recreation commission)) department,
management and control of lands known as the Milwaukee Road corridor
shall be transferred between state agencies as follows on the date a
franchise agreement is entered into for a rail line over portions of
the Milwaukee Road corridor:
(a) Portions owned by the state between Ellensburg and the Columbia
river that are managed by the ((parks and recreation commission))
department are transferred to the department of transportation;
(b) Portions owned by the state between the west side of the
Columbia river and Royal City Junction and between Warden and Lind that
are managed by the department of natural resources are transferred to
the department of transportation;
(c) Portions owned by the state between Lind and the Idaho border
that are managed by the department of natural resources are transferred
to the ((parks and recreation commission)) department as of June 7,
2006; and
(d) Portions owned by the state between Lind and Marengo are
transferred to the department of transportation.
(2) The department of natural resources may, by mutual agreement
with the ((parks and recreation commission)) department, transfer
management authority over portions of the Milwaukee Road corridor to
the ((state parks and recreation commission)) department, at any time
prior to the department of transportation entering into a franchise
agreement.
(3) This section expires July 1, 2019, and no transfers shall occur
unless the department of transportation enters into a franchise
agreement for a rail line over any of the portions of the Milwaukee
Road corridor between Ellensburg and Marengo by July 1, 2019.
Sec. 3025 RCW 79A.05.125 and 2009 c 338 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The department of transportation shall negotiate one or more
franchises with rail carriers to establish and maintain a rail line
over portions of the Milwaukee Road corridor owned by the state between
Ellensburg and Marengo. The department of transportation may negotiate
such a franchise with any qualified rail carrier. Criteria for
negotiating the franchise and establishing the right-of-way include:
(a) Assurances that resources from the franchise will be sufficient
to compensate the state for use of the property, including completion
of a cross-state trail between Easton and the Idaho border;
(b) Types of payment for use of the franchise, including payment
for the use of federally granted trust lands in the transportation
corridor;
(c) Standards for maintenance of the line;
(d) Provisions ensuring that both the conventional and intermodal
rail service needs of local shippers are met. Such accommodations may
comprise agreements with the franchisee to offer or maintain adequate
service or to provide service by other carriers at commercially
reasonable rates;
(e) Provisions requiring the franchisee, upon reasonable request of
any other rail operator, to provide rail service and interchange
freight over what is commonly known as the Stampede Pass rail line from
Cle Elum to Auburn at commercially reasonable rates;
(f) If any part of the franchise agreement is invalidated by
actions or rulings of the federal surface transportation board or a
court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining portions of the
franchise agreement are not affected;
(g) Compliance with environmental standards; and
(h) Provisions for insurance and the coverage of liability.
(2) The franchise may provide for periodic review of financial
arrangements under the franchise.
(3) The department of transportation, in consultation with the
((parks and recreation commission)) department and the senate and house
transportation committees, shall negotiate the terms of the franchise,
and shall present the agreement to the ((parks and recreation
commission)) department for approval of as to terms and provisions
affecting the cross-state trail or affecting the ((commission))
department.
(4) This section expires July 1, 2019, unless the department of
transportation enters into a franchise agreement for a rail line over
any of the portions of the Milwaukee Road corridor between Ellensburg
and Marengo by July 1, 2019.
Sec. 3026 RCW 79A.05.130 and 2009 c 338 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The cross-state trail account is created in the custody of the
state treasurer. Eleven million five hundred thousand dollars is
provided to the ((state parks and recreation commission)) department to
acquire, construct, and maintain a cross-state trail. This amount may
consist of: (a) Legislative appropriations intended for trail
development; (b) payments for the purchase of federally granted trust
lands; and (c) franchise fees derived from use of the rail corridor.
The legislature intends that any amounts provided from the
transportation fund are to be repaid to the transportation fund from
franchise fees.
(2) The department of transportation shall deposit franchise fees
from use of the rail corridor according to the following priority: (a)
To the department of transportation for actual costs incurred in
administering the franchise; (b) to the department of natural resources
as compensation for use of federally granted trust lands in the rail
corridor; (c) to the transportation fund to reimburse any amounts
transferred or appropriated from that fund by the legislature for trail
development; (d) to the cross-state trail account, not to exceed eleven
million five hundred thousand dollars, provided that this amount shall
be reduced proportionate with any funds transferred or appropriated by
the 1996 legislature or paid from franchise fees for the purchase of
federally granted trust lands or for trail development; and (e) the
remainder to the essential rail assistance account, created under RCW
47.76.250. Expenditures from the cross-state trail account may be used
only for the acquisition, development, operation, and maintenance of
the cross-state trail. Only the director of the ((state parks and
recreation commission)) department or the director's designee may
authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to
allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is
required for expenditures.
(3) The ((commission)) department may acquire land from willing
sellers for the cross-state trail, but not by eminent domain.
(4) The ((commission)) department shall adopt rules describing the
cross-state trail.
(5) This section expires July 1, 2019, unless the department of
transportation enters into a franchise agreement for a rail line over
any of the portions of the Milwaukee Road corridor between Ellensburg
and Marengo by July 1, 2019.
Sec. 3027 RCW 79A.05.140 and 1999 c 59 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((state parks and recreation commission)) department may grant
permits to individuals, groups, churches, charities, organizations,
agencies, clubs, or associations to improve any state park or parkway,
or any lands belonging to the state and withdrawn from sale under the
provisions of this chapter. These improvements shall not interfere
with access to or use of such public lands or facilities by the general
public and shall benefit the public in terms of safety, recreation,
aesthetics, or wildlife or natural area preservation. These
improvements on public lands and facilities shall be for the use of all
members of the general public.
Sec. 3028 RCW 79A.05.145 and 1999 c 59 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
Any such individual, group, organization, agency, club, or
association desiring to obtain such permit shall make application
therefor in writing to the ((commission)) department, describing the
lands proposed to be improved and stating the nature of the proposed
improvement.
Sec. 3029 RCW 79A.05.150 and 1982 c 156 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
If the ((state parks and recreation commission)) department
determines that the proposed improvement will substantially alter a
park, parkway, or park land, it shall require the applicant to submit
detailed plans and specifications of the proposed improvement, which,
as submitted, or as modified by the ((state parks and recreation
commission)) department, shall be incorporated in the permit when
granted.
Sec. 3030 RCW 79A.05.155 and 2000 c 11 s 31 are each amended to
read as follows:
If the ((commission)) department determines it necessary, the
applicant shall execute and file with the secretary of state a bond
payable to the state, in such penal sum as the ((commission))
department shall require, with good and sufficient sureties to be
approved by the ((commission)) department, conditioned that the grantee
of the permit will make the improvement in accordance with the plans
and specifications contained in the permit, and, in case the
improvement is made upon lands withdrawn from sale under the provisions
of RCW 79A.05.105, will pay into the state treasury to the credit of
the fund to which the proceeds of the sale of such lands would belong,
the appraised value of all merchantable timber and material on the
land, destroyed, or used in making such improvement.
Sec. 3031 RCW 79A.05.160 and 1965 c 8 s 43.51.170 are each
amended to read as follows:
The ((members of the state parks and recreation commission and such
of its)) director, and department employees as the ((commission))
department may designate, shall be vested with police powers to enforce
the laws of this state.
Sec. 3032 RCW 79A.05.165 and 2007 c 441 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Every person is guilty of a misdemeanor who:
(a) Cuts, breaks, injures, destroys, takes, or removes any tree,
shrub, timber, plant, or natural object in any park or parkway except
in accordance with such rules as the ((commission)) department may
prescribe; or
(b) Kills, or pursues with intent to kill, any bird or animal in
any park or parkway except in accordance with a research pass, permit,
or other approval issued by the ((commission)) department, pursuant to
rule, for scientific research purposes; or
(c) Takes any fish from the waters of any park or parkway, except
in conformity with such general rules as the ((commission)) department
may prescribe; or
(d) Willfully mutilates, injures, defaces, or destroys any
guidepost, notice, tablet, fence, inclosure, or work for the protection
or ornamentation of any park or parkway; or
(e) Lights any fire upon any park or parkway, except in such places
as the ((commission)) department has authorized, or willfully or
carelessly permits any fire which he or she has lighted or which is
under his or her charge, to spread or extend to or burn any of the
shrubbery, trees, timber, ornaments, or improvements upon any park or
parkway, or leaves any campfire which he or she has lighted or which
has been left in his or her charge, unattended by a competent person,
without extinguishing it; or
(f) Places within any park or parkway or affixes to any object
therein contained, without a written license from the ((commission))
department, any word, character, or device designed to advertise any
business, profession, article, thing, exhibition, matter, or event.
(2)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, a person who
violates any rule adopted, promulgated, or issued by the ((commission))
department pursuant to the provisions of this chapter is guilty of a
misdemeanor.
(b) The ((commission)) department may specify by rule, when not
inconsistent with applicable statutes, that violation of the rule is an
infraction under chapter 7.84 RCW.
Sec. 3033 RCW 79A.05.170 and 1991 sp.s. c 13 s 23 are each
amended to read as follows:
(1) Any lands owned by the ((state parks and recreation
commission)) department, which are determined to be surplus to the
needs of the state for development for state park purposes and which
the ((commission)) director proposes to deed to a local government or
other entity, shall be accompanied by a clause requiring that if the
land is not used for outdoor recreation purposes, ownership of the land
shall revert to the ((state parks and recreation commission))
department.
(2) The ((state parks and recreation commission)) department, in
cases where land subject to such a reversionary clause is proposed for
use or disposal for purposes other than recreation, shall require that,
if the land is surplus to the needs of the ((commission)) department
for park purposes at the time the ((commission)) department becomes
aware of its proposed use for nonrecreation purposes, the holder of the
land or property shall reimburse the ((commission)) department for the
release of the reversionary interest in the land. The reimbursement
shall be in the amount of the fair market value of the reversionary
interest as determined by a qualified appraiser agreeable to the
((commission)) department. Appraisal costs shall be borne by the local
entity which holds title to the land.
(3) Any funds generated under a reimbursement under this section
shall be deposited in the parkland acquisition account which is hereby
created in the state treasury. Moneys in this account are to be used
solely for the purchase or acquisition of property for use as state
park property by the ((commission)) department, as directed by the
legislature; all such funds shall be subject to legislative
appropriation.
Sec. 3034 RCW 79A.05.175 and 2007 c 145 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
Whenever the ((commission)) department finds that any land under
its control cannot advantageously be used for park purposes, it is
authorized to dispose of such land by the method provided in this
section or by the method provided in RCW 79A.05.170. If such lands are
school or other grant lands, control thereof shall be relinquished by
((resolution)) certification of the ((commission)) director to the
proper state officials. If such lands were acquired under restrictive
conveyances by which the state may hold them only so long as they are
used for park purposes, they may be returned to the donor or grantors
by the ((commission)) department. All other such lands may be either
sold by the ((commission)) department to the highest bidder or
exchanged for other lands of equal value by the ((commission))
department, and all conveyance documents shall be executed by the
governor. All such exchanges shall be accompanied by a transfer fee,
to be set by the ((commission)) department and paid by the other party
to the transfer; such fee shall be paid into the parkland acquisition
account established under RCW 79A.05.170. The ((commission)) director
may accept sealed bids, electronic bids, or oral bids at auction. Bids
on all sales shall be solicited at least twenty days in advance of the
sale date by an advertisement appearing at least once a week for two
consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county
in which the land to be sold is located. If the ((commission))
director feels that no bid received adequately reflects the fair value
of the land to be sold, ((it)) the director may reject all bids, and
may call for new bids. All proceeds derived from the sale of such park
property shall be paid into the park land acquisition account. All
land considered for exchange shall be evaluated by the ((commission))
department to determine its adaptability to park usage. The equal
value of all lands exchanged shall first be determined by the
appraisals to the satisfaction of the ((commission)) department. No
sale or exchange of state park lands shall be made without the
((unanimous consent of the commission)) approval of the director.
Sec. 3035 RCW 79A.05.178 and 2000 c 42 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the
((commission)) department may directly dispose of up to ten contiguous
acres of real property, without public auction, to resolve trespass,
property ownership disputes, and boundary adjustments with adjacent
private property owners. Real property to be disposed of under this
section may be disposed of only after appraisal and for at least fair
market value, and only if the transaction is in the best interest of
the state. The ((commission)) department shall cooperate with
potential purchasers to arrive at a mutually agreeable sales price. If
necessary, determination of fair market value may include the use of
separate independent appraisals by each party and the review of the
appraisals, as agreed upon by the parties. All conveyance documents
shall be executed by the governor. All proceeds from the disposal of
the property shall be paid into the park land acquisition account.
((No disposal of real property may be made without the unanimous
consent of the commission.))
(2) Prior to the disposal of any real property under subsection (1)
of this section, the ((commission)) department shall hold a public
hearing on the proposal in the county where the real property, or the
greatest portion of the real property, is located. At least ten days,
but not more than twenty-five days, prior to the hearing, the
((commission)) department shall publish a paid public notice of
reasonable size in display advertising form, setting forth the date,
time, and place of the hearing, at least once in one or more daily
newspapers of general circulation in the county and at least once in
one or more weekly newspapers circulated in the area where the real
property is located. A news release concerning the public hearing must
be disseminated among print and electronic media in the area where the
real property is located. The public notice and news release shall
also identify the real property involved in the proposed disposal and
describe the purpose of the proposed disposal. A summary of the
testimony presented at the public hearing shall be prepared for the
((commission's)) director's consideration when reviewing the proposed
disposal of real property.
(3) If there is a failure to substantially comply with the
procedures set out under this section, then the agreement to dispose of
the real property is subject to being declared invalid by a court of
competent jurisdiction. Such a suit must be brought within one year of
the date of the real property disposal agreement.
Sec. 3036 RCW 79A.05.180 and 1998 c 42 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
Before the director ((of parks and recreation presents a proposed
exchange to the parks and recreation commission)) makes a decision
involving an exchange of state land pursuant to this chapter, the
director shall hold a public hearing on the proposal in the county
where the state lands or the greatest proportion thereof is located.
Ten days but not more than twenty-five days prior to such hearing, the
director shall publish a paid public notice of reasonable size in
display advertising form, setting forth the date, time, and place of
the hearing, at least once in one or more daily newspapers of general
circulation in the county and at least once in one or more weekly
newspapers circulated in the area where the state owned land is
located. A news release pertaining to the hearing shall be
disseminated among printed and electronic media in the area where the
state land is located. The public notice and news release also shall
identify lands involved in the proposed exchange and describe the
purposes of the exchange and proposed use of the lands involved. A
summary of the testimony presented at the hearings shall be prepared
for the ((commission's)) director's consideration when reviewing the
((director's)) exchange proposal. If there is a failure to
substantially comply with the procedures set forth in this section,
then the exchange agreement shall be subject to being declared invalid
by a court. Any such suit must be brought within one year from the
date of the exchange agreement.
Sec. 3037 RCW 79A.05.185 and 1999 c 249 s 904 are each amended to
read as follows:
To encourage the development of the Puget Sound country as a
recreational boating area, the ((commission)) department is authorized
to establish landing, launch ramp, and other facilities for small
pleasure boats at places on Puget Sound frequented by such boats and
where the ((commission)) department shall find such facilities will be
of greatest advantage to the users of pleasure boats. The
((commission)) department is authorized to acquire land or to make use
of lands belonging to the state for such purposes, and to construct the
necessary floats, launch ramp, and other desirable structures and to
make such further development of any area used in connection therewith
as in the judgment of the ((commission)) department is best calculated
to facilitate the public enjoyment thereof.
Sec. 3038 RCW 79A.05.195 and 1999 c 249 s 905 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((commission)) department shall develop a cost-effective
plan to identify historic archaeological resources in at least one
state park containing a military fort located in Puget Sound. The plan
shall include the use of a professional archaeologist and volunteer
citizens.
(2) Any park land that is made available for use by recreational
metal detectors under this section shall count toward the requirements
established in RCW 79A.05.190.
Sec. 3039 RCW 79A.05.200 and 2000 c 11 s 32 are each amended to
read as follows:
The department shall have all the powers, functions, and duties
((heretofore exercised by the department of fish and wildlife, or its
director,)) respecting the management, control, and operation of the
following enumerated tidelands, which are presently suitable for public
recreational use, ((are hereby transferred to the parks and recreation
commission which shall also have respecting such tidelands all the
powers conferred by this chapter,)) as now or hereafter amended,
respecting parks and parkways:
Parcel No. 1. (Toandos Peninsula) The tidelands of the second
class, owned by the state of Washington, situate in front of, adjacent
to, or abutting upon lots 1, 2, and 3, section 5, lots 1, 2, and 3,
section 4, and lot 1, section 3, all in township 25 north, range 1
west, W.M., with a frontage of 158.41 lineal chains, more or less.
Parcel No. 2. (Shine) The tidelands of the second class, owned by
the state of Washington, situate in front of, adjacent to, or abutting
upon lots 1, 2, 3 and that portion of lot 4 lying north of the south
8.35 chains thereof as measured along the government meander line, all
in section 35, township 28 north, range 1 east, W.M., with a frontage
of 76.70 lineal chains, more or less.
Subject to an easement for right-of-way for county road granted to
Jefferson county December 8, 1941 under application No. 1731, records
of department of public lands.
Parcel No. 3. (Mud Bay - Lopez Island) The tidelands of the second
class, owned by the state of Washington situate in front of, adjacent
to, or abutting upon lots 5, 6 and 7, section 18, lot 5, section 7 and
lots 3, 4, and 5, section 8, all in township 34 north, range 1 west,
W.M., with a frontage of 172.11 lineal chains, more or less.
Excepting, however, any tideland of the second class in front of
said lot 3, section 8 conveyed through deeds issued April 14, 1909
pursuant to the provisions of chapter 24, Laws of 1895 under
application No. 4985, records of department of public lands.
Parcel No. 4. (Spencer Spit) The tidelands of the second class,
owned by the state of Washington, situate in front of, adjacent to, or
abutting upon lots 1, 3, and 4, section 7, and lot 5, section 18 all in
township 35 north, range 1 west, W.M., with a frontage of 118.80 lineal
chains, more or less.
Parcel No. 5. (Lilliwaup) The tidelands of the second class, owned
by the state of Washington, lying easterly of the east line of vacated
state oyster reserve plat No. 133 produced southerly and situate in
front of, adjacent to or abutting upon lot 9, section 30, lot 8,
section 19 and lot 5 and the south 20 acres of lot 4, section 20, all
in township 23 north, range 3 west, W.M., with a frontage of 62.46
lineal chains, more or less.
Sec. 3040 RCW 79A.05.205 and 2000 c 11 s 33 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((state parks and recreation commission)) department may take
appropriate action to provide public and private access, including
roads and docks, to and from the tidelands described in RCW 79A.05.200.
Sec. 3041 RCW 79A.05.210 and 1999 c 249 s 906 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The department of natural resources and the ((commission))
department shall have authority to negotiate sales to the
((commission)) department, for park and outdoor recreation purposes, of
trust lands at fair market value.
(2) The department of natural resources and the ((commission))
department shall negotiate a sale to the ((commission)) department of
the lands and timber thereon identified in the joint study under
section 4, chapter 163, Laws of 1985, and commonly referred to as the
Point Lawrence trust property, San Juan county — on the extreme east
point of Orcas Island. Timber conservation and management practices
provided for in RCW 79A.05.035 and 79A.05.305 shall govern the
management of land and timber transferred under this subsection as of
the effective date of the transfer, upon payment for the property, and
nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting or otherwise
modifying the department of natural resources' management, control, or
use of such land and timber until such date.
Sec. 3042 RCW 79A.05.220 and 1987 c 466 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((parks and recreation commission)) department and the
department of natural resources may periodically conduct a joint review
of trust lands managed by the department of natural resources to
identify those parcels which may be appropriate for transfer to the
((commission)) department for public recreation purposes.
Sec. 3043 RCW 79A.05.225 and 1999 c 249 s 1401 are each amended
to read as follows:
In addition to its other powers, duties, and functions the
((commission)) department may:
(1) Plan, construct, and maintain suitable facilities for winter
recreational activities on lands administered or acquired by the
((commission)) department or as authorized on lands administered by
other public agencies or private landowners by agreement;
(2) Provide and issue upon payment of the proper fee, under RCW
79A.05.230, 79A.05.240, and 46.61.585, with the assistance of such
authorized agents as may be necessary for the convenience of the
public, special permits to park in designated winter recreational area
parking spaces;
(3) Administer the snow removal operations for all designated
winter recreational area parking spaces; and
(4) Compile, publish, and distribute maps indicating such parking
spaces, adjacent trails, and areas and facilities suitable for winter
recreational activities.
The ((commission)) department may contract with any public or
private agency for the actual conduct of such duties, but shall remain
responsible for the proper administration thereof. The ((commission))
department is not liable for unintentional injuries to users of lands
administered for winter recreation purposes under this section or under
RCW ((46.10.210)) 46.10.370, whether the lands are administered by the
((commission)) department, by other public agencies, or by private
landowners through agreement with the ((commission)) department.
Nothing in this section prevents the liability of the ((commission))
department for injuries sustained by a user by reason of a known
dangerous artificial latent condition for which warning signs have not
been conspicuously posted. A road covered with snow and groomed for
the purposes of winter recreation consistent with this chapter and
chapter 46.10 RCW shall not be presumed to be a known dangerous
artificial latent condition for the purposes of this chapter.
Sec. 3044 RCW 79A.05.230 and 1990 c 49 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
The fee for the issuance of special winter recreational area
parking permits shall be determined by the ((commission)) department
after consultation with the winter recreation advisory committee. If
the person making application therefor is also the owner of a
snowmobile registered pursuant to chapter 46.10 RCW, there shall be no
fee for the issuance of an annual permit. All special winter
recreational area parking permits shall commence and expire on the
dates established by the ((commission)) department.
Sec. 3045 RCW 79A.05.235 and 1991 sp.s. c 13 s 6 are each amended
to read as follows:
There is hereby created the winter recreational program account in
the state treasury. Special winter recreational area parking permit
fees collected under this chapter shall be remitted to the state
treasurer to be deposited in the winter recreational program account
and shall be appropriated only to the ((commission)) department for
nonsnowmobile winter recreation purposes including the administration,
acquisition, development, operation, planning, and maintenance of
winter recreation facilities and the development and implementation of
winter recreation, safety, enforcement, and education programs. The
((commission)) department may accept gifts, grants, donations, or
moneys from any source for deposit in the winter recreational program
account.
Any public agency in this state may develop and implement winter
recreation programs. The ((commission)) department may make grants to
public agencies and contract with any public or private agency or
person to develop and implement winter recreation programs.
Sec. 3046 RCW 79A.05.240 and 1982 c 11 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may, after consultation with the
winter recreation advisory committee, adopt rules ((and regulations))
prohibiting or restricting overnight parking at any special state
winter recreational parking areas owned or administered by it. Where
such special state winter recreational parking areas are administered
by the ((commission)) department pursuant to an agreement with other
public agencies, such agreement may provide for prohibition or
restriction of overnight parking.
Sec. 3047 RCW 79A.05.250 and 2000 c 11 s 34 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may adopt such rules as are necessary
to implement and enforce RCW 79A.05.225 through 79A.05.240 and
46.61.585 after consultation with the winter recreation advisory
committee.
Sec. 3048 RCW 79A.05.255 and 2000 c 48 s 1 and 2000 c 11 s 35 are
each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(1) There is created a winter recreation advisory committee to
advise the ((parks and recreation commission)) department in the
administration of this chapter and to assist and advise the
((commission)) department in the development of winter recreation
facilities and programs.
(2) The committee shall consist of:
(a) Six representatives of the nonsnowmobiling winter recreation
public appointed by the ((commission)) department, including a resident
of each of the six geographical areas of this state where
nonsnowmobiling winter recreation activity occurs, as defined by the
((commission)) department.
(b) Three representatives of the snowmobiling public appointed by
the ((commission)) department.
(c) One representative of the department of natural resources, one
representative of the department of fish and wildlife, and one
representative of the Washington state association of counties, each of
whom shall be appointed by the director of the particular department or
association.
(3) The terms of the members appointed under subsection (2)(a) and
(b) of this section shall begin on October 1st of the year of
appointment and shall be for three years or until a successor is
appointed, except in the case of appointments to fill vacancies for the
remainder of the unexpired term: PROVIDED, That the first of these
members shall be appointed for terms as follows: Three members shall
be appointed for one year, three members shall be appointed for two
years, and three members shall be appointed for three years.
(4) Members of the committee shall be reimbursed from the winter
recreational program account created by RCW 79A.05.235 for travel
expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
(5) The committee shall meet at times and places it determines not
less than twice each year and additionally as required by the committee
chair or by majority vote of the committee. The chair of the committee
shall be chosen under procedures adopted by the committee. The
committee shall adopt any other procedures necessary to govern its
proceedings.
(6) The director ((of parks and recreation)) or the director's
designee shall serve as secretary to the committee and shall be a
nonvoting member.
Sec. 3049 RCW 79A.05.280 and 1977 ex.s. c 281 s 4 are each
amended to read as follows:
The ((parks and recreation commission)) department is authorized to
accept grants or moneys from any federal or private source for support
of hostels. The ((commission)) department at its discretion is
directed to apportion and transfer any such moneys to contracting
agencies or political subdivisions which operate hostels: PROVIDED,
That the ((commission)) department shall establish rules and
regulations for the operation of hostels which are substantially
similar to the operating standards and customs established by the
American Youth Hostels Incorporated.
Sec. 3050 RCW 79A.05.285 and 1999 c 249 s 907 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department is authorized to evaluate and acquire
land under RCW ((79.01.612)) 79.10.030 in cooperation with the
department of natural resources.
Sec. 3051 RCW 79A.05.290 and 1999 c 249 s 908 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may select land held by the
department of natural resources for acquisition under RCW 79A.50.010 et
seq.
Sec. 3052 RCW 79A.05.310 and 1998 c 245 s 66 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((state parks and recreation commission)) department shall:
(1) Coordinate a statewide program of boating safety education
using to the maximum extent possible existing programs offered by the
United States power squadron and the United States coast guard
auxiliary;
(2) Adopt rules in accordance with chapter 34.05 RCW, consistent
with United States coast guard regulations, standards, and precedents,
as needed for the efficient administration and enforcement of this
section;
(3) Enter into agreements aiding the administration of this
chapter;
(4) Adopt and administer a casualty and accident reporting program
consistent with United States coast guard regulations;
(5) Adopt and enforce recreational boating safety rules, including
but not necessarily limited to equipment and navigating requirements,
consistent with United States coast guard regulations;
(6) Coordinate with local and state agencies the development of
biennial plans and programs for the enhancement of boating safety,
safety education, and enforcement of safety rules and laws; allocate
money appropriated to the ((commission)) department for these programs
as necessary; and accept and administer any public or private grants or
federal funds which are obtained for these purposes under chapter 43.88
RCW; and
(7) Take additional actions necessary to gain acceptance of a
program of boating safety for this state under the federal boating
safety act of 1971.
Sec. 3053 RCW 79A.05.320 and 2000 c 11 s 39 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((state parks and recreation commission)) department shall do
the following with respect to the portion of the Milwaukee Road
corridor under its control:
(1) Manage the corridor as a recreational trail except when closed
under RCW 79A.05.325;
(2) Close the corridor to hunting;
(3) Close the corridor to all motorized vehicles except: (a)
Emergency or law enforcement vehicles; (b) vehicles necessary for
access to utility lines; and (c) vehicles necessary for maintenance of
the corridor, or construction of the trail;
(4) Comply with legally enforceable conditions contained in the
deeds for the corridor;
(5) Control weeds under the applicable provisions of chapters
17.04, 17.06, and 17.10 RCW; and
(6) Clean and maintain culverts.
Sec. 3054 RCW 79A.05.325 and 1989 c 129 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((state parks and recreation commission)) department may do the
following with respect to the portion of the Milwaukee Road corridor
under its control:
(1) Enter into agreements to allow the realignment or modification
of public roads, farm crossings, water conveyance facilities, and other
utility crossings;
(2) Regulate activities and restrict uses, including, but not
limited to, closing portions of the corridor to reduce fire danger or
protect public safety;
(3) Place hazard warning signs and close hazardous structures;
(4) Renegotiate deed restrictions upon agreement with affected
parties; and
(5) Approve and process the sale or exchange of lands or easements
if such a sale or exchange will not adversely affect the recreational
potential of the corridor; and
(6) Manage the portion of the Milwaukee Road corridor lying between
the eastern corporate limits of the city of Kittitas and the eastern
end of the corridor under ((commission)) department control for
recreational access limited to holders of permits issued by the
((commission)) department. The ((commission)) department shall, for
the purpose of issuing permits for corridor use, adopt rules necessary
for the orderly and safe use of the corridor and the protection of
adjoining landowners, which may include restrictions on the total
numbers of permits issued, numbers in a permitted group, and periods
during which the corridor is available for permitted users. The
((commission)) department may increase recreational management of this
portion of the corridor and eliminate the permit system as it
determines in its discretion based upon available funding and other
resources.
Sec. 3055 RCW 79A.05.330 and 1984 c 174 s 5 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((state parks and recreation commission)) department shall
identify opportunities and encourage volunteer work, private
contributions, and support from tax-exempt foundations to develop,
operate, and maintain the recreation trail on the portion of the
Milwaukee Road under its control.
Sec. 3056 RCW 79A.05.335 and 1991 c 107 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
The legislature finds that the lands owned and managed by the
((state parks and recreation commission)) department are a significant
collection of valuable natural, historical, and cultural resources for
the citizens of Washington state. The legislature further finds that
if citizens understand and appreciate the state park ecological
resources, they will come to appreciate and understand the ecosystems
and natural resources throughout the state. Therefore, the ((state
parks and recreation commission)) department may increase the use of
its facilities and resources to provide environmental interpretation
throughout the state parks system.
Sec. 3057 RCW 79A.05.340 and 1991 c 107 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((state parks and recreation commission)) department may
provide environmental interpretative activities for visitors to state
parks that:
(1) Explain the functions, history, and cultural aspects of
ecosystems;
(2) Explain the relationship between human needs, human behaviors
and attitudes, and the environment; and
(3) Offer experiences and information to increase citizen
appreciation and stewardship of the environment and its multiple uses.
Sec. 3058 RCW 79A.05.345 and 1991 c 107 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((state parks and recreation commission)) department may
consult and enter into agreements with and solicit assistance from
private sector organizations and other governmental agencies that are
interested in conserving and interpreting Washington's environment.
The ((commission)) department shall not permit commercial advertising
in state park lands or interpretive centers as a condition of such
agreements. Logos or credit lines for sponsoring organizations may be
permitted. The ((commission)) department shall maintain an accounting
of all monetary gifts provided, and expenditures of monetary gifts
shall not be used to increase personnel.
Sec. 3059 RCW 79A.05.351 and 2007 c 176 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The outdoor education and recreation grant program is hereby
created, subject to the availability of funds in the outdoor education
and recreation account. The ((commission)) department shall establish
and implement the program by rule to provide opportunities for public
agencies, private nonprofit organizations, formal school programs,
nonformal after-school programs, and community-based programs to
receive grants from the account. Programs that provide outdoor
education opportunities to schools shall be fully aligned with the
state's essential academic learning requirements.
(2) The program shall be phased in beginning with the schools and
students with the greatest needs in suburban, rural, and urban areas of
the state. The program shall focus on students who qualify for free
and reduced-price lunch, who are most likely to fail academically, or
who have the greatest potential to drop out of school.
(3) The director shall set priorities and develop criteria for the
awarding of grants to outdoor environmental, ecological, agricultural,
or other natural resource-based education and recreation programs
considering at least the following:
(a) Programs that contribute to the reduction of academic failure
and dropout rates;
(b) Programs that make use of research-based, effective
environmental, ecological, agricultural, or other natural resource-based education curriculum;
(c) Programs that contribute to healthy life styles through outdoor
recreation and sound nutrition;
(d) Various Washington state parks as venues and use of the
((commission's)) department's personnel as a resource;
(e) Programs that maximize the number of participants that can be
served;
(f) Programs that will commit matching and in-kind resources;
(g) Programs that create partnerships with public and private
entities;
(h) Programs that provide students with opportunities to directly
experience and understand nature and the natural world; and
(i) Programs that include ongoing program evaluation, assessment,
and reporting of their effectiveness.
(4) The director shall create an advisory committee to assist and
advise the ((commission)) department in the development and
administration of the outdoor education and recreation program. The
director should solicit representation on the committee from the office
of the superintendent of public instruction, ((the department of fish
and wildlife,)) the business community, outdoor organizations with an
interest in education, and any others the ((commission)) director deems
sufficient to ensure a cross section of stakeholders. When the
director creates such an advisory committee, its members shall be
reimbursed from the outdoor education and recreation program account
for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
(5) The outdoor education and recreation program account is created
in the custody of the state treasurer. Funds deposited in the outdoor
education and recreation program account shall be transferred only to
the ((commission)) department to be used solely for the
((commission's)) department's outdoor education and recreation program
purposes identified in this section including the administration of the
program. The director may accept gifts, grants, donations, or moneys
from any source for deposit in the outdoor education and recreation
program account. Any public agency in this state may develop and
implement outdoor education and recreation programs. The director may
make grants to public agencies and contract with any public or private
agency or person to develop and implement outdoor education and
recreation programs. The outdoor education and recreation program
account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but
an appropriation is not required for expenditures.
Sec. 3060 RCW 79A.05.355 and 1993 c 267 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((state parks and recreation commission)) department shall act
as the lead agency for the establishment of underwater parks in state
waters and for environmental reviews of projects necessary to establish
underwater parks. The ((commission)) department may enter into
interagency agreements to facilitate timely receipt of necessary
permits from other state agencies and local governments.
Sec. 3061 RCW 79A.05.360 and 1999 c 249 s 1301 are each amended
to read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may establish a system of underwater
parks to provide for diverse recreational diving opportunities and to
conserve and protect unique marine resources of the state of
Washington. In establishing and maintaining an underwater park system,
the ((commission)) department may:
(1) Plan, construct, and maintain underwater parks;
(2) Acquire property and enter management agreements with other
units of state government for the management of lands, tidelands, and
bedlands as underwater parks;
(3) Construct artificial reefs and other underwater features to
enhance marine life and recreational uses of an underwater park;
(4) Accept gifts and donations for the benefit of underwater parks;
(5) Facilitate private efforts to construct artificial reefs and
underwater parks;
(6) Work with the federal government, local governments and other
appropriate agencies of state government, including but not limited to:
The department of natural resources((, the department of fish and
wildlife)) and the natural heritage council to carry out the purposes
of this chapter; and
(7) Contract with other state agencies or local governments for the
management of an underwater park unit.
Sec. 3062 RCW 79A.05.370 and 1993 c 267 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
In establishing an underwater park system, the ((commission))
department shall seek to create diverse recreational opportunities in
areas throughout Washington state. The ((commission)) department shall
place a high priority upon creating units that possess unique or
diverse marine life or underwater natural or artificial features such
as shipwrecks.
Sec. 3063 RCW 79A.05.375 and 1993 c 267 s 5 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department is not liable for unintentional
injuries to users of underwater parks, whether the facilities are
administered by the ((commission)) department or by another entity or
person. However, nothing in this section prevents the liability of the
((commission)) department for injuries sustained by a user by reason of
a known dangerous artificial latent condition for which warning signs
have not been conspicuously posted.
Sec. 3064 RCW 79A.05.380 and 2003 c 338 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
The legislature recognizes the increase in water-oriented
recreation by users of human and wind-powered, beachable vessels such
as kayaks, canoes, or day sailors on Washington's waters. These
recreationists frequently require overnight camping facilities along
the shores of public or private beaches. The legislature now creates
a water trail recreation program, to be administered by the
((Washington state parks and recreation commission)) department. The
legislature recognizes that the effort to develop water trail sites is
a continuing need and that the ((commission)) department provides
beneficial expertise and consultation to water trail user groups,
agencies, and private landowners for the existing Cascadia marine trail
and Willapa Bay water trail.
Sec. 3065 RCW 79A.05.385 and 2003 c 338 s 2 and 2003 c 126 s 601
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
In addition to its other powers, duties, and functions, the
((commission)) department may:
(1) Plan, construct, and maintain suitable facilities for water
trail activities on lands administered or acquired by the
((commission)) department or as authorized on lands administered by
tribes or other public agencies or private landowners by agreement.
(2) Compile, publish, distribute, and charge a fee for maps or
other forms of public information indicating areas and facilities
suitable for water trail activities.
(3) Contract with a public agency, private entity, or person for
the actual conduct of these duties.
(4) Work with individuals or organizations who wish to volunteer
their time to support the water trail recreation program.
(5) Provide expertise and consultation to individuals, agencies,
and organizations in the continued development of water trail sites in
this state.
Sec. 3066 RCW 79A.05.390 and 1993 c 182 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may make water trail program grants
to public agencies or tribal governments and may contract with any
public agency, tribal government, entity, or person to develop and
implement water trail programs.
Sec. 3067 RCW 79A.05.395 and 1993 c 182 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department is not liable for unintentional
injuries to users of facilities administered for water trail purposes
under this chapter, whether the facilities are administered by the
((commission)) department or by any other entity or person. However,
nothing in this section prevents the liability of the ((commission))
department for injuries sustained by a user by reason of a known
dangerous artificial latent condition for which warning signs have not
been conspicuously posted.
Sec. 3068 RCW 79A.05.410 and 2003 c 338 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may adopt rules to administer the
water trail program and facilities on areas owned or administered by
the ((commission)) department. Where water trail facilities
administered by other public or private entities are incorporated into
the water trail system, the rules adopted by those entities shall
prevail. The ((commission)) department is not responsible or liable
for enforcement of these alternative rules.
Sec. 3069 RCW 79A.05.415 and 1993 c 182 s 8 are each amended to
read as follows:
Violation of the provisions of the ((commission's)) department's
rules governing the use of water trail facilities and property shall
constitute a civil infraction, punishable as provided under chapter
7.84 RCW.
Sec. 3070 RCW 79A.05.425 and 2003 c 338 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
((Any unspent balance of funds in the water trail program account
created in RCW 79A.05.405 as of June 30, 2003, must be transferred to
the state parks renewal and stewardship account created in RCW
79A.05.215.)) All receipts from sales of materials under RCW
79A.05.385 and all monetary civil penalties collected under RCW
79A.05.415 must be deposited in the state parks renewal and stewardship
account. Any gifts, grants, donations, or moneys from any source
received by the ((commission)) department for the water trail program
must also be deposited in the state parks renewal and stewardship
account. Funds transferred or deposited into the state parks renewal
and stewardship account under this section must be used solely for
water trail program purposes.
Sec. 3071 RCW 79A.05.505 and 1999 c 249 s 1201 are each amended
to read as follows:
There is hereby created and established a youth development and
conservation division within the ((commission)) department. The
((commission)) department shall appoint such supervisory personnel as
necessary to carry out the purposes of RCW 79A.05.500 through
79A.05.530.
Sec. 3072 RCW 79A.05.510 and 1975 c 7 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
Composition of the corps shall consist of youths who are citizens
of the United States and residents of the state of Washington of good
character and health, and who are not more than twenty-one years of
age. In order to enroll, an individual must agree to comply with rules
((and regulations promulgated)) adopted by the ((commission))
department. The period of enrollment shall be for thirty, sixty, or
ninety days or for such shorter period as determined by the
((commission)) department. If permitted by the ((commission))
department an individual may reenroll. Enrollment shall basically be
allocated on a percentage basis to each of the forty-nine legislative
districts on the basis of the ratio that the population of each
district bears to the total population of the state of Washington, but
the ((commission)) department may also take into account problems of
substantial unemployment in certain areas.
Sec. 3073 RCW 79A.05.515 and 1999 c 249 s 1202 are each amended
to read as follows:
(1) The minimum compensation shall be at the rate of twenty-five
dollars per week, except that up to the minimum state wage may be paid
on the basis of assigned leadership responsibilities or special skills.
(2) Enrollees shall be furnished quarters, subsistence, medical and
hospital services, transportation, equipment, as the ((commission))
department may deem necessary and appropriate for their needs. Such
quarters, subsistence, and equipment may be furnished by any
governmental or public agency.
(3) The compensation of enrollees of any program under this chapter
may be paid biweekly.
Sec. 3074 RCW 79A.05.525 and 1965 c 8 s 43.51.560 are each
amended to read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may expend such amounts as necessary
for supplies, material and equipment to be used by enrollees in
connection with their work, recreation, health, or welfare; the
((commission)) department shall purchase government surplus materials,
supplies and equipment when available and as needed.
The ((commission)) department may accept any gifts, grants or
contributions of money, material, lands, or personal property as it
deems appropriate and may administer and dispose of them as it
determines to be in the interests of the general public.
Sec. 3075 RCW 79A.05.530 and 1975 c 7 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may, by agreement with an individual
or company enroll and supervise additional young persons, who shall be
furnished compensation, subsistence, quarters, supplies and materials
by the cooperating private company or individual, to develop, maintain
or improve natural and artificial recreational areas for the health and
happiness of the general public. The corps shall not be engaged in the
development, improvement or maintenance of a commercial recreational
area or resort, and the individual or corporation entering such
agreement with the ((commission)) department shall make such improved
areas available to the general public without cost for a period of at
least five years. Private individuals may reserve the right to close
the area during periods of fire hazard or during periods when excess
damage would be caused by public use.
Sec. 3076 RCW 79A.05.535 and 2000 c 11 s 44 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((state parks and recreation commission)) department is
authorized to enter into agreements with and accept grants from the
federal government for the support of any program within the purposes
of RCW 79A.05.500 through 79A.05.530.
Sec. 3077 RCW 79A.05.540 and 2000 c 11 s 45 are each amended to
read as follows:
Notwithstanding the provisions of RCW 79A.05.510 and 79A.05.515,
the ((commission)) department may determine the length of enrollment
and the compensation of enrollees in accordance with the standards of
any federal act or regulation under which an agreement is made with, or
a grant is received from the federal government pursuant to RCW
79A.05.535.
Sec. 3078 RCW 79A.05.545 and 1999 c 249 s 701 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department shall cooperate in implementing and
operating the conservation corps as required by chapter 43.220 RCW.
Sec. 3079 RCW 79A.05.610 and 2000 c 11 s 46 are each amended to
read as follows:
Except as otherwise provided in RCW 79A.05.600 through 79A.05.630,
the Washington State Seashore Conservation Area shall be under the
jurisdiction of the ((Washington state parks and recreation
commission)) department, which shall administer RCW 79A.05.600 through
79A.05.630 in accordance with the powers granted it herein and under
the appropriate provisions of this chapter.
Sec. 3080 RCW 79A.05.615 and 2000 c 11 s 47 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((Washington state parks and recreation commission)) department
shall administer the Washington State Seashore Conservation Area in
harmony with the broad principles set forth in RCW 79A.05.600. Where
feasible, the area shall be preserved in its present state; everywhere
it shall be maintained in the best possible condition for public use.
All forms of public outdoor recreation shall be permitted and
encouraged in the area, unless specifically excluded or limited by the
((commission)) department. While the primary purpose in the
establishment of the area is to preserve the coastal beaches for public
recreation, other uses shall be allowed as provided in RCW 79A.05.600
through 79A.05.630, or when found not inconsistent with public
recreational use by the ((Washington state parks and recreation
commission)) department.
Sec. 3081 RCW 79A.05.620 and 2000 c 11 s 48 are each amended to
read as follows:
In administering the Washington State Seashore Conservation Area,
the ((Washington state parks and recreation commission)) department
shall seek the cooperation and assistance of federal agencies, other
state agencies, and local political subdivisions. All state agencies,
and the governing officials of each local subdivision shall cooperate
with the ((commission)) department in carrying out its duties. Except
as otherwise provided in RCW 79A.05.600 through 79A.05.630, and
notwithstanding any other provision of law, other state agencies and
local subdivisions shall perform duties in the Washington State
Seashore Conservation Area which are within their normal jurisdiction,
except when such performance clearly conflicts with the purposes of RCW
79A.05.600 through 79A.05.630.
Sec. 3082 RCW 79A.05.625 and 2000 c 11 s 49 are each amended to
read as follows:
Nothing in RCW 79A.05.600 through 79A.05.630 and 79A.05.635 through
79A.05.695 shall be construed to interfere with the powers, duties and
authority of the department ((of fish and wildlife)) to regulate the
conservation or taking of food fish and shellfish. Nor shall anything
in RCW 79A.05.600 through 79A.05.630 and 79A.05.635 through 79A.05.695
be construed to interfere with the powers, duties and authority of the
department ((of fish and wildlife)) to regulate, manage, conserve, and
provide for the harvest of wildlife within such area: PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, That no hunting shall be permitted in any state park.
Sec. 3083 RCW 79A.05.630 and 2000 c 11 s 50 are each amended to
read as follows:
Lands within the Seashore Conservation Area shall not be sold,
leased, or otherwise disposed of, except as herein provided. The
((commission)) department may, under authority granted in RCW
79A.05.175 and 79A.05.180, exchange state park lands in the Seashore
Conservation Area for lands of equal value to be managed by the
((commission)) department consistent with this chapter. Only state
park lands lying east of the Seashore Conservation Line, as it is
located at the time of exchange, may be so exchanged. The department
of natural resources may lease the lands within the Washington State
Seashore Conservation Area as well as the accreted lands along the
ocean in state ownership for the exploration and production of oil and
gas: PROVIDED, That oil drilling rigs and equipment will not be placed
on the Seashore Conservation Area or state-owned accreted lands.
Sale of sand from accretions shall be made to supply the needs of
cranberry growers for cranberry bogs in the vicinity and shall not be
prohibited if found by the ((commission)) department to be reasonable,
and not generally harmful or destructive to the character of the land:
PROVIDED, That the ((commission)) department may grant leases and
permits for the removal of sands for construction purposes from any
lands within the Seashore Conservation Area if found by the
((commission)) department to be reasonable and not generally harmful or
destructive to the character of the land: PROVIDED FURTHER, That net
income from such leases shall be deposited in the state parks renewal
and stewardship account.
Sec. 3084 RCW 79A.05.650 and 2000 c 11 s 54 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Except as provided in RCW 79A.05.655 and 79A.05.660, a total of
forty percent of the length of the beach subject to the recreation
management plan shall be reserved for pedestrian use under this section
and RCW 79A.05.665. Restrictions on motorized traffic under this
section shall be from April 15th to the day following Labor day of each
year. Local jurisdictions may adopt provisions within recreation
management plans that exceed the requirements of this section. The
((commission)) department shall not require that a plan designate for
pedestrian use more than forty percent of the land subject to the plan.
(2) In designating areas to be reserved for pedestrian use, the
plan shall consider the following:
(a) Public safety;
(b) Statewide interest in recreational use of the ocean beaches;
(c) Protection of shorebird and marine mammal habitats;
(d) Preservation of native beach vegetation;
(e) Protection of sand dune topography;
(f) Prudent management of clam beds;
(g) Economic impacts to the local community; and
(h) Public access and parking availability.
Sec. 3085 RCW 79A.05.665 and 2000 c 11 s 56 are each amended to
read as follows:
Recreation management plans shall, upon request of the
((commission)) department, reserve on a permanent, seasonal, or
temporary basis, land adjoining national wildlife refuges and state
parks for pedestrian use. After a plan is approved, the ((commission))
department may require local jurisdictions to adopt amendments to the
plan governing driving on land adjoining wildlife refuges and state
parks. Land reserved for pedestrian use under this section for at
least the period from April 15th through the day following Labor Day of
each year shall be included when determining compliance with the
requirements of RCW 79A.05.650.
Sec. 3086 RCW 79A.05.670 and 1999 c 249 s 1102 are each amended
to read as follows:
In preparing, adopting, or approving a recreation management plan,
local jurisdictions and the ((commission)) department shall consult
with the ((department of fish and wildlife and the)) United States fish
and wildlife service.
Sec. 3087 RCW 79A.05.685 and 2000 c 11 s 57 are each amended to
read as follows:
Recreation management plans shall be adopted by each participating
jurisdiction and submitted to the ((commission)) department by
September 1, 1989. The ((commission)) department shall approve the
proposed plan if, in the ((commission's)) department's judgment, the
plan adequately fulfills the requirements of RCW 79A.05.600 through
79A.05.695.
If the proposed plan is not approved, the ((commission)) department
shall suggest modifications to the participating local governments.
Local governments shall have ninety days after receiving the suggested
modifications to resubmit a recreation management plan. Thereafter, if
the ((commission)) department finds that a plan does not adequately
fulfill the requirements of RCW 79A.05.600 through 79A.05.695, the
((commission)) department may amend the proposal or adopt an
alternative plan.
If a plan for all or any portion of the Seashore Conservation Area
is not submitted in accordance with RCW 79A.05.635 through 79A.05.695,
the ((commission)) department shall adopt a recreation management plan
for that site.
Administrative rules adopted by the ((commission)) department under
RCW 43.51.680 shall remain in effect for all or any portion of each
ocean beach until a recreation management plan for that site is adopted
or approved by the ((commission)) department.
The ((commission)) department shall not adopt a recreation
management plan for all or any portion of an ocean beach while appeal
of a ((commission)) department decision regarding that site is pending.
Sec. 3088 RCW 79A.05.688 and 1999 c 249 s 1103 are each amended
to read as follows:
Any individual, partnership, corporation, association,
organization, cooperative, local government, or state agency aggrieved
by a decision of the ((commission)) department under this chapter may
appeal under chapter 34.05 RCW.
Sec. 3089 RCW 79A.05.690 and 1988 c 75 s 13 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department shall cooperate with state and local
law enforcement agencies in meeting the need for law enforcement within
the Seashore Conservation Area.
Sec. 3090 RCW 79A.05.695 and 2000 c 11 s 59 are each amended to
read as follows:
Amendments to the recreation management plan may be adopted jointly
by each local government participating in the plan and submitted to the
((commission)) department for approval. The ((commission)) department
shall approve a proposed amendment if, in the ((commission's))
department's judgment, the amendment adequately fulfills the
requirements of RCW 79A.05.600 through 79A.05.695.
After a plan is approved, the ((commission)) department may require
local jurisdictions to adopt amendments to the plan if the
((commission)) department finds that such amendments are necessary to
protect public health and safety, or to protect significant natural
resources as determined by the agency having jurisdiction over the
resource.
Sec. 3091 RCW 79A.05.705 and 1969 ex.s. c 162 s 2 are each
amended to read as follows:
There is hereby created a ((Washington state parks)) department of
conservation and recreation ((commission)) conservation area to be
known as "Green River Gorge conservation area."
Sec. 3092 RCW 79A.05.710 and 1969 ex.s. c 162 s 3 are each
amended to read as follows:
In addition to all other powers and duties prescribed by law, the
((state parks and recreation commission)) department is authorized and
directed to acquire such real property, easements, or rights in the
Green River Gorge in King county, together with such real property,
easements, and rights as is necessary for such park and conservation
purposes in any manner authorized by law for the acquisition of lands
for parks and parkway purposes. Except for such real property as is
necessary and convenient for development of picnicking or camping areas
and their related facilities, it is the intent of this section that
such property shall be acquired to preserve, as much as possible, the
gorge within the canyon rim in its natural pristine state.
Sec. 3093 RCW 79A.05.715 and 1969 ex.s. c 162 s 4 are each
amended to read as follows:
Nothing herein shall be construed as authorizing or directing the
((state parks and recreation commission)) department to acquire any
real property, easements, or rights in the Green River Gorge in King
county which are now held by any state agency for the purposes of
outdoor recreation, conservation, fish, or wildlife management or
public hunting or fishing without the approval of such agency.
Sec. 3094 RCW 79A.05.735 and 2000 c 11 s 60 are each amended to
read as follows:
The state department of natural resources and the ((state parks and
recreation commission)) department have joined together in excellent
cooperation in the conducting of this study along with the citizen
advisory subcommittee and have joined together ((in cooperation with
the department of fish and wildlife)) to accomplish other projects of
multidisciplinary concern, and because it may be in the best interests
of the state to continue such cooperation, ((the state parks and
recreation commission,)) the department of natural resources((,)) and
the department ((of fish and wildlife)) are hereby directed to consider
both short and long term objectives, the expertise of each agency's
staff, and alternatives such as reasonably may be expected to safeguard
the conservation area's values as described in RCW 79A.05.725 giving
due regard to efficiency and economy of management: PROVIDED, That the
interests conveyed to or by the state agencies identified in this
section shall be managed by the department of natural resources until
such time as the ((state parks and recreation commission)) department
or other public agency is managing public recreation areas and
facilities located in such close proximity to the conservation area
described in RCW 79A.05.730 so as to make combined management of those
areas and facilities and transfer of management of the conservation
area more efficient and economical than continued management by the
department of natural resources. At that time the department of
natural resources is directed to negotiate with the appropriate public
agency for the transfer of those management responsibilities for the
interests obtained within the conservation area under RCW 79A.05.725
through 79A.05.745: PROVIDED FURTHER, That the state agencies
identified in this section may, by mutual agreement, undertake
management of portions of the conservation area as they may from time
to time determine in accordance with those rules and regulations
established for natural area preserves under chapter 79.70 RCW, for
natural and conservation areas under present WAC 352-16-020(3) and (6),
and under chapter 77.12 RCW.
Sec. 3095 RCW 79A.05.780 and 2000 c 11 s 63 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((Washington state parks and recreation commission)) department
is directed to consult with the Yakima county commissioners in the
acquisition, development, and operation of the Yakima river
conservation area in accordance with the purposes of RCW 79A.05.750
through 79A.05.795 and the Yakima river study authorized in section
170, chapter 269, Laws of 1975, first extraordinary session.
Sec. 3096 RCW 79A.05.793 and 2000 c 11 s 64 are each amended to
read as follows:
Nothing in RCW 79A.05.750 through 79A.05.795 shall be construed to
interfere with the powers, duties, and authority of the ((state))
department ((of fish and wildlife or the state fish and wildlife
commission)) to regulate, manage, conserve, and provide for the harvest
of wildlife within such area: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That no hunting shall
be permitted in any state park.
Sec. 3097 RCW 46.10.300 and 2010 c 161 s 225 are each reenacted
and amended to read as follows:
The following definitions apply throughout this chapter unless the
context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "All terrain vehicle" means any self-propelled vehicle other
than a snowmobile, capable of cross-country travel on or immediately
over land, water, snow, ice, marsh, swampland, and other natural
terrain, including, but not limited to, four-wheel vehicles, amphibious
vehicles, ground effect or air cushion vehicles, and any other means of
land transportation deriving motive power from any source other than
muscle or wind; except any vehicle designed primarily for travel on,
over, or in the water, farm vehicles, or any military or law
enforcement vehicles.
(2) (("Commission" means the Washington state parks and recreation
commission.)) "Committee" means the ((
(3)Washington state parks and recreation
commission)) department of conservation and recreation snowmobile
advisory committee.
(((4))) (3) "Dealer" means a person, partnership, association, or
corporation engaged in the business of selling snowmobiles or all
terrain vehicles at wholesale or retail in this state.
(((5))) (4) "Highway" means the entire width of the right-of-way of
a primary and secondary state highway, including any portion of the
interstate highway system.
(((6))) (5) "Hunt" means any effort to kill, injure, capture, or
disturb a wild animal or wild bird.
(((7))) (6) "Public roadway" means the entire width of the right-of-way of any road or street designed and ordinarily used for travel or
parking of motor vehicles, which is controlled by a public authority
other than the Washington state department of transportation, and which
is open as a matter of right to the general public for ordinary
vehicular traffic.
Sec. 3098 RCW 46.10.320 and 2010 c 161 s 235 and 2010 c 8 s 9004
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(1) There is created in the ((Washington state parks and recreation
commission)) department of conservation and recreation a snowmobile
advisory committee to advise the ((commission)) department of
conservation and recreation regarding the administration of this
chapter.
(2) The purpose of the committee is to assist and advise the
((commission)) department of conservation and recreation in the planned
development of snowmobile facilities and programs.
(3) The committee shall consist of:
(a) Six interested snowmobilers, appointed by the ((commission))
director of conservation and recreation; each such member shall be a
resident of one of the six geographical areas throughout this state
where snowmobile activity occurs, as defined by the ((commission))
department of conservation and recreation;
(b) Three representatives of the nonsnowmobiling public, appointed
by the ((commission)) director of conservation and recreation; and
(c) One representative of the department of natural resources((,
one representative of the department of fish and wildlife,)) and one
representative of the Washington state association of counties; each of
whom shall be appointed by the director of such department or
association.
(4) Terms of the members appointed under subsection (3)(a) and (b)
of this section shall commence on October 1st of the year of
appointment and shall be for three years or until a successor is
appointed, except in the case of appointments to fill vacancies which
shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term: PROVIDED, That the
first such members shall be appointed for terms as follows: Three
members shall be appointed for one year, three members shall be
appointed for two years, and three members shall be appointed for three
years.
(5) Members of the committee shall be reimbursed for travel
expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060. Expenditures
under this subsection shall be from the snowmobile account created by
RCW 46.68.350.
(6) The committee may meet at times and places fixed by the
committee. The committee shall meet not less than twice each year and
additionally as required by the committee chair or by majority vote of
the committee. One of the meetings shall be coincident with a meeting
of the ((commission)) department of conservation and recreation at
which the committee shall provide a report to the ((commission))
department of conservation and recreation. The chair of the committee
shall be chosen under procedures adopted by the committee from those
members appointed under subsection (3)(a) and (b) of this section.
(7) The ((Washington state parks and recreation commission))
department of conservation and recreation shall serve as recording
secretary to the committee. A representative of the department of
licensing shall serve as an ex officio member of the committee and
shall be notified of all meetings of the committee. The recording
secretary and the ex officio member shall be nonvoting members.
(8) The committee shall adopt procedures to govern its proceedings.
Sec. 3099 RCW 46.10.370 and 1979 ex.s. c 182 s 15 are each
amended to read as follows:
With the exception of the registration and licensing provisions,
this chapter shall be administered by the ((Washington state parks and
recreation commission)) department of conservation and recreation. The
department shall consult with the ((commission)) department of
conservation and recreation prior to adopting rules to carry out its
duties under this chapter. After consultation with the committee, the
((commission)) department of conservation and recreation shall adopt
such rules as may be necessary to carry out its duties under this
chapter. Nothing in this chapter is intended to discourage
experimental or pilot programs which could enhance snowmobile safety or
recreational snowmobiling.
Sec. 3100 RCW 70.114.010 and 1979 ex.s. c 79 s 1 are each amended
to read as follows:
The legislature finds that the migrant labor housing project
constructed on property purchased by the state in Yakima county should
be continued until June 30, 1981. The employment security department
is authorized to set day use or extended period use fees, consistent
with those established by the department of ((parks)) conservation and
recreation.
Sec. 3101 RCW 79.10.030 and 2003 c 334 s 398 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the
department shall manage and control all lands acquired by the state by
escheat or under RCW 79.19.010 through 79.19.110 and all lands acquired
by the state by deed of sale or gift or by devise, except such lands
which are conveyed or devised to the state to be used for a particular
purpose.
(2) When land is acquired by the state by escheat which because of
its location or features may be suitable for park purposes, the
department shall notify the ((state parks and recreation commission))
department of conservation and recreation. The department and the
((commission)) department of conservation and recreation shall jointly
evaluate the land for its suitability for park purposes, based upon the
features of the land and the need for park facilities in the vicinity.
Where the department and ((commission)) the department of conservation
and recreation determine that such land is suitable for park purposes,
it shall be offered for transfer to the ((commission)) department of
conservation and recreation, or, in the event that the ((commission))
department of conservation and recreation declines to accept the land,
to the local jurisdiction providing park facilities in that area. When
so offered, the payment required by the recipient agency shall not
exceed the costs incurred by the department in managing and protecting
the land since receipt by the state.
(3) The department may review lands acquired by escheat since
January 1, 1983, for their suitability for park purposes, and apply the
evaluation and transfer procedures authorized by subsection (2) of this
section.
Sec. 3102 RCW 79A.30.010 and 2000 c 11 s 83 are each amended to
read as follows:
((Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise,)) The definitions
in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context
clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Authority" means the Washington state horse park authority
authorized to be created in RCW 79A.30.030.
(2) (("Commission" means the Washington state parks and recreation
commission.)) "Department" means the department of conservation and
recreation.
(3) "Horses" includes all domesticated members of the taxonomic
family Equidae, including but not limited to horses, donkeys, and
mules.
(4) "State horse park" means the Washington state horse park
established in RCW 79A.30.020.
Sec. 3103 RCW 79A.30.020 and 2000 c 11 s 84 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The Washington state horse park is hereby established, to be
located at a site approved by the ((commission)) department. In
approving a site for the state horse park, the ((commission))
department shall consider areas with large blocks of land suitable for
park development, the distance to various population centers in the
state, the ease of transportation to the site for large vehicles
traveling along either a north-south or an east-west corridor, and
other factors deemed important by the ((commission)) department.
(2) Ownership of land for the state horse park shall be as follows:
(a) The ((commission)) department is vested with and shall retain
ownership of land provided by the state for the state horse park. Any
lands acquired by the ((commission)) department after July 23, 1995,
for the state horse park shall be purchased under chapter 79A.15 RCW.
The legislature encourages the ((commission)) department to provide a
long-term lease of the selected property to the Washington state horse
park authority at a minimal charge. The lease shall contain provisions
ensuring public access to and use of the horse park facilities, and
generally maximizing public recreation opportunities at the horse park,
provided that the facility remains available primarily for horse-related activities.
(b) Land provided for the state horse park by the county in which
the park is located shall remain in the ownership of that county unless
the county determines otherwise. The legislature encourages the county
to provide a long-term lease of selected property to the Washington
state horse park authority at a minimal charge.
(c) If the authority acquires additional lands through donations,
grants, or other means, or with funds generated from the operation of
the state horse park, the authority shall retain ownership of those
lands. The authority shall also retain ownership of horse park site
improvements paid for by or through donations or gifts to the
authority.
(3) Development, promotion, operation, management, and maintenance
of the state horse park is the responsibility of the authority created
in RCW 79A.30.030.
Sec. 3104 RCW 79A.30.030 and 2000 c 11 s 85 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A nonprofit corporation may be formed under the nonprofit
corporation provisions of chapter 24.03 RCW to carry out the purposes
of this chapter. Except as provided in RCW 79A.30.040, the corporation
shall have all the powers and be subject to the same restrictions as
are permitted or prescribed to nonprofit corporations and shall
exercise those powers only for carrying out the purposes of this
chapter and those purposes necessarily implied therefrom. The
nonprofit corporation shall be known as the Washington state horse park
authority. The articles of incorporation shall provide that it is the
responsibility of the authority to develop, promote, operate, manage,
and maintain the Washington state horse park. The articles of
incorporation shall provide for appointment of directors and other
conduct of business consistent with the requirements of this chapter.
(2)(a) The articles of incorporation shall provide for a seven-member board of directors for the authority, all appointed by the
governor. Board members shall serve three-year terms, except that two
of the original appointees shall serve one-year terms, and two of the
original appointees shall serve two-year terms. A board member may
serve consecutive terms.
(b) The articles of incorporation shall provide that the governor
appoint board members as follows:
(i) One board member shall represent the interests of the
((commission)) department. In making this appointment, the governor
shall solicit recommendations from the ((commission)) department;
(ii) One board member shall represent the interests of the county
in which the park is located. In making this appointment, the governor
shall solicit recommendations from the county legislative authority;
and
(iii) Five board members shall represent the geographic and sports
discipline diversity of equestrian interests in the state, and at least
one of these members shall have business experience relevant to the
organization of horse shows or operation of a horse show facility. In
making these appointments, the governor shall solicit recommendations
from a variety of active horse-related organizations in the state.
(3) The articles of incorporation shall include a policy that
provides for the preferential use of a specific area of the horse park
facilities at nominal cost for horse groups associated with youth
groups and ((the disabled)) individuals with disabilities.
(4) The governor shall make appointments to fill board vacancies
for positions authorized under subsection (2) of this section, upon
additional solicitation of recommendations from the board of directors.
(5) The board of directors shall perform their duties in the best
interests of the authority, consistent with the standards applicable to
directors of nonprofit corporations under RCW 24.03.127.
Sec. 3105 RCW 79A.30.050 and 1995 c 200 s 6 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) If the authority and state agencies find it mutually beneficial
to do so, they are authorized to collaborate and cooperate on projects
of shared interest. Agencies authorized to collaborate with the
authority include but are not limited to: The ((commission))
department for activities and projects related to public recreation;
the department of agriculture for projects related to the equine
agricultural industry; the department of ((community, trade, and
economic development)) commerce with respect to community and economic
development and tourism issues associated with development of the state
horse park; Washington State University with respect to opportunities
for animal research, education, and extension; the department of
ecology with respect to opportunities for making the state horse park's
waste treatment facilities a demonstration model for the handling of
waste to protect water quality; and with local community colleges with
respect to programs related to horses, economic development, business,
and tourism.
(2) The authority shall cooperate with 4-H clubs, pony clubs, youth
groups, and local park departments to provide youth recreational
activities. The authority shall also provide for preferential use of
an area of the horse park facility for youth and the disabled at
nominal cost.
Sec. 3106 RCW 79A.40.030 and 2000 c 11 s 88 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((state parks and recreation commission)) department of
conservation and recreation shall have the authority and the
responsibility for the inspection of the devices set forth in RCW
79A.40.010 and in addition shall have the following powers and duties:
(1) Whenever the ((commission)) department of conservation and
recreation, after hearing called upon its own motion or upon complaint,
finds that additional apparatus, equipment, facilities or devices for
use or in connection with the transportation or conveyance of persons
upon the devices set forth in RCW 79A.40.010, ought reasonably to be
provided, or any repairs or improvements to, or changes in, any
theretofore in use ought reasonably to be made, or any additions or
changes in construction should reasonably be made thereto, in order to
promote the security and safety of the public or employees, it may make
and serve an order directing such repairs, improvements, changes, or
additions to be made.
(2) If the ((commission)) department of conservation and recreation
finds that the equipment, or appliances in connection therewith, or the
apparatus, or other structures of the recreational device set forth in
RCW 79A.40.010 are defective, and that the operation thereof is
dangerous to the employees of the owner or operator of such device or
to the public, it shall immediately give notice to the owner or
operator of such device of the repairs or reconstruction necessary to
place the same in a safe condition, and may prescribe the time within
which they shall be made. If, in its opinion, it is needful or proper,
the ((commission)) department of conservation and recreation may forbid
the operation of the device until it is repaired and placed in a safe
condition.
Sec. 3107 RCW 79A.55.010 and 1999 c 249 s 801 and 1999 c 151 s
1701 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
The definitions ((set forth)) in this section apply throughout this
chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) (("Commission" means the state parks and recreation
commission.)) "Department" means the department of conservation and
recreation.
(2) "Participating local government" means the legislative
authority of any city or county, a portion of whose territorial
jurisdiction is bounded by or includes a river or river segment of the
state's scenic river system.
(3) "River" means a flowing body of water or a section, segment, or
portion thereof.
(4) "River area" means a river and the land area in its immediate
environs as established by the participating agencies not exceeding a
width of one-quarter mile landward from the streamway on either side of
the river.
(5) "Scenic easement" means the negotiated right to control the use
of land, including the air space above the land, for the purpose of
protecting the scenic view throughout the visual corridor.
(6) "Streamway" means that stream-dependent corridor of single or
multiple, wet or dry, channel or channels within which the usual
seasonal or storm water run-off peaks are contained, and within which
environment the flora, fauna, soil, and topography is dependent on or
influenced by the height and velocity of the fluctuating river
currents.
(7) "System" means all the rivers and river areas in the state
designated by the legislature for inclusion as scenic rivers but does
not include tributaries of a designated river unless specifically
included by the legislature. The inclusion of a river in the system
does not mean that other rivers or tributaries in a drainage basin
shall be required to be part of the management program developed for
the system unless the rivers and tributaries within the drainage basin
are specifically designated for inclusion by the legislature.
(8) "Visual corridor" means that area which can be seen in a normal
summer month by a person of normal vision walking either bank of a
river included in the system. The visual corridor shall not exceed the
river area.
Sec. 3108 RCW 79A.60.010 and 2005 c 392 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in
this section apply throughout this chapter.
(1) "Accredited course" means a mandatory course of instruction on
boating safety education that has been approved by the ((commission))
department.
(2) "Boat wastes" includes, but is not limited to, sewage, garbage,
marine debris, plastics, contaminated bilge water, cleaning solvents,
paint scrapings, or discarded petroleum products associated with the
use of vessels.
(3) "Boater" means any person on a vessel on waters of the state of
Washington.
(4) "Boater education card" means a card issued to a person who has
successfully completed a boating safety education test and has paid the
registration fee for a serial number record to be maintained in the
((commission's)) department's database.
(5) "Boating educator" means a person providing an accredited
course.
(6) "Carrying passengers for hire" means carrying passengers in a
vessel on waters of the state for valuable consideration, whether given
directly or indirectly or received by the owner, agent, operator, or
other person having an interest in the vessel. This shall not include
trips where expenses for food, transportation, or incidentals are
shared by participants on an even basis. Anyone receiving compensation
for skills or money for amortization of equipment and carrying
passengers shall be considered to be carrying passengers for hire on
waters of the state.
(7) "Certificate of accomplishment" means a form of certificate
approved by the ((commission)) department and issued by a boating
educator to a person who has successfully completed an accredited
course.
(8) (("Commission" means the state parks and recreation
commission.)) "Department" means the department of conservation and
recreation.
(9) "Darkness" means that period between sunset and sunrise.
(10) "Environmentally sensitive area" means a restricted body of
water where discharge of untreated sewage from boats is especially
detrimental because of limited flushing, shallow water, commercial or
recreational shellfish, swimming areas, diversity of species, the
absence of other pollution sources, or other characteristics.
(11) "Guide" means any individual, including but not limited to
subcontractors and independent contractors, engaged for compensation or
other consideration by a whitewater river outfitter for the purpose of
operating vessels. A person licensed under RCW 77.65.480 or 77.65.440
and acting as a fishing guide is not considered a guide for the
purposes of this chapter.
(12) "Marina" means a facility providing boat moorage space, fuel,
or commercial services. Commercial services include but are not
limited to overnight or live-aboard boating accommodations.
(13) "Motor driven boats and vessels" means all boats and vessels
which are self propelled.
(14) "Motor vessel safety operating and equipment checklist" means
a printed list of the safety requirements for a vessel with a motor
installed or attached to the vessel being rented, chartered, or leased
and meeting minimum requirements adopted by the ((commission))
department in accordance with RCW 79A.60.630.
(15) "Muffler" or "muffler system" means a sound suppression device
or system, including an underwater exhaust system, designed and
installed to abate the sound of exhaust gases emitted from an internal
combustion engine and that prevents excessive or unusual noise.
(16) "Operate" means to steer, direct, or otherwise have physical
control of a vessel that is underway.
(17) "Operator" means an individual who steers, directs, or
otherwise has physical control of a vessel that is underway or
exercises actual authority to control the person at the helm.
(18) "Observer" means the individual riding in a vessel who is
responsible for observing a water skier at all times.
(19) "Owner" means a person who has a lawful right to possession of
a vessel by purchase, exchange, gift, lease, inheritance, or legal
action whether or not the vessel is subject to a security interest.
(20) "Person" means any individual, sole proprietorship,
partnership, corporation, nonprofit corporation or organization,
limited liability company, firm, association, or other legal entity
located within or outside this state.
(21) "Personal flotation device" means a buoyancy device, life
preserver, buoyant vest, ring buoy, or buoy cushion that is designed to
float a person in the water and that is approved by the ((commission))
department.
(22) "Personal watercraft" means a vessel of less than sixteen feet
that uses a motor powering a water jet pump, as its primary source of
motive power and that is designed to be operated by a person sitting,
standing, or kneeling on, or being towed behind the vessel, rather than
in the conventional manner of sitting or standing inside the vessel.
(23) "Polluted area" means a body of water used by boaters that is
contaminated by boat wastes at unacceptable levels, based on applicable
water quality and shellfish standards.
(24) "Public entities" means all elected or appointed bodies,
including tribal governments, responsible for collecting and spending
public funds.
(25) "Reckless" or "recklessly" means acting carelessly and
heedlessly in a willful and wanton disregard of the rights, safety, or
property of another.
(26) "Rental motor vessel" means a motor vessel that is legally
owned by a person that is registered as a rental and leasing agency for
recreational motor vessels, and for which there is a written and signed
rental, charter, or lease agreement between the owner, or owner's
agent, of the vessel and the operator of the vessel.
(27) "Sewage pumpout or dump unit" means:
(a) A receiving chamber or tank designed to receive vessel sewage
from a "porta-potty" or a portable container; and
(b) A stationary or portable mechanical device on land, a dock,
pier, float, barge, vessel, or other location convenient to boaters,
designed to remove sewage waste from holding tanks on vessels.
(28) "Underway" means that a vessel is not at anchor, or made fast
to the shore, or aground.
(29) "Vessel" includes every description of watercraft on the
water, other than a seaplane, used or capable of being used as a means
of transportation on the water. However, it does not include inner
tubes, air mattresses, sailboards, and small rafts or flotation devices
or toys customarily used by swimmers.
(30) "Water skiing" means the physical act of being towed behind a
vessel on, but not limited to, any skis, aquaplane, kneeboard, tube, or
any other similar device.
(31) "Waters of the state" means any waters within the territorial
limits of Washington state.
(32) "Whitewater river outfitter" means any person who is
advertising to carry or carries passengers for hire on any whitewater
river of the state, but does not include any person whose only service
on a given trip is providing instruction in canoeing or kayaking
skills.
(33) "Whitewater rivers of the state" means those rivers and
streams, or parts thereof, within the boundaries of the state as listed
in RCW 79A.60.470 or as designated by the ((commission)) department
under RCW 79A.60.495.
Sec. 3109 RCW 79A.65.010 and 2002 c 286 s 20 are each amended to
read as follows:
((Unless the context clearly requires otherwise,)) The definitions
in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context
clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Charges" means charges of the ((commission)) department for
moorage and storage, and all other charges related to the vessel and
owing to or that become owing to the ((commission)) department,
including but not limited to costs of securing, disposing, or removing
vessels, damages to any ((commission)) department facility, and any
costs of sale and related legal expenses for implementing RCW
79A.65.020 and 79A.65.030.
(2) (("Commission" means the Washington state parks and recreation
commission.)) "Department" means the department of conservation and
recreation.
(3) "((Commission)) Department facility" means any moorage
facility, as that term is defined in RCW 53.08.310, owned, leased,
operated, managed, or otherwise controlled by the ((commission))
department or by a person pursuant to a contract with the
((commission)) department.
(4) "Owner" means a person who has a lawful right to possession of
a vessel by purchase, exchange, gift, lease, inheritance, or legal
action whether or not the vessel is subject to a security interest, and
shall not include the holder of a bona fide security interest.
(5) "Person" means any natural person, firm, partnership,
corporation, association, organization, or any other entity.
(6)(a) "Registered owner" means any person that is either: (i)
Shown as the owner in a vessel certificate of documentation issued by
the secretary of the United States department of transportation under
46 U.S.C. Sec. 12103; or (ii) the registered owner or legal owner of a
vessel for which a certificate of title has been issued under chapter
88.02 RCW; or (iii) the owner of a vessel registered under the vessel
registration laws of another state under which laws the ((commission))
department can readily identify the ownership of vessels registered
with that state.
(b) "Registered owner" also includes: (i) Any holder of a security
interest or lien recorded with the United States department of
transportation with respect to a vessel on which a certificate of
documentation has been issued; (ii) any holder of a security interest
identified in a certificate of title for a vessel registered under
chapter 88.02 RCW; or (iii) any holder of a security interest in a
vessel where the holder is identified in vessel registration
information of a state with vessel registration laws that fall within
(a)(iii) of this subsection and under which laws the ((commission))
department can readily determine the identity of the holder.
(c) "Registered owner" does not include any vessel owner or holder
of a lien or security interest in a vessel if the vessel does not have
visible information affixed to it (such as name and hailing port or
registration numbers) that will enable the ((commission)) department to
obtain ownership information for the vessel without incurring
unreasonable expense.
(7) "Registered vessel" means a vessel having a registered owner.
(8) "Secured vessel" means any vessel that has been secured by the
((commission)) department that remains in the ((commission's))
department's possession and control.
(9) "Unauthorized vessel" means a vessel using a ((commission))
department facility of any type whose owner has not paid the required
moorage fees or has left the vessel beyond the posted time limits, or
a vessel otherwise present without permission of the ((commission))
department.
(10) "Vessel" means every watercraft or part thereof constructed,
used, or capable of being used as a means of transportation on the
water. It includes any equipment or personal property on the vessel
that is used or capable of being used for the operation, navigation, or
maintenance of the vessel.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3110 (1) The powers, duties, and functions of
the parks and recreation commission are hereby transferred to the
department of conservation and recreation. All references to the parks
and recreation commission in the Revised Code of Washington shall be
construed to mean the director or the department of conservation and
recreation.
(2)(a) All reports, documents, surveys, books, records, files,
papers, or written material in the possession of the parks and
recreation commission shall be delivered to the custody of the
department of conservation and recreation. All cabinets, furniture,
office equipment, motor vehicles, and other tangible property employed
by the parks and recreation commission shall be made available to the
department of conservation and recreation. All funds, credits, or
other assets held by the parks and recreation commission shall be
assigned to the department of conservation and recreation.
(b) Any appropriations made to the parks and recreation commission
shall, on the effective date of this section, be transferred and
credited to the department of conservation and recreation.
(c) If any question arises as to the transfer of any personnel,
funds, books, documents, records, papers, files, equipment, or other
tangible property used or held in the exercise of the powers and the
performance of the duties and functions transferred, the director of
financial management shall make a determination as to the proper
allocation and certify the same to the state agencies concerned.
(3) All rules and all pending business before the parks and
recreation commission shall be continued and acted upon by the
department of conservation and recreation. All existing contracts and
obligations shall remain in full force and shall be performed by the
department of conservation and recreation.
(4) The transfer of the powers, duties, functions, and personnel of
the parks and recreation commission shall not affect the validity of
any act performed before the effective date of this section.
(5) If apportionments of budgeted funds are required because of the
transfers directed by this section, the director of financial
management shall certify the apportionments to the agencies affected,
the state auditor, and the state treasurer. Each of these shall make
the appropriate transfer and adjustments in funds and appropriation
accounts and equipment records in accordance with the certification.
(6) All employees of the parks and recreation commission engaged in
performing the powers, functions, and duties transferred to the
department of conservation and recreation are transferred to the
department of conservation and recreation. All employees classified
under chapter 41.06 RCW, the state civil service law, are assigned to
the department of conservation and recreation to perform their usual
duties upon the same terms as formerly, without any loss of rights,
subject to any action that may be appropriate thereafter in accordance
with the laws and rules governing state civil service law.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3111 The following acts or parts of acts are
each repealed:
(1) RCW 79A.05.075 (Delegation of commission's powers and duties to
director) and 1999 c 249 s 306 & 1969 ex.s. c 31 s 2;
(2) RCW 79A.05.300 (Establishment of urban area state parks by
parks and recreation commission) and 2000 c 11 s 37 & 1980 c 89 s 4;
and
(3) RCW 79A.05.315 (Milwaukee Road corridor -- Transfer of management
control to commission) and 1989 c 129 s 1 & 1984 c 174 s 2.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3112 The consolidation directed pursuant to
sections 3001 through 3111 of this act takes effect July 1, 2012.
Sec. 4001 RCW 79A.25.005 and 2007 c 241 s 39 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) As Washington begins its second century of statehood, the
legislature recognizes that renewed efforts are needed to preserve,
conserve, and enhance the state's recreational resources. Rapid
population growth and increased urbanization have caused a decline in
suitable land for recreation and resulted in overcrowding and
deterioration of existing facilities. Lack of adequate recreational
resources directly affects the health and well-being of all citizens of
the state, reduces the state's economic viability, and prevents
Washington from maintaining and achieving the quality of life that it
deserves.
It is therefore the policy of the state and its agencies to
preserve, conserve, and enhance recreational resources and open space.
In carrying out this policy, the mission of the recreation and
conservation funding board and ((its office)) the department of
conservation and recreation is to (a) create and work actively for the
implementation of a unified statewide strategy for meeting the
recreational needs of Washington's citizens, (b) represent and promote
the interests of the state on recreational issues in concert with other
state and local agencies and the governor, (c) encourage and provide
interagency and regional coordination, and interaction between public
and private organizations, (d) administer recreational grant-in-aid
programs and provide technical assistance, and (e) serve as a
repository for information, studies, research, and other data relating
to recreation.
(2) Washington is uniquely endowed with fresh and salt waters rich
in scenic and recreational value. This outdoor heritage enriches the
lives of citizens, attracts new residents and businesses to the state,
and is a major support of its expanding tourist industry. Rising
population, increased income and leisure time, and the rapid growth of
boating and other water sports have greatly increased the demand for
water related recreation, while waterfront land is rapidly rising in
value and disappearing from public use. There is consequently an
urgent need for the acquisition or improvement of waterfront land on
fresh and salt water suitable for marine recreational use by Washington
residents and visitors. To meet this need, it is necessary and proper
that the portion of motor vehicle fuel taxes paid by boat owners and
operators on fuel consumed in their watercraft and not reclaimed as
presently provided by law should be expended for the acquisition or
improvement of marine recreation land on the Pacific Ocean, Puget
Sound, bays, lakes, rivers, reservoirs and other fresh and salt waters
of the state.
Sec. 4002 RCW 79A.25.010 and 2007 c 241 s 40 are each amended to
read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter
unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Marine recreation land" means any land with or without
improvements which (a) provides access to, or in whole or in part
borders on, fresh or salt water suitable for recreational use by
watercraft, or (b) may be used to create, add to, or make more usable,
bodies of water, waterways, or land, for recreational use by
watercraft.
(2) "Public body" means any county, city, town, port district, park
and recreation district, metropolitan park district, or other municipal
corporation which is authorized to acquire or improve public outdoor
recreation land, and shall also mean Indian tribes now or hereafter
recognized as such by the federal government for participation in the
land and water conservation program.
(3) "Tax on marine fuel" means motor vehicle fuel tax which is (a)
tax on fuel used in, or sold or distributed for use in, any watercraft,
(b) refundable pursuant to chapter 82.36 RCW, and (c) paid to the
director of licensing with respect to taxable sales, distributions, or
uses occurring on or after December 3, 1964.
(4) "Watercraft" means any boat, vessel, or other craft used for
navigation on or through water.
(5) "Board" means the recreation and conservation funding board.
(6) "Director" means the director of the ((recreation and
conservation office)) department of conservation and recreation.
(7) (("Office," "recreation and conservation office," or "the
office of recreation and conservation" means)) "Department" means the
department of conservation and recreation, the state agency responsible
for administration of programs and activities of the recreation and
conservation funding board, the salmon recovery funding board, the
invasive species council, and such other duties or boards, councils, or
advisory groups as are or may be established or directed for
administrative placement in the ((agency)) department.
(8) "Council" means the Washington invasive species council created
in RCW 79A.25.310.
Sec. 4003 RCW 79A.25.020 and 2007 c 241 s 41 are each amended to
read as follows:
The director shall have the following powers and duties:
(1) To supervise the administrative operations of the boards((,
office,)) and ((their)) staff that implement this chapter;
(2) To administer recreation and conservation grant-in-aid programs
and contracts, and provide technical assistance to state and local
agencies;
(3) To prepare and update a strategic plan for the acquisition,
renovation, and development of recreational resources and the
preservation and conservation of open space. The plan shall be
prepared in coordination with the office of the governor and the office
of financial management, with participation of federal, state, and
local agencies having recreational responsibilities, user groups,
private sector interests, and the general public. The plan shall be
submitted to the recreation and conservation funding board for review,
and the board shall submit its recommendations on the plan to the
governor. The plan shall include, but is not limited to: (a) An
inventory of current resources; (b) a forecast of recreational resource
demand; (c) identification and analysis of actual and potential funding
sources; (d) a process for broad scale information gathering; (e) an
assessment of the capabilities and constraints, both internal and
external to state government, that affect the ability of the state to
achieve the goals of the plan; (f) an analysis of strategic options and
decisions available to the state; (g) an implementation strategy that
is coordinated with executive policy and budget priorities; and (h)
elements necessary to qualify for participation in or the receipt of
aid from any federal program for outdoor recreation;
(4) To represent and promote the interests of the state on
recreational issues and further the mission of the board ((and
office));
(5) Upon approval of the relevant board, to enter into contracts
and agreements with private nonprofit corporations to further state
goals of preserving, conserving, and enhancing recreational resources
and open space for the public benefit and use;
(6) To appoint such technical and other committees as may be
necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter;
(7) To create and maintain a repository for data, studies,
research, and other information relating to recreation and conservation
resources in the state, and to encourage the interchange of such
information;
(8) To encourage and provide opportunities for interagency and
regional coordination and cooperative efforts between public agencies
and between public and private entities involved in the development and
preservation of recreational and conservation resources; and
(9) To prepare the state trails plan, as required by RCW
79A.35.040.
Sec. 4004 RCW 79A.25.110 and 2007 c 241 s 47 are each amended to
read as follows:
There is created the recreation and conservation funding board,
within the department of conservation and recreation, consisting of the
commissioner of public lands((, the director of parks and recreation,
and the director of fish and wildlife, or their designees,)) and, by
appointment of the governor with the advice and consent of the senate,
five members from the public at large who have a demonstrated interest
in and a general knowledge of outdoor recreation and conservation in
the state. The terms of members appointed from the public at large
shall commence on January 1st of the year of appointment and shall be
for three years or until a successor is appointed, except in the case
of appointments to fill vacancies which shall be for the remainder of
the unexpired term. The governor shall appoint one of the members from
the public at large to serve as chair of the board for the duration of
the member's term. Members employed by the state shall serve without
additional pay and participation in the work of the board shall be
deemed performance of their employment. Members from the public at
large shall be compensated in accordance with RCW 43.03.240 and shall
be entitled to reimbursement individually for travel expenses incurred
in performance of their duties as members of the board in accordance
with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4005 A new section is added to chapter 79A.25
RCW to read as follows:
(1) It is the intent of the legislature that a proper barrier be
maintained between the board and the department in matters affecting
the department as either a grant applicant or grant recipient, or both.
(2) For those grant award and management issues where the
department is either a grant applicant or grant recipient, or both,
including but not limited to issues of project scope changes, deed
restrictions, conversions, and time extensions, the board shall have
independent and final decision-making authority. The board shall adopt
written policies and procedures by July 1, 2012, to implement this
section.
Sec. 4006 RCW 79A.25.150 and 2010 c 128 s 7 are each amended to
read as follows:
When requested by the board, members employed by the state shall
furnish assistance to the board from their departments for the analysis
and review of proposed plans and projects, and such assistance shall be
a proper charge against the appropriations to the several agencies
represented on the board. Assistance may be in the form of money,
personnel, or equipment and supplies, whichever is most suitable to the
needs of the board.
((The director of the recreation and conservation office shall be
appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the governor. The governor
shall select the director from a list of three candidates submitted by
the board. However, the governor may request and the board shall
provide an additional list or lists from which the governor may select
the director. The director shall have background and experience in the
areas of recreation and conservation management and policy. The
director shall be paid a salary to be fixed by the governor in
accordance with the provisions of RCW 43.03.040. The director shall
appoint such personnel as may be necessary to carry out the duties of
the office. Not more than three employees appointed by the director
shall be exempt from the provisions of chapter 41.06 RCW.))
Sec. 4007 RCW 79A.25.220 and 2007 c 241 s 55 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A ten-member firearms range advisory committee is hereby
created to provide advice and counsel to the board. The members shall
be appointed by the director ((of the recreation and conservation
office)) from the following groups:
(a) Law enforcement;
(b) Washington military department;
(c) Black powder shooting sports;
(d) Rifle shooting sports;
(e) Pistol shooting sports;
(f) Shotgun shooting sports;
(g) Archery shooting sports;
(h) Hunter education;
(i) Hunters; and
(j) General public.
(2) The firearms range advisory committee members shall serve two-year terms with five new members being selected each year beginning
with the third year of the committee's existence. The firearms range
advisory committee members shall not receive compensation from the
firearms range account. However, travel and per diem costs shall be
paid consistent with regulations for state employees.
(3) The ((office)) department shall provide administrative,
operational, and logistical support for the firearms range advisory
committee. Expenses directly incurred for supporting this program may
be charged by the ((office)) department against the firearms range
account. Expenses shall not exceed ten percent of the yearly income
for the range account.
(4) The board shall in cooperation with the firearms range advisory
committee:
(a) Develop an application process;
(b) Develop an audit and accountability program;
(c) Screen, prioritize, and approve grant applications; and
(d) Monitor compliance by grant recipients.
(5) The department of natural resources((, the department of fish
and wildlife,)) and the Washington military department are encouraged
to provide land, facilitate land exchanges, and support the development
of shooting range facilities.
Sec. 4008 RCW 79A.25.240 and 2009 c 345 s 13 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((recreation and conservation office)) department shall provide
necessary grants and loan administration support to the salmon recovery
funding board as provided in RCW 77.85.120. The ((office)) department
shall also be responsible for tracking salmon recovery expenditures
under RCW 77.85.140. The ((office)) department shall provide all
necessary administrative support to the salmon recovery funding board,
and the salmon recovery funding board shall be located with the
((office)) department.
Sec. 4009 RCW 79A.25.830 and 2007 c 241 s 60 are each amended to
read as follows:
The recreation and conservation funding board or ((office)) the
department may receive gifts, grants, or endowments from public and
private sources that are made from time to time, in trust or otherwise,
for the use and benefit of the purposes of RCW 79A.25.800 through
79A.25.830 and spend gifts, grants, or endowments or income from the
public or private sources according to their terms, unless the receipt
of the gifts, grants, or endowments violates RCW 42.17.710.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4010 Section 82, chapter 11, Laws of 2000;
section 60, chapter 241, Laws of 2007; and section 4009 of this act
expire one year after RCW 82.14.0494 expires.
Sec. 4011 RCW 43.21J.030 and 2007 c 341 s 62 and 2007 c 241 s 4
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(1) There is created the environmental enhancement and job creation
task force within the office of the governor. The purpose of the task
force is to provide a coordinated and comprehensive approach to
implementation of chapter 516, Laws of 1993. The task force shall
consist of the commissioner of public lands, the director of the
department of ((fish and wildlife)) conservation and recreation, the
director of the department of ecology, ((the director of the parks and
recreation commission,)) the timber team coordinator, the executive
director of the workforce training and education coordinating board,
and the executive director of the Puget Sound partnership, or their
designees. The task force may seek the advice of the following
agencies and organizations: The department of ((community, trade, and
economic development)) commerce, the conservation commission, the
employment security department, the ((recreation and conservation
office)) department of conservation and recreation, appropriate federal
agencies, appropriate special districts, the Washington state
association of counties, the association of Washington cities, labor
organizations, business organizations, timber-dependent communities,
environmental organizations, and Indian tribes. The governor shall
appoint the task force chair. Members of the task force shall serve
without additional pay. Participation in the work of the committee by
agency members shall be considered in performance of their employment.
The governor shall designate staff and administrative support to the
task force and shall solicit the participation of agency personnel to
assist the task force.
(2) The task force shall have the following responsibilities:
(a) Soliciting and evaluating, in accordance with the criteria set
forth in RCW 43.21J.040, requests for funds from the environmental and
forest restoration account and making distributions from the account.
The task force shall award funds for projects and training programs it
approves and may allocate the funds to state agencies for disbursement
and contract administration;
(b) Coordinating a process to assist state agencies and local
governments to implement effective environmental and forest restoration
projects funded under this chapter;
(c) Considering unemployment profile data provided by the
employment security department.
(3) Beginning July 1, 1994, the task force shall have the following
responsibilities:
(a) To solicit and evaluate proposals from state and local
agencies, private nonprofit organizations, and tribes for environmental
and forest restoration projects;
(b) To rank the proposals based on criteria developed by the task
force in accordance with RCW 43.21J.040; and
(c) To determine funding allocations for projects to be funded from
the account created in RCW 43.21J.020 and for projects or programs as
designated in the omnibus operating and capital appropriations acts.
Sec. 4012 RCW 43.41.270 and 2009 c 345 s 12 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The office of financial management shall assist natural
resource-related agencies in developing outcome-focused performance
measures for administering natural resource-related and environmentally
based grant and loan programs. These performance measures are to be
used in determining grant eligibility, for program management and
performance assessment.
(2) The office of financial management and the ((recreation and
conservation office)) department of conservation and recreation shall
assist natural resource-related agencies in developing recommendations
for a monitoring program to measure outcome-focused performance
measures required by this section. The recommendations must be
consistent with the framework and coordinated monitoring strategy
developed by the monitoring oversight committee established in RCW
77.85.210.
(3) Natural resource agencies shall consult with grant or loan
recipients including local governments, tribes, nongovernmental
organizations, and other interested parties, and report to the office
of financial management on the implementation of this section.
(4) For purposes of this section, "natural resource-related
agencies" include the department of ecology, the department of natural
resources, ((the department of fish and wildlife,)) the state
conservation commission, the ((recreation and conservation funding
board)) department of conservation and recreation, the salmon recovery
funding board, and the public works board within the department of
((community, trade, and economic development)) commerce.
(5) For purposes of this section, "natural resource-related
environmentally based grant and loan programs" includes the
conservation reserve enhancement program; dairy nutrient management
grants under chapter 90.64 RCW; state conservation commission water
quality grants under chapter 89.08 RCW; coordinated prevention grants,
public participation grants, and remedial action grants under RCW
70.105D.070; water pollution control facilities financing under chapter
70.146 RCW; aquatic lands enhancement grants under RCW 79.105.150;
habitat grants under the Washington wildlife and recreation program
under RCW 79A.15.040; salmon recovery grants under chapter 77.85 RCW;
and the public works trust fund program under chapter 43.155 RCW. The
term also includes programs administered by the department of ((fish
and wildlife)) conservation and recreation related to protection or
recovery of fish stocks which are funded with moneys from the capital
budget.
Sec. 4013 RCW 43.60A.150 and 2007 c 451 s 2 and 2007 c 241 s 6
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(1) The Washington veterans conservation corps is created. The
department shall establish enrollment procedures for the program.
Enrollees may choose to participate in either or both the volunteer
projects list authorized in subsection (2) of this section, and the
training, certification, and placement program authorized in RCW
43.60A.151.
(2) The department shall create a list of veterans who are
interested in working on projects that restore Washington's natural
habitat. The department shall promote the opportunity to volunteer for
the veterans conservation corps through its local counselors and
representatives. Only veterans who grant their approval may be
included on the list. The department shall consult with the salmon
recovery board, the recreation and conservation funding board, the
department of natural resources, ((the department of fish and wildlife,
and the state parks and recreation commission)), and the department of
conservation and recreation to determine the most effective ways to
market the veterans conservation corps to agencies and local sponsors
of habitat restoration projects.
Sec. 4014 RCW 43.99N.060 and 2009 c 497 s 6026 are each amended
to read as follows:
(1) The stadium and exhibition center account is created in the
custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from the taxes imposed
under RCW 82.14.0494 and distributions under RCW 67.70.240(5) shall be
deposited into the account. Only the director of the office of
financial management or the director's designee may authorize
expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment
procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW. An appropriation is not required
for expenditures from this account.
(2) Until bonds are issued under RCW 43.99N.020, up to five million
dollars per year beginning January 1, 1999, shall be used for the
purposes of subsection (3)(b) of this section, all remaining moneys in
the account shall be transferred to the public stadium authority,
created under RCW 36.102.020, to be used for public stadium authority
operations and development of the stadium and exhibition center.
(3) After bonds are issued under RCW 43.99N.020, all moneys in the
stadium and exhibition center account shall be used exclusively for the
following purposes in the following priority:
(a) On or before June 30th of each year, the office of financial
management shall accumulate in the stadium and exhibition center
account an amount at least equal to the amount required in the next
succeeding twelve months for the payment of principal of and interest
on the bonds issued under RCW 43.99N.020;
(b) An additional reserve amount not in excess of the expected
average annual principal and interest requirements of bonds issued
under RCW 43.99N.020 shall be accumulated and maintained in the
account, subject to withdrawal by the state treasurer at any time if
necessary to meet the requirements of (a) of this subsection, and,
following any withdrawal, reaccumulated from the first tax revenues and
other amounts deposited in the account after meeting the requirements
of (a) of this subsection; and
(c) The balance, if any, shall be transferred to the youth athletic
facility account under subsection (4) of this section.
Any revenues derived from the taxes authorized by RCW 36.38.010(5)
and 36.38.040 or other amounts that if used as provided under (a) and
(b) of this subsection would cause the loss of any tax exemption under
federal law for interest on bonds issued under RCW 43.99N.020 shall be
deposited in and used exclusively for the purposes of the youth
athletic facility account and shall not be used, directly or
indirectly, as a source of payment of principal of or interest on bonds
issued under RCW 43.99N.020, or to replace or reimburse other funds
used for that purpose.
(4) Any moneys in the stadium and exhibition center account not
required or permitted to be used for the purposes described in
subsection (3)(a) and (b) of this section shall be deposited in the
youth athletic facility account hereby created in the state treasury.
Expenditures from the account may be used only for purposes of grants
or loans to cities, counties, and qualified nonprofit organizations for
community outdoor athletic facilities. Only the director of the
((recreation and conservation office)) department of conservation and
recreation or the director's designee may authorize expenditures from
the account, subject to approval by the recreation and conservation
funding board. The account is subject to allotment procedures under
chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for
expenditures. The athletic facility grants or loans may be used for
acquiring, developing, equipping, maintaining, and improving community
outdoor athletic facilities. Funds shall be divided equally between
the development of new community outdoor athletic facilities, the
improvement of existing community outdoor athletic facilities, and the
maintenance of existing community outdoor athletic facilities. Cities,
counties, and qualified nonprofit organizations must submit proposals
for grants or loans from the account. To the extent that funds are
available, cities, counties, and qualified nonprofit organizations must
meet eligibility criteria as established by the director of the
((recreation and conservation office)) department of conservation and
recreation. The grants and loans shall be awarded on a competitive
application process and the amount of the grant or loan shall be in
proportion to the population of the city or county for where the
community outdoor athletic facility is located. Grants or loans
awarded in any one year need not be distributed in that year. In the
2009-2011 biennium, if there are not enough project applications
submitted in a category within the account to meet the requirement of
equal distribution of funds to each category, the director of the
recreation and conservation office may distribute any remaining funds
to other categories within the account. The director of the
((recreation and conservation office)) department of conservation and
recreation may expend up to one and one-half percent of the moneys
deposited in the account created in this subsection for administrative
purposes.
Sec. 4015 RCW 46.09.530 and 2010 c 161 s 223 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) After deducting administrative expenses and the expense of any
programs conducted under this chapter, the board shall, at least once
each year, distribute the funds it receives under RCW 46.68.045 and
46.09.520 to state agencies, counties, municipalities, federal
agencies, nonprofit off-road vehicle organizations, and Indian tribes.
Funds distributed under this section to nonprofit off-road vehicle
organizations may be spent only on projects or activities that benefit
off-road vehicle recreation on lands once publicly owned that come into
private ownership in a federally approved land exchange completed
between January 1, 1998, and January 1, 2005.
(2) The board shall adopt rules governing applications for funds
administered by the ((recreation and conservation office)) department
of conservation and recreation under this chapter and shall determine
the amount of money distributed to each applicant. Agencies receiving
funds under this chapter for capital purposes shall consider the
possibility of contracting with the ((state parks and recreation
commission)) department of conservation and recreation, the department
of natural resources, or other federal, state, and local agencies to
employ the youth development and conservation corps or other youth
crews in completing the project.
(3) The board shall require each applicant for acquisition or
development funds under this section to comply with the requirements of
either the state environmental policy act, chapter 43.21C RCW, or the
national environmental policy act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 4321 et seq.).
Sec. 4016 RCW 77.85.020 and 2009 c 345 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) ((Beginning December 2010, the recreation and conservation
office)) The governor's salmon recovery office shall produce a biennial
report on the statewide status of salmon recovery and watershed health,
summarize projects and programs funded by the salmon recovery funding
board, and summarize progress as measured by high-level indicators and
state agency compliance with applicable protocols established by the
forum for monitoring salmon recovery and watershed health. The report
must be a consolidation of the current reporting activities, including
the salmon recovery funding board and the forum on monitoring salmon
recovery and watershed health, on the status of salmon recovery and
watershed health in Washington state, in accordance with RCW
77.85.250(8). The report shall also include a high-level status report
on watershed planning efforts under chapter 90.82 RCW as summarized by
the department of ecology and on salmon recovery and watershed planning
as summarized by the Puget Sound partnership. The report's
introduction must include a list of high-level questions related to the
status of watershed health and salmon recovery to help decision makers
and the public respond to salmon recovery and watershed health
management needs.
(2) The department, the department of ecology, the department of
natural resources, and the ((state conservation commission)) department
of agriculture shall provide to the ((recreation and conservation
office)) governor's salmon recovery office information requested by the
office necessary to prepare the consolidated report on salmon recovery
and watershed health.
Sec. 4017 RCW 77.85.030 and 2009 c 345 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The governor's salmon recovery office shall coordinate state
strategy to allow for salmon recovery to healthy sustainable population
levels with productive commercial and recreational fisheries. A
primary purpose of the office is to coordinate and assist in the
development, implementation, and revision of regional salmon recovery
plans as an integral part of a statewide strategy developed consistent
with the guiding principles and procedures under RCW 77.85.150.
(2) The governor's salmon recovery office is also responsible for
maintaining the statewide salmon recovery strategy to reflect
applicable provisions of regional recovery plans, habitat protection
and restoration plans, water quality plans, and other private, local,
regional, state agency and federal plans, projects, and activities that
contribute to salmon recovery.
(3) The governor's salmon recovery office shall also work with
regional salmon recovery organizations on salmon recovery issues in
order to ensure a coordinated and consistent statewide approach to
salmon recovery and shall work with federal agencies to accomplish
implementation of federal commitments in the recovery plans.
(4) The governor's salmon recovery office may also:
(a) Assist state agencies, local governments, landowners, and other
interested parties in obtaining federal assurances that plans,
programs, or activities are consistent with fish recovery under the
federal endangered species act;
(b) Act as liaison to local governments, the state congressional
delegation, the United States congress, federally recognized tribes,
and the federal executive branch agencies for issues related to the
state's salmon recovery plans;
(c) Provide periodic reports pursuant to RCW 77.85.020;
(d) Provide, as appropriate, technical and administrative support
to science panels on issues pertaining to salmon recovery;
(e) In cooperation with the regional recovery organizations,
prepare a timeline and implementation plan that, together with a
schedule and recommended budget, identifies specific actions in
regional recovery plans for state agency actions and assistance
necessary to implement local and regional recovery plans; and
(f) As necessary, provide recommendations to the legislature that
would further the success of salmon recovery, including recommendations
for state agency actions in the succeeding biennium and state financial
and technical assistance for projects and activities to be undertaken
in local and regional salmon recovery plans. The recommendations may
include:
(i) The need to expand or improve nonregulatory programs and
activities; and
(ii) The need for state funding assistance to recovery activities
and projects.
(5) For administrative purposes, the governor's salmon recovery
office is located within the ((recreation and conservation office))
department of conservation and recreation.
Sec. 4018 RCW 77.85.050 and 2009 c 345 s 3 and 2009 c 333 s 25
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(1)(a) Counties, cities, and tribal governments must jointly
designate, by resolution or by letters of support, the area for which
a habitat project list is to be developed and the lead entity that is
to be responsible for submitting the habitat project list. No project
included on a habitat project list shall be considered mandatory in
nature and no private landowner may be forced or coerced into
participation in any respect. The lead entity may be a county, city,
conservation district, special district, tribal government, regional
recovery organization, or other entity.
(b) The lead entity shall establish a committee that consists of
representative interests of counties, cities, conservation districts,
tribes, environmental groups, business interests, landowners, citizens,
volunteer groups, regional fish enhancement groups, and other habitat
interests. The purpose of the committee is to provide a citizen-based
evaluation of the projects proposed to promote salmon habitat.
(c) The committee shall compile a list of habitat projects,
establish priorities for individual projects, define the sequence for
project implementation, and submit these activities as the habitat
project list. The committee shall also identify potential federal,
state, local, and private funding sources.
(2) The area covered by the habitat project list must be based, at
a minimum, on a WRIA, combination of WRIAs, or any other area as agreed
to by the counties, cities, and tribes in resolutions or in letters of
support meeting the requirements of this subsection. Preference will
be given to projects in an area that contain a salmon species that is
listed or proposed for listing under the federal endangered species
act.
(3) The lead entity shall submit the habitat project list to the
salmon recovery funding board in accordance with procedures adopted by
the board.
(4) The ((recreation and conservation office)) department of
conservation and recreation shall administer funding to support the
functions of lead entities.
Sec. 4019 RCW 77.85.110 and 2007 c 241 s 20 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The salmon recovery funding board is created consisting of
((ten)) nine members.
(2) Five members of the board shall be voting members who are
appointed by the governor, subject to confirmation by the senate. One
of these voting members shall be a cabinet-level appointment as the
governor's representative to the board. Board members who represent
the general public shall not have a financial or regulatory interest in
salmon recovery. The governor shall appoint one of the general public
members of the board as the chair. The voting members of the board
shall be appointed for terms of four years, except that two members
initially shall be appointed for terms of two years and three members
shall initially be appointed for terms of three years. In making the
appointments, the governor shall seek a board membership that
collectively provide the expertise necessary to provide strong fiscal
oversight of salmon recovery expenditures, and that provide extensive
knowledge of local government processes and functions and an
understanding of issues relevant to salmon recovery in Washington
state. The governor shall appoint at least three of the voting members
of the board no later than ninety days after July 1, 1999. Vacant
positions on the board shall be filled in the same manner as the
original appointments. The governor may remove members of the board
for good cause.
In addition to the five voting members of the board, the following
((five)) four state officials shall serve as ex officio nonvoting
members of the board: The director of the department ((of fish and
wildlife, the executive director of the conservation commission)) of
conservation and recreation, the secretary of transportation, the
director of the department of ecology, and the commissioner of public
lands. The state officials serving in an ex officio capacity may
designate a representative of their respective agencies to serve on the
board in their behalf. Such designations shall be made in writing and
in such manner as is specified by the board.
(3) Staff support to the board shall be provided by the
((recreation and conservation office)) department of conservation and
recreation. For administrative purposes, the board shall be located
with the ((recreation and conservation office)) department of
conservation and recreation.
(4) Members of the board who do not represent state agencies shall
be compensated as provided by RCW 43.03.250. Members of the board
shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided by RCW 43.03.050
and 43.03.060.
Sec. 4020 RCW 77.85.120 and 2007 c 241 s 21 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The salmon recovery funding board is responsible for making
grants and loans for salmon habitat projects and salmon recovery
activities from the amounts appropriated to the board for this purpose.
To accomplish this purpose the board may:
(a) Provide assistance to grant applicants regarding the procedures
and criteria for grant and loan awards;
(b) Make and execute all manner of contracts and agreements with
public and private parties as the board deems necessary, consistent
with the purposes of this chapter;
(c) Accept any gifts, grants, or loans of funds, property, or
financial or other aid in any form from any other source on any terms
that are not in conflict with this chapter;
(d) Adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW as necessary to carry out
the purposes of this chapter; and
(e) Do all acts and things necessary or convenient to carry out the
powers expressly granted or implied under this chapter.
(2) The ((recreation and conservation office)) department of
conservation and recreation shall provide all necessary grants and
loans administration assistance to the board, and shall distribute
funds as provided by the board in RCW 77.85.130.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4021 A new section is added to chapter 77.85
RCW to read as follows:
(1) It is the intent of the legislature that a proper barrier be
maintained between the recreation and conservation funding board and
the department in matters affecting the department as either a grant
applicant or grant recipient, or both.
(2) For those grant award and management issues where the
department is either a grant applicant or grant recipient, or both,
including but not limited to issues of project scope changes, deed
restrictions, conversions, and time extensions, the recreation and
conservation funding board shall have independent and final decision-making authority. The recreation and conservation funding board shall
adopt written policies and procedures by July 1, 2012, to implement
this section.
Sec. 4022 RCW 77.85.140 and 2009 c 518 s 9 and 2009 c 345 s 8 are
each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(1) Habitat project lists shall be submitted to the salmon recovery
funding board for funding at least once a year on a schedule
established by the board. The board shall provide the legislature with
a list of the proposed projects and a list of the projects funded by
October 1st of each year for informational purposes. Project sponsors
who complete salmon habitat projects approved for funding from habitat
project lists and have met grant application deadlines will be paid by
the salmon recovery funding board within thirty days of project
completion.
(2) The ((recreation and conservation office)) department of
conservation and recreation shall track all funds allocated for salmon
habitat projects and salmon recovery activities on behalf of the board,
including both funds allocated by the board and funds allocated by
other state or federal agencies for salmon recovery or water quality
improvement.
Sec. 4023 RCW 84.34.055 and 2007 c 241 s 73 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1)(a) The county legislative authority may direct the county
planning commission to set open space priorities and adopt, after a
public hearing, an open space plan and public benefit rating system for
the county. The plan shall consist of criteria for determining
eligibility of lands, the process for establishing a public benefit
rating system, and an assessed valuation schedule. The assessed
valuation schedule shall be developed by the county assessor and shall
be a percentage of market value based upon the public benefit rating
system. The open space plan, the public benefit rating system, and the
assessed valuations schedule shall not be effective until approved by
the county legislative authority after at least one public hearing:
PROVIDED, That any county which has complied with the procedural
requisites of chapter 393, Laws of 1985, prior to July 28, 1985, need
not repeat those procedures in order to adopt an open space plan
pursuant to chapter 393, Laws of 1985.
(b) County legislative authorities, in open space plans, public
benefit rating systems, and assessed valuation schedules, shall give
priority consideration to lands used for buffers that are planted with
or primarily contain native vegetation.
(c) "Priority consideration" as used in this section may include,
but is not limited to, establishing classification eligibility and
maintenance criteria for buffers meeting the requirements of (b) of
this subsection.
(d) County legislative authorities shall meet the requirements of
(b) of this subsection no later than July 1, 2006, unless buffers
already receive priority consideration in the existing open space
plans, public benefit rating systems, and assessed valuation schedules.
(2) In adopting an open space plan, recognized sources shall be
used unless the county does its own survey of important open space
priorities or features, or both. Recognized sources include but are
not limited to the natural heritage database; the state office of
historic preservation; the ((recreation and conservation office))
department of conservation and recreation inventory of dry accretion
beach and shoreline features; state, national, county, or city
registers of historic places; the shoreline master program; or studies
by the ((parks and recreation commission and by the departments of fish
and wildlife and)) department of natural resources. Features and sites
may be verified by an outside expert in the field and approved by the
appropriate state or local agency to be sent to the county legislative
authority for final approval as open space.
(3) When the county open space plan is adopted, owners of open
space lands then classified under this chapter shall be notified in the
same manner as is provided in RCW 84.40.045 of their new assessed
value. These lands may be removed from classification, upon request of
owner, without penalty within thirty days of notification of value.
(4) The open space plan and public benefit rating system under this
section may be adopted for taxes payable in 1986 and thereafter.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4024 (1) The powers, duties, and functions of
the recreation and conservation office are hereby transferred to the
department of conservation and recreation. All references to the
recreation and conservation office in the Revised Code of Washington
shall be construed to mean the director or the department of
conservation and recreation.
(2)(a) All reports, documents, surveys, books, records, files,
papers, or written material in the possession of the recreation and
conservation office shall be delivered to the custody of the department
of conservation and recreation. All cabinets, furniture, office
equipment, motor vehicles, and other tangible property employed by the
recreation and conservation office shall be made available to the
department of conservation and recreation. All funds, credits, or
other assets held by the recreation and conservation office shall be
assigned to the department of conservation and recreation.
(b) Any appropriations made to the recreation and conservation
office shall, on the effective date of this section, be transferred and
credited to the department of conservation and recreation.
(c) If any question arises as to the transfer of any personnel,
funds, books, documents, records, papers, files, equipment, or other
tangible property used or held in the exercise of the powers and the
performance of the duties and functions transferred, the director of
financial management shall make a determination as to the proper
allocation and certify the same to the state agencies concerned.
(3) All rules and all pending business before the recreation and
conservation office shall be continued and acted upon by the department
of conservation and recreation. All existing contracts and obligations
shall remain in full force and shall be performed by the office of
conservation and recreation.
(4) The transfer of the powers, duties, functions, and personnel of
the recreation and conservation office shall not affect the validity of
any act performed before the effective date of this section.
(5) If apportionments of budgeted funds are required because of the
transfers directed by this section, the director of financial
management shall certify the apportionments to the agencies affected,
the state auditor, and the state treasurer. Each of these shall make
the appropriate transfer and adjustments in funds and appropriation
accounts and equipment records in accordance with the certification.
(6) All employees of the recreation and conservation office engaged
in performing the powers, functions, and duties transferred to the
department of conservation and recreation, are transferred to the
department of conservation and recreation. All employees classified
under chapter 41.06 RCW, the state civil service law, are assigned to
the department of conservation and recreation to perform their usual
duties upon the same terms as formerly, without any loss of rights,
subject to any action that may be appropriate thereafter in accordance
with the laws and rules governing state civil service law.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4025 The consolidation directed pursuant to
sections 4001 through 4024 of this act takes effect July 1, 2012.
Sec. 5001 RCW 17.15.020 and 1997 c 357 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
Each of the following state agencies or institutions shall
implement integrated pest management practices when carrying out the
agency's or institution's duties related to pest control:
(1) The department of agriculture;
(2) The state noxious weed control board;
(3) The department of ecology;
(4) The department of ((fish and wildlife)) conservation and
recreation;
(5) The department of transportation;
(6) ((The parks and recreation commission;)) The department of natural resources;
(7)
(((8))) (7) The department of corrections;
(((9))) (8) The department of general administration; and
(((10))) (9) Each state institution of higher education, for the
institution's own building and grounds maintenance.
Sec. 5002 RCW 17.26.020 and 2003 c 39 s 10 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Facilitating the control of spartina and purple loosestrife is
a high priority for all state agencies.
(2) The department of natural resources is responsible for spartina
and purple loosestrife control on state-owned aquatic lands managed by
the department of natural resources.
(3) The department of ((fish and wildlife)) conservation and
recreation is responsible for spartina and purple loosestrife control
on state-owned aquatic lands managed by the department of ((fish and
wildlife)) conservation and recreation.
(4) ((The state parks and recreation commission is responsible for
spartina and purple loosestrife control on state-owned aquatic lands
managed by the state parks and recreation commission.)) Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the
definitions in this subsection apply throughout this chapter, RCW
90.48.020, 90.58.030, and ((
(5)77.55.150)) 77.55.081:
(a) "Spartina" means Spartina alterniflora, Spartina anglica,
Spartina x townsendii, and Spartina patens.
(b) "Purple loosestrife" means Lythrum salicaria and Lythrum
virgatum.
(c) "Aquatic noxious weed" means an aquatic weed on the state
noxious weed list adopted under RCW 17.10.080.
Sec. 5003 RCW 19.02.050 and 1997 c 391 s 11 are each amended to
read as follows:
The legislature hereby directs the full participation by the
following agencies in the implementation of this chapter:
(1) Department of agriculture;
(2) Secretary of state;
(3) Department of social and health services;
(4) Department of revenue;
(5) Department of ((fish and wildlife)) conservation and
recreation;
(6) ((Department of)) Employment security department;
(7) Department of labor and industries;
(8) Department of ((community, trade, and economic development))
commerce;
(9) Liquor control board;
(10) Department of health;
(11) Department of licensing;
(12) ((Parks and recreation commission;)) Utilities and transportation commission; and
(13)
(((14))) (13) Other agencies as determined by the governor.
Sec. 5004 RCW 39.04.155 and 2009 c 74 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) This section provides uniform small works roster provisions to
award contracts for construction, building, renovation, remodeling,
alteration, repair, or improvement of real property that may be used by
state agencies and by any local government that is expressly authorized
to use these provisions. These provisions may be used in lieu of other
procedures to award contracts for such work with an estimated cost of
three hundred thousand dollars or less. The small works roster process
includes the limited public works process authorized under subsection
(3) of this section and any local government authorized to award
contracts using the small works roster process under this section may
award contracts using the limited public works process under subsection
(3) of this section.
(2)(a) A state agency or authorized local government may create a
single general small works roster, or may create a small works roster
for different specialties or categories of anticipated work. Where
applicable, small works rosters may make distinctions between
contractors based upon different geographic areas served by the
contractor. The small works roster or rosters shall consist of all
responsible contractors who have requested to be on the list, and where
required by law are properly licensed or registered to perform such
work in this state. A state agency or local government establishing a
small works roster or rosters may require eligible contractors desiring
to be placed on a roster or rosters to keep current records of any
applicable licenses, certifications, registrations, bonding, insurance,
or other appropriate matters on file with the state agency or local
government as a condition of being placed on a roster or rosters. At
least once a year, the state agency or local government shall publish
in a newspaper of general circulation within the jurisdiction a notice
of the existence of the roster or rosters and solicit the names of
contractors for such roster or rosters. In addition, responsible
contractors shall be added to an appropriate roster or rosters at any
time they submit a written request and necessary records. Master
contracts may be required to be signed that become effective when a
specific award is made using a small works roster.
(b) A state agency establishing a small works roster or rosters
shall adopt rules implementing this subsection. A local government
establishing a small works roster or rosters shall adopt an ordinance
or resolution implementing this subsection. Procedures included in
rules adopted by the department of general administration in
implementing this subsection must be included in any rules providing
for a small works roster or rosters that is adopted by another state
agency, if the authority for that state agency to engage in these
activities has been delegated to it by the department of general
administration under chapter 43.19 RCW. An interlocal contract or
agreement between two or more state agencies or local governments
establishing a small works roster or rosters to be used by the parties
to the agreement or contract must clearly identify the lead entity that
is responsible for implementing the provisions of this subsection.
(c) Procedures shall be established for securing telephone,
written, or electronic quotations from contractors on the appropriate
small works roster to assure that a competitive price is established
and to award contracts to the lowest responsible bidder, as defined in
RCW 39.04.010. Invitations for quotations shall include an estimate of
the scope and nature of the work to be performed as well as materials
and equipment to be furnished. However, detailed plans and
specifications need not be included in the invitation. This subsection
does not eliminate other requirements for architectural or engineering
approvals as to quality and compliance with building codes. Quotations
may be invited from all appropriate contractors on the appropriate
small works roster. As an alternative, quotations may be invited from
at least five contractors on the appropriate small works roster who
have indicated the capability of performing the kind of work being
contracted, in a manner that will equitably distribute the opportunity
among the contractors on the appropriate roster. However, if the
estimated cost of the work is from one hundred fifty thousand dollars
to three hundred thousand dollars, a state agency or local government
that chooses to solicit bids from less than all the appropriate
contractors on the appropriate small works roster must also notify the
remaining contractors on the appropriate small works roster that
quotations on the work are being sought. The government has the sole
option of determining whether this notice to the remaining contractors
is made by: (i) Publishing notice in a legal newspaper in general
circulation in the area where the work is to be done; (ii) mailing a
notice to these contractors; or (iii) sending a notice to these
contractors by facsimile or other electronic means. For purposes of
this subsection (2)(c), "equitably distribute" means that a state
agency or local government soliciting bids may not favor certain
contractors on the appropriate small works roster over other
contractors on the appropriate small works roster who perform similar
services.
(d) A contract awarded from a small works roster under this section
need not be advertised.
(e) Immediately after an award is made, the bid quotations obtained
shall be recorded, open to public inspection, and available by
telephone inquiry.
(3) In lieu of awarding contracts under subsection (2) of this
section, a state agency or authorized local government may award a
contract for work, construction, alteration, repair, or improvement
projects estimated to cost less than thirty-five thousand dollars using
the limited public works process provided under this subsection.
Public works projects awarded under this subsection are exempt from the
other requirements of the small works roster process provided under
subsection (2) of this section and are exempt from the requirement that
contracts be awarded after advertisement as provided under RCW
39.04.010.
For limited public works projects, a state agency or authorized
local government shall solicit electronic or written quotations from a
minimum of three contractors from the appropriate small works roster
and shall award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder as
defined under RCW 39.04.010. After an award is made, the quotations
shall be open to public inspection and available by electronic request.
A state agency or authorized local government shall attempt to
distribute opportunities for limited public works projects equitably
among contractors willing to perform in the geographic area of the
work. A state agency or authorized local government shall maintain a
list of the contractors contacted and the contracts awarded during the
previous twenty-four months under the limited public works process,
including the name of the contractor, the contractor's registration
number, the amount of the contract, a brief description of the type of
work performed, and the date the contract was awarded. For limited
public works projects, a state agency or authorized local government
may waive the payment and performance bond requirements of chapter
39.08 RCW and the retainage requirements of chapter 60.28 RCW, thereby
assuming the liability for the contractor's nonpayment of laborers,
mechanics, subcontractors, materialpersons, suppliers, and taxes
imposed under Title 82 RCW that may be due from the contractor for the
limited public works project, however the state agency or authorized
local government shall have the right of recovery against the
contractor for any payments made on the contractor's behalf.
(4) The breaking of any project into units or accomplishing any
projects by phases is prohibited if it is done for the purpose of
avoiding the maximum dollar amount of a contract that may be let using
the small works roster process or limited public works process.
(5)(a) A state agency or authorized local government may use the
limited public works process of subsection (3) of this section to
solicit and award small works roster contracts to small businesses that
are registered contractors with gross revenues under one million
dollars annually as reported on their federal tax return.
(b) A state agency or authorized local government may adopt
additional procedures to encourage small businesses that are registered
contractors with gross revenues under two hundred fifty thousand
dollars annually as reported on their federal tax returns to submit
quotations or bids on small works roster contracts.
(6) As used in this section, "state agency" means the department of
general administration, ((the state parks and recreation commission,))
the department of natural resources, the department of ((fish and
wildlife)) conservation and recreation, the department of
transportation, any institution of higher education as defined under
RCW 28B.10.016, and any other state agency delegated authority by the
department of general administration to engage in construction,
building, renovation, remodeling, alteration, improvement, or repair
activities.
Sec. 5005 RCW 39.04.290 and 2001 c 34 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A state agency or local government may award contracts of any
value for the design, fabrication, and installation of building
engineering systems by: (a) Using a competitive bidding process or
request for proposals process where bidders are required to provide
final specifications and a bid price for the design, fabrication, and
installation of building engineering systems, with the final
specifications being approved by an appropriate design, engineering,
and/or public regulatory body; or (b) using a competitive bidding
process where bidders are required to provide final specifications for
the final design, fabrication, and installation of building engineering
systems as part of a larger project with the final specifications for
the building engineering systems portion of the project being approved
by an appropriate design, engineering, and/or public regulatory body.
The provisions of chapter 39.80 RCW do not apply to the design of
building engineering systems that are included as part of a contract
described under this section.
(2) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this
section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(a) "Building engineering systems" means those systems where
contracts for the systems customarily have been awarded with a
requirement that the contractor provide final approved specifications,
including fire alarm systems, building sprinkler systems, pneumatic
tube systems, extensions of heating, ventilation, or air conditioning
control systems, chlorination and chemical feed systems, emergency
generator systems, building signage systems, pile foundations, and
curtain wall systems.
(b) "Local government" means any county, city, town, school
district, or other special district, municipal corporation, or quasi-municipal corporation.
(c) "State agency" means the department of general administration,
((the state parks and recreation commission,)) the department of ((fish
and wildlife)) conservation and recreation, the department of natural
resources, any institution of higher education as defined under RCW
28B.10.016, and any other state agency delegated authority by the
department of general administration to engage in building, renovation,
remodeling, alteration, improvement, or repair activities.
Sec. 5006 RCW 42.52.570 and 2008 c 247 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The department of ((fish and wildlife and the parks and
recreation commission)) conservation and recreation may approve private
business activity in state-owned housing provided under Title 77 RCW or
chapter 79A.05 RCW.
(2) Prior to granting approval of private business activity in
state-owned housing, the department of ((fish and wildlife and the
parks and recreation commission)) conservation and recreation must
adopt a private business activity policy that is approved by the
executive ethics board.
(a) The private business activity policy may only authorize private
business activity by the resident state employee while the employee is
off duty or the employee's spouse who is approved for residency in the
agency housing or the employee's children.
(b) The private business activity policy may not allow private
business activity that negatively impacts the agency's operations. For
the purposes of this section, "negatively impacts" includes but is not
limited to: (i) Negative impacts to visitors' services or access; (ii)
in-person visits to state-owned housing for the purpose of transacting
business that negatively impacts agency operations; (iii) the
incurrence of additional expenses by the state; (iv) the use of signage
in the state-owned residence; (v) advertising on state-owned property;
or (vi) an appearance of state endorsement of the private business
activity.
(3) The private business activity must comply with all other local,
state, and federal laws.
(4) All approvals of a private business activity in state-owned
housing must be by the agency director or designee in writing.
(5) A state employee is presumed not to be in violation of RCW
42.52.070 or 42.52.160 if the employee or the employee's spouse or
child complies with this section.
Sec. 5007 RCW 43.17.400 and 2007 c 62 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this
section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(a) "Disposition" means sales, exchanges, or other actions
resulting in a transfer of land ownership.
(b) "State agencies" includes:
(i) The department of natural resources established in chapter
43.30 RCW;
(ii) The department of ((fish and wildlife)) conservation and
recreation established in chapter 43.300 RCW;
(iii) The department of transportation established in chapter 47.01
RCW; and
(iv) ((The parks and recreation commission established in chapter
79A.05 RCW; and)) The department of general administration established in this
chapter.
(v)
(2) State agencies proposing disposition of state-owned land must
provide written notice of the proposed disposition to the legislative
authorities of the counties, cities, and towns in which the land is
located at least sixty days before entering into the disposition
agreement.
(3) The requirements of this section are in addition and
supplemental to other requirements of the laws of this state.
Sec. 5008 RCW 43.19.450 and 1994 c 264 s 15 are each amended to
read as follows:
The director of general administration shall appoint and deputize
an assistant director to be known as the supervisor of engineering and
architecture who shall have charge and supervision of the division of
engineering and architecture. With the approval of the director, the
supervisor may appoint and employ such assistants and personnel as may
be necessary to carry out the work of the division.
No person shall be eligible for appointment as supervisor of
engineering and architecture unless he or she is licensed to practice
the profession of engineering or the profession of architecture in the
state of Washington and for the last five years prior to his or her
appointment has been licensed to practice the profession of engineering
or the profession of architecture.
As used in this section, "state facilities" includes all state
buildings, related structures, and appurtenances constructed for any
elected state officials, institutions, departments, boards,
commissions, colleges, community colleges, except the state
universities, The Evergreen State College and regional universities.
"State facilities" does not include facilities owned by or used for
operational purposes and constructed for the department of
transportation, department of ((fish and wildlife)) conservation and
recreation, or department of natural resources((, or state parks and
recreation commission)).
The director of general administration, through the division of
engineering and architecture shall:
(1) Prepare cost estimates and technical information to accompany
the capital budget and prepare or contract for plans and specifications
for new construction and major repairs and alterations to state
facilities.
(2) Contract for professional architectural, engineering, and
related services for the design of new state facilities and major
repair or alterations to existing state facilities.
(3) Provide contract administration for new construction and the
repair and alteration of existing state facilities.
(4) In accordance with the public works laws, contract on behalf of
the state for the new construction and major repair or alteration of
state facilities.
The director may delegate any and all of the functions under
subsections (1) through (4) of this section to any agency upon such
terms and conditions as considered advisable.
The director may delegate the authority granted to the department
under RCW 39.04.150 to any agency upon such terms as considered
advisable.
Sec. 5009 RCW 43.21B.110 and 2010 c 210 s 7 and 2010 c 84 s 2 are
each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(1) The hearings board shall only have jurisdiction to hear and
decide appeals from the following decisions of the department, the
director, local conservation districts, the air pollution control
boards or authorities as established pursuant to chapter 70.94 RCW,
local health departments, the department of natural resources, and the
department of ((fish and wildlife, and the parks and recreation
commission)) conservation and recreation:
(a) Civil penalties imposed pursuant to RCW 18.104.155, 70.94.431,
70.105.080, 70.107.050, 76.09.170, 77.55.291, 78.44.250, 88.46.090,
90.03.600, 90.46.270, 90.48.144, 90.56.310, 90.56.330, and 90.64.102.
(b) Orders issued pursuant to RCW 18.104.043, 18.104.060,
43.27A.190, 70.94.211, 70.94.332, 70.105.095, 86.16.020, 88.46.070,
90.14.130, 90.46.250, 90.48.120, and 90.56.330.
(c) A final decision by the department or director made under
chapter 183, Laws of 2009.
(d) Except as provided in RCW 90.03.210(2), the issuance,
modification, or termination of any permit, certificate, or license by
the department or any air authority in the exercise of its
jurisdiction, including the issuance or termination of a waste disposal
permit, the denial of an application for a waste disposal permit, the
modification of the conditions or the terms of a waste disposal permit,
or a decision to approve or deny an application for a solid waste
permit exemption under RCW 70.95.300.
(e) Decisions of local health departments regarding the grant or
denial of solid waste permits pursuant to chapter 70.95 RCW.
(f) Decisions of local health departments regarding the issuance
and enforcement of permits to use or dispose of biosolids under RCW
70.95J.080.
(g) Decisions of the department regarding waste-derived fertilizer
or micronutrient fertilizer under RCW 15.54.820, and decisions of the
department regarding waste-derived soil amendments under RCW 70.95.205.
(h) Decisions of local conservation districts related to the denial
of approval or denial of certification of a dairy nutrient management
plan; conditions contained in a plan; application of any dairy nutrient
management practices, standards, methods, and technologies to a
particular dairy farm; and failure to adhere to the plan review and
approval timelines in RCW 90.64.026.
(i) Any other decision by the department or an air authority which
pursuant to law must be decided as an adjudicative proceeding under
chapter 34.05 RCW.
(j) Decisions of the department of natural resources, the
department of ((fish and wildlife)) conservation and recreation, and
the department that are reviewable under chapter 76.09 RCW, and the
department of natural resources' appeals of county, city, or town
objections under RCW 76.09.050(7).
(k) Forest health hazard orders issued by the commissioner of
public lands under RCW 76.06.180.
(l) Decisions of the department of ((fish and wildlife))
conservation and recreation to issue, deny, condition, or modify a
hydraulic project approval permit under chapter 77.55 RCW.
(m) Decisions of the department of natural resources that are
reviewable under RCW 78.44.270.
(n) Decisions of a state agency that is an authorized public entity
under RCW 79.100.010 to take temporary possession or custody of a
vessel or to contest the amount of reimbursement owed that are
reviewable under RCW 79.100.120.
(2) The following hearings shall not be conducted by the hearings
board:
(a) Hearings required by law to be conducted by the shorelines
hearings board pursuant to chapter 90.58 RCW.
(b) Hearings conducted by the department pursuant to RCW 70.94.332,
70.94.390, 70.94.395, 70.94.400, 70.94.405, 70.94.410, and 90.44.180.
(c) Appeals of decisions by the department under RCW 90.03.110 and
90.44.220.
(d) Hearings conducted by the department to adopt, modify, or
repeal rules.
(((e) Appeals of decisions by the department as provided in chapter
43.21L RCW.))
(3) Review of rules and regulations adopted by the hearings board
shall be subject to review in accordance with the provisions of the
administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW.
Sec. 5010 RCW 43.21B.110 and 2010 c 210 s 8 and 2010 c 84 s 3 are
each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(1) The hearings board shall only have jurisdiction to hear and
decide appeals from the following decisions of the department, the
director, local conservation districts, the air pollution control
boards or authorities as established pursuant to chapter 70.94 RCW,
local health departments, the department of natural resources, and the
department of ((fish and wildlife, and the parks and recreation
commission)) conservation and recreation:
(a) Civil penalties imposed pursuant to RCW 18.104.155, 70.94.431,
70.105.080, 70.107.050, 76.09.170, 77.55.291, 78.44.250, 88.46.090,
90.03.600, 90.46.270, 90.48.144, 90.56.310, 90.56.330, and 90.64.102.
(b) Orders issued pursuant to RCW 18.104.043, 18.104.060,
43.27A.190, 70.94.211, 70.94.332, 70.105.095, 86.16.020, 88.46.070,
90.14.130, 90.46.250, 90.48.120, and 90.56.330.
(c) Except as provided in RCW 90.03.210(2), the issuance,
modification, or termination of any permit, certificate, or license by
the department or any air authority in the exercise of its
jurisdiction, including the issuance or termination of a waste disposal
permit, the denial of an application for a waste disposal permit, the
modification of the conditions or the terms of a waste disposal permit,
or a decision to approve or deny an application for a solid waste
permit exemption under RCW 70.95.300.
(d) Decisions of local health departments regarding the grant or
denial of solid waste permits pursuant to chapter 70.95 RCW.
(e) Decisions of local health departments regarding the issuance
and enforcement of permits to use or dispose of biosolids under RCW
70.95J.080.
(f) Decisions of the department regarding waste-derived fertilizer
or micronutrient fertilizer under RCW 15.54.820, and decisions of the
department regarding waste-derived soil amendments under RCW 70.95.205.
(g) Decisions of local conservation districts related to the denial
of approval or denial of certification of a dairy nutrient management
plan; conditions contained in a plan; application of any dairy nutrient
management practices, standards, methods, and technologies to a
particular dairy farm; and failure to adhere to the plan review and
approval timelines in RCW 90.64.026.
(h) Any other decision by the department or an air authority which
pursuant to law must be decided as an adjudicative proceeding under
chapter 34.05 RCW.
(i) Decisions of the department of natural resources, the
department of ((fish and wildlife)) conservation and recreation, and
the department that are reviewable under chapter 76.09 RCW, and the
department of natural resources' appeals of county, city, or town
objections under RCW 76.09.050(7).
(j) Forest health hazard orders issued by the commissioner of
public lands under RCW 76.06.180.
(k) Decisions of the department of ((fish and wildlife))
conservation and recreation to issue, deny, condition, or modify a
hydraulic project approval permit under chapter 77.55 RCW.
(l) Decisions of the department of natural resources that are
reviewable under RCW 78.44.270.
(m) Decisions of a state agency that is an authorized public entity
under RCW 79.100.010 to take temporary possession or custody of a
vessel or to contest the amount of reimbursement owed that are
reviewable under RCW 79.100.120.
(2) The following hearings shall not be conducted by the hearings
board:
(a) Hearings required by law to be conducted by the shorelines
hearings board pursuant to chapter 90.58 RCW.
(b) Hearings conducted by the department pursuant to RCW 70.94.332,
70.94.390, 70.94.395, 70.94.400, 70.94.405, 70.94.410, and 90.44.180.
(c) Appeals of decisions by the department under RCW 90.03.110 and
90.44.220.
(d) Hearings conducted by the department to adopt, modify, or
repeal rules.
(((e) Appeals of decisions by the department as provided in chapter
43.21L RCW.))
(3) Review of rules and regulations adopted by the hearings board
shall be subject to review in accordance with the provisions of the
administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW.
Sec. 5011 RCW 43.21F.062 and 2010 c 145 s 9 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) In addition to the duties prescribed in RCW 43.21F.045, the
department must develop guidance applicable to all state agencies for
achieving a unified state position upon matters involving the siting
and operation of renewable energy facilities in the state's coastal and
estuarine marine waters. The guidance must provide procedures for
coordinating the views and responsibilities of any state agency with
jurisdiction or expertise over the matter under consideration, which
may include federal policy proposals, activities, permits, licenses, or
the extension of funding for activities in or affecting the state's
marine waters. In developing the guidance, the director must consult
with agencies with primary responsibilities for permitting and
management of marine waters and bedlands, including the departments of
natural resources, ecology, transportation, and ((fish and wildlife,
and the state parks and recreation commission)) conservation and
recreation, the Puget Sound partnership, and the energy facility site
evaluation council. The director must also consult and incorporate
relevant information from the regional activities related to renewable
energy siting in marine waters, including those under the west coast
governors' agreement on ocean health.
(2) The director may not commence development of the guidance until
federal, private, or other nonstate funding is secured for this
activity. The director must adopt the guidance within one year of
securing such funds.
(3) This section is intended to promote consistency and multiple
agency coordination in developing positions and exercising jurisdiction
in matters involving the siting and operation of renewable energy
facilities and does not diminish or abrogate the authority or
jurisdiction of any state agency over such matters established under
any other law.
Sec. 5012 RCW 43.21J.030 and 2007 c 341 s 62 and 2007 c 241 s 4
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(1) There is created the environmental enhancement and job creation
task force within the office of the governor. The purpose of the task
force is to provide a coordinated and comprehensive approach to
implementation of chapter 516, Laws of 1993. The task force shall
consist of the commissioner of public lands, the director of the
department of ((fish and wildlife)) conservation and recreation, the
director of the department of ecology, ((the director of the parks and
recreation commission,)) the timber team coordinator, the executive
director of the workforce training and education coordinating board,
and the executive director of the Puget Sound partnership, or their
designees. The task force may seek the advice of the following
agencies and organizations: The department of ((community, trade, and
economic development)) commerce, the conservation commission, the
employment security department, ((the recreation and conservation
office,)) appropriate federal agencies, appropriate special districts,
the Washington state association of counties, the association of
Washington cities, labor organizations, business organizations, timber-dependent communities, environmental organizations, and Indian tribes.
The governor shall appoint the task force chair. Members of the task
force shall serve without additional pay. Participation in the work of
the committee by agency members shall be considered in performance of
their employment. The governor shall designate staff and
administrative support to the task force and shall solicit the
participation of agency personnel to assist the task force.
(2) The task force shall have the following responsibilities:
(a) Soliciting and evaluating, in accordance with the criteria set
forth in RCW 43.21J.040, requests for funds from the environmental and
forest restoration account and making distributions from the account.
The task force shall award funds for projects and training programs it
approves and may allocate the funds to state agencies for disbursement
and contract administration;
(b) Coordinating a process to assist state agencies and local
governments to implement effective environmental and forest restoration
projects funded under this chapter;
(c) Considering unemployment profile data provided by the
employment security department.
(3) Beginning July 1, 1994, the task force shall have the following
responsibilities:
(a) To solicit and evaluate proposals from state and local
agencies, private nonprofit organizations, and tribes for environmental
and forest restoration projects;
(b) To rank the proposals based on criteria developed by the task
force in accordance with RCW 43.21J.040; and
(c) To determine funding allocations for projects to be funded from
the account created in RCW 43.21J.020 and for projects or programs as
designated in the omnibus operating and capital appropriations acts.
Sec. 5013 RCW 43.60A.150 and 2007 c 451 s 2 and 2007 c 241 s 6
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(1) The Washington veterans conservation corps is created. The
department shall establish enrollment procedures for the program.
Enrollees may choose to participate in either or both the volunteer
projects list authorized in subsection (2) of this section, and the
training, certification, and placement program authorized in RCW
43.60A.151.
(2) The department shall create a list of veterans who are
interested in working on projects that restore Washington's natural
habitat. The department shall promote the opportunity to volunteer for
the veterans conservation corps through its local counselors and
representatives. Only veterans who grant their approval may be
included on the list. The department shall consult with the salmon
recovery board, the recreation and conservation funding board, the
department of natural resources, and the department of ((fish and
wildlife, and the state parks and recreation commission)) conservation
and recreation to determine the most effective ways to market the
veterans conservation corps to agencies and local sponsors of habitat
restoration projects.
Sec. 5014 RCW 43.81.010 and 1994 c 264 s 27 are each amended to
read as follows:
The legislature recognizes that significant benefits accrue to the
state and that certain types of state operations are more efficient
when personnel services are available on an extended basis. Such
operations include certain types of facilities managed by agencies such
as the departments of natural resources, corrections, ((fish and
wildlife)) conservation and recreation, social and health services,
transportation, and veterans affairs((, and the parks and recreation
commission)).
The means of assuring that such personnel are available on an
extended basis is through the establishment of on-site state-owned or
leased living facilities. The legislature also recognizes the
restrictions and hardship placed upon those personnel who are required
to reside in such state-owned or leased living facilities in order to
provide extended personnel services.
The legislature further recognizes that there are instances where
it is to the benefit of the state to have state-owned or leased living
facilities occupied even though such occupancy is not required by the
agency as a condition of employment.
Sec. 5015 RCW 43.82.010 and 2007 c 506 s 8 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The director of general administration, on behalf of the agency
involved and after consultation with the office of financial
management, shall purchase, lease, lease purchase, rent, or otherwise
acquire all real estate, improved or unimproved, as may be required by
elected state officials, institutions, departments, commissions,
boards, and other state agencies, or federal agencies where joint state
and federal activities are undertaken and may grant easements and
transfer, exchange, sell, lease, or sublease all or part of any surplus
real estate for those state agencies which do not otherwise have the
specific authority to dispose of real estate. This section does not
transfer financial liability for the acquired property to the
department of general administration.
(2) Except for real estate occupied by federal agencies, the
director shall determine the location, size, and design of any real
estate or improvements thereon acquired or held pursuant to subsection
(1) of this section. Facilities acquired or held pursuant to this
chapter, and any improvements thereon, shall conform to standards
adopted by the director and approved by the office of financial
management governing facility efficiency unless a specific exemption
from such standards is provided by the director of general
administration. The director of general administration shall report to
the office of financial management and the appropriate committees of
the legislature annually on any exemptions granted pursuant to this
subsection.
(3) The director of general administration may fix the terms and
conditions of each lease entered into under this chapter, except that
no lease shall extend greater than twenty years in duration. The
director of general administration may enter into a long-term lease
greater than ten years in duration upon a determination by the director
of the office of financial management that the long-term lease provides
a more favorable rate than would otherwise be available, it appears to
a substantial certainty that the facility is necessary for use by the
state for the full length of the lease term, and the facility meets the
standards adopted pursuant to subsection (2) of this section. The
director of general administration may enter into a long-term lease
greater than ten years in duration if an analysis shows that the life-cycle cost of leasing the facility is less than the life-cycle cost of
purchasing or constructing a facility in lieu of leasing the facility.
(4) Except as permitted under chapter 39.94 RCW, no lease for or on
behalf of any state agency may be used or referred to as collateral or
security for the payment of securities offered for sale through a
public offering. Except as permitted under chapter 39.94 RCW, no lease
for or on behalf of any state agency may be used or referred to as
collateral or security for the payment of securities offered for sale
through a private placement without the prior written approval of the
state treasurer. However, this limitation shall not prevent a lessor
from assigning or encumbering its interest in a lease as security for
the repayment of a promissory note provided that the transaction would
otherwise be an exempt transaction under RCW 21.20.320. The state
treasurer shall adopt rules that establish the criteria under which any
such approval may be granted. In establishing such criteria the state
treasurer shall give primary consideration to the protection of the
state's credit rating and the integrity of the state's debt management
program. If it appears to the state treasurer that any lease has been
used or referred to in violation of this subsection or rules adopted
under this subsection, then he or she may recommend that the governor
cause such lease to be terminated. The department of general
administration shall promptly notify the state treasurer whenever it
may appear to the department that any lease has been used or referred
to in violation of this subsection or rules adopted under this
subsection.
(5) It is the policy of the state to encourage the colocation and
consolidation of state services into single or adjacent facilities,
whenever appropriate, to improve public service delivery, minimize
duplication of facilities, increase efficiency of operations, and
promote sound growth management planning.
(6) The director of general administration shall provide
coordinated long-range planning services to identify and evaluate
opportunities for colocating and consolidating state facilities. Upon
the renewal of any lease, the inception of a new lease, or the purchase
of a facility, the director of general administration shall determine
whether an opportunity exists for colocating the agency or agencies in
a single facility with other agencies located in the same geographic
area. If a colocation opportunity exists, the director of general
administration shall consult with the affected state agencies and the
office of financial management to evaluate the impact colocation would
have on the cost and delivery of agency programs, including whether
program delivery would be enhanced due to the centralization of
services. The director of general administration, in consultation with
the office of financial management, shall develop procedures for
implementing colocation and consolidation of state facilities.
(7) The director of general administration is authorized to
purchase, lease, rent, or otherwise acquire improved or unimproved real
estate as owner or lessee and to lease or sublet all or a part of such
real estate to state or federal agencies. The director of general
administration shall charge each using agency its proportionate rental
which shall include an amount sufficient to pay all costs, including,
but not limited to, those for utilities, janitorial and accounting
services, and sufficient to provide for contingencies; which shall not
exceed five percent of the average annual rental, to meet unforeseen
expenses incident to management of the real estate.
(8) If the director of general administration determines that it is
necessary or advisable to undertake any work, construction, alteration,
repair, or improvement on any real estate acquired pursuant to
subsection (1) or (7) of this section, the director shall cause plans
and specifications thereof and an estimate of the cost of such work to
be made and filed in his or her office and the state agency benefiting
thereby is hereby authorized to pay for such work out of any available
funds: PROVIDED, That the cost of executing such work shall not exceed
the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars. Work, construction,
alteration, repair, or improvement in excess of twenty-five thousand
dollars, other than that done by the owner of the property if other
than the state, shall be performed in accordance with the public works
law of this state.
(9) In order to obtain maximum utilization of space, the director
of general administration shall make space utilization studies, and
shall establish standards for use of space by state agencies. Such
studies shall include the identification of opportunities for
colocation and consolidation of state agency office and support
facilities.
(10) The director of general administration may construct new
buildings on, or improve existing facilities, and furnish and equip,
all real estate under his or her management. Prior to the construction
of new buildings or major improvements to existing facilities or
acquisition of facilities using a lease purchase contract, the director
of general administration shall conduct an evaluation of the facility
design and budget using life-cycle cost analysis, value-engineering,
and other techniques to maximize the long-term effectiveness and
efficiency of the facility or improvement.
(11) All conveyances and contracts to purchase, lease, rent,
transfer, exchange, or sell real estate and to grant and accept
easements shall be approved as to form by the attorney general, signed
by the director of general administration or the director's designee,
and recorded with the county auditor of the county in which the
property is located.
(12) The director of general administration may delegate any or all
of the functions specified in this section to any agency upon such
terms and conditions as the director deems advisable. By January 1st
of each year, beginning January 1, 2008, the department shall submit an
annual report to the office of financial management and the appropriate
committees of the legislature on all delegated leases.
(13) This section does not apply to the acquisition of real estate
by:
(a) The state college and universities for research or experimental
purposes;
(b) The state liquor control board for liquor stores and
warehouses; and
(c) The department of natural resources, the department of ((fish
and wildlife)) conservation and recreation, and the department of
transportation((, and the state parks and recreation commission)) for
purposes other than the leasing of offices, warehouses, and real estate
for similar purposes.
(14) Notwithstanding any provision in this chapter to the contrary,
the department of general administration may negotiate ground leases
for public lands on which property is to be acquired under a financing
contract pursuant to chapter 39.94 RCW under terms approved by the
state finance committee.
(15) The department of general administration shall report annually
to the office of financial management and the appropriate fiscal
committees of the legislature on facility leases executed for all state
agencies for the preceding year, lease terms, and annual lease costs.
The report must include leases executed under RCW 43.82.045 and
subsection (12) of this section.
Sec. 5016 RCW 43.220.020 and 1999 c 280 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
The Washington conservation corps is hereby created, to be
implemented by the following state departments: The employment
security department, the department of ecology, the department of
((fish and wildlife)) conservation and recreation, and the department
of natural resources((, and the state parks and recreation
commission)).
Sec. 5017 RCW 79.19.080 and 2003 c 334 s 531 are each amended to
read as follows:
Periodically, at intervals to be determined by the board, the
department shall identify trust lands which are expected to convert to
commercial, residential, or industrial uses within ten years. The
department shall adhere to existing local comprehensive plans, zoning
classifications, and duly adopted local policies when making this
identification and determining the fair market value of the property.
The department shall hold a public hearing on the proposal in the
county where the state land is located. At least fifteen days but not
more than thirty days before the hearing, the department shall publish
a public notice of reasonable size in display advertising form, setting
forth the date, time, and place of the hearing, at least once in one or
more daily newspapers of general circulation in the county and at least
once in one or more weekly newspapers circulated in the area where the
trust land is located. At the same time that the published notice is
given, the department shall give written notice of the hearings to the
departments of ((fish and wildlife)) conservation and recreation and
general administration, ((to the parks and recreation commission,)) and
to the county, city, or town in which the property is situated. The
department shall disseminate a news release pertaining to the hearing
among printed and electronic media in the area where the trust land is
located. The public notice and news release also shall identify trust
lands in the area which are expected to convert to commercial,
residential, or industrial uses within ten years.
A summary of the testimony presented at the hearings shall be
prepared for the board's consideration. The board shall designate
trust lands which are expected to convert to commercial, residential,
or industrial uses as urban land. Descriptions of lands designated by
the board shall be made available to the county and city or town in
which the land is situated and for public inspection and copying at the
department's administrative office in Olympia, Washington and at each
area office.
The hearing and notice requirements of this section apply to those
trust lands which have been identified by the department prior to July
1, 1984, as being expected to convert to commercial, residential, or
industrial uses within the next ten years, and which have not been sold
or exchanged prior to July 1, 1984.
Sec. 5018 RCW 79.100.010 and 2007 c 342 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter
unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Abandoned vessel" means a vessel that has been left, moored,
or anchored in the same area without the express consent, or contrary
to the rules of, the owner, manager, or lessee of the aquatic lands
below or on which the vessel is located for either a period of more
than thirty consecutive days or for more than a total of ninety days in
any three hundred sixty-five-day period, and the vessel's owner is:
(a) Not known or cannot be located; or (b) known and located but is
unwilling to take control of the vessel. For the purposes of this
subsection (1) only, "in the same area" means within a radius of five
miles of any location where the vessel was previously moored or
anchored on aquatic lands.
(2) "Aquatic lands" means all tidelands, shorelands, harbor areas,
and the beds of navigable waters, including lands owned by the state
and lands owned by other public or private entities.
(3) "Authorized public entity" includes any of the following: The
department of natural resources; the department of ((fish and wildlife;
the parks and recreation commission)) conservation and recreation; a
metropolitan park district; a port district; and any city, town, or
county with ownership, management, or jurisdiction over the aquatic
lands where an abandoned or derelict vessel is located.
(4) "Department" means the department of natural resources.
(5) "Derelict vessel" means the vessel's owner is known and can be
located, and exerts control of a vessel that:
(a) Has been moored, anchored, or otherwise left in the waters of
the state or on public property contrary to RCW 79.02.300 or rules
adopted by an authorized public entity;
(b) Has been left on private property without authorization of the
owner; or
(c) Has been left for a period of seven consecutive days, and:
(i) Is sunk or in danger of sinking;
(ii) Is obstructing a waterway; or
(iii) Is endangering life or property.
(6) "Owner" means any natural person, firm, partnership,
corporation, association, government entity, or organization that has
a lawful right to possession of a vessel by purchase, exchange, gift,
lease, inheritance, or legal action whether or not the vessel is
subject to a security interest.
(7) "Vessel" means every species of watercraft or other mobile
artificial contrivance, powered or unpowered, intended to be used for
transporting people or goods on water or for floating marine
construction or repair and which does not exceed two hundred feet in
length. "Vessel" includes any trailer used for the transportation of
watercraft, or any attached floats or debris.
Sec. 5019 RCW 79.145.030 and 2005 c 155 s 903 are each amended to
read as follows:
The department shall have the authority to coordinate
implementation of the action plan with appropriate state agencies
including ((the parks and recreation commission and)) the departments
of ecology and ((fish and wildlife)) conservation and recreation. The
department is authorized to adopt, in consultation with affected
agencies, the necessary rules to provide for the cleanup and to prevent
pollution of the waters of the state and aquatic lands by plastic and
other marine debris.
Sec. 5020 RCW 79A.15.010 and 2009 c 341 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter
unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Acquisition" means the purchase on a willing seller basis of
fee or less than fee interests in real property. These interests
include, but are not limited to, options, rights of first refusal,
conservation easements, leases, and mineral rights.
(2) "Board" means the recreation and conservation funding board.
(3) "Critical habitat" means lands important for the protection,
management, or public enjoyment of certain wildlife species or groups
of species, including, but not limited to, wintering range for deer,
elk, and other species, waterfowl and upland bird habitat, fish
habitat, and habitat for endangered, threatened, or sensitive species.
(4) "Farmlands" means any land defined as "farm and agricultural
land" in RCW 84.34.020(2).
(5) "Local agencies" means a city, county, town, federally
recognized Indian tribe, special purpose district, port district, or
other political subdivision of the state providing services to less
than the entire state.
(6) "Natural areas" means areas that have, to a significant degree,
retained their natural character and are important in preserving rare
or vanishing flora, fauna, geological, natural historical, or similar
features of scientific or educational value.
(7) "Nonprofit nature conservancy corporation or association" means
an organization as defined in RCW 84.34.250.
(8) "Riparian habitat" means land adjacent to water bodies, as well
as submerged land such as streambeds, which can provide functional
habitat for salmonids and other fish and wildlife species. Riparian
habitat includes, but is not limited to, shorelines and near-shore
marine habitat, estuaries, lakes, wetlands, streams, and rivers.
(9) "Special needs populations" means physically restricted people
or people of limited means.
(10) "State agencies" means ((the state parks and recreation
commission,)) the department of natural resources, the department of
general administration, and the department of ((fish and wildlife))
conservation and recreation.
(11) "Trails" means public ways constructed for and open to
pedestrians, equestrians, or bicyclists, or any combination thereof,
other than a sidewalk constructed as a part of a city street or county
road for exclusive use of pedestrians.
(12) "Urban wildlife habitat" means lands that provide habitat
important to wildlife in proximity to a metropolitan area.
(13) "Water access" means boat or foot access to marine waters,
lakes, rivers, or streams.
Sec. 5021 RCW 79A.20.030 and 1994 c 264 s 30 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Moneys appropriated for this chapter from the state wildlife
and recreation lands management account shall be expended in the
following manner:
(a) Not less than thirty percent for basic stewardship;
(b) Not less than twenty percent for improved or developed
resources;
(c) Not less than fifteen percent for human use management; and
(d) Not more than fifteen percent for administration.
(e) The remaining twenty to thirty-five percent shall be considered
unallocated.
(2) In the event that moneys appropriated for this chapter to the
state wildlife and recreation lands management account under the
initial allocation prove insufficient to meet basic stewardship needs,
the unallocated amount shall be used to fund basic stewardship needs.
(3) Each eligible agency is not required to meet this specific
percentage distribution. However, funding across agencies should meet
these percentages during each biennium.
(4) It is intended that moneys disbursed from this account not
replace existing operation and maintenance funding levels from other
state sources.
(5) Agencies eligible to receive funds from this account are the
departments of ((fish and wildlife)) conservation and recreation and
natural resources((, and the state parks and recreation commission)).
(6) Moneys appropriated for this chapter from the state wildlife
and recreation lands management account shall be distributed in the
following manner:
(a) Not less than twenty-five percent to the ((state)) department
of conservation and recreation for the parks and recreation
((commission)) division.
(b) Not less than twenty-five percent to the department of natural
resources.
(c) Not less than twenty-five percent to the department of
conservation and recreation for fish and wildlife programs.
(d) The remaining funds shall be allocated to eligible agencies
based upon an evaluation of remaining unfunded needs.
(7) The office of financial management shall review eligible state
agency requests and make recommendations on the allocation of funds
provided under this chapter as part of the governor's operating budget
request to the legislature.
Sec. 5022 RCW 79A.25.260 and 2007 c 247 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The habitat and recreation lands coordinating group is
established. The habitat and recreation lands coordinating group must
include representatives from the ((committee)) board, ((the state parks
and recreation commission,)) the department of natural resources, and
the Washington state department of ((fish and wildlife)) conservation
and recreation. The members of the habitat and recreation lands
coordinating group must have subject matter expertise with the issues
presented in this section. Representatives from appropriate
stakeholder organizations and local government must also be considered
for participation on the habitat and recreation lands coordinating
group, but may only be appointed or invited by the director.
(2) To ensure timely completion of the duties assigned to the
habitat and recreation lands coordinating group, the director shall
submit yearly progress reports to the office of financial management.
(3) The habitat and recreation lands coordinating group must:
(a) Review agency land acquisition and disposal plans and policies
to help ensure statewide coordination of habitat and recreation land
acquisitions and disposals;
(b) Produce an interagency, statewide biennial forecast of habitat
and recreation land ((acquisitions [acquisition])) acquisition and
disposal plans;
(c) Establish procedures for publishing the biennial forecast of
acquisition and disposal plans on web sites or other centralized,
easily accessible formats;
(d) Develop and convene an annual forum for agencies to coordinate
their near-term acquisition and disposal plans;
(e) Develop a recommended method for interagency geographic
information system-based documentation of habitat and recreation lands
in cooperation with other state agencies using geographic information
systems;
(f) Develop recommendations for standardization of acquisition and
disposal recordkeeping, including identifying a preferred process for
centralizing acquisition data;
(g) Develop an approach for monitoring the success of acquisitions;
(h) Identify and commence a dialogue with key state and federal
partners to develop an inventory of potential public lands for transfer
into habitat and recreation land management status;
(i) Review existing and proposed habitat conservation plans on a
regular basis to foster statewide coordination and save costs.
(4) The group shall revisit the ((committee's)) board's and
Washington wildlife and recreation program's planning requirements to
determine whether coordination of state agency habitat and recreation
land acquisition and disposal could be improved by modifying those
requirements.
(5) The group must develop options for centralizing coordination of
habitat and recreation land acquisition made with funds from federal
grants. The advantages and drawbacks of the following options, at a
minimum, must be developed:
(a) Requiring that agencies provide early communication on the
status of federal grant applications to the ((committee)) board, the
office of financial management, or directly to the legislature;
(b) Establishing a centralized pass-through agency for federal
funds, where individual agencies would be the primary applicants.
(6) This section expires July 31, 2012. Prior to January 1, 2012,
the ((committee)) board shall make a formal recommendation to the
appropriate committees of the legislature as to whether the existence
of the habitat and recreation lands coordinating group should be
continued beyond July 31, 2012, and if so, whether any modifications to
its enabling statute should be pursued. The ((committee)) board shall
involve all participants in the habitat and recreation lands
coordinating group when developing the recommendations.
Sec. 5023 RCW 84.34.055 and 2007 c 241 s 73 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1)(a) The county legislative authority may direct the county
planning commission to set open space priorities and adopt, after a
public hearing, an open space plan and public benefit rating system for
the county. The plan shall consist of criteria for determining
eligibility of lands, the process for establishing a public benefit
rating system, and an assessed valuation schedule. The assessed
valuation schedule shall be developed by the county assessor and shall
be a percentage of market value based upon the public benefit rating
system. The open space plan, the public benefit rating system, and the
assessed valuations schedule shall not be effective until approved by
the county legislative authority after at least one public hearing:
PROVIDED, That any county which has complied with the procedural
requisites of chapter 393, Laws of 1985, prior to July 28, 1985, need
not repeat those procedures in order to adopt an open space plan
pursuant to chapter 393, Laws of 1985.
(b) County legislative authorities, in open space plans, public
benefit rating systems, and assessed valuation schedules, shall give
priority consideration to lands used for buffers that are planted with
or primarily contain native vegetation.
(c) "Priority consideration" as used in this section may include,
but is not limited to, establishing classification eligibility and
maintenance criteria for buffers meeting the requirements of (b) of
this subsection.
(d) County legislative authorities shall meet the requirements of
(b) of this subsection no later than July 1, 2006, unless buffers
already receive priority consideration in the existing open space
plans, public benefit rating systems, and assessed valuation schedules.
(2) In adopting an open space plan, recognized sources shall be
used unless the county does its own survey of important open space
priorities or features, or both. Recognized sources include but are
not limited to the natural heritage database; the state office of
historic preservation; the recreation and conservation office inventory
of dry accretion beach and shoreline features; state, national, county,
or city registers of historic places; the shoreline master program; or
studies by ((the parks and recreation commission and by)) the
departments of ((fish and wildlife)) conservation and recreation and
natural resources. Features and sites may be verified by an outside
expert in the field and approved by the appropriate state or local
agency to be sent to the county legislative authority for final
approval as open space.
(3) When the county open space plan is adopted, owners of open
space lands then classified under this chapter shall be notified in the
same manner as is provided in RCW 84.40.045 of their new assessed
value. These lands may be removed from classification, upon request of
owner, without penalty within thirty days of notification of value.
(4) The open space plan and public benefit rating system under this
section may be adopted for taxes payable in 1986 and thereafter.
Sec. 5024 RCW 90.48.366 and 2007 c 347 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
The department, in consultation with the departments of ((fish and
wildlife)) conservation and recreation and natural resources, ((and the
parks and recreation commission,)) shall adopt rules establishing a
compensation schedule for the discharge of oil in violation of this
chapter and chapter 90.56 RCW. The amount of compensation assessed
under this schedule shall be no less than one dollar per gallon of oil
spilled and no greater than one hundred dollars per gallon of oil
spilled. The compensation schedule shall reflect adequate compensation
for unquantifiable damages or for damages not quantifiable at
reasonable cost for any adverse environmental, recreational, aesthetic,
or other effects caused by the spill and shall take into account:
(1) Characteristics of any oil spilled, such as toxicity,
dispersibility, solubility, and persistence, that may affect the
severity of the effects on the receiving environment, living organisms,
and recreational and aesthetic resources;
(2) The sensitivity of the affected area as determined by such
factors as: (a) The location of the spill; (b) habitat and living
resource sensitivity; (c) seasonal distribution or sensitivity of
living resources; (d) areas of recreational use or aesthetic
importance; (e) the proximity of the spill to important habitats for
birds, aquatic mammals, fish, or to species listed as threatened or
endangered under state or federal law; (f) significant archaeological
resources as determined by the department of archaeology and historic
preservation; and (g) other areas of special ecological or recreational
importance, as determined by the department; and
(3) Actions taken by the party who spilled oil or any party liable
for the spill that: (a) Demonstrate a recognition and affirmative
acceptance of responsibility for the spill, such as the immediate
removal of oil and the amount of oil removed from the environment; or
(b) enhance or impede the detection of the spill, the determination of
the quantity of oil spilled, or the extent of damage, including the
unauthorized removal of evidence such as injured fish or wildlife.
Sec. 5025 RCW 90.48.368 and 2007 c 347 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The department shall adopt rules establishing a formal process
for preassessment screening of damages resulting from spills to the
waters of the state causing the death of, or injury to, fish, animals,
vegetation, or other resources of the state. The rules shall specify
the conditions under which the department shall convene a preassessment
screening committee. The preassessment screening process shall occur
concurrently with reconnaissance activities. The committee shall use
information obtained from reconnaissance activities as well as any
other relevant resource and resource use information. For each
incident, the committee shall determine whether a damage assessment
investigation should be conducted, or, whether the compensation
schedule authorized under RCW 90.48.366 and 90.48.367 should be used to
assess damages. The committee may accept restoration or enhancement
projects or studies proposed by the liable parties in lieu of some or
all of: (a) The compensation schedule authorized under RCW 90.48.366
and 90.48.367; or (b) the claims from damage assessment studies
authorized under RCW 90.48.142.
(2) A preassessment screening committee may consist of
representatives of the departments of ecology, archaeology and historic
preservation, ((fish and wildlife)) conservation and recreation,
health, and natural resources, ((and the parks and recreation
commission,)) as well as other federal, state, and local agencies, and
tribal and local governments whose presence would enhance the
reconnaissance or damage assessment aspects of spill response. The
department shall chair the committee and determine which
representatives will be needed on a spill-by-spill basis.
(3) The committee shall consider the following factors when
determining whether a damage assessment study authorized under RCW
90.48.367 should be conducted: (a) Whether evidence from
reconnaissance investigations suggests that injury has occurred or is
likely to occur to publicly owned resources; (b) the potential loss in
services provided by resources injured or likely to be injured and the
expected value of the potential loss; (c) whether a restoration project
to return lost services is technically feasible; (d) the accuracy of
damage quantification methods that could be used and the anticipated
cost-effectiveness of applying each method; (e) the extent to which
likely injury to resources can be verified with available
quantification methods; and (f) whether the injury, once quantified,
can be translated into monetary values with sufficient precision or
accuracy.
(4) When a resource damage assessment is required for an oil spill
in the waters of the state, as defined in RCW 90.56.010, the state
trustee agency responsible for the resource and habitat damaged shall
conduct the damage assessment and pursue all appropriate remedies with
the responsible party.
(5) Oil spill damage assessment studies authorized under RCW
90.48.367 may only be conducted if the committee, after considering the
factors enumerated in subsection (3) of this section, determines that
the damages to be investigated are quantifiable at a reasonable cost
and that proposed assessment studies are clearly linked to
quantification of the damages incurred.
(6) As new information becomes available, the committee may
reevaluate the scope of damage assessment using the factors listed in
subsection (3) of this section and may reduce or expand the scope of
damage assessment as appropriate.
(7) The preassessment screening process shall provide for the
ongoing involvement of persons who may be liable for damages resulting
from an oil spill. The department may negotiate with a potentially
liable party to perform restoration and enhancement projects or studies
which may substitute for all or part of the compensation authorized
under RCW 90.48.366 and 90.48.367 or the damage assessment studies
authorized under RCW 90.48.367.
(8) For the purposes of this section and RCW 90.48.367, the cost of
a damage assessment shall be considered "reasonable" when the
anticipated cost of the damage assessment is expected to be less than
the anticipated damage that may have occurred or may occur.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5026 Section 5009 of this act expires June 30,
2019.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5027 Section 5010 of this act takes effect
June 30, 2019.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5028 The consolidation directed pursuant to
sections 5001 through 5027 of this act takes effect July 1, 2012.
Sec. 6001 RCW 89.08.020 and 1999 c 305 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
((Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, as used in this
chapter:)) The definitions in this section apply throughout this
chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Commission" and "state conservation commission" means the
((agency created hereunder. All former references to "state soil and
water conservation committee", "state committee" or "committee" shall
be deemed to be references to the "state conservation commission";))
advisory commission created in RCW 89.08.030 within the department of
agriculture.
(2) "Department" means the department of agriculture.
(3) "Director" means the director of the department of agriculture.
(4) "District," or "conservation district" means a governmental
subdivision of this state and a public body corporate and politic,
organized in accordance with the provisions of chapter 184, Laws of
1973 1st ex. sess., for the purposes, with the powers, and subject to
the restrictions set forth in this chapter. All districts created
under chapter 184, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. shall be known as
conservation districts and shall have all the powers and duties set out
in chapter 184, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. All references in chapter
184, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. to "districts", or "soil and water
conservation districts" shall be deemed to be reference to
"conservation districts."((;))
(5) "Board" and "supervisors" mean the board of supervisors of a
conservation district((;)).
(6) "Land occupier" or "occupier of land" includes any person,
firm, political subdivision, government agency, municipality, public or
private corporation, copartnership, association, or any other entity
whatsoever which holds title to, or is in possession of, any lands
lying within a district organized under the provisions of chapter 184,
Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess., whether as owner, lessee, renter, tenant,
or otherwise((;)).
(7) "District elector" or "voter" means a registered voter in the
county where the district is located who resides within the district
boundary or in the area affected by a petition((;)).
(8) "Due notice" means a notice published at least twice, with at
least six days between publications, in a publication of general
circulation within the affected area, or if there is no such
publication, by posting at a reasonable number of public places within
the area, where it is customary to post notices concerning county and
municipal affairs. Any hearing held pursuant to due notice may be
postponed from time to time without a new notice((;)).
(9) "Renewable natural resources," "natural resources" or
"resources" includes land, air, water, vegetation, fish, wildlife, wild
rivers, wilderness, natural beauty, scenery and open space((;)).
(10) "Conservation" includes conservation, development,
improvement, maintenance, preservation, protection and use, and
alleviation of floodwater and sediment damages, and the disposal of
excess surface waters.
(11) "Farm and agricultural land" means either (a) land in any
contiguous ownership of twenty or more acres devoted primarily to
agricultural uses; (b) any parcel of land five acres or more but less
than twenty acres devoted primarily to agricultural uses, which has
produced a gross income from agricultural uses equivalent to one
hundred dollars or more per acre per year for three of the five
calendar years preceding the date of application for classification
under this chapter; or (c) any parcel of land of less than five acres
devoted primarily to agricultural uses which has produced a gross
income of one thousand dollars or more per year for three of the five
calendar years preceding the date of application for classification
under this chapter. Agricultural lands shall also include farm
woodlots of less than twenty and more than five acres and the land on
which appurtenances necessary to production, preparation or sale of the
agricultural products exist in conjunction with the lands producing
such products. Agricultural lands shall also include any parcel of
land of one to five acres, which is not contiguous, but which otherwise
constitutes an integral part of farming operations being conducted on
land qualifying under this section as "farm and agricultural lands."
Sec. 6002 RCW 89.08.030 and 1987 c 180 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) There is hereby established ((to serve as an agency of the
state and to perform the functions conferred upon it by law,)) within
the department an advisory commission to be known as the state
conservation commission((, which shall succeed to all powers, duties
and property of the state soil and water conservation committee)). The
commission shall carry out all the functions and duties enumerated in
this chapter or specified in other laws.
(2)(a) The commission shall consist of ten members, five of whom
are ex officio. Two members shall be appointed by the governor, one of
whom shall be a landowner or operator of a farm. At least two of the
three elected members shall be landowners or operators of a farm and
shall be elected as ((herein)) provided in this section. The appointed
members shall serve for a term of four years.
(b) The three elected members shall be elected for three-year
terms, one shall be elected each year by the district supervisors at
their annual statewide meeting. One of the members shall reside in
eastern Washington, one in central Washington and one in western
Washington, the specific boundaries to be determined by district
supervisors. At the first such election, the term of the member from
western Washington shall be one year, central Washington two years and
eastern Washington three years, and successors shall be elected for
three years.
(c) Unexpired term vacancies in the office of appointed commission
members shall be filled by appointment by the governor in the same
manner as full-term appointments. Unexpired terms of elected
commission members shall be filled by the regional vice president of
the Washington association of conservation districts who is serving
that part of the state where the vacancy occurs, such term to continue
only until district supervisors can fill the unexpired term by electing
the commission member.
(d) The director of the department of ecology, the director of the
department of agriculture, the commissioner of public lands, the
president of the Washington association of conservation districts, and
the dean of the college of agriculture at Washington State University
shall be ex officio members of the commission. An ex officio member of
the commission shall hold office so long as he or she retains the
office by virtue of which he or she is a member of the commission. Ex
officio members may delegate their authority.
(e) The commission may invite appropriate officers of cooperating
organizations, state and federal agencies to serve as advisers to the
conservation commission.
Sec. 6003 RCW 89.08.040 and 2009 c 55 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
Members shall ((be compensated in accordance with RCW 43.03.250 and
shall be entitled to)) receive travel expenses in accordance with RCW
43.03.050 and 43.03.060 incurred in the discharge of their duties.
((The commission shall keep a record of its official actions, shall
adopt a seal, which shall be judicially noticed, and may perform such
acts, hold such public hearings, and adopt such rules as may be
necessary for the execution of its functions under chapter 184, Laws of
1973 1st ex. sess. The state department of ecology is empowered to pay
the travel expenses of the elected and appointed members of the state
conservation commission, and the salaries, wages and other expenses of
such administrative officers or other employees as may be required
under the provisions of this chapter.))
Sec. 6004 RCW 89.08.050 and 2009 c 55 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department may employ ((an administrative
officer, and)) such technical experts and ((such)) other agents and
employees((, permanent and temporary as it may require, and shall
determine their qualifications, duties, and compensation. The
commission may call upon the attorney general for such legal services
as it)) that the department determines the commission may require.
((It)) The commission shall have authority to delegate to its
chair((,)) or to one or more of its members((, to one or more agents or
employees such)) those duties and powers as it deems proper. ((As long
as the commission and the office of financial management under the
provisions of chapter 43.82 RCW deems it appropriate and financially
justifiable to do so, the commission shall be supplied with suitable
office accommodations at the central office of the department of
ecology, and shall be furnished the necessary supplies and equipment.))
The commission shall organize annually and select a chair from
among its members, who shall serve for one year from the date of the
chair's selection. A majority of the commission shall constitute a
quorum and all actions of the commission shall be by a majority vote of
the members present and voting at a meeting at which a quorum is
present.
Sec. 6005 RCW 89.08.070 and 2009 c 55 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
In addition to the duties and powers hereinafter conferred upon the
commission, it shall have the following duties and powers:
(1) To offer such assistance as may be appropriate to the
supervisors of conservation districts organized under the provisions of
chapter 184, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess., in the carrying out of any of
their powers and programs:
(a) To assist and guide districts in the preparation and carrying
out of programs for resource conservation authorized under chapter 184,
Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess.;
(b) To review district programs;
(c) To coordinate the programs of the several districts and resolve
any conflicts in such programs;
(d) To facilitate, promote, assist, harmonize, coordinate, and
guide the resource conservation programs and activities of districts as
they relate to other special purpose districts, counties, and other
public agencies.
(2) To keep the supervisors of each of the several conservation
districts organized under the provisions of chapter 184, Laws of 1973
1st ex. sess. informed of the activities and experience of all other
districts organized hereunder, and to facilitate an interchange of
advice and experience between such districts and cooperation between
them.
(3) To review agreements, or forms of agreements, proposed to be
entered into by districts with other districts or with any state,
federal, interstate, or other public or private agency, organization,
or individual, and advise the districts concerning such agreements or
forms of agreements.
(4) ((To secure the cooperation and assistance of the United States
and any of its agencies, and of agencies of this state in the work of
such districts.)) To encourage the cooperation and collaboration of state,
federal, regional, interstate and local public and private agencies
with the conservation districts, and facilitate arrangements under
which the conservation districts may serve county governing bodies and
other agencies as their local operating agencies in the administration
of any activity concerned with the conservation of renewable natural
resources.
(5) To recommend the inclusion in annual and longer term budgets
and appropriation legislation of the state of Washington of funds
necessary for appropriation by the legislature to finance the
activities of the commission and the conservation districts; to
administer the provisions of any law hereinafter enacted by the
legislature appropriating funds for expenditure in connection with the
activities of conservation districts; to distribute to conservation
districts funds, equipment, supplies and services received by the
commission for that purpose from any source, subject to such conditions
as shall be made applicable thereto in any state or federal statute or
local ordinance making available such funds, property or services; to
adopt rules establishing guidelines and suitable controls to govern the
use by conservation districts of such funds, property and services; and
to review all budgets, administrative procedures and operations of such
districts and advise the districts concerning their conformance with
applicable laws and rules.
(6)
(((7) To disseminate information throughout the state concerning
the activities and programs of the conservation districts organized
hereunder, and to encourage the formation of such districts in areas
where their organization is desirable; to make available information
concerning the needs and the work of the conservation district and the
commission to the governor, the legislature, executive agencies of the
government of this state, political subdivisions of this state,
cooperating federal agencies, and the general public.)) (5) To compile information and make studies, summaries and
analysis of district programs in relation to each other and to other
resource conservation programs on a statewide basis.
(8) Pursuant to procedures developed mutually by the commission and
other state and local agencies that are authorized to plan or
administer activities significantly affecting the conservation of
renewable natural resources, to receive from such agencies for review
and comment suitable descriptions of their plans, programs and
activities for purposes of coordination with district conservation
programs; to arrange for and participate in conferences necessary to
avoid conflict among such plans and programs, to call attention to
omissions, and to avoid duplication of effort.
(9)
(((10) To assist conservation districts in obtaining legal services
from state and local legal officers.))
(11) To require annual reports from conservation districts, the
form and content of which shall be developed by the commission.
(12) To establish by rule, with the assistance and advice of the
state auditor's office, adequate and reasonably uniform accounting and
auditing procedures which shall be used by conservation districts.
(13) To seek and accept grants from any source, public or private,
to fulfill the purposes of the agency. The commission may also accept
gifts or endowments that are made from time to time, in trust or
otherwise, including real and personal property, for the use and
benefit consistent with the purposes of this chapter.
(14) To conduct conferences, seminars, and training sessions
consistent with the purposes of this chapter, and may accept grants,
gifts, and contributions, and may contract for services, to accomplish
these activities. The commission may recover costs for these
activities, whether the activity is sponsored or cosponsored by the
commission, at a rate determined by the commission. The commission may
provide reimbursement to participants in these activities and other
commission sponsored meetings and events, as appropriate and approved
by the commission, consistent with applicable statutes. The commission
may provide meals for participants in working meetings.
(15) To adopt rules to implement this section as it deems
appropriate.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6006 A new section is added to chapter 89.08
RCW to read as follows:
In addition to the duties and powers conferred upon the department,
it shall have the following duties and powers:
(1) To secure the cooperation and assistance of the United States
and any of its agencies, and of agencies of this state in the work of
such districts.
(2) To recommend the inclusion in annual and longer-term budgets
and appropriation legislation of the state of Washington of funds
necessary for appropriation by the legislature to finance the
activities of the commission and the conservation districts; to
administer the provisions of any law enacted by the legislature
appropriating funds for expenditure in connection with the activities
of conservation districts; to distribute to conservation districts
funds, equipment, supplies, and services received by the commission for
that purpose from any source, subject to conditions as shall be made
applicable thereto in any state or federal statute or local ordinance
making available the funds, property, or services; to adopt rules
establishing guidelines and suitable controls to govern the use by
conservation districts of the funds, property, and services; and to
review all budgets, administrative procedures, and operations of the
districts and advise the districts concerning their conformance with
applicable laws and rules.
(3) To disseminate information throughout the state concerning the
activities and programs of the conservation districts organized under
this chapter, and to encourage the formation of districts in areas
where their organization is desirable; to make available information
concerning the needs and the work of the conservation district and the
commission to the governor, the legislature, executive agencies of the
government of this state, political subdivisions of this state,
cooperating federal agencies, and the general public.
(4) Pursuant to procedures developed mutually by the commission and
other state and local agencies that are authorized to plan or
administer activities significantly affecting the conservation of
renewable natural resources, to receive from such agencies for review
and comment suitable descriptions of their plans, programs, and
activities for purposes of coordination with district conservation
programs; to arrange for and participate in conferences necessary to
avoid conflict among such plans and programs, to call attention to
omissions, and to avoid duplication of effort.
(5) To assist conservation districts in obtaining legal services
from state and local legal officers.
(6) To require annual reports from conservation districts, the form
and content of which must be developed by the commission.
(7) To establish by rule, with the assistance and advice of the
state auditor's office, adequate and reasonably uniform accounting and
auditing procedures which must be used by conservation districts.
(8) To seek and accept grants from any source, public or private,
to fulfill the purposes of the agency. The department may also accept
gifts or endowments that are made from time to time, in trust or
otherwise, including real and personal property, for the use and
benefit consistent with the purposes of this chapter.
(9) To conduct conferences, seminars, and training sessions
consistent with the purposes of this chapter. The department may
accept grants, gifts, and contributions, and may contract for service,
to accomplish these activities. The department may recover costs for
these activities, whether the activity is sponsored or cosponsored by
the department, at a rate determined by the commission. The department
may provide reimbursement to participants in these activities and other
sponsored meetings and events, as appropriate, consistent with
applicable statutes.
(10) To adopt rules to implement this section as it deems
appropriate.
Sec. 6007 RCW 89.08.080 and 1999 c 305 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
To form a conservation district, twenty percent of the voters
within the area to be affected may file a petition with the
((commission)) department asking that the area be organized into a
district.
The petition shall give the name of the proposed district, state
that it is needed in the interest of the public health, safety, and
welfare, give a general description of the area proposed to be
organized and request that the ((commission)) department determine that
it be created, and that it define the boundaries thereof and call an
election on the question of creating the district.
If more than one petition is filed covering parts of the same area,
the ((commission)) department may consolidate all or any of them.
Sec. 6008 RCW 89.08.090 and 1973 1st ex.s. c 184 s 10 are each
amended to read as follows:
(1) The department shall provide a petition to the commission for
a hearing and recommendation on the disposition of the petition.
(2) Within thirty days after a petition is filed, the commission
shall give due notice of the time and place of a public hearing
thereon. At the hearing all interested persons shall be heard.
(3) If it appears to the commission that additional land should be
included in the district, the hearing shall be adjourned and a new
notice given covering the entire area and a new date fixed for further
hearing, unless waiver of notice by the owners of the additional land
is filed with the commission.
(4) No district shall include any portion of a railroad right-of-way, or another similar district. The lands included in a district
need not be contiguous.
Sec. 6009 RCW 89.08.100 and 1973 1st ex.s. c 184 s 11 are each
amended to read as follows:
After the hearing, the commission shall provide to the department
its finding and recommendations. If the commission finds that the
public health, safety, and welfare warrant the creation of the
district, it shall recommend to the department to enter an order to
that effect and define the boundaries thereof by metes and bounds or by
legal subdivisions.
In making its findings the commission shall consider the topography
of the particular area and of the state generally; the composition of
the soil; the distribution of erosion; the prevailing land use
practices; the effects upon and benefits to the land proposed to be
included; the relation of the area to existing watersheds and
agricultural regions and to other similar districts organized or
proposed; and consider such other physical, geographical, and economic
factors as are relevant.
If the commission finds there is no need for the district, it shall
recommend to the department to enter an order denying the petition((,
and no petition covering the same or substantially the same area may be
filed within six months thereafter)).
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6010 A new section is added to chapter 89.08
RCW to read as follows:
The department shall review the findings and recommendations of the
commission. The department may enter a final order consistent with the
recommendation of the commission or request additional action from the
commission.
Sec. 6011 RCW 89.08.110 and 1999 c 305 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
If the ((commission)) department finds that the district is needed,
it shall then determine whether it is practicable. To assist the
((commission)) department in determining this question, it shall,
within a reasonable time, submit the proposition to a vote of the
district electors in the proposed district.
The ((commission)) department shall fix the date of the election,
designate the polling places, fix the hours for opening and closing the
polls, and appoint the election officials. The election shall be
conducted, the vote counted and returns canvassed and the results
published by the ((commission)) department.
Sec. 6012 RCW 89.08.120 and 1973 1st ex.s. c 184 s 13 are each
amended to read as follows:
The ((commission)) department shall provide the ballots for the
election which shall contain the words
"□ For creation of a conservation district of the lands below
described and lying in the county or counties of . . . . . .,
. . . . . . and . . . . . .," and
"□ Against creation of a conservation district of the lands below
described and lying in the county or counties of . . . . . .,
. . . . . . and . . . . . ."
The ballot shall set forth the boundaries of the proposed district,
and contain a direction to insert an X in the square of the voter's
choice.
Sec. 6013 RCW 89.08.130 and 1999 c 305 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((commission)) department shall give due notice of the
election, which shall state generally the purpose of the election, the
date thereof, the place and hours of voting, and set forth the
boundaries of the proposed district.
Only qualified district electors within the proposed district as
determined by the ((commission)) department may vote at the election.
Each voter shall vote in the polling place nearest the voter's
residence.
Sec. 6014 RCW 89.08.140 and 1973 1st ex.s. c 184 s 15 are each
amended to read as follows:
The ((commission)) department shall bear all expense of giving the
notices and conducting the hearings and election, and shall issue
regulations governing all hearings and elections and supervise the
conduct thereof. It shall provide for registration of eligible voters
or prescribe the procedure to determine the eligible voters. No
informality in connection with the election shall invalidate the
results, if the notice thereof was substantially given, and the
election fairly conducted.
Sec. 6015 RCW 89.08.150 and 1999 c 305 s 5 are each amended to
read as follows:
If a majority of the votes cast at the election are against the
creation of the district, the ((commission shall)) department may deny
the petition. If a majority favor the district, the ((commission
shall)) department, with the assistance of the commission, may
determine the practicability of the project.
In making such determination, the commission and the department
shall consider the attitude of the voters of the district; the number
of eligible voters who voted at the election; the size of the majority
vote; the wealth and income of the land occupiers; the probable expense
of carrying out the project; and any other economic factors relevant
thereto.
If the commission finds that the project is impracticable it shall
recommend to the department to enter an order to that effect and deny
the petition. ((When)) If the department denies the petition ((has
been denied)), no new petition covering the same or substantially the
same area may be filed within six months therefrom.
Sec. 6016 RCW 89.08.160 and 1973 1st ex.s. c 184 s 17 are each
amended to read as follows:
If the ((commission)) department finds the project practicable, it
shall appoint two supervisors from a list provided by the commission,
one of whom shall be a landowner or operator of a farm, who shall be
qualified by training and experience to perform the specialized skilled
services required of them. They, with the three elected supervisors,
two of whom shall be landowners or operators of a farm, shall
constitute the governing board of the district.
The two appointed supervisors shall file with the secretary of
state a sworn application, reciting that a petition was filed with the
((commission)) department for the creation of the district; that all
required proceedings were had thereon; that they were appointed by the
((commission)) department as such supervisors; and that the application
is being filed to complete the organization of the district. It shall
contain the names and residences of the applicants, a certified copy of
their appointments, the name of the district, the location of the
office of the supervisors and the term of office of each applicant.
The application shall be accompanied by a statement of the
((commission)) department, reciting that a petition was filed, notice
issued, and hearing held thereon as required; that it determined the
need for the district and defined the boundaries thereof; that notice
was given and an election held on the question of creating the
district; that a majority vote favored the district, and that the
((commission)) department had determined the district practicable; and
shall set forth the boundaries of the district.
Sec. 6017 RCW 89.08.170 and 1973 1st ex.s. c 184 s 18 are each
amended to read as follows:
If the secretary of state finds that the name of the proposed
district is such as will not be confused with that of any other
district, ((he)) the secretary of state shall enter the application and
statement in his or her records. If ((he)) the secretary of state
finds the name may be confusing, he or she shall certify that fact to
the ((commission)) department, which shall submit a new name free from
such objections, and ((he)) the secretary of state shall enter the
application and statement as modified, in his or her records.
Thereupon the district shall be considered organized into a body
corporate.
The secretary of state shall then issue to the supervisors a
certificate of organization of the district under the seal of the
state, and shall record the certificate in his or her office. Proof of
the issuance of the certificate shall be evidence of the establishment
of the district, and a certified copy of the certificate shall be
admissible as evidence and shall be proof of the filing and contents
thereof. The name of a conservation district may be changed upon
recommendation by the supervisors of a district and approval by the
((state conservation commission)) department and the secretary of
state. The new name shall be recorded by the secretary of state
following the same general procedure as for the previous name.
Sec. 6018 RCW 89.08.180 and 1999 c 305 s 6 are each amended to
read as follows:
Territory may be added to an existing district upon filing a
petition as in the case of formation with the ((commission)) department
by twenty percent of the voters of the affected area to be included.
The same procedure shall be followed as for the creation of the
district.
As an alternate procedure, the ((commission)) department may upon
the petition of a majority of the voters in any one or more districts
or in unorganized territory adjoining a conservation district change
the boundaries of a district, or districts, if such action will promote
the practical and feasible administration of such district or
districts.
Upon petition of the boards of supervisors of two or more
districts, the ((commission)) department may approve the combining of
all or parts of such districts and name the district, or districts,
with the approval of the name by the secretary of state. A public
hearing and/or a referendum may be held if deemed necessary or
desirable by the ((commission)) department in order to determine the
wishes of the voters.
When districts are combined, the joint boards of supervisors will
first select a ((chairman)) chair, secretary, and other necessary
officers and select a regular date for meetings. All elected
supervisors will continue to serve as members of the board until the
expiration of their current term of office, and/or until the election
date nearest their expiration date. All appointed supervisors will
continue to serve until the expiration of their current term of office,
at which time the ((commission)) department will make the necessary
appointments. In the event that more than two districts are combined,
a similar procedure will be set up and administered by the
((commission)) department.
When districts are combined or territory is moved from one district
to another, the property, records, and accounts of the districts
involved shall be distributed to the remaining district or districts as
approved by the ((commission)) department. A new certificate of
organization, naming and describing the new district or districts,
shall be issued by the secretary of state.
Sec. 6019 RCW 89.08.185 and 1999 c 305 s 7 are each amended to
read as follows:
The local governing body of any city or incorporated town within an
existing district may approve by majority vote a petition to withdraw
from the district. The petition shall be submitted to the district for
its approval. If approved by the district, the petition shall be sent
to the ((commission)) department. The ((commission)) department shall
approve the petition and forward it to the secretary of state and the
boundary of the district shall be adjusted accordingly. If the
petition is not approved by the district, the district shall adopt a
resolution specifying the reasons why the petition is not approved.
The petition and the district's resolution shall be sent to the
((commission)) department for its review. The ((commission))
department shall approve or reject the petition based upon criteria it
has adopted for the evaluation of petitions in dispute. If the
((commission)) department approves the petition, it shall forward the
petition to the secretary of state and the boundaries of the district
shall be adjusted accordingly. The criteria used by the ((commission))
department to evaluate petitions which are in dispute shall be adopted
as rules by the ((commission)) department under chapter 34.05 RCW, the
administrative procedure act.
Sec. 6020 RCW 89.08.190 and 2002 c 43 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
Within thirty days after the issuance of the certificate of
organization, unless the time is extended by the ((commission))
department, petitions shall be filed with the ((commission)) department
to nominate candidates for the three elected supervisors. The petition
shall be signed by not less than twenty-five district electors, and a
district elector may sign petitions nominating more than one person.
In the case of a new district, the ((commission)) department shall
give due notice to elect the three supervisors. All provisions
pertaining to elections on the creation of a district shall govern this
election so far as applicable. The names of all nominees shall appear
on the ballot in alphabetical order, together with instructions to vote
for three. The three candidates receiving the most votes shall be
declared elected supervisors, the one receiving the most being elected
for a three-year term, the next for two and the last for one year. An
alternate method of dividing the district into three zones may be used
when requested by the board of supervisors and approved by the
((commission)) department. In such case, instructions will be to vote
for one in each zone. The candidate receiving the most votes in a zone
shall be declared elected.
Each year after the creation of the first board of supervisors, the
board shall by resolution and by giving due notice, set a date during
the first quarter of each calendar year at which time it shall conduct
an election, except that for elections in 2002 only, the board shall
set the date during the second quarter of the calendar year at which
time it shall conduct an election. Names of candidates nominated by
petition shall appear in alphabetical order on the ballots, together
with an extra line wherein may be written in the name of any other
candidate. The ((commission)) department shall establish procedures
for elections, canvass the returns and announce the official results
thereof. Election results may be announced by polling officials at the
close of the election subject to official canvass of ballots by the
((commission)) department. Supervisors elected shall take office at
the first board meeting following the election.
Sec. 6021 RCW 89.08.200 and 1973 1st ex.s. c 184 s 21 are each
amended to read as follows:
The term of office of each supervisor shall be three years and
until his or her successor is appointed or elected and qualified,
except that the supervisors first appointed shall serve for one and two
years respectively from the date of their appointments, as designated
in their appointments.
In the case of elected supervisors, the term of office of each
supervisor shall be three years and until his or her successor is
elected and qualified, except that for the first election, the one
receiving the largest number of votes shall be elected for three years;
the next largest two years; and the third largest one year. Successors
shall be elected for three-year terms.
Vacancies in the office of appointed supervisors shall be filled by
the ((state conservation commission)) department. Vacancies in the
office of elected supervisors shall be filled by appointment made by
the remaining supervisors for the unexpired term.
A majority of the supervisors shall constitute a quorum and the
concurrence of a majority is required for any official action or
determination.
Supervisors shall serve without compensation, but they shall be
entitled to expenses, including traveling expenses, necessarily
incurred in discharge of their duties. A supervisor may be removed by
the ((state conservation commission)) department upon notice and
hearing, for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office, but for no other
reason.
The governing board shall designate a ((chairman)) chair from time
to time.
Sec. 6022 RCW 89.08.210 and 2000 c 45 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
The supervisors may employ a secretary, treasurer, technical
experts, and such other officers, agents, and employees, permanent and
temporary, as they may require, and determine their qualifications,
duties, and compensation. It may call upon the attorney general for
legal services, or may employ its own counsel and legal staff. The
supervisors may delegate to their ((chairman)) chair, to one or more
supervisors, or to one or more agents or employees such powers and
duties as it deems proper. The supervisors shall furnish to the
((commission)) department, upon request, copies of such internal rules,
regulations, orders, contracts, forms, and other documents as they
shall adopt or employ, and such other information concerning their
activities as the ((commission)) department may require in the
performance of its duties under chapter 184, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess.
The supervisors shall provide for the execution of surety bonds for
officers and all employees who shall be entrusted with funds or
property.
The supervisors shall provide for the keeping of a full and
accurate record of all proceedings, resolutions, regulations, and
orders issued or adopted. The supervisors shall provide for an annual
audit of the accounts of receipts and disbursements in accordance with
procedures prescribed by ((regulations)) rules of the ((commission))
department.
The board may invite the legislative body of any municipality or
county near or within the district, to designate a representative to
advise and consult with it on all questions of program and policy which
may affect the property, water supply, or other interests of such
municipality or county. The governing body of a district shall appoint
such advisory committees as may be needed to assure the availability of
appropriate channels of communication to the board of supervisors, to
persons affected by district operations, and to local, regional, state
and interstate special-purpose districts and agencies responsible for
community planning, zoning, or other resource development activities.
The district shall keep such committees informed of its work, and such
advisory committees shall submit recommendations from time to time to
the board of supervisors.
Sec. 6023 RCW 89.08.220 and 1999 c 305 s 8 are each amended to
read as follows:
A conservation district organized under the provisions of chapter
184, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. shall constitute a governmental
subdivision of this state, and a public body corporate and politic
exercising public powers, but shall not levy taxes or issue bonds and
such district, and the supervisors thereof, shall have the following
powers, in addition to others granted in other sections of chapter 184,
Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess.:
(1) To conduct surveys, investigations, and research relating to
the conservation of renewable natural resources and the preventive and
control measures and works of improvement needed, to publish the
results of such surveys, investigations, or research, and to
disseminate information concerning such preventive and control measures
and works of improvement: PROVIDED, That in order to avoid duplication
of research activities, no district shall initiate any research program
except in cooperation with the government of this state or any of its
agencies, or with the United States or any of its agencies;
(2) To conduct educational and demonstrational projects on any
lands within the district upon obtaining the consent of the occupier of
such lands and such necessary rights or interests in such lands as may
be required in order to demonstrate by example the means, methods,
measures, and works of improvement by which the conservation of
renewable natural resources may be carried out;
(3) To carry out preventative and control measures and works of
improvement for the conservation of renewable natural resources, within
the district including, but not limited to, engineering operations,
methods of cultivation, the growing of vegetation, changes in use of
lands, and the measures listed in RCW 89.08.010, on any lands within
the district upon obtaining the consent of the occupier of such lands
and such necessary rights or interests in such lands as may be
required;
(4) To cooperate or enter into agreements with, and within the
limits of appropriations duly made available to it by law, to furnish
financial or other aid to any agency, governmental or otherwise, or any
occupier of lands within the district in the carrying on of preventive
and control measures and works of improvement for the conservation of
renewable natural resources within the district, subject to such
conditions as the supervisors may deem necessary to advance the
purposes of chapter 184, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. For purposes of
this subsection only, land occupiers who are also district supervisors
are not subject to the provisions of RCW 42.23.030;
(5) To obtain options upon and to acquire in any manner, except by
condemnation, by purchase, exchange, lease, gift, bequest, devise, or
otherwise, any property, real or personal, or rights or interests
therein; to maintain, administer, and improve any properties acquired,
to receive income from such properties and to expend such income in
carrying out the purposes and provisions of chapter 184, Laws of 1973
1st ex. sess.; and to sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of any of its
property or interests therein in furtherance of the purposes and the
provisions of chapter 184, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess.;
(6) To make available, on such terms, as it shall prescribe, to
land occupiers within the district, agricultural and engineering
machinery and equipment, fertilizer, seeds, seedlings, and such other
equipment and material as will assist them to carry on operations upon
their lands for the conservation of renewable natural resources;
(7) To prepare and keep current a comprehensive long-range program
recommending the conservation of all the renewable natural resources of
the district. Such programs shall be directed toward the best use of
renewable natural resources and in a manner that will best meet the
needs of the district and the state, taking into consideration, where
appropriate, such uses as farming, grazing, timber supply, forest,
parks, outdoor recreation, potable water supplies for urban and rural
areas, water for agriculture, minimal flow, and industrial uses,
watershed stabilization, control of soil erosion, retardation of water
run-off, flood prevention and control, reservoirs and other water
storage, restriction of developments of floodplains, protection of open
space and scenery, preservation of natural beauty, protection of fish
and wildlife, preservation of wilderness areas and wild rivers, the
prevention or reduction of sedimentation and other pollution in rivers
and other waters, and such location of highways, schools, housing
developments, industries, airports and other facilities and structures
as will fit the needs of the state and be consistent with the best uses
of the renewable natural resources of the state. The program shall
include an inventory of all renewable natural resources in the
district, a compilation of current resource needs, projections of
future resource requirements, priorities for various resource
activities, projected timetables, descriptions of available
alternatives, and provisions for coordination with other resource
programs.
The district shall also prepare an annual work plan, which shall
describe the action programs, services, facilities, materials, working
arrangements and estimated funds needed to carry out the parts of the
long-range programs that are of the highest priorities.
The districts shall hold public hearings at appropriate times in
connection with the preparation of programs and plans, shall give
careful consideration to the views expressed and problems revealed in
hearings, and shall keep the public informed concerning their programs,
plans, and activities. Occupiers of land shall be invited to submit
proposals for consideration to such hearings. The districts may
supplement such hearings with meetings, referenda and other suitable
means to determine the wishes of interested parties and the general
public in regard to current and proposed plans and programs of a
district. They shall confer with public and private agencies,
individually and in groups, to give and obtain information and
understanding of the impact of district operations upon agriculture,
forestry, water supply and quality, flood control, particular
industries, commercial concerns and other public and private interests,
both rural and urban.
Each district shall submit to the ((commission)) department its
proposed long-range program and annual work plans for review and
comment.
The long-range renewable natural resource program, together with
the supplemental annual work plans, developed by each district under
the foregoing procedures shall have official status as the authorized
program of the district, and it shall be published by the districts as
its "renewable resources program". Copies shall be made available by
the districts to the appropriate counties, municipalities, special
purpose districts and state agencies, and shall be made available in
convenient places for examination by public land occupier or private
interest concerned. Summaries of the program and selected material
therefrom shall be distributed as widely as feasible for public
information;
(8) To administer any project or program concerned with the
conservation of renewable natural resources located within its
boundaries undertaken by any federal, state, or other public agency by
entering into a contract or other appropriate administrative
arrangement with any agency administering such project or program;
(9) Cooperate with other districts organized under chapter 184,
Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. in the exercise of any of its powers;
(10) To accept donations, gifts, and contributions in money,
services, materials, or otherwise, from the United States or any of its
agencies, from this state or any of its agencies, or from any other
source, and to use or expend such moneys, services, materials, or any
contributions in carrying out the purposes of chapter 184, Laws 1973
1st ex. sess.;
(11) To sue and be sued in the name of the district; to have a seal
which shall be judicially noticed; have perpetual succession unless
terminated as hereinafter provided; to make and execute contracts and
other instruments, necessary or convenient to the exercise of its
powers; to borrow money and to pledge, mortgage and assign the income
of the district and its real or personal property therefor; and to
make, amend rules and regulations not inconsistent with chapter 184,
Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. and to carry into effect its purposes;
(12) Any two or more districts may engage in joint activities by
agreement between or among them in planning, financing, constructing,
operating, maintaining, and administering any program or project
concerned with the conservation of renewable natural resources. The
districts concerned may make available for purposes of the agreement
any funds, property, personnel, equipment, or services available to
them under chapter 184, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess.;
Any district may enter into such agreements with a district or
districts in adjoining states to carry out such purposes if the law in
such other states permits the districts in such states to enter into
such agreements.
The ((commission)) department shall have authority to propose,
guide, and facilitate the establishment and carrying out of any such
agreement;
(13) Every district shall, through public hearings, annual
meetings, publications, or other means, keep the general public,
agencies and occupiers of land within the district, informed of the
works and activities planned and administered by the district, of the
purposes these will serve, of the income and expenditures of the
district, of the funds borrowed by the district and the purposes for
which such funds are expended, and of the results achieved annually by
the district; and
(14) The supervisors of conservation districts may designate an
area, state, and national association of conservation districts as a
coordinating agency in the execution of the duties imposed by this
chapter, and to make gifts in the form of dues, quotas, or otherwise to
such associations for costs of services rendered, and may support and
attend such meetings as may be required to promote and perfect the
organization and to effect its purposes.
Sec. 6024 RCW 89.08.341 and 1973 1st ex.s. c 184 s 24 are each
amended to read as follows:
Any agency of the government of this state and any local political
subdivision of this state is hereby authorized to make such
arrangements with any district, through contract, regulation or other
appropriate means, wherever it believes that such arrangements will
promote administrative efficiency or economy.
In connection with any such arrangements, any state or local agency
or political subdivision of this state is authorized, within the limits
of funds available to it, to contribute funds, equipment, property or
services to any district; and to collaborate with a district in jointly
planning, constructing, financing or operating any work or activity
provided for in such arrangements and in the joint acquisition,
maintenance and operation of equipment or facilities in connection
therewith.
State agencies, the districts, and other local agencies are
authorized to make available to each other maps, reports and data in
their possession that are useful in the preparation of their respective
programs and plans for resource conservation. The districts shall keep
the state and local agencies fully informed concerning the status and
progress of the preparation of their resource conservation programs and
plans.
The ((state conservation commission)) department and the counties
of the state may provide respective conservation districts such
administrative funds as will be necessary to carry out the purpose of
chapter 184, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess.
Sec. 6025 RCW 89.08.350 and 1999 c 305 s 9 are each amended to
read as follows:
At any time after five years from the organization of a district,
twenty percent of the voters in the district may file with the
((commission)) department a petition, praying that the district be
dissolved. The department shall provide the petition to the commission
for a hearing recommendation on the disposition of the petition. The
commission may hold public hearings thereon, and within sixty days from
receipt of the petition, shall recommend to the department whether to
hold an election on the question of the dissolution. If the commission
recommends an election, the department shall give due notice of an
election on the question of dissolution. ((It)) The department shall
provide appropriate ballots, conduct the election, canvass the returns,
and declare the results in the same manner as for elections to create
a district.
All district electors may vote at the election. No informality
relating to the election shall invalidate it if notice is substantially
given and the election is fairly conducted.
Sec. 6026 RCW 89.08.370 and 1999 c 305 s 11 are each amended to
read as follows:
If the district is ordered dissolved, the supervisors shall
forthwith terminate the affairs of the district and dispose of all
district property at public auction, and pay the proceeds therefrom to
pay any debts of the district and any remaining balance to the state
treasurer.
They shall then file a verified application with the secretary of
state for the dissolution of the district, accompanied by a certificate
of the ((commission)) department reciting the determination that
further operation of the district is impracticable. The application
shall recite that the property of the district has been disposed of,
that the proceeds therefrom have been used to pay any debts of the
district and any remaining balance paid to the treasurer, and contain
a full accounting of the property and proceeds. Thereupon the
secretary shall issue to the supervisors a certificate of dissolution
and file a copy thereof in his or her records.
Sec. 6027 RCW 89.08.410 and 2005 c 31 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
The state conservation commission may recommend to the department
and the department may authorize grants to conservation districts from
moneys appropriated to the ((commission)) department for such purposes
as provided in this section. Such grants shall be awarded annually on
or before the last day of June of each year and shall be made only to
those conservation districts that apply for the grants. The
((conservation commission)) department may adopt rules pertaining to
eligibility and distribution of these funds. ((The conservation
commission shall submit a report on the distribution of these funds to
the appropriate committees of the legislature by September 30, 2007.))
Sec. 6028 RCW 89.08.470 and 2003 c 39 s 47 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) ((By January 1, 1996,)) The department, with the advice of the
Washington conservation commission, shall develop, in consultation with
other state agencies, tribes, and local governments, a consolidated
application process for permits for a watershed restoration project
developed by an agency or sponsored by an agency on behalf of a
volunteer organization. The consolidated process shall include a
single permit application form for use by all responsible state and
local agencies. The ((commission)) department shall encourage use of
the consolidated permit application process by any federal agency
responsible for issuance of related permits. The permit application
forms to be consolidated shall include, at a minimum, applications for:
(a) Approvals related to water quality standards under chapter 90.48
RCW; (b) hydraulic project approvals under chapter 77.55 RCW; and (c)
section 401 water quality certifications under 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1341 and
chapter 90.48 RCW.
(2) If a watershed restoration project is also a fish habitat
enhancement project that meets the criteria of RCW ((77.55.290(1)))
77.55.181(1), the project sponsor shall instead follow the permit
review and approval process established in RCW ((77.55.290)) 77.55.181
with regard to state and local government permitting requirements. The
sponsor shall so notify state and local permitting authorities.
Sec. 6029 RCW 89.08.480 and 1995 c 378 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
Each agency of the state and unit of local government that claims
jurisdiction or the right to require permits, other approvals, or fees
as a condition of allowing a watershed restoration project to proceed
shall designate an office or official as a designated recipient of
project applications and shall inform the ((conservation commission))
department of the designation.
Sec. 6030 RCW 89.08.520 and 2008 c 299 s 27 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) In administering grant programs to improve water quality and
protect habitat, the ((commission)) department shall:
(a) Require grant recipients to incorporate the environmental
benefits of the project into their grant applications;
(b) In its grant prioritization and selection process, consider:
(i) The statement of environmental benefits;
(ii) Whether, except as conditioned by RCW 89.08.580, the applicant
is a Puget Sound partner, as defined in RCW 90.71.010, and except as
otherwise provided in RCW 89.08.590, and effective one calendar year
following the development and statewide availability of model evergreen
community management plans and ordinances under RCW 35.105.050, whether
the applicant is an entity that has been recognized, and what gradation
of recognition was received, in the evergreen community recognition
program created in RCW 35.105.030; and
(iii) Whether the project is referenced in the action agenda
developed by the Puget Sound partnership under RCW 90.71.310; and
(c) Not provide funding, after January 1, 2010, for projects
designed to address the restoration of Puget Sound that are in conflict
with the action agenda developed by the Puget Sound partnership under
RCW 90.71.310.
(2)(a) The ((commission)) department shall also develop appropriate
outcome-focused performance measures to be used both for management and
performance assessment of the grant program.
(b) The ((commission)) department shall work with the districts to
develop uniform performance measures across participating districts
and, to the extent possible, the ((commission)) department should
coordinate its performance measure system with other natural resource-related agencies as defined in RCW 43.41.270. The ((commission))
department shall consult with affected interest groups in implementing
this section.
Sec. 6031 RCW 89.08.530 and 2007 c 352 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The agricultural conservation easements program is created.
The ((state conservation commission)) department shall manage the
program and adopt rules as necessary to implement the legislature's
intent with the advice of the commission.
(2) The ((commission)) department shall report to the legislature
on an on-going basis regarding potential funding sources for the
purchase of agricultural conservation easements under the program and
recommend changes to existing funding authorized by the legislature.
(3) All funding for the program shall be deposited into the
agricultural conservation easements account created in RCW 89.08.540.
Expenditures from the account shall be made to local governments and
private nonprofits on a match or no match required basis at the
discretion of the department with the recommendation of the commission.
Moneys in the account may be used to purchase easements in perpetuity
or to purchase or lease easements for a fixed term.
(4) Easements purchased with money from the agricultural
conservation easements account run with the land.
Sec. 6032 RCW 89.08.540 and 2007 c 352 s 5 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The agricultural conservation easements account is created in
the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from legislative
appropriations, other sources as directed by the legislature, and
gifts, grants, or endowments from public or private sources must be
deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account may be used
only for the purchase of easements in perpetuity or for the purchase or
lease of easements for a fixed term under the agricultural conservation
easements program. Only the ((state conservation commission, or the
executive director of the commission on the commission's behalf,))
director or the director's designee may authorize expenditures from the
account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter
43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.
(2) The ((commission)) department is authorized to receive and
expend gifts, grants, or endowments from public or private sources that
are made available, in trust or otherwise, for the use and benefit of
the agricultural conservation easements program.
Sec. 6033 RCW 89.08.550 and 2005 c 30 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The conservation assistance revolving account is created in the
custody of the state treasurer. Moneys from the account may only be
spent after appropriation. Moneys placed in the account shall include
principal and interest from the repayment of any loans granted under
this section, and any other moneys appropriated to the account by the
legislature. Expenditures from the account may be used only to make
loans to landowners for projects enrolled in the conservation reserve
enhancement program and the continuous conservation reserve program.
(2) In order to aid the financing of conservation reserve
enhancement program projects and continuous conservation reserve
program projects, the ((conservation commission)) department, through
the conservation districts, may make interest-free loans to these
enrollees from the conservation assistance revolving account. The
((conservation commission)) department may require such terms and
conditions as it deems necessary to carry out the purposes of this
section. Loans to landowners shall be for costs associated with the
installation of conservation improvements eligible for and secured by
federal farm service agency practice incentive payment reimbursement.
Loans under this program promote critical habitat protection and
restoration by bridging the financing gap between project
implementation and federal funding. The ((conservation commission))
department shall give loan preferences to those projects expected to
generate the greatest environmental benefits and that occur in basins
with critical or depressed salmonid stocks. Money received from
landowners in loan repayments made under this section shall be paid
into the conservation assistance revolving account for uses consistent
with this section.
Sec. 6034 RCW 89.08.580 and 2007 c 341 s 29 are each amended to
read as follows:
When administering water quality and habitat protection grants
under this chapter, the ((commission)) department shall give preference
only to Puget Sound partners, as defined in RCW 90.71.010, in
comparison to other entities that are eligible to be included in the
definition of Puget Sound partner. Entities that are not eligible to
be a Puget Sound partner due to geographic location, composition,
exclusion from the scope of the Puget Sound action agenda developed by
the Puget Sound partnership under RCW 90.71.310, or for any other
reason, shall not be given less preferential treatment than Puget Sound
partners.
Sec. 6035 RCW 89.08.590 and 2008 c 299 s 32 are each amended to
read as follows:
When administering funds under this chapter, the ((commission))
department shall give preference only to an evergreen community
recognized under RCW 35.105.030 in comparison to other entities that
are eligible to receive evergreen community designation. Entities not
eligible for designation as an evergreen community shall not be given
less preferential treatment than an evergreen community.
Sec. 6036 RCW 43.03.028 and 2010 1st sp.s. c 7 s 2 are each
amended to read as follows:
(1) The department of personnel shall study the duties and salaries
of the directors of the several departments and the members of the
several boards and commissions of state government, who are subject to
appointment by the governor or whose salaries are fixed by the
governor, and of the chief executive officers of the following agencies
of state government:
The arts commission; the human rights commission; the board of
accountancy; the board of pharmacy; the eastern Washington historical
society; the Washington state historical society; the recreation and
conservation office; the criminal justice training commission; the
department of personnel; the state library; the traffic safety
commission; the horse racing commission; the advisory council on
vocational education; the public disclosure commission; ((the state
conservation commission;)) the commission on Hispanic affairs; the
commission on Asian Pacific American affairs; the state board for
volunteer firefighters and reserve officers; the transportation
improvement board; the public employment relations commission; the
forest practices appeals board; and the energy facilities site
evaluation council.
(2) The department of personnel shall report to the governor or the
chairperson of the appropriate salary fixing authority at least once in
each fiscal biennium on such date as the governor may designate, but
not later than seventy-five days prior to the convening of each regular
session of the legislature during an odd-numbered year, its
recommendations for the salaries to be fixed for each position.
Sec. 6037 RCW 43.41.270 and 2009 c 345 s 12 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The office of financial management shall assist natural
resource-related agencies in developing outcome-focused performance
measures for administering natural resource-related and environmentally
based grant and loan programs. These performance measures are to be
used in determining grant eligibility, for program management and
performance assessment.
(2) The office of financial management and the recreation and
conservation office shall assist natural resource-related agencies in
developing recommendations for a monitoring program to measure outcome-focused performance measures required by this section. The
recommendations must be consistent with the framework and coordinated
monitoring strategy developed by the monitoring oversight committee
established in RCW 77.85.210.
(3) Natural resource agencies shall consult with grant or loan
recipients including local governments, tribes, nongovernmental
organizations, and other interested parties, and report to the office
of financial management on the implementation of this section.
(4) For purposes of this section, "natural resource-related
agencies" include the department of ecology, the department of natural
resources, the department of fish and wildlife, ((the state
conservation commission,)) the recreation and conservation funding
board, the salmon recovery funding board, and the public works board
within the department of ((community, trade, and economic development))
commerce.
(5) For purposes of this section, "natural resource-related
environmentally based grant and loan programs" includes the
conservation reserve enhancement program; dairy nutrient management
grants under chapter 90.64 RCW; ((state conservation commission))
department of agriculture water quality grants under chapter 89.08 RCW;
coordinated prevention grants, public participation grants, and
remedial action grants under RCW 70.105D.070; water pollution control
facilities financing under chapter 70.146 RCW; aquatic lands
enhancement grants under RCW 79.105.150; habitat grants under the
Washington wildlife and recreation program under RCW 79A.15.040; salmon
recovery grants under chapter 77.85 RCW; and the public works trust
fund program under chapter 43.155 RCW. The term also includes programs
administered by the department of fish and wildlife related to
protection or recovery of fish stocks which are funded with moneys from
the capital budget.
Sec. 6038 RCW 43.325.020 and 2009 c 451 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The energy freedom program is established within the
department. The director may establish policies and procedures
necessary for processing, reviewing, and approving applications made
under this chapter.
(2) When reviewing applications submitted under this program, the
director shall consult with those agencies and other public entities
having expertise and knowledge to assess the technical and business
feasibility of the project and probability of success. These agencies
may include, but are not limited to, Washington State University, the
University of Washington, the department of ecology, the department of
natural resources, the department of agriculture, the department of
general administration, local clean air authorities, ((the Washington
state conservation commission,)) and the clean energy leadership
council created in section 2, chapter 318, Laws of 2009.
(3) Except as provided in subsections (4) and (5) of this section,
the director, in cooperation with the department of agriculture, may
approve an application only if the director finds:
(a) The project will convert farm products, wastes, cellulose, or
biogas directly into electricity or biofuel or other coproducts
associated with such conversion;
(b) The project demonstrates technical feasibility and directly
assists in moving a commercially viable project into the marketplace
for use by Washington state citizens;
(c) The facility will produce long-term economic benefits to the
state, a region of the state, or a particular community in the state;
(d) The project does not require continuing state support;
(e) The assistance will result in new jobs, job retention, or
higher incomes for citizens of the state;
(f) The state is provided an option under the assistance agreement
to purchase a portion of the fuel or feedstock to be produced by the
project, exercisable by the department of general administration;
(g) The project will increase energy independence or diversity for
the state;
(h) The project will use feedstocks produced in the state, if
feasible, except this criterion does not apply to the construction of
facilities used to distribute and store fuels that are produced from
farm products or wastes;
(i) Any product produced by the project will be suitable for its
intended use, will meet accepted national or state standards, and will
be stored and distributed in a safe and environmentally sound manner;
(j) The application provides for adequate reporting or disclosure
of financial and employment data to the director, and permits the
director to require an annual or other periodic audit of the project
books; and
(k) For research and development projects, the application has been
independently reviewed by a peer review committee as defined in RCW
43.325.010 and the findings delivered to the director.
(4) When reviewing an application for a refueling project, the
coordinator may award a grant or a loan to an applicant if the director
finds:
(a) The project will offer alternative fuels to the motoring
public;
(b) The project does not require continued state support;
(c) The project is located within a green highway zone as defined
in RCW 43.325.010;
(d) The project will contribute towards an efficient and adequately
spaced alternative fuel refueling network along the green highways
designated in RCW 47.17.020, 47.17.135, and 47.17.140; and
(e) The project will result in increased access to alternative
fueling infrastructure for the motoring public along the green highways
designated in RCW 47.17.020, 47.17.135, and 47.17.140.
(5) When reviewing an application for energy efficiency
improvements, renewable energy improvements, or innovative energy
technology, the director may award a grant or a loan to an applicant if
the director finds:
(a) The project or program will result in increased access for the
public, state and local governments, and businesses to energy
efficiency improvements, renewable energy improvements, or innovative
energy technologies;
(b) The project or program demonstrates technical feasibility and
directly assists in moving a commercially viable project into the
marketplace for use by Washington state citizens;
(c) The project or program does not require continued state
support; or
(d) The federal government has provided funds with a limited time
frame for use for energy independence and security, energy efficiency,
renewable energy, innovative energy technologies, or conservation.
(6)(a) The director may approve a project application for
assistance under subsection (3) of this section up to five million
dollars. In no circumstances shall this assistance constitute more
than fifty percent of the total project cost.
(b) The director may approve a refueling project application for a
grant or a loan under subsection (4) of this section up to fifty
thousand dollars. In no circumstances shall a grant or a loan award
constitute more than fifty percent of the total project cost.
(7) The director shall enter into agreements with approved
applicants to fix the terms and rates of the assistance to minimize the
costs to the applicants, and to encourage establishment of a viable
bioenergy or biofuel industry, or a viable energy efficiency, renewable
energy, or innovative energy technology industry. The agreement shall
include provisions to protect the state's investment, including a
requirement that a successful applicant enter into contracts with any
partners that may be involved in the use of any assistance provided
under this program, including services, facilities, infrastructure, or
equipment. Contracts with any partners shall become part of the
application record.
(8) The director may defer any payments for up to twenty-four
months or until the project starts to receive revenue from operations,
whichever is sooner.
Sec. 6039 RCW 77.85.020 and 2009 c 345 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Beginning December 2010, the recreation and conservation office
shall produce a biennial report on the statewide status of salmon
recovery and watershed health, summarize projects and programs funded
by the salmon recovery funding board, and summarize progress as
measured by high-level indicators and state agency compliance with
applicable protocols established by the forum for monitoring salmon
recovery and watershed health. The report must be a consolidation of
the current reporting activities, including the salmon recovery funding
board and the forum on monitoring salmon recovery and watershed health,
on the status of salmon recovery and watershed health in Washington
state, in accordance with RCW 77.85.250(8). The report shall also
include a high-level status report on watershed planning efforts under
chapter 90.82 RCW as summarized by the department of ecology and on
salmon recovery and watershed planning as summarized by the Puget Sound
partnership. The report's introduction must include a list of high-level questions related to the status of watershed health and salmon
recovery to help decision makers and the public respond to salmon
recovery and watershed health management needs.
(2) The department, the department of ecology, the department of
natural resources, and the ((state conservation commission)) department
of agriculture shall provide to the recreation and conservation office
information requested by the office necessary to prepare the
consolidated report on salmon recovery and watershed health.
Sec. 6040 RCW 77.85.220 and 2003 c 391 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) If a limiting factors analysis has been conducted under this
chapter for a specific geographic area and that analysis shows
insufficient intertidal salmon habitat, the department of fish and
wildlife and the county legislative authorities of the affected
counties may jointly initiate a salmon intertidal habitat restoration
planning process to develop a plan that addresses the intertidal
habitat goals contained in the limiting factors analysis. The fish and
wildlife commission and the county legislative authorities of the
geographic area shall jointly appoint a task force composed of the
following members:
(a) One representative of the fish and wildlife commission,
appointed by the chair of the commission;
(b) Two representatives of the agricultural industry familiar with
agricultural issues in the geographic area, one appointed by an
organization active in the geographic area and one appointed by a
statewide organization representing the industry;
(c) Two representatives of environmental interest organizations
with familiarity and expertise of salmon habitat, one appointed by an
organization in the geographic area and one appointed by a statewide
organization representing environmental interests;
(d) One representative of a diking and drainage district, appointed
by the individual districts in the geographic area or by an association
of diking and drainage districts;
(e) One representative of the lead entity for salmon recovery in
the geographic area, appointed by the lead entity;
(f) One representative of each county in the geographic area,
appointed by the respective county legislative authorities; and
(g) One representative from the office of the governor.
(2) Representatives of the United States environmental protection
agency, the United States natural resources conservation service,
federal fishery agencies, as appointed by their regional director, and
tribes with interests in the geographic area shall be invited and
encouraged to participate as members of the task force.
(3) The task force shall elect a chair and adopt rules for
conducting the business of the task force. Staff support for the task
force shall be provided by the ((Washington state conservation
commission)) department of agriculture.
(4) The task force shall:
(a) Review and analyze the limiting factors analysis for the
geographic area;
(b) Initiate and oversee intertidal salmon habitat studies for
enhancement of the intertidal area as provided in RCW 77.85.230;
(c) Review and analyze the completed assessments listed in RCW
77.85.230;
(d) Develop and draft an overall plan that addresses identified
intertidal salmon habitat goals that has public support; and
(e) Identify appropriate demonstration projects and early
implementation projects that are of high priority and should commence
immediately within the geographic area.
(5) The task force may request briefings as needed on legal issues
that may need to be considered when developing or implementing various
plan options.
(6) Members of the task force shall be reimbursed by the
((conservation commission)) department of agriculture for travel
expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
(7) The task force shall provide annual reports that provide an
update on its activities to the fish and wildlife commission, to the
involved county legislative authorities, and to the lead entity formed
under this chapter.
Sec. 6041 RCW 89.10.010 and 2007 c 352 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The office of farmland preservation is created and shall be
located within the ((state conservation commission)) department of
agriculture.
(2) Staff support for the office shall be provided by the ((state
conservation commission)) department of agriculture.
(3) The office of farmland preservation may:
(a) Provide advice and assist the ((state conservation commission))
department of agriculture in implementing the provisions of RCW
89.08.530 and 89.08.540, including the merits of leasing or purchasing
easements for fixed terms in addition to purchasing easements in
perpetuity;
(b) Develop recommendations for the funding level and for the use
of the agricultural conservation easements account established in RCW
89.08.540 with the guidance of the farmland preservation task force
established under RCW 89.10.020;
(c) With input from the task force created in RCW 89.10.020,
provide an analysis of the major factors that have led to past declines
in the amount and use of agricultural lands in Washington and of the
factors that will likely affect retention and economic viability of
these lands into the future including, but not limited to, pressures to
convert land to nonagricultural uses, loss of processing plants and
markets, loss of profitability, productivity, and competitive
advantage, urban sprawl, water availability and quality, restrictions
on agricultural land use, and conversion to recreational or other uses;
(d) Develop model programs and tools, including innovative economic
incentives for landowners, to retain agricultural land for agricultural
production, with the guidance from the farmland preservation task force
created under RCW 89.10.020;
(e) Provide technical assistance to localities as they develop and
implement programs, mechanisms, and tools to encourage the retention of
agricultural lands;
(f) Develop a grant process and an eligibility certification
process for localities to receive grants for local programs and tools
to retain agricultural lands for agricultural production;
(g) Provide analysis and recommendations as to the continued
development and implementation of the farm transition program
including, but not limited to, recommending:
(i) Assistance in the preparation of business plans for the
transition of business interests;
(ii) Assistance in the facilitation of transfers of existing
properties and agricultural operations to interested buyers; and
(iii) Research assistance on agricultural, financial, marketing,
and other related transition matters;
(h) Begin the development of a farm transition program to assist in
the transition of farmland and related businesses from one generation
to the next, aligning the farm transition program closely with the
farmland preservation effort to assure complementary functions; and
(i) Serve as a clearinghouse for incentive programs that would
consolidate and disseminate information relating to conservation
programs that are accessible to landowners and assist owners of
agricultural lands to secure financial assistance to implement
conservation easements and other projects.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6042 (1) The state conservation commission is
hereby abolished and its powers, duties, and functions are hereby
transferred to the department of agriculture.
(2)(a) All reports, documents, surveys, books, records, files,
papers, or written material in the possession of the Washington state
conservation commission shall be delivered to the custody of the
department of agriculture. All cabinets, furniture, office equipment,
motor vehicles, and other tangible property employed by the state
conservation commission shall be made available to the department of
agriculture for the support of the programs transferred to it under
this act. All funds, credits, or other assets held by the Washington
state conservation commission shall be assigned to the department of
agriculture for the support of the programs transferred to it under
this act.
(b) Any appropriations made to the state conservation commission
shall, on the effective date of this section, be transferred and
credited to the department of agriculture.
(c) If any question arises as to the transfer of any personnel,
funds, books, documents, records, papers, files, equipment, or other
tangible property used or held in the exercise of the powers and the
performance of the duties and functions transferred, the director of
financial management shall make a determination as to the proper
allocation and certify the same to the state agencies concerned.
(3) All rules and all pending business before the state
conservation commission shall be continued and acted upon by the
department of agriculture. All existing contracts and obligations
shall remain in full force and shall be performed by the department of
agriculture.
(4) The transfer of the powers, duties, functions, and personnel of
the state conservation commission shall not affect the validity of any
act performed before the effective date of this section.
(5) If apportionments of budgeted funds are required because of the
transfers directed by this section, the director of financial
management shall certify the apportionments to the agencies affected,
the state auditor, and the state treasurer. Each of these shall make
the appropriate transfer and adjustments in funds and appropriation
accounts and equipment records in accordance with the certification.
(6) Nothing contained in this section may be construed to alter any
existing collective bargaining unit or the provisions of any existing
collective bargaining agreement until the agreement has expired or
until the bargaining unit has been modified by action of the public
employment relations commission as provided by law.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6043 (1) All employees of the state
conservation commission are transferred to the jurisdiction of the
department of agriculture. All employees classified under chapter
41.06 RCW, the state civil service law, are assigned to the department
of agriculture to perform their usual duties upon the same terms as
formerly, without any loss of rights, subject to any action that may be
appropriate thereafter in accordance with the laws and rules governing
state civil service law.
(2) All classified employees of the state conservation commission
assigned to the department of agriculture under this section whose
positions are within an existing bargaining unit description at the
department of agriculture shall become a part of the existing
bargaining unit at the department of agriculture and shall be
considered an appropriate inclusion or modification of the existing
bargaining unit under the provisions of chapter 41.80 RCW.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6044 On the effective date of this section,
the directors of the departments of agriculture and the conservation
commission must each designate one executive-level representative to
serve on a consolidation transition team. This team must, with the
assistance of their agencies, develop the following work products:
(1) A consolidation transition team report, to be submitted to the
office of financial management and the legislature by August 1, 2011.
This report must, at a minimum, detail all legislative and fiscal
changes necessary for the successful implementation of this
consolidation and identify expected costs and savings associated with
the consolidation.
(2) A supplemental budget request, if necessary, for consideration
during the 2012 legislative session. This request must encompass any
necessary budgetary and legislative changes for the agencies affected
by this consolidation, and be submitted to the office of financial
management by September 1, 2011.
(3) A second consolidation transition team report, to be submitted
to the director of agriculture by July 1, 2012. This report must, at
a minimum, detail all additional legislative and fiscal changes
necessary for the successful implementation of this consolidation and
identify expected costs and savings associated with the consolidation.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6045 RCW 89.08.060 (Assistance of other state
agencies and institutions) and 1973 1st ex.s. c 184 s 7 & 1955 c 304 s
6 are each repealed.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6046 The consolidation directed pursuant to
sections 6001 through 6045 of this act takes effect July 1, 2012.
Sec. 7001 RCW 70.148.005 and 1990 c 64 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The legislature finds that:
(a) Final regulations adopted by the United States environmental
protection agency (EPA) require owners and operators of underground
petroleum storage tanks to demonstrate financial responsibility for
accidental releases of petroleum as a precondition to continued
ownership and operation of such tanks;
(b) Financial responsibility is demonstrated through the purchase
of pollution liability insurance or an acceptable alternative such as
coverage under a state financial responsibility program, in the amount
of at least five hundred thousand dollars per occurrence and one
million dollars annual aggregate depending upon the nature, use, and
number of tanks owned or operated;
(c) Many owners and operators of underground petroleum storage
tanks cannot purchase pollution liability insurance either because
private insurance is unavailable at any price or because owners and
operators cannot meet the rigid underwriting standards of existing
insurers, nor can many owners and operators meet the strict regulatory
standards imposed for alternatives to the purchase of insurance; and
(d) Without a state financial responsibility program for owners and
operators of underground petroleum storage tanks, many tank owners and
operators will be forced to discontinue the ownership and operation of
these tanks.
(2) The purpose of this chapter is to create a state financial
responsibility program meeting EPA standards for owners and operators
of underground petroleum storage tanks in a manner that:
(a) Minimizes state involvement in pollution liability claims
management and insurance administration;
(b) Protects the state of Washington from unwanted and
unanticipated liability for accidental release claims;
(c) Creates incentives for private insurers to provide needed
liability insurance; and
(d) Parallels generally accepted principles of insurance and risk
management.
To that end, this chapter establishes a temporary program to
provide pollution liability reinsurance at a price that will encourage
a private insurance company or risk retention group to sell pollution
liability insurance in accordance with the requirements of this chapter
to owners and operators of underground petroleum storage tanks, thereby
allowing the owners and operators to comply with the financial
responsibility regulations of the EPA.
(3) It is not the intent of this chapter to permit owners and
operators of underground petroleum storage tanks to obtain pollution
liability insurance without regard to the quality or condition of their
storage tanks or without regard to the risk management practices of
tank owners and operators, nor is it the intent of this chapter to
provide coverage or funding for past or existing petroleum releases.
Further, it is the intent of the legislature that the program follow
generally accepted insurance underwriting and actuarial principles and
to deviate from those principles only to the extent necessary and
within the tax revenue limits provided, to make pollution liability
insurance reasonably affordable and available to owners and operators
who meet the requirements of this chapter, particularly to those owners
and operators whose underground storage tanks meet a vital economic
need within the affected community.
(4) The pollution liability insurance program established by this
chapter and chapter 70.149 RCW is merged into the department.
(5) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7002 RCW 70.148.010 and 1990 c 64 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
Unless the context requires otherwise, the definitions in this
section apply throughout this chapter.
(1) "Accidental release" means any sudden or nonsudden release of
petroleum arising from operating an underground storage tank that
results in a need for corrective action, bodily injury, or property
damage neither expected nor intended by the owner or operator.
(2) "Director" means the ((Washington pollution liability insurance
program)) director of the department or the director's appointed
representative.
(3) "Bodily injury" means bodily injury, sickness, or disease
sustained by any person, including death at any time resulting from the
injury, sickness, or disease.
(4) "Corrective action" means those actions reasonably required to
be undertaken by the insured to remove, treat, neutralize, contain, or
clean up an accidental release in order to comply with any statute,
ordinance, rule, regulation, directive, order, or similar legal
requirement of the United States, the state of Washington, or any
political subdivision of the United States or the state of Washington
in effect at the time of an accidental release. "Corrective action"
includes, when agreed to in writing, in advance by the insurer, action
to remove, treat, neutralize, contain, or clean up an accidental
release to avert, reduce, or eliminate the liability of the insured for
corrective action, bodily injury, or property damage. "Corrective
action" also includes actions reasonably necessary to monitor, assess,
and evaluate an accidental release.
"Corrective action" does not include:
(a) Replacement or repair of storage tanks or other receptacles;
(b) Replacement or repair of piping, connections, and valves of
storage tanks or other receptacles;
(c) Excavation or backfilling done in conjunction with (a) or (b)
of this subsection; or
(d) Testing for a suspected accidental release if the results of
the testing indicate that there has been no accidental release.
(5) "Defense costs" include the costs of legal representation,
expert fees, and related costs and expenses incurred in defending
against claims or actions brought by or on behalf of:
(a) The United States, the state of Washington, or any political
subdivision of the United States or state of Washington to require
corrective action or to recover costs of corrective action; or
(b) A third party for bodily injury or property damage caused by an
accidental release.
(6) (("Washington pollution liability insurance program" or
"program" means the reinsurance program created by this chapter))
"Department" means the Washington state department of ecology.
(7) "Insured" means the owner or operator who is provided insurance
coverage in accordance with this chapter.
(8) "Insurer" means the insurance company or risk retention group
licensed or qualified to do business in Washington and authorized by
the ((director)) department to provide insurance coverage in accordance
with this chapter.
(9) "Loss reserve" means the amount traditionally set aside by
commercial liability insurers for costs and expenses related to claims
that have been made. "Loss reserve" does not include losses that have
been incurred but not reported to the insurer.
(10) "Occurrence" means an accident, including continuous or
repeated exposure to conditions, that results in a release from an
underground storage tank.
(11) "Operator" means a person in control of, or having
responsibility for, the daily operation of an underground storage tank.
(12) "Owner" means a person who owns an underground storage tank.
(13) "Person" means an individual, trust, firm, joint stock
company, corporation (including government corporation), partnership,
association, consortium, joint venture, commercial entity, state,
municipality, commission, political subdivision of a state, interstate
body, the federal government, or any department or agency of the
federal government.
(14) "Petroleum" means crude oil or any fraction of crude oil that
is liquid at standard conditions of temperature and pressure, which
means at sixty degrees Fahrenheit and 14.7 pounds per square inch
absolute and includes gasoline, kerosene, heating oils, and diesel
fuels.
(15) "Property damage" means:
(a) Physical injury to, destruction of, or contamination of
tangible property, including the loss of use of the property resulting
from the injury, destruction, or contamination; or
(b) Loss of use of tangible property that has not been physically
injured, destroyed, or contaminated but has been evacuated, withdrawn
from use, or rendered inaccessible because of an accidental release.
(16) "Release" means the emission, discharge, disposal, dispersal,
seepage, or escape of petroleum from an underground storage tank into
or upon land, groundwater, surface water, subsurface soils, or the
atmosphere.
(17) "Surplus reserve" means the amount traditionally set aside by
commercial property and casualty insurance companies to provide
financial protection from unexpected losses and to serve, in part, as
a measure of an insurance company's net worth.
(18) "Tank" means a stationary device, designed to contain an
accumulation of petroleum, that is constructed primarily of nonearthen
materials such as wood, concrete, steel, or plastic that provides
structural support.
(19) "Underground storage tank" means any one or a combination of
tanks including underground pipes connected to the tank, that is used
to contain an accumulation of petroleum and the volume of which
(including the volume of the underground pipes connected to the tank)
is ten percent or more beneath the surface of the ground.
(20) "Pollution liability insurance program" or "program" means the
reinsurance program created in this chapter.
This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7003 RCW 70.148.020 and 2006 c 276 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The pollution liability insurance program trust account is
established in the custody of the state treasurer. All funds
appropriated for this chapter and all premiums collected for
reinsurance shall be deposited in the account. Expenditures from the
account shall be used exclusively for the purposes of this chapter
including payment of costs of administering the pollution liability
insurance and underground storage tank community assistance programs.
Expenditures for payment of administrative and operating costs of the
((agency)) program are subject to the allotment procedures under
chapter 43.88 RCW and may be made only after appropriation by statute.
No appropriation is required for other expenditures from the account.
(2) Each calendar quarter, the ((director)) department shall report
to the insurance commissioner the loss and surplus reserves required
for the calendar quarter. The ((director)) department shall notify the
department of revenue of this amount by the fifteenth day of each
calendar quarter.
(3) Each calendar quarter the ((director)) department shall
determine the amount of reserves necessary to fund commitments made to
provide financial assistance under RCW 70.148.130 to the extent that
the financial assistance reserves do not jeopardize the operations and
liabilities of the pollution liability insurance program. The
((director)) department shall notify the department of revenue of this
amount by the fifteenth day of each calendar quarter. The ((director))
department may immediately establish an initial financial assistance
reserve of five million dollars from available revenues. The director
may not expend more than fifteen million dollars for the financial
assistance program.
(4) ((During the 2005-2007 fiscal biennium, the legislature may
transfer from the pollution liability insurance program trust account
to the state general fund such amounts as reflect the excess fund
balance of the account.)) This section expires June 1, 2013.
(5)
Sec. 7004 RCW 70.148.025 and 1995 c 20 s 12 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((director)) department shall provide reinsurance through
the pollution liability insurance program trust account to the heating
oil pollution liability protection program under chapter 70.149 RCW.
(2) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7005 RCW 70.148.030 and 1994 sp.s. c 9 s 805 are each
amended to read as follows:
(1) The ((Washington)) pollution liability insurance program is
((created as an independent agency of the state. The administrative
head and appointing authority of the program shall be the director who
shall be appointed by the governor, with the consent of the senate, and
shall serve at the pleasure of the governor. The salary for this
office shall be set by the governor pursuant to RCW 43.03.040. The
director shall appoint a deputy director. The director, deputy
director, and up to three other employees are exempt from the civil
service law, chapter 41.06 RCW)) merged into the department. The
administrative head must be appointed by the director. The
administrative head of the program and up to three other employees are
exempt from the civil service law, chapter 41.06 RCW, and serve at the
pleasure of the director.
(2) The director shall employ such other staff as are necessary to
fulfill the responsibilities and duties of the ((director)) department.
The staff is subject to the civil service law, chapter 41.06 RCW. In
addition, the director may contract with third parties for services
necessary to carry out its activities where this will promote economy,
avoid duplication of effort, and make best use of available expertise.
To the extent necessary to protect the state from unintended liability
and ensure quality program and contract design, the director shall
contract with an organization or organizations with demonstrated
experience and ability in managing and designing pollution liability
insurance and with an organization or organizations with demonstrated
experience and ability in managing and designing pollution liability
reinsurance. The director shall enter into such contracts after
competitive bid but need not select the lowest bid. The contracting
activity is not subject to the competitive contracting provisions of
RCW 41.06.142. Any such contractor or consultant is prohibited from
releasing, publishing, or otherwise using any information made
available to it under its contractual responsibility without specific
permission of the ((program)) director. The director may call upon
other agencies of the state to provide technical support and available
information as necessary to assist the director in meeting the
director's responsibilities under this chapter. Agencies shall supply
this support and information as promptly as circumstances permit.
(3) The ((director)) department may appoint ad hoc technical
advisory committees to obtain expertise necessary to fulfill the
purposes of this chapter.
(4) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7006 RCW 70.148.035 and 1990 c 64 s 11 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((director)) department may design the program to cover the
costs incurred in determining whether a proposed applicant for
pollution insurance under the program meets the underwriting standards
of the insurer. In covering such costs the ((director)) department
shall consider the financial resources of the applicant, shall take
into consideration the economic impact of the discontinued use of the
applicant's storage tank upon the affected community, shall provide
coverage within the revenue limits provided under this chapter, and
shall limit coverage of such costs to the extent that coverage would be
detrimental to providing affordable insurance under the program.
(2) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7007 RCW 70.148.040 and 1990 c 64 s 5 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((director)) department may adopt rules consistent with
this chapter to carry out the purposes of this chapter. All rules
shall be adopted in accordance with chapter 34.05 RCW.
(2) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7008 RCW 70.148.050 and 2006 c 276 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((director)) department has the following powers and duties:
(1) To design and from time to time revise a reinsurance contract
providing coverage to an insurer meeting the requirements of this
chapter. Before initially entering into a reinsurance contract, the
((director)) department shall prepare an actuarial report describing
the various reinsurance methods considered by the ((director))
department and describing each method's costs. In designing the
reinsurance contract the ((director)) department shall consider common
insurance industry reinsurance contract provisions and shall design the
contract in accordance with the following guidelines:
(a) The contract shall provide coverage to the insurer for the
liability risks of owners and operators of underground storage tanks
for third party bodily injury and property damage and corrective action
that are underwritten by the insurer.
(b) In the event of an insolvency of the insurer, the reinsurance
contract shall provide reinsurance payable directly to the insurer or
to its liquidator, receiver, or successor on the basis of the liability
of the insurer in accordance with the reinsurance contract. In no
event may the program be liable for or provide coverage for that
portion of any covered loss that is the responsibility of the insurer
whether or not the insurer is able to fulfill the responsibility.
(c) The total limit of liability for reinsurance coverage shall not
exceed one million dollars per occurrence and two million dollars
annual aggregate for each policy underwritten by the insurer less the
ultimate net loss retained by the insurer as defined and provided for
in the reinsurance contract.
(d) Disputes between the insurer and the insurance program shall be
settled through arbitration.
(2) To design and implement a structure of periodic premiums due
the ((director)) department from the insurer that takes full advantage
of revenue collections and projected revenue collections to ensure
affordable premiums to the insured consistent with sound actuarial
principles.
(3) To periodically review premium rates for reinsurance to
determine whether revenue appropriations supporting the program can be
reduced without substantially increasing the insured's premium costs.
(4) To solicit bids from insurers and select an insurer to provide
pollution liability insurance to owners and operators of underground
storage tanks for third party bodily injury and property damage and
corrective action.
(5) To monitor the activities of the insurer to ensure compliance
with this chapter and protect the program from excessive loss exposure
resulting from claims mismanagement by the insurer.
(6) To monitor the success of the program and periodically make
such reports and recommendations to the legislature as the ((director))
department deems appropriate, and to annually publish a financial
report on the pollution liability insurance program trust account
showing, among other things, administrative and other expenses paid
from the fund.
(7) To annually report the financial and loss experience of the
insurer as to policies issued under the program and the financial and
loss experience of the program to the legislature.
(8) To enter into contracts with public and private agencies to
assist the ((director)) department in ((his or her)) its duties to
design, revise, monitor, and evaluate the program and to provide
technical or professional assistance to the ((director)) department.
(9) To examine the affairs, transactions, accounts, records,
documents, and assets of insurers as the ((director)) department deems
advisable.
This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7009 RCW 70.148.060 and 2005 c 274 s 341 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) All examination and proprietary reports and information
obtained by the ((director)) department and the ((director's))
department's staff in soliciting bids from insurers and in monitoring
the insurer selected by the ((director)) department shall not be made
public or otherwise disclosed to any person, firm, corporation, agency,
association, governmental body, or other entity.
(2) Subsection (1) of this section notwithstanding, the
((director)) department may furnish all or part of examination reports
prepared by the ((director)) department or by any person, firm,
corporation, association, or other entity preparing the reports on
behalf of the ((director)) department to:
(a) The Washington state insurance commissioner;
(b) A person or organization officially connected with the insurer
as officer, director, attorney, auditor, or independent attorney or
independent auditor; and
(c) The attorney general in his or her role as legal advisor to the
((director)) department.
(3) Subsection (1) of this section notwithstanding, the
((director)) department may furnish all or part of the examination or
proprietary reports or information obtained by the ((director))
department to:
(a) The Washington state insurance commissioner; and
(b) A person, firm, corporation, association, governmental body, or
other entity with whom the ((director)) department has contracted for
services necessary to perform his or her official duties.
(4) Examination reports and proprietary information obtained by the
((director)) department and the ((director's)) department's staff are
not subject to public disclosure under chapter 42.56 RCW.
(5) A person who violates any provision of this section is guilty
of a gross misdemeanor.
(6) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7010 RCW 70.148.070 and 1990 c 64 s 8 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) In selecting an insurer to provide pollution liability
insurance coverage to owners and operators of underground storage
tanks, the ((director)) department shall evaluate bids based upon
criteria established by the ((director)) department that shall include:
(a) The insurer's ability to underwrite pollution liability
insurance;
(b) The insurer's ability to settle pollution liability claims
quickly and efficiently;
(c) The insurer's estimate of underwriting and claims adjustment
expenses;
(d) The insurer's estimate of premium rates for providing coverage;
(e) The insurer's ability to manage and invest premiums; and
(f) The insurer's ability to provide risk management guidance to
insureds.
The ((director)) department shall select the bidder most qualified
to provide insurance consistent with this chapter and need not select
the bidder submitting the least expensive bid. The ((director))
department may consider bids by groups of insurers and management
companies who propose to act in concert in providing coverage and who
otherwise meet the requirements of this chapter.
(2) The successful bidder shall agree to provide liability
insurance coverage to owners and operators of underground storage tanks
for third party bodily injury and property damage and corrective action
consistent with the following minimum standards:
(a) The insurer shall provide coverage for defense costs.
(b) The insurer shall collect a deductible from the insured for
corrective action in an amount approved by the ((director)) department.
(c) The insurer shall provide coverage for accidental releases in
the amount of five hundred thousand dollars per occurrence and one
million dollars annual aggregate but no more than one million dollars
per occurrence and two million dollars annual aggregate exclusive of
defense costs.
(d) The insurer shall require insurance applicants to meet at least
the following underwriting standards before issuing coverage to the
applicant:
(i) The applicant must be in compliance with statutes, ordinances,
rules, regulations, and orders governing the ownership and operation of
underground storage tanks as identified by the ((director)) department
by rule; and
(ii) The applicant must exercise adequate underground storage tank
risk management as specified by the ((director)) department by rule.
(e) The insurer may exclude coverage for losses arising before the
effective date of coverage, and the ((director)) department may adopt
rules establishing standards for determining whether a loss was
incurred before the effective date of coverage.
(f) The insurer may exclude coverage for bodily injury, property
damage, and corrective action as permitted by the ((director))
department by rule.
(g) The insurer shall use a variable rate schedule approved by the
((director)) department taking into account tank type, tank age, and
other factors specified by the ((director)) department.
(3) The ((director)) department shall adopt all rules necessary to
implement this section. In developing and adopting rules governing
rates, deductibles, underwriting standards, and coverage conditions,
limitations, and exclusions, the ((director)) department shall balance
the owner and operator's need for coverage with the need to maintain
the actuarial integrity of the program, shall take into consideration
the economic impact of the discontinued use of a storage tank upon the
affected community, and shall consult with the ((standing)) ad hoc
technical advisory committee established under RCW 70.148.030(3). ((In
developing and adopting rules governing coverage exclusions affecting
corrective action, the director shall consult with the Washington state
department of ecology.))
(4) Notwithstanding the definitions contained in RCW 70.148.010,
the ((director)) department may permit an insurer to use different
words or phrases describing the coverage provided under the program.
In permitting such deviations from the definitions contained in RCW
70.148.010, the ((director)) department shall consider the regulations
adopted by the United States environmental protection agency requiring
financial responsibility by owners and operators of underground
petroleum storage tanks.
(5) Owners and operators of underground storage tanks or sites
containing underground storage tanks where a preexisting release has
been identified or where the owner or operator knows of a preexisting
release are eligible for coverage under the program subject to the
following conditions:
(a) The owner or operator must have a plan for proceeding with
corrective action; and
(b) If the owner or operator files a claim with the insurer, the
owner or operator has the burden of proving that the claim is not
related to a preexisting release until the owner or operator
demonstrates to the satisfaction of the ((director)) department that
corrective action has been completed.
(6) ((When)) Within thirty days of a reinsurance contract ((has
been)) being entered into by the ((agency)) department and insurance
companies, ((the director shall notify the department of ecology of the
letting of the contract. Within thirty days of that notification,))
the department ((of ecology)) shall notify all known owners and
operators of petroleum underground storage tanks that appropriate
levels of financial responsibility must be established by October 26,
1990, in accordance with federal environmental protection agency
requirements, and that insurance under the program is available. All
owners and operators of petroleum underground storage tanks must also
be notified that declaration of method of financial responsibility or
intent to seek to be insured under the program must be made to the
state by November 1, 1990. If the declaration of method of financial
responsibility is not made by November 1, 1990, the department ((of
ecology)) shall, pursuant to chapter 90.76 RCW, prohibit the owner or
operator of an underground storage tank from obtaining a tank tag or
receiving petroleum products until such time as financial
responsibility has been established.
(7) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7011 RCW 70.148.080 and 1990 c 64 s 9 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) If the insurer cancels or refuses to issue or renew a policy,
the affected owner or operator may appeal the insurer's decision to the
director or the director's designee. The director or the director's
designee shall conduct a brief adjudicative proceeding under chapter
34.05 RCW.
(2) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7012 RCW 70.148.090 and 1990 c 64 s 10 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The activities and operations of the program are exempt from
the provisions and requirements of Title 48 RCW and to the extent of
their participation in the program, the activities and operations of
the insurer selected by the ((director)) department to provide
liability insurance coverage to owners and operators of underground
storage tanks are exempt from the requirements of Title 48 RCW except
for:
(a) Chapter 48.03 RCW pertaining to examinations;
(b) RCW 48.05.250 pertaining to annual reports;
(c) Chapter 48.12 RCW pertaining to assets and liabilities;
(d) Chapter 48.13 RCW pertaining to investments;
(e) Chapter 48.30 RCW pertaining to deceptive, false, or fraudulent
acts or practices; and
(f) Chapter 48.92 RCW pertaining to liability risk retention.
(2) To the extent of their participation in the program, the
insurer selected by the ((director)) department to provide liability
insurance coverage to owners and operators of underground storage tanks
shall not participate in the Washington insurance guaranty association
nor shall the association be liable for coverage provided to owners and
operators of underground storage tanks issued in connection with the
program.
(3) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7013 RCW 70.148.130 and 2005 c 428 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Subject to the conditions and limitations of RCW 70.148.120
through 70.148.170, the ((director)) department shall establish and
manage a program for providing financial assistance to public and
private owners and operators of underground storage tanks who have been
certified by the governing body of the county, city, or town in which
the tanks are located as meeting a vital local government, public
health or safety need. In providing such financial assistance the
((director)) department shall:
(a) Require owners and operators, including local government owners
and operators, to demonstrate serious financial hardship;
(b) Limit assistance to only that amount necessary to supplement
applicant financial resources;
(c) Limit assistance to no more than two hundred thousand dollars
in value for any one underground storage tank site of which amount no
more than seventy-five thousand dollars in value may be provided for
corrective action; and
(d) Whenever practicable, provide assistance through the direct
payment of contractors and other professionals for labor, materials,
and other services.
(2)(a) Except as otherwise provided in RCW 70.148.120 through
70.148.170, no grant of financial assistance may be used for any
purpose other than for corrective action and repair, replacement,
reconstruction, and improvement of underground storage tanks and tank
sites. If at any time prior to providing financial assistance or in
the course of providing such assistance, it appears to the ((director))
department that corrective action costs may exceed seventy-five
thousand dollars, the ((director)) department may not provide further
financial assistance until the owner or operator has developed and
implemented a corrective action plan with the department ((of
ecology)).
(b) A grant of financial assistance may also be made to an owner or
operator that has discontinued using underground petroleum storage
tanks due to economic hardship. An owner or operator may receive a
grant up to two hundred thousand dollars per retailing location if:
(i) The property is located in an underserved rural area;
(ii) The property was previously used by a private owner or
operator to provide motor vehicle fuel; and
(iii) The property is at least ten miles from the nearest motor
vehicle fuel service station.
(3) When requests for financial assistance exceed available funds,
the ((director)) department shall give preference to providing
assistance first to those underground storage tank sites which
constitute the sole source of petroleum products in remote rural
communities.
(4) The ((director shall consult with the)) department ((of
ecology)), in approving financial assistance for corrective action
((to)), shall ensure compliance with ((regulations)) rules governing
underground petroleum storage tanks and corrective action.
(5) The ((director)) department shall approve or disapprove
applications for financial assistance within sixty days of receipt of
a completed application meeting the requirements of RCW 70.148.120
through 70.148.170. The certification by local government of an owner
or operator shall not preclude the ((director)) department from
disapproving an application for financial assistance if the
((director)) department finds that such assistance would not meet the
purposes of RCW 70.148.120 through 70.148.170.
(6) The ((director)) department may adopt all rules necessary to
implement the financial assistance program and shall consult with the
technical advisory committee established under RCW 70.148.030 in
developing such rules and in reviewing applications for financial
assistance.
(7) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7014 RCW 70.148.140 and 1991 c 4 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) To qualify for financial assistance, a private owner or
operator retailing petroleum products to the public must:
(a) First apply for insurance from the pollution liability
insurance program and request financial assistance in a form and manner
required by the ((director)) department;
(b) If the ((director)) department makes a preliminary
determination of possible eligibility for financial assistance, apply
to the appropriate governing body of the city or town in which the
tanks are located or in the case where the tanks are located outside of
the jurisdiction of a city or town, then to the appropriate governing
body of the county in which the tanks are located, for a determination
by the governing body of the city, town, or county that the continued
operation of the tanks meets a vital local government, or public health
or safety need; and
(c) Qualify for insurance coverage from the pollution liability
insurance program if such financial assistance were to be provided.
(2) In consideration for financial assistance and prior to
receiving such assistance the owner and operator must enter into an
agreement with the state whereby the owner and operator agree:
(a) To sell petroleum products to the public;
(b) To maintain the tank site for use in the retail sale of
petroleum products for a period of not less than fifteen years from the
date of agreement;
(c) To sell petroleum products to local government entities within
the affected community on a cost-plus basis periodically negotiated
between the owner and operator and the city, town, or county in which
the tanks are located; and
(d) To maintain compliance with state underground storage tank
financial responsibility and environmental regulations.
(3) The agreement shall be filed as a real property lien against
the tank site with the county auditor (([of the county])) of the county
in which the tanks are located. If the owner or operator transfers his
or her interest in such property, the new owner or operator must agree
to abide by the agreement or any financial assistance provided under
RCW 70.148.120 through 70.148.170 shall be immediately repaid to the
state by the owner or operator who received such assistance.
(4) As determined by the ((director)) department, if an owner or
operator materially breaches the agreement, any financial assistance
provided shall be immediately repaid by such owner or operator.
(5) The agreement between an owner and operator and the state
required under this section shall expire fifteen years from the date of
entering into the agreement.
(6) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7015 RCW 70.148.150 and 1991 c 4 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) To qualify for financial assistance, a public owner or operator
must:
(a) First apply for insurance from the pollution liability
insurance program and request financial assistance in a form and manner
required by the ((director)) department;
(b) Provide to the ((director)) department a copy of the resolution
by the governing body of the city, town, or county having jurisdiction,
finding that the continued operation of the tanks is necessary to
maintain vital local public health, education, or safety needs;
(c) Qualify for insurance coverage from the pollution liability
insurance program if such financial assistance were to be provided.
(2) The ((director)) department shall give priority to and shall
encourage local government entities to consolidate multiple operational
underground storage tank sites into as few sites as possible. For this
purpose, the ((director)) department may provide financial assistance
for the establishment of a new local government underground storage
tank site contingent upon the closure of other operational sites in
accordance with environmental regulations. Within the per site
financial limits imposed under RCW 70.148.120 through 70.148.170, the
((director)) department may authorize financial assistance for the
closure of operational sites when closure is for the purpose of
consolidation.
(3) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7016 RCW 70.148.160 and 1991 c 4 s 5 are each amended to
read as follows:
To qualify for financial assistance, a rural hospital ((as defined
in RCW 18.89.020)), owning or operating an underground storage tank
must:
(1) First apply for insurance from the pollution liability
insurance program and request financial assistance in a form and manner
required by the ((director)) department;
(2) Apply to the governing body of the city, town, or county in
which the hospital is located for certification that the continued
operation of the tank or tanks is necessary to maintain vital local
public health or safety needs;
(3) Qualify for insurance coverage from the pollution liability
insurance program if such financial assistance were to be provided; and
(4) Agree to provide charity care ((as defined in RCW 70.39.020))
in an amount of equivalent value to the financial assistance provided
under RCW 70.148.120 through 70.148.170. The ((director)) department
shall consult with the department of health to monitor and determine
the time period over which such care should be expected to be provided
in the local community.
(5) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7017 RCW 70.148.170 and 1991 c 4 s 6 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((director)) department shall develop and distribute to
appropriate cities, towns, and counties a form for use by the local
government in making the certification required for all private owner
and operator financial assistance along with instructions on the use of
such form.
(2) In certifying a private owner or operator retailing petroleum
products to the public as meeting vital local government, public health
or safety needs, the local government shall:
(a) Consider and find that other retail suppliers of petroleum
products are located remote from the local community;
(b) Consider and find that the owner or operator requesting
certification is capable of faithfully fulfilling the agreement
required for financial assistance;
(c) Designate the local government official who will be responsible
for negotiating the price of petroleum products to be sold on a cost-plus basis to the local government entities in the affected communities
and the entities eligible to receive petroleum products at such price;
and
(d) State the vital need or needs that the owner or operator meets.
(3) In certifying a hospital as meeting local public health and
safety needs the local government shall:
(a) Consider and find that the continued use of the underground
storage tank by the hospital is necessary; and
(b) Consider and find that the hospital provides health care
services to the poor and otherwise provides charity care.
(4) The ((director)) department shall notify the governing body of
the city, town, or county providing certification when financial
assistance for a private owner or operator has been approved.
(5) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7018 RCW 70.149.010 and 1995 c 20 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) It is the intent of the legislature to establish a temporary
regulatory program to assist owners and operators of heating oil tanks.
The legislature finds that it is in the best interests of all citizens
for heating oil tanks to be operated safely and for tank leaks or
spills to be dealt with expeditiously. The legislature further finds
that it is necessary to protect tank owners from the financial hardship
related to damaged heating oil tanks. The problem is especially acute
because owners and operators of heating oil tanks used for space
heating have been unable to obtain pollution liability insurance or
insurance has been unaffordable.
(2) The pollution liability insurance program established by this
chapter and chapter 70.148 RCW is merged into the department.
(3) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7019 RCW 70.149.030 and 1995 c 20 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in
this section apply throughout this chapter.
(1) "Accidental release" means a sudden or nonsudden release of
heating oil, occurring after July 23, 1995, from operating a heating
oil tank that results in bodily injury, property damage, or a need for
corrective action, neither expected nor intended by the owner or
operator.
(2) "Bodily injury" means bodily injury, sickness, or disease
sustained by a person, including death at any time, resulting from the
injury, sickness, or disease.
(3)(a) "Corrective action" means those actions reasonably required
to be undertaken by the insured to remove, treat, neutralize, contain,
or clean up an accidental release in order to comply with a statute,
ordinance, rule, regulation, directive, order, or similar legal
requirement, in effect at the time of an accidental release, of the
United States, the state of Washington, or a political subdivision of
the United States or the state of Washington. "Corrective action"
includes, where agreed to in writing, in advance by the insurer, action
to remove, treat, neutralize, contain, or clean up an accidental
release to avert, reduce, or eliminate the liability of the insured for
corrective action, bodily injury, or property damage. "Corrective
action" also includes actions reasonably necessary to monitor, assess,
and evaluate an accidental release.
(b) "Corrective action" does not include:
(i) Replacement or repair of heating oil tanks or other
receptacles; or
(ii) Replacement or repair of piping, connections, and valves of
tanks or other receptacles.
(4) "Defense costs" include the costs of legal representation,
expert fees, and related costs and expenses incurred in defending
against claims or actions brought by or on behalf of:
(a) The United States, the state of Washington, or a political
subdivision of the United States or state of Washington to require
corrective action or to recover costs of corrective action; or
(b) A third party for bodily injury or property damage caused by an
accidental release.
(5) "Director" means the director of the ((Washington state
pollution liability insurance agency)) department or the director's
appointed representative.
(6) "Heating oil" means any petroleum product used for space
heating in oil-fired furnaces, heaters, and boilers, including stove
oil, diesel fuel, or kerosene. "Heating oil" does not include
petroleum products used as fuels in motor vehicles, marine vessels,
trains, buses, aircraft, or any off-highway equipment not used for
space heating, or for industrial processing or the generation of
electrical energy.
(7) "Heating oil tank" means a tank and its connecting pipes,
whether above or below ground, or in a basement, with pipes connected
to the tank for space heating of human living or working space on the
premises where the tank is located. "Heating oil tank" does not
include a decommissioned or abandoned heating oil tank, or a tank used
solely for industrial process heating purposes or generation of
electrical energy.
(8) "Occurrence" means an accident, including continuous or
repeated exposure to conditions, that results in a release from a
heating oil tank.
(9) "Owner or operator" means a person in control of, or having
responsibility for, the daily operation of a heating oil tank.
(10) "Pollution liability insurance ((agency)) program" or
"program" means the Washington state pollution liability insurance
((agency)) program located within the department.
(11) "Property damage" means:
(a) Physical injury to, destruction of, or contamination of
tangible property, including the loss of use of the property resulting
from the injury, destruction, or contamination; or
(b) Loss of use of tangible property that has not been physically
injured, destroyed, or contaminated but has been evacuated, withdrawn
from use, or rendered inaccessible because of an accidental release.
(12) "Release" means a spill, leak, emission, escape, or leaching
into the environment.
(13) "Remedial action costs" means reasonable costs that are
attributable to or associated with a remedial action.
(14) "Tank" means a stationary device, designed to contain an
accumulation of heating oil, that is constructed primarily of
nonearthen materials such as concrete, steel, fiberglass, or plastic
that provides structural support.
(15) "Third-party liability" means the liability of a heating oil
tank owner to another person due to property damage or personal injury
that results from a leak or spill.
(16) "Department" means the Washington state department of ecology.
This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7020 RCW 70.149.040 and 2009 c 560 s 11 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((director)) department shall:
(1) Design a program, consistent with RCW 70.149.120, for providing
pollution liability insurance for heating oil tanks that provides up to
sixty thousand dollars per occurrence coverage and aggregate limits,
and protects the state of Washington from unwanted or unanticipated
liability for accidental release claims;
(2) Administer, implement, and enforce the provisions of this
chapter. To assist in administration of the program, the director is
authorized to appoint up to two employees who are exempt from the civil
service law, chapter 41.06 RCW, and who shall serve at the pleasure of
the director;
(3) Administer the heating oil pollution liability trust account,
as established under RCW 70.149.070;
(4) Employ and discharge, at ((his or her)) its discretion, agents,
attorneys, consultants, companies, organizations, and employees as
deemed necessary, and to prescribe their duties and powers, and fix
their compensation;
(5) Adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW as necessary to carry out
the provisions of this chapter;
(6) Design and from time to time revise a reinsurance contract
providing coverage to an insurer or insurers meeting the requirements
of this chapter. The ((director)) department is authorized to provide
reinsurance through the pollution liability insurance program trust
account;
(7) Solicit bids from insurers and select an insurer to provide
pollution liability insurance for third-party bodily injury and
property damage, and corrective action to owners and operators of
heating oil tanks;
(8) Register, and design a means of accounting for, operating
heating oil tanks;
(9) Implement a program to provide advice and technical assistance
to owners and operators of active and abandoned heating oil tanks if
contamination from an active or abandoned heating oil tank is
suspected. Advice and assistance regarding administrative and
technical requirements may include observation of testing or site
assessment and review of the results of reports. If the ((director))
department finds that contamination is not present or that the
contamination is apparently minor and not a threat to human health or
the environment, the ((director)) department may provide written
opinions and conclusions on the results of the investigation to owners
and operators of active and abandoned heating oil tanks. The
((agency)) department is authorized to collect, from persons requesting
advice and assistance, the costs incurred by the ((agency)) department
in providing such advice and assistance. The costs may include travel
costs and expenses associated with review of reports and preparation of
written opinions and conclusions. Funds from cost reimbursement must
be deposited in the heating oil pollution liability trust account. The
state of Washington, the department, the pollution liability insurance
((agency)) program, and its officers and employees are immune from all
liability, and no cause of action arises from any act or omission in
providing, or failing to provide, such advice, opinion, conclusion, or
assistance;
(10) Establish a public information program to provide information
regarding liability, technical, and environmental requirements
associated with active and abandoned heating oil tanks;
(11) Monitor ((agency)) program expenditures and seek to minimize
costs and maximize benefits to ensure responsible financial
stewardship;
(12) Study if appropriate user fees to supplement program funding
are necessary and develop recommendations for legislation to authorize
such fees.
This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7021 RCW 70.149.050 and 1995 c 20 s 5 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) In selecting an insurer to provide pollution liability
insurance coverage to owners and operators of heating oil tanks used
for space heating, the ((director)) department shall evaluate bids
based upon criteria established by the ((director)) department that
shall include:
(a) The insurer's ability to underwrite pollution liability
insurance;
(b) The insurer's ability to settle pollution liability claims
quickly and efficiently;
(c) The insurer's estimate of underwriting and claims adjustment
expenses;
(d) The insurer's estimate of premium rates for providing coverage;
(e) The insurer's ability to manage and invest premiums; and
(f) The insurer's ability to provide risk management guidance to
insureds.
(2) The ((director)) department shall select the bidder most
qualified to provide insurance consistent with this chapter and need
not select the bidder submitting the least expensive bid. The
((director)) department may consider bids by groups of insurers and
management companies who propose to act in concert in providing
coverage and who otherwise meet the requirements of this chapter.
(3) Owners and operators of heating oil tanks, or sites containing
heating oil tanks where a preexisting release has been identified or
where the owner or operator knows of a preexisting release are eligible
for coverage under the program subject to the following conditions:
(a) The owner or operator must have a plan for proceeding with
corrective action; and
(b) If the owner or operator files a claim with the insurer, the
owner or operator has the burden of proving that the claim is not
related to a preexisting release until the owner or operator
demonstrates to the satisfaction of the ((director)) department that
corrective action has been completed.
(4) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7022 RCW 70.149.060 and 1995 c 20 s 6 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The activities and operations of the program are exempt from
the provisions and requirements of Title 48 RCW and to the extent of
their participation in the program, the activities and operations of
the insurer selected by the ((director)) department to provide
liability insurance coverage to owners and operators of heating oil
tanks are exempt from the requirements of Title 48 RCW except for:
(a) Chapter 48.03 RCW pertaining to examinations;
(b) RCW 48.05.250 pertaining to annual reports;
(c) Chapter 48.12 RCW pertaining to assets and liabilities;
(d) Chapter 48.13 RCW pertaining to investments;
(e) Chapter 48.30 RCW pertaining to deceptive, false, or fraudulent
acts or practices; and
(f) Chapter 48.92 RCW pertaining to liability risk retention.
(2) To the extent of their participation in the program, the
insurer selected by the ((director)) department to provide liability
insurance coverage to owners and operators of heating oil tanks shall
not participate in the Washington insurance guaranty association nor
shall the association be liable for coverage provided to owners and
operators of heating oil tanks issued in connection with the program.
(3) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7023 RCW 70.149.090 and 2005 c 274 s 342 are each amended to
read as follows:
The following shall be confidential and exempt under chapter 42.56
RCW, subject to the conditions set forth in this section:
(1) All examination and proprietary reports and information
obtained by the ((director)) department and the ((director's))
department's staff in soliciting bids from insurers and in monitoring
the insurer selected by the ((director)) department may not be made
public or otherwise disclosed to any person, firm, corporation, agency,
association, governmental body, or other entity.
(2) All information obtained by the ((director)) department or the
((director's)) department's staff related to registration of heating
oil tanks to be insured may not be made public or otherwise disclosed
to any person, firm, corporation, agency, association, governmental
body, or other entity.
(3) The ((director)) department may furnish all or part of
examination reports prepared by the ((director)) department or by any
person, firm, corporation, association, or other entity preparing the
reports on behalf of the ((director)) department to:
(a) The Washington state insurance commissioner;
(b) A person or organization officially connected with the insurer
as officer, director, attorney, auditor, or independent attorney or
independent auditor; and
(c) The attorney general in his or her role as legal advisor to the
((director)) department.
This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7024 RCW 70.149.120 and 2007 c 240 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((pollution liability insurance agency)) department shall
identify design criteria for heating oil tanks that provide superior
protection against future leaks as compared to standard steel tank
designs. Any tank designs identified under this section must either be
constructed with fiberglass or offer at least an equivalent level of
protection against leaks as a standard fiberglass design.
(2) The ((pollution liability insurance agency)) department shall
reimburse any owner or operator, who is participating in the program
created in this chapter and who has experienced an occurrence or
remedial action, for the difference in price between a standard steel
heating tank and a new heating oil tank that satisfies the design
standards identified under subsection (1) of this section, if the owner
or operator chooses or is required to replace his or her tank at the
time of the occurrence or remedial action.
(3) Any new heating oil tank reimbursement provided under this
section must be funded within the amount of per occurrence coverage
provided to the owner or operator under RCW 70.149.040.
(4) This section expires June 1, 2013.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7025 By October 1, 2011, the department of
ecology shall submit a report to the governor and appropriate
legislative committees that includes findings on the consolidation of
the pollution liability insurance agency within the department of
ecology and recommendations for legislation in 2012, including draft
legislation, if needed, to implement the recommendations and strategies
identified in the report. In the report, the department of ecology
shall discuss:
(1) Statutory changes that would ensure that the pollution
liability insurance program's consolidation within the department of
ecology is efficient and effective;
(2) The organizational structure of the pollution liability
insurance program;
(3) The appeals process;
(4) Information management;
(5) Coordination of the pollution liability insurance program,
underground storage tanks rule, and toxics cleanup program;
(6) Whether participants utilizing the program under chapter 70.149
RCW should be required to continue using oil for home heating for a
certain period of time or compensate the fund;
(7) The effect of requiring a competitive bid process and other
cost control measures as required in RCW 70.149.040; and
(8) Reauthorization of the pollution liability insurance program by
July 1, 2013.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7026 A new section is added to chapter 70.148
RCW to read as follows:
(1) The pollution liability insurance agency is transferred to the
department.
(2)(a) All reports, documents, surveys, books, records, files,
papers, or written material in the possession of the pollution
liability insurance agency shall be delivered to the custody of the
department of ecology. All cabinets, furniture, office equipment,
motor vehicles, and other tangible property employed by the pollution
liability insurance agency shall be transferred to the department of
ecology. All funds, credits, or other assets held by the pollution
liability insurance agency shall be assigned to the department of
ecology.
(b) Any appropriations made to the pollution liability insurance
agency shall be transferred and credited to the department of ecology.
(c) If any question arises as to the transfer of any personnel,
funds, books, documents, records, papers, files, equipment, or other
tangible property used or held in the exercise of the powers and the
performance of the duties and functions transferred, the director of
financial management shall make a determination as to the proper
allocation and certify the same to the state agencies concerned.
(3) All employees of the pollution liability insurance agency are
transferred to the jurisdiction of the department of ecology. All
employees classified under chapter 41.06 RCW, the state civil service
law, are assigned to the department of ecology to perform their usual
duties upon the same terms as formerly, without any loss of rights,
subject to any action that may be appropriate thereafter in accordance
with the laws and rules governing state civil service.
(4) All rules and all pending business before the pollution
liability insurance agency shall be continued and acted upon by the
pollution liability insurance program as part of the department of
ecology. All existing contracts and obligations shall remain in full
force and shall be performed by the pollution liability insurance
program as part of the department of ecology.
(5) The transfer of the powers, duties, functions, and personnel of
the pollution liability insurance agency to the department of ecology
under this act shall not affect the validity of any activity performed
before the effective date of this section or the effective date of the
consolidation.
(6) If apportionments of budgeted funds are required because of the
consolidation directed by this section, the director of financial
management shall certify the apportionments to the affected agencies,
the state auditor, and the state treasurer. Each of these shall make
the appropriate transfer and adjustments in funds and appropriation
accounts and equipment records in accordance with the certification.
(7) All classified employees of the pollution liability insurance
agency assigned to the department of ecology under this act whose
positions are within an existing bargaining unit description at the
department of ecology shall become a part of the existing bargaining
unit at the department of ecology and shall be considered an
appropriate inclusion or modification of the existing bargaining unit
under the provisions of chapter 41.80 RCW.
(8) This section expires June 1, 2013.
Sec. 7027 RCW 90.46.005 and 2007 c 445 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
The legislature finds that by encouraging the use of reclaimed
water while assuring the health and safety of all Washington citizens
and the protection of its environment, the state of Washington will
continue to use water in the best interests of present and future
generations.
To facilitate the immediate use of reclaimed water for uses
approved by the department((s)) of ecology ((and health)), the state
shall expand both direct financial support and financial incentives for
capital investments in water reuse and reclaimed water to effectuate
the goals of this chapter. The legislature further directs ((the
department of health and)) the department of ecology to ((coordinate
efforts towards developing)) develop an efficient and streamlined
process for creating and implementing processes for the use of
reclaimed water.
It is hereby declared that the people of the state of Washington
have a primary interest in the development of facilities to provide
reclaimed water to replace potable water in nonpotable applications, to
supplement existing surface and ground water supplies, and to assist in
meeting the future water requirements of the state.
The legislature further finds and declares that the utilization of
reclaimed water by local communities for domestic, agricultural,
industrial, recreational, and fish and wildlife habitat creation and
enhancement purposes, including wetland enhancement, will contribute to
the peace, health, safety, and welfare of the people of the state of
Washington. To the extent reclaimed water is appropriate for
beneficial uses, it should be so used to preserve potable water for
drinking purposes, contribute to the restoration and protection of
instream flows that are crucial to preservation of the state's salmonid
fishery resources, contribute to the restoration of Puget Sound by
reducing wastewater discharge, provide a drought resistant source of
water supply for nonpotable needs, or be a source of supply integrated
into state, regional, and local strategies to respond to population
growth and global warming. Use of reclaimed water constitutes the
development of new basic water supplies needed for future generations
and local and regional water management planning should consider
coordination of infrastructure, development, storage, water reclamation
and reuse, and source exchange as strategies to meet water demands
associated with population growth and impacts of global warming.
The legislature further finds and declares that the use of
reclaimed water is not inconsistent with the policy of antidegradation
of state waters announced in other state statutes, including the water
pollution control act, chapter 90.48 RCW and the water resources act,
chapter 90.54 RCW.
The legislature finds that other states, including California,
Florida, and Arizona, have successfully used reclaimed water to
supplement existing water supplies without threatening existing
resources or public health.
It is the intent of the legislature that the department of ecology
((and the department of health)) undertake the necessary steps to
encourage the development of water reclamation facilities so that
reclaimed water may be made available to help meet the growing water
requirements of the state.
The legislature further finds and declares that reclaimed water
facilities are water pollution control facilities as defined in chapter
70.146 RCW and are eligible for financial assistance as provided in
chapter 70.146 RCW. The legislature finds that funding demonstration
projects will ensure the future use of reclaimed water. ((The
demonstration projects in RCW 90.46.110 are varied in nature and will
provide the experience necessary to test different facets of the
standards and refine a variety of technologies so that water purveyors
can begin to use reclaimed water technology in a more cost-effective
manner.)) This is especially critical in smaller cities and
communities where the feasibility for such projects is great, but there
are scarce resources to develop the necessary facilities.
The legislature further finds that the agricultural processing
industry can play a critical and beneficial role in promoting the
efficient use of water by having the opportunity to develop and reuse
agricultural industrial process water from food processing.
Sec. 7028 RCW 90.46.010 and 2009 c 456 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter
unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Agricultural industrial process water" means water that has
been used for the purpose of agricultural processing and has been
adequately and reliably treated, so that as a result of that treatment,
it is suitable for other agricultural water use.
(2) "Agricultural processing" means the processing of crops or milk
to produce a product primarily for wholesale or retail sale for human
or animal consumption, including but not limited to potato, fruit,
vegetable, and grain processing.
(3) "Agricultural water use" means the use of water for irrigation
and other uses related to the production of agricultural products.
These uses include, but are not limited to, construction, operation,
and maintenance of agricultural facilities and livestock operations at
farms, ranches, dairies, and nurseries. Examples of these uses
include, but are not limited to, dust control, temperature control, and
fire control.
(4) "Constructed beneficial use wetlands" means those wetlands
intentionally constructed on nonwetland sites to produce or create
natural wetland functions and values.
(5) "Constructed treatment wetlands" means wetland-like
impoundments intentionally constructed on nonwetland sites and managed
for the primary purpose of further treatment or retention of reclaimed
water as distinct from creating natural wetland functions and values.
(6) "Direct groundwater recharge" means the controlled subsurface
addition of water directly into groundwater for the purpose of
replenishing groundwater.
(7) "Domestic wastewater" means wastewater from greywater, toilet,
or urinal sources.
(8) "Greywater or gray water" means domestic type flows from
bathtubs, showers, bathroom sinks, washing machines, dishwashers, and
kitchen or utility sinks. Gray water does not include flow from a
toilet or urinal.
(9) "Industrial reuse water" means water that has been used for the
purpose of industrial processing and has been adequately and reliably
treated so that, as a result of that treatment, it is suitable for
other uses.
(10) "Land application" means use of reclaimed water as permitted
under this chapter for the purpose of irrigation or watering of
landscape vegetation.
(11) (("Lead agency" means either the department of health or the
department of ecology that has been designated by rule as the agency
that will coordinate, review, issue, and enforce a reclaimed water
permit issued under this chapter.)) "Person" means any state, individual, public or private
corporation, political subdivision, governmental subdivision,
governmental agency, municipality, copartnership, association, firm,
trust estate, or any other legal entity whatever.
(12) "Nonlead agency" means either the department of health or the
department of ecology, whichever is not the lead agency for purposes of
this chapter.
(13)
(((14))) (12) "Planned groundwater recharge project" means any
reclaimed water project designed for the purpose of recharging
groundwater.
(((15))) (13) "Reclaimed water" means water derived in any part
from wastewater with a domestic wastewater component that has been
adequately and reliably treated, so that it can be used for beneficial
purposes. Reclaimed water is not considered a wastewater.
(((16))) (14) "State drinking water contaminant criteria" means the
contaminant criteria found in the drinking water quality standards
adopted by the state board of health pursuant to chapter 43.20 RCW and
the department of health pursuant to chapter 70.119A RCW.
(((17))) (15) "Streamflow or surface water augmentation" means the
intentional use of reclaimed water for rivers and streams of the state
or other surface water bodies, for the purpose of increasing volumes.
(((18))) (16) "Surface percolation" means the controlled
application of water to the ground surface or to unsaturated soil for
the purpose of replenishing groundwater.
(((19))) (17) "User" means any person who uses reclaimed water.
(((20))) (18) "Wastewater" means water-carried wastes from
residences, buildings, industrial and commercial establishments, or
other places, together with such groundwater infiltration and inflow as
may be present.
(((21))) (19) "Wetland or wetlands" means areas that are inundated
or saturated by surface water or groundwater at a frequency and
duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do
support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted to life in
saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes,
bogs, and similar areas. Wetlands regulated under this chapter shall
be delineated in accordance with the manual adopted by the department
of ecology pursuant to RCW 90.58.380.
(20) "Department" means the department of ecology.
Sec. 7029 RCW 90.46.015 and 2009 c 456 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The department ((of ecology)) shall((, in coordination with the
department of health,)) adopt rules for reclaimed water use consistent
with this chapter. The rules must address all aspects of reclaimed
water use, including commercial and industrial uses, land applications,
direct groundwater recharge, wetland discharge, surface percolation,
constructed wetlands, and streamflow or surface water augmentation.
The department of health shall, in coordination with the department
((of ecology)), adopt rules for greywater reuse. ((The rules must also
designate whether the department of ecology or the department of health
will be the lead agency responsible for a particular aspect of
reclaimed water use.)) In developing the rules, the ((departments of
health and ecology)) department shall amend or rescind any existing
rules on reclaimed water in conflict with the new rules.
(2) All rules required to be adopted pursuant to this section must
be completed no later than December 31, 2010, although the department
((of ecology)) is encouraged to adopt the final rules as soon as
possible.
(3) The department ((of ecology)) must consult with the advisory
committee created under RCW 90.46.050 in all aspects of rule
development required under this section.
Sec. 7030 RCW 90.46.030 and 2006 c 279 s 5 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1)(((a) The department of health shall, in coordination with the
department of ecology, adopt a single set of standards, procedures, and
guidelines on or before August 1, 1993, for the industrial and
commercial use of reclaimed water.)) The department ((
(b) Standards adopted under this section are superseded by any
rules adopted by the department of ecology pursuant to RCW 90.46.015 as
they relate to the industrial and commercial use of reclaimed water.
(2) Unlessof ecology adopts)) may adopt rules
pursuant to RCW 90.46.015 that relate to the industrial and commercial
use of reclaimed water ((specifying otherwise,)). The department ((of
health)) may issue a reclaimed water permit for industrial and
commercial uses of reclaimed water to the generator of reclaimed water
who may then distribute the water, subject to provisions in the permit
governing the location, rate, water quality, and purposes of use.
Permits issued after the adoption of rules under RCW 90.46.015 must be
consistent with the adopted rules.
(((3))) (2) The department ((of health)) in consultation with the
advisory committee established in RCW 90.46.050, shall develop
recommendations for a fee structure for permits issued under
((subsection (2) of)) this ((section)) chapter. Fees shall be
established in amounts to fully recover, and not exceed, expenses
incurred by the department ((of health)) in processing permit
applications and modifications, monitoring and evaluating compliance
with permits, and conducting inspections and supporting the reasonable
overhead expenses that are directly related to these activities.
Permit fees may not be used for research or enforcement activities.
((The department of health shall not issue permits under this section
until a fee structure has been established.)) (3) A permit under this section for use of reclaimed water
may be issued only to:
(4)
(a) A municipal, quasi-municipal, or other governmental entity;
(b) A private utility as defined in RCW 36.94.010; ((or))
(c) The holder of a waste discharge permit issued under chapter
90.48 RCW or operating permit under chapter 70.118B RCW; or
(d) The owner of an agricultural processing facility that is
generating agricultural industrial process water for agricultural use,
or the owner of an industrial facility that is generating industrial
process water for reuse.
(((5))) (4) The authority and duties created in this section are in
addition to any authority and duties already provided in law with
regard to sewage and wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal for
the protection of health and safety of the state's waters. Nothing in
this section limits the powers of the state or any political
subdivision to exercise such authority.
(((6) Unless the department of ecology adopts rules pursuant to RCW
90.46.015 that relate to the industrial and commercial use of reclaimed
water specifying otherwise, the department of health may implement the
requirements of this section through the department of ecology by
execution of a formal agreement between the departments. Upon
execution of such an agreement, the department of ecology may issue
reclaimed water permits for industrial and commercial uses of reclaimed
water by issuance of permits under chapter 90.48 RCW, and may establish
and collect fees as required for permits issued under chapter 90.48
RCW.))
(7) Unless the department of ecology adopts rules pursuant to RCW
90.46.015 that relate to the industrial and commercial use of reclaimed
water specifying otherwise, and
(5) Before deciding whether to issue a permit under this section to
a private utility, the department ((of health)) may require information
that is reasonable and necessary to determine whether the private
utility has the financial and other resources to ensure the
reliability, continuity, and supervision of the reclaimed water
facility.
Sec. 7031 RCW 90.46.050 and 2006 c 279 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
The department ((of ecology)) shall((, before July 1, 2006,)) form
an advisory committee((, in coordination with the department of health
and the department of agriculture,)) which will provide technical
assistance in the development of standards, procedures, and guidelines
required by this chapter. The advisory committee shall be composed of
a broad range of interested individuals representing the various
stakeholders that utilize or are potentially impacted by the use of
reclaimed water and include a representative from the department of
health and a representative from the department of agriculture. The
advisory committee must also contain individuals with technical
expertise and knowledge of new advancements in technology.
Sec. 7032 RCW 90.46.090 and 2006 c 279 s 10 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Reclaimed water may be beneficially used for discharge into
constructed beneficial use wetlands and constructed treatment wetlands
provided the reclaimed water meets the class A or B reclaimed water
standards as defined in the reclamation criteria, and the discharge is
incorporated into a sewer or water comprehensive plan, as applicable,
adopted by the applicable local government and approved by the
department of health or department of ecology as applicable.
(2) Reclaimed water that does not meet the class A or B reclaimed
water standards may be beneficially used for discharge into constructed
treatment wetlands where the department ((of ecology, in consultation
with the department of health,)) has specifically authorized such use
at such lower standards.
(3)(a) The department ((of ecology and the department of health))
must develop appropriate standards for discharging reclaimed water into
constructed beneficial use wetlands and constructed treatment wetlands.
These standards must be considered as part of the approval process
under subsections (1) and (2) of this section.
(b) Standards adopted under this section are superseded by any
rules adopted by the department ((of ecology)) pursuant to RCW
90.46.015 as they relate to discharge into constructed beneficial use
wetlands and constructed treatment wetlands.
Sec. 7033 RCW 90.46.120 and 2009 c 456 s 5 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The owner of a wastewater treatment facility that is reclaiming
water with a permit issued under this chapter has the exclusive right
to any reclaimed water generated by the wastewater treatment facility.
Use, distribution, storage, and the recovery from storage of reclaimed
water permitted under this chapter is exempt from the permit
requirements of RCW 90.03.250 and 90.44.060, provided that a permit for
recovery of reclaimed water from aquifer storage shall be reviewed
under the standards established under RCW 90.03.370(2) for aquifer
storage and recovery projects. Revenues derived from the reclaimed
water facility shall be used only to offset the cost of operation of
the wastewater utility fund or other applicable source of systemwide
funding.
(2) If the proposed use of reclaimed water is to augment or replace
potable water supplies or to create the potential for the development
of an additional new potable water supply, then regional water supply
plans, or any other potable water supply plans prepared by multiple
water purveyors, must consider the proposed use of the reclaimed water
as they are developed or updated.
(a) Regional water supply plans include those adopted under state
board of health laws (chapter 43.20 RCW), the public water system
coordination act of 1977 (chapter 70.116 RCW), groundwater protection
laws (chapter 90.44 RCW), and the watershed planning act (chapter 90.82
RCW).
(b) The requirement to consider the use of reclaimed water does not
change the plan approval process established under these statutes.
(c) When regional water supply plans are being developed, the
owners of wastewater treatment facilities that produce or propose to
produce reclaimed water for use within the planning area must be
included in the planning process.
(3) When reclaimed water is available or is proposed for use under
a water supply or wastewater plan developed under chapter 43.20,
70.116, 90.44, 90.48, or 90.82 RCW these plans must be coordinated to
ensure that opportunities for reclaimed water are evaluated. The
requirements of this subsection (3) do not apply to water system plans
developed under chapter 43.20 RCW for utilities serving less than one
thousand service connections.
(4) The provisions of any plan for reclaimed water, developed under
the authorities in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, should be
included by a city, town, or county in reviewing provisions for water
supplies in a proposed short plat, short subdivision, or subdivision
under chapter 58.17 RCW, where reclaimed water supplies may be proposed
for nonpotable purposes in the short plat, short subdivision, or
subdivision.
(((5) By November 30, 2009, the department of ecology shall review
comments from the reclaimed water advisory committee under RCW
90.46.050 and the reclaimed water and water rights advisory committee
under the direction of the department of ecology and submit a
recommendation to the legislature on the impairment requirements and
standards for reclaimed water. The department of ecology shall also
provide a report to the legislature that describes the opinions of the
stakeholders on the impairment requirements and standards for reclaimed
water.))
Sec. 7034 RCW 90.46.150 and 2001 c 69 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
The permit to apply agricultural industrial process water to
agricultural water use shall be the permit issued under chapter 90.48
RCW to the owner of the agricultural processing plant who may then
distribute the water through methods including, but not limited to,
irrigation systems, subject to provisions in the permit governing the
location, rate, water quality, and purpose. ((In cases where the
department of ecology determines that a significant risk to public
health exists, in land application of the water, the department must
refer the application to the department of health for review and
consultation.))
The owner of the agricultural processing plant who obtains a permit
under this section has the exclusive right to the use of any
agricultural industrial process water generated from the plant and to
the distribution of such water through facilities including irrigation
systems. Use and distribution of the water by the owner is exempt from
the permit requirements of RCW 90.03.250, 90.03.380, 90.44.060, and
90.44.100.
Nothing in chapter 69, Laws of 2001 shall be construed to affect
any right to reuse agricultural industrial discharge water in existence
on or before July 22, 2001.
Sec. 7035 RCW 90.46.160 and 2002 c 329 s 6 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The permit to use industrial reuse water shall be the permit
issued under chapter 90.48 RCW to the owner of the plant that is the
source of the industrial process water, who may then distribute the
water according to provisions in the permit governing the location,
rate, water quality, and purpose. ((In cases where the department of
ecology determines that a proposed use may pose a significant risk to
public health, the department shall refer the permit application to the
department of health for review and consultation.))
(2) The owner of the industrial plant who obtains a permit under
this section has the exclusive right to the use of any industrial reuse
water generated from the plant and to the distribution of such water.
Use and distribution of the water by the owner is exempt from the
permit requirements of RCW 90.03.250, 90.03.380, 90.44.060, and
90.44.100.
(3) Nothing in this section affects any right to reuse industrial
process water in existence on or before June 13, 2002.
Sec. 7036 RCW 90.46.200 and 2009 c 456 s 7 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) ((The department of ecology and the department of health shall
have authority to carry out all the provisions of this chapter
including, but not limited to, permitting and enforcement. Only the
department of ecology or the department of health may act as a lead
agency for purposes of this chapter and will be established as such by
rule. Enforcement of a permit issued under this chapter shall be at
the sole discretion of the lead agency that issued the permit.)) The department shall consult with the department of health in
cases where a proposed use of reclaimed water may pose a significant
risk to public health.
(2) All permit applications shall be referred to the nonlead agency
for review and consultation. The nonlead agency may choose to limit
the scope of its review.
(3)
(2) The authority and duties created in this chapter are in
addition to any authority and duties already provided in law. Nothing
in this chapter limits the powers of the state or any political
subdivision to exercise such authority.
Sec. 7037 RCW 90.46.210 and 2009 c 456 s 8 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((lead agency)) department, with the assistance of the attorney
general, is authorized to bring any appropriate action at law or in
equity, including action for injunctive relief, as may be necessary to
carry out the provisions of this chapter. The ((lead agency))
department may bring the action in the superior court of the county in
which the violation occurred or in the superior court of Thurston
county. The court may award reasonable attorneys' fees for the cost of
the attorney general's office in representing the ((lead agency))
department.
Sec. 7038 RCW 90.46.220 and 2009 c 456 s 9 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Any person proposing to generate any type of reclaimed water
for a use regulated under this chapter shall obtain a permit from the
((lead agency)) department prior to distribution or use of that water.
The permittee may then distribute and use the water, subject to the
provisions in the permit. The permit must include provisions that
protect human health and the environment. At a minimum, the permit
must:
(a) Assure adequate and reliable treatment; and
(b) Govern the water quality, location, rate, and purpose of use.
(2) A permit under this chapter may be issued only to:
(a) A municipal, quasi-municipal, or other governmental entity;
(b) A private utility as defined in RCW 36.94.010;
(c) The holder of a waste disposal permit issued under chapter
90.48 RCW or operating permit under chapter 70.118B RCW; or
(d) The owner of an agricultural processing facility that is
generating agricultural industrial process water for agricultural use,
or the owner of an industrial facility that is generating industrial
process water for reuse.
(3) Before deciding whether to issue a permit under this section to
a private utility, the ((lead agency)) department may require
information that is reasonable and necessary to determine whether the
private utility has the financial and other resources to ensure the
reliability, continuity, and supervision of the reclaimed water
facility.
(4) Permits shall be issued for a fixed term specified by the rules
adopted under RCW 90.46.015. A permittee shall apply for permit
renewal prior to the end of the term. The rules adopted under RCW
90.46.015 shall specify the process of renewal, modification, change of
ownership, suspension, and termination.
(5) The ((lead agency)) department may deny an application for a
permit or modify, suspend, or revoke a permit for good cause, including
but not limited to, any case in which it finds that the permit was
obtained by fraud or misrepresentation, or there is or has been a
failure, refusal, or inability to comply with the requirements of this
chapter or the rules adopted under this chapter.
(6) The ((lead agency)) department shall provide for adequate
public notice and opportunity for review and comment on all initial
permit applications and renewal applications. Methods for providing
notice may include electronic mail, posting on the ((lead agency's))
department's internet site, publication in a local newspaper, press
releases, mailings, or other means of notification the ((lead agency))
department determines appropriate. The ((lead agency)) department
shall also publicize notice of final permitting decisions.
(7) Any person aggrieved by a permitting decision has the right to
an adjudicative proceeding. An adjudicative proceeding conducted under
this subsection is governed by chapter 34.05 RCW. ((For any permit
decision for which the department of ecology is the lead agency under
this chapter,)) Any appeal shall be in accordance with chapter 43.21B
RCW. ((For any permit decision for which department of health is the
lead agency under this chapter, any application for an adjudicative
proceeding must be in writing, state the basis for contesting the
action, include a copy of the decision, be served on and received by
the department of health within twenty-eight days of receipt of notice
of the final decision, and be served in a manner that shows proof of
receipt.))
(8) Permit requirements for the distribution and use of greywater
will be established in rules adopted by the department of health under
RCW 90.46.015.
Sec. 7039 RCW 90.46.230 and 2009 c 456 s 10 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1)(a) Except as otherwise provided in (b) of this subsection, the
((lead agency)) department or its designee shall have the right to
enter and inspect any property related to the purpose of the permit,
public or private, at reasonable times with prior notification in order
to determine compliance with laws and rules administered by the ((lead
agency)) department. During such inspections, the ((lead agency))
department shall have free and unimpeded access to all data,
facilities, and property involved in the generation, distribution, and
use of reclaimed water.
(b) The ((lead agency)) department or its designee need not give
prior notification to enter property under (a) of this subsection if
the purpose of the entry is to ensure compliance by the permittee with
a prior order of the ((lead agency)) department or if the ((lead
agency)) department or its designee has reasonable cause to believe
there is a violation of the law that poses a serious threat to public
health and safety or the environment.
(2) The ((lead agency)) department or its designee may apply for an
administrative search warrant to a court of competent jurisdiction and
an administrative search warrant may issue where:
(a) The ((lead agency)) department has attempted an inspection
under this chapter and access has been actually or constructively
denied; or
(b) There is reasonable cause to believe that a violation of this
chapter or rules adopted under this chapter is occurring or has
occurred.
Sec. 7040 RCW 90.46.240 and 2009 c 456 s 11 are each amended to
read as follows:
All required feasibility studies, planning documents, engineering
reports, and plans and specifications for the construction of new
reclaimed water, agricultural industrial process water, and industrial
reuse water facilities, including generation, distribution, and use
facilities, or for improvements or extensions to existing facilities,
and the proposed method of future operation and maintenance of said
facility or facilities, shall be submitted to and be approved by the
((lead agency)) department, before construction thereof may begin. No
approval shall be given until the ((lead agency)) department is
satisfied that the plans, reports, and specifications and the methods
of operation and maintenance submitted are adequate to protect the
quality of the water for the intended use as provided for in this
chapter and are adequate to protect public health and safety as
necessary.
Sec. 7041 RCW 90.46.250 and 2009 c 456 s 12 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) When, in the opinion of the ((lead agency)) department, a
person violates or creates a substantial potential to violate this
chapter, the ((lead agency)) department shall notify the person of its
determination by registered mail. The determination shall not
constitute an appealable order or directive. Within thirty days from
the receipt of notice of such determination, the person shall file with
the ((lead agency)) department a full report stating what steps have
been and are being taken to comply with the determination of the ((lead
agency)) department. After the full report is filed or after the
thirty days have elapsed, the ((lead agency)) department may issue the
order or directive as it deems appropriate under the circumstances,
shall notify the person by registered mail, and shall inform the person
of the process for requesting an adjudicative hearing.
(2) When it appears to the ((lead agency)) department that water
quality conditions or other conditions exist which require immediate
action to protect human health and safety or the environment, the
((lead agency)) department may issue a written order to the person or
persons responsible without first issuing a notice of determination
pursuant to subsection (1) of this section. An order or directive
issued pursuant to this subsection shall be served by registered mail
or personally upon any person to whom it is directed, and shall inform
the person or persons responsible of the process for requesting an
adjudicative hearing.
Sec. 7042 RCW 90.46.260 and 2009 c 456 s 13 are each amended to
read as follows:
Any person found guilty of willfully violating any of the
provisions of this chapter, or any final written orders or directive of
the ((lead agency)) department or a court in pursuance thereof, is
guilty of a gross misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be
punished by a fine of up to ten thousand dollars and costs of
prosecution, or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than
one year, or both, in the discretion of the court. Each day upon which
a willful violation of the provisions of this chapter occurs may be
deemed a separate and additional violation.
Sec. 7043 RCW 90.46.270 and 2009 c 456 s 14 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Except as provided in RCW 43.05.060 through 43.05.080,
43.05.100, 43.05.110, and 43.05.150, any person who:
(a) Generates any reclaimed water for a use regulated under this
chapter and distributes or uses that water without a permit;
(b) Violates the terms or conditions of a permit issued under this
chapter; or
(c) Violates rules or orders adopted or issued pursuant to this
chapter,
shall incur, in addition to any other penalty as provided by law, a
penalty in an amount of up to ten thousand dollars per day for every
violation. Each violation shall be a separate and distinct offense,
and in case of a continuing violation, every day's continuance shall be
a separate and distinct violation. Every act of commission or omission
which procures, aids, or abets in the violation shall be considered a
violation under the provisions of this section and subject to the
penalty herein provided for. The penalty amount shall be set in
consideration of the previous history of the violator and the severity
of the violation's impact on public health, the environment, or both,
in addition to other relevant factors.
(2) A penalty imposed by a final administrative order is due upon
service of the final administrative order. A person who fails to pay
a penalty assessed by a final administrative order within thirty days
of service of the final administrative order shall pay, in addition to
the amount of the penalty, interest at the rate of one percent of the
unpaid balance of the assessed penalty for each month or part of a
month that the penalty remains unpaid, commencing within the month in
which the notice of penalty was served, and reasonable attorneys' fees
as are incurred if civil enforcement of the final administrative order
is required to collect penalty.
(3) A person who institutes proceedings for judicial review of a
final administrative order assessing a civil penalty under this chapter
shall place the full amount of the penalty in an interest bearing
account in the registry of the reviewing court. At the conclusion of
the proceeding the court shall, as appropriate, enter a judgment on
behalf of the ((lead agency)) department and order that the judgment be
satisfied to the extent possible from moneys paid into the registry of
the court or shall enter a judgment in favor of the person appealing
the penalty assessment and order return of the moneys paid into the
registry of the court together with accrued interest to the person
appealing. The judgment may award reasonable attorneys' fees for the
cost of the attorney general's office in representing the ((lead
agency)) department.
(4) If no appeal is taken from a final administrative order
assessing a civil penalty under this chapter, the ((lead agency))
department may file a certified copy of the final administrative order
with the clerk of the superior court in which the person resides, or in
Thurston county, and the clerk shall enter judgment in the name of the
((lead agency)) department and in the amount of the penalty assessed in
the final administrative order.
(5) ((When the penalty herein provided for is imposed by the
department of ecology, it)) The penalty shall be imposed pursuant to
the procedures set forth in RCW 43.21B.300. All penalties imposed by
the department ((of ecology)) pursuant to RCW 43.21B.300 shall be
deposited into the state treasury and credited to the general fund.
(((6) When the penalty is imposed by the department of health, it
shall be imposed pursuant to the procedures set forth in RCW 43.70.095.
All receipts from penalties shall be deposited into the health
reclaimed water account. The department of health shall use revenue
derived from penalties only to provide training and technical
assistance to reclaimed water system owners and operators.))
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7044 A new section is added to chapter 90.46
RCW to read as follows:
(1) The reclaimed water program is transferred from the department
of health to the department of ecology.
(2)(a) All reports, documents, surveys, books, records, files,
papers, or written material in the possession of the department of
health water reclaimed program shall be delivered to the custody of the
department of ecology. All cabinets, furniture, office equipment,
motor vehicles, and other tangible property employed by the department
of health water reclaimed program shall be transferred to the
department of ecology. All funds, credits, or other assets held by the
department of health water reclaimed program shall be assigned to the
department of ecology.
(b) Any appropriations made to the department of health for the
water reclaimed program shall be transferred and credited to the
department of ecology.
(c) If any question arises as to the transfer of any personnel,
funds, books, documents, records, papers, files, equipment, or other
tangible property used or held in the exercise of the powers and the
performance of the duties and functions transferred, the director of
financial management shall make a determination as to the proper
allocation and certify the same to the state agencies concerned.
(3) All employees of the department of health water reclaimed
program are transferred to the jurisdiction of the department of
ecology. All employees classified under chapter 41.06 RCW, the state
civil service law, are assigned to the department of ecology to perform
their usual duties upon the same terms as formerly, without any loss of
rights, subject to any action that may be appropriate thereafter in
accordance with the laws and rules governing state civil service.
(4) All rules and all pending business before the department of
health water reclaimed program shall be continued and acted upon by the
department of ecology. All existing contracts and obligations shall
remain in full force and shall be performed by the department of
ecology.
(5) The transfer of the powers, duties, functions, and personnel of
the department of health water reclaimed program to the department of
ecology under this act shall not affect the validity of any activity
performed before the effective date of this section or the effective
date of the consolidation.
(6) If apportionments of budgeted funds are required because of the
consolidation directed by this section, the director of financial
management shall certify the apportionments to the affected agencies,
the state auditor, and the state treasurer. Each of these shall make
the appropriate transfer and adjustments in funds and appropriation
accounts and equipment records in accordance with the certification.
(7) All classified employees of the department of health water
reclaimed program assigned to the department of ecology under this act
whose positions are within an existing bargaining unit description at
the department of ecology shall become a part of the existing
bargaining unit at the department of ecology and shall be considered an
appropriate inclusion or modification of the existing bargaining unit
under the provisions of chapter 41.80 RCW.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7045 The following acts or parts of acts are
each repealed:
(1) RCW 90.46.020 (Interim standards for pilot projects for use of
reclaimed water) and 1992 c 204 s 3;
(2) RCW 90.46.072 (Conflict resolution -- Reclaimed water projects
and chapter 372-32 WAC) and 1995 c 342 s 8; and
(3) RCW 90.46.110 (Reclaimed water demonstration program--Demonstration projects) and 1997 c 355 s 2.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7046 A new section is added to chapter 43.97
RCW to read as follows:
(1) As authorized by this chapter for the state of Washington, the
department of ecology shall provide administrative and functional
assistance to the Columbia River Gorge commission. This provision of
administrative and functional assistance does not alter the legal
status of the commission as a bistate compact entity or confer the
status of state agency upon the commission.
(2) Pursuant to RCW 43.97.015 Article IV b., the governor
designates the director of the department of ecology. The commission
shall submit a budget of its estimated expenditures to the director of
the department of ecology. The department of ecology shall include a
request for funding for the commission as a separate program in its
budget submittal to the governor. The department shall separately
account for the commission funding.
Sec. 7047 RCW 43.200.015 and 1989 c 322 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
As used in this chapter, the following terms have the meanings
indicated unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "High-level radioactive waste" means "high-level radioactive
waste" as the term is defined in 42 U.S.C. Sec. 10101 (P.L. 97-425).
(2) "Low-level radioactive waste" means waste material that
contains radioactive nuclides emitting primarily beta or gamma
radiation, or both, in concentrations or quantities that exceed
applicable federal or state standards for unrestricted release. Low-level waste does not include waste containing more than one hundred
nanocuries of transuranic contaminants per gram of material, nor spent
nuclear fuel, nor material classified as either high-level radioactive
waste or waste that is unsuited for disposal by near-surface burial
under any applicable federal regulations.
(3) "Radioactive waste" means both high-level and low-level
radioactive waste.
(4) "Spent nuclear fuel" means spent nuclear fuel as the term is
defined in 42 U.S.C. Sec. 10101.
(5) "Department" means the department of ecology.
(6) "Commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal facility" has
the same meaning as "facility" as defined in RCW 43.145.010.
Sec. 7048 RCW 43.200.080 and 2003 1st sp.s. c 21 s 1 are each
amended to read as follows:
The director of ecology shall, in addition to the powers and duties
otherwise imposed by law, have the following special powers and duties:
(1) To fulfill the responsibilities of the state under the lease
between the state of Washington and the federal government executed
September 10, 1964, as amended, covering approximately one ((thousand))
hundred fifteen acres of land lying within the Hanford reservation near
Richland, Washington. The department of ecology may sublease to
private or public entities all or a portion of the land for specific
purposes or activities which are determined, after public hearing, to
be in agreement with the terms of the lease and in the best interests
of the citizens of the state consistent with any criteria that may be
developed as a requirement by the legislature;
(2) To assume the responsibilities of the state under the perpetual
care agreement between the state of Washington and the federal
government executed July 29, 1965, and the sublease between the state
of Washington and the site operator of the ((Hanford)) commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal facility. In order to finance
perpetual surveillance and maintenance under the agreement and ensure
site closure under the sublease, the department of ecology shall impose
and collect fees from parties holding radioactive materials for waste
management purposes. The fees shall be established by rule adopted
under chapter 34.05 RCW and shall be an amount determined by the
department of ecology to be necessary to defray the estimated liability
of the state. Such fees shall reflect equity between the disposal
facilities of this and other states. A site closure account and a
perpetual surveillance and maintenance account ((is)) are hereby
created in the state treasury. Site use permit fees collected by the
department of health under RCW 70.98.085(3) must be deposited in the
site closure account and must be used as specified in RCW 70.98.085(3).
Funds in the site closure account other than site use permit fee funds
shall be exclusively available to reimburse, to the extent that moneys
are available in the account, the site operator for its costs plus a
reasonable profit as agreed by the operator and the state, or to
reimburse the state licensing agency and any agencies under contract to
the state licensing agency for their costs in final closure and
decommissioning of the ((Hanford)) commercial low-level radioactive
waste disposal facility. If a balance remains in the account after
satisfactory performance of closure and decommissioning, this balance
shall be transferred to the perpetual surveillance and maintenance
account. The perpetual surveillance and maintenance account shall be
used exclusively by the state to meet post-closure surveillance and
maintenance costs, or for otherwise satisfying surveillance and
maintenance obligations. Appropriations are required to permit
expenditures and payment of obligations from the site closure account
and the perpetual surveillance and maintenance account. ((All moneys,
including earnings from the investment of balances in the site closure
and the perpetual surveillance and maintenance account, less the
allocation to the state treasurer's service fund, pursuant to RCW
43.08.190 accruing under the authority of this section shall be
directed to the site closure account until December 31, 1992.
Thereafter receipts including earnings from the investment of balances
in the site closure and the perpetual surveillance and maintenance
account, less the allocation to the state treasurer's service fund,
pursuant to RCW 43.08.190)) Receipts shall be directed to the site
closure account and the perpetual surveillance and maintenance account
as specified by the department. Additional moneys specifically
appropriated by the legislature or received from any public or private
source may be placed in the site closure account and the perpetual
surveillance and maintenance account. During the 2003-2005 fiscal
biennium, the legislature may transfer up to thirteen million eight
hundred thousand dollars from the site closure account to the general
fund;
(3)(a) Subject to the conditions in (b) of this subsection, on July
1, 2008, and each July 1st thereafter, the treasurer shall transfer
from the perpetual surveillance and maintenance account to the site
closure account the sum of nine hundred sixty-six thousand dollars.
The nine hundred sixty-six thousand dollars transferred on July 1,
2009, and thereafter shall be adjusted to a level equal to the
percentage increase in the United States implicit price deflator for
personal consumption. The last transfer under this section shall occur
on July 1, 2033.
(b) The transfer in (a) of this subsection shall occur only if
written agreement is reached between the state department of ecology
and the United States department of energy pursuant to section 6 of the
perpetual care agreement dated July 29, 1965, between the United States
atomic energy commission and the state of Washington. If agreement
cannot be reached between the state department of ecology and the
United States department of energy by June 1, 2008, the treasurer shall
transfer the funds from the general fund to the site closure account
according to the schedule in (a) of this subsection.
(c) If for any reason the ((Hanford)) commercial low-level
radioactive waste disposal facility is closed to further disposal
operations during or after the 2003-2005 biennium and before 2033, then
the amount remaining to be repaid from the 2003-2005 transfer of
thirteen million eight hundred thousand dollars from the site closure
account shall be transferred by the treasurer from the general fund to
the site closure account to fund the closure and decommissioning of the
facility. The treasurer shall transfer to the site closure account in
full the amount remaining to be repaid upon written notice from the
secretary of health that the department of health has authorized
closure or that disposal operations have ceased. The treasurer shall
complete the transfer within sixty days of written notice from the
secretary of health.
(d) To the extent that money in the site closure account together
with the amount of money identified for repayment to the site closure
account, pursuant to (a) through (c) of this subsection, equals or
exceeds the cost estimate approved by the department of health for
closure and decommissioning of the facility, the money in the site
closure account together with the amount of money identified for
repayment to the site closure account shall constitute adequate
financial assurance for purposes of the department of health financial
assurance requirements;
(4) To assure maintenance of such insurance coverage by state
licensees, lessees, or sublessees as will adequately, in the opinion of
the director, protect the citizens of the state against nuclear
accidents or incidents that may occur on privately or state-controlled
nuclear facilities;
(5) ((To institute a user permit system and issue site use permits,
consistent with regulatory practices, for generators, packagers, or
brokers using the Hanford low-level radioactive waste disposal
facility. The costs of administering the user permit system shall be
borne by the applicants for site use permits. The site use permit fee
shall be set at a level that is sufficient to fund completely the
executive and legislative participation in activities related to the
Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management;)) To make application for or otherwise pursue any federal funds
to which the state may be eligible, through the federal resource
conservation and recovery act or any other federal programs, for the
management, treatment or disposal, and any remedial actions, of wastes
that are both radioactive and hazardous at all ((
(6)Hanford)) commercial
low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities; and
(((7))) (6) To develop contingency plans for duties and options for
the department and other state agencies related to the ((Hanford))
commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal facility based on
various projections of annual levels of waste disposal. These plans
shall include an analysis of expected revenue to the state in various
taxes and funds related to low-level radioactive waste disposal and the
resulting implications that any increase or decrease in revenue may
have on state agency duties or responsibilities. The plans shall be
updated annually.
Sec. 7049 RCW 43.200.170 and 1990 c 21 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
The governor may assess surcharges and penalty surcharges on the
disposal of waste at the ((Hanford)) commercial low-level radioactive
waste disposal facility. The surcharges may be imposed up to the
maximum extent permitted by federal law. Ten dollars per cubic foot of
the moneys received under this section shall be transmitted monthly to
the site closure account established under RCW 43.200.080. The rest of
the moneys received under this section shall be deposited in the
general fund.
Sec. 7050 RCW 43.200.180 and 1998 c 245 s 81 are each amended to
read as follows:
Except as provided in chapter 70.98 RCW, the department of ecology
shall be the state agency responsible for implementation of the federal
low-level radioactive waste policy amendments act of 1985, including:
(1) Collecting and administering the surcharge assessed by the
governor under RCW 43.200.170;
(2) Collecting low-level radioactive waste data from disposal
facility operators, generators, intermediate handlers, and the federal
department of energy;
(3) Developing and operating a computerized information system to
manage low-level radioactive waste data;
(4) Denying and reinstating access to the ((Hanford)) commercial
low-level radioactive waste disposal facility pursuant to the authority
granted under federal law;
(5) Administering and/or monitoring (a) the maximum waste volume
levels for the ((Hanford)) commercial low-level radioactive waste
disposal facility, (b) reactor waste allocations, (c) priority
allocations under the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level
Radioactive Waste Management, and (d) adherence by other states and
compact regions to federal statutory deadlines; and
(6) Coordinating the state's low-level radioactive waste disposal
program with similar programs in other states.
Sec. 7051 RCW 43.200.190 and 1998 c 245 s 82 are each amended to
read as follows:
The department of ecology shall perform studies, by contract or
otherwise, to define site closure and perpetual care and maintenance
requirements for the ((Hanford)) commercial low-level radioactive waste
disposal facility and to assess the adequacy of insurance coverage for
general liability, radiological liability, and transportation liability
for the facility.
Sec. 7052 RCW 43.200.200 and 1998 c 245 s 83 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The director of the department of ecology ((shall)) may
periodically review the potential for bodily injury and property damage
arising from the transportation and disposal of commercial low-level
radioactive waste under permits issued by the state.
(2) ((The director may require permit holders to demonstrate
financial assurance in an amount that is adequate to protect the state
and its citizens from all claims, suits, losses, damages, or expenses
on account of injuries to persons and property damage arising or
growing out of the transportation or disposal of commercial low-level
radioactive waste. The financial assurance may be in the form of
insurance, cash deposits, surety bonds, corporate guarantees, and other
acceptable instruments or guarantees determined by the director to be
acceptable evidence of financial assurance.)) In making the determination of the appropriate level of
financial assurance, the director shall consider:
(3)
(a) The nature and purpose of the activity and its potential for
injury and damages to or claims against the state and its citizens;
(b) The current and cumulative manifested volume and radioactivity
of waste being packaged, transported, buried, or otherwise handled;
(c) The location where the waste is being packaged, transported,
buried, or otherwise handled, including the proximity to the general
public and geographic features such as geology and hydrology, if
relevant; and
(d) The legal defense cost, if any, that will be paid from the
required financial assurance amount.
(((4) The director may establish different levels of required
financial assurance for various classes of permit holders.))
(5) The director shall establish by rule the instruments or
mechanisms by which a permit applicant or holder may demonstrate
financial assurance as required by RCW 43.200.210.
Sec. 7053 RCW 43.200.230 and 1991 c 272 s 16 are each amended to
read as follows:
The director of the department of ecology shall require that
generators of waste pay a fee for each cubic foot of waste disposed at
any facility in the state equal to six dollars and fifty cents. The
fee shall be imposed specifically on the generator of the waste and
shall not be considered to apply in any way to the low-level site
operator's disposal activities. The fee shall be allocated in
accordance with RCW 43.200.233 and 43.200.235. ((This subsection shall
be invalidated and the authorization to collect a surcharge removed if
the legislature or any administrative agency of the state of Washington
prior to January 1, 1993, (1) imposes fees, assessments, or charges
other than perpetual care and maintenance, site surveillance, and site
closing fees currently applicable to the Hanford commercial low-level
waste site operator's activities, (2) imposes any additional fees,
assessments, or charges on generators using the Hanford commercial low-level waste site, or (3) increases any existing fees, assessments, or
charges.)) Failure to comply with this section may result in denial or
suspension of the generator's site use permit pursuant to RCW
70.98.085.
Sec. 7054 RCW 70.98.030 and 1991 c 3 s 355 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) "By-product material" means any radioactive material (except
special nuclear material) yielded in or made radioactive by exposure to
the radiation incident to the process of producing or utilizing special
nuclear material.
(2) "Ionizing radiation" means gamma rays and x-rays, alpha and
beta particles, high-speed electrons, neutrons, protons, and other
atomic or subatomic particles; but not sound or radio waves, or
visible, infrared, or ultraviolet light.
(3)(a) "General license" means a license effective pursuant to
rules promulgated by the state radiation control agency, without the
filing of an application, to transfer, acquire, own, possess, or use
quantities of, or devices or equipment utilizing, by-product, source,
special nuclear materials, or other radioactive material occurring
naturally or produced artificially.
(b) "Specific license" means a license, issued after application to
use, manufacture, produce, transfer, receive, acquire, own, or possess
quantities of, or devices or equipment utilizing by-product, source,
special nuclear materials, or other radioactive materials occurring
naturally or produced artificially.
(4) "Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, firm,
association, trust, estate, public or private institution, group,
agency, political subdivision of this state, any other state or
political subdivision or agency thereof, and any legal successor,
representative, agent, or agency of the foregoing, other than the
United States Atomic Energy Commission, or any successor thereto, and
other than federal government agencies licensed by the United States
Atomic Energy Commission, or any successor thereto.
(5) "Source material" means (a) uranium, thorium, or any other
material which is determined by the United States Nuclear Regulatory
Commission or its successor pursuant to the provisions of section 61 of
the United States Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. Sec.
209) to be source material; or (b) ores containing one or more of the
foregoing materials, in such concentration as the commission may by
regulation determine from time to time.
(6) "Special nuclear material" means (a) plutonium, uranium
enriched in the isotope 233 or in the isotope 235, and any other
material which the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission or its
successor, pursuant to the provisions of section 51 of the United
States Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. Sec. 2071),
determines to be special nuclear material, but does not include source
material; or (b) any material artificially enriched by any of the
foregoing, but does not include source material.
(7) "Registration" means registration with the state department of
health by any person possessing a source of ionizing radiation in
accordance with rules adopted by the department of health.
(8) "Radiation source" means any type of device or substance which
is capable of producing or emitting ionizing radiation.
(9) "Site use permit" means a permit, issued after application, to
use the commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal facility.
Sec. 7055 RCW 70.98.085 and 1990 c 21 s 7 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The agency is empowered to administer a user permit system and
issue site use permits for generators, packagers, or brokers to use the
commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal facility. The agency
may issue a site use permit consistent with the requirements of this
chapter and the rules adopted under it and the requirements of the
Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management
under chapter 43.145 RCW. The agency may deny an application for a
site use permit or modify, suspend ((and reinstate)), or revoke a site
use permit((s consistent with current regulatory practices and in
coordination with the department of ecology, for generators, packagers,
or brokers using the Hanford low-level radioactive waste disposal
facility)) in any case in which it finds that the permit was obtained
by fraud or there is or has been a failure, refusal, or inability to
comply with the requirements of this chapter or rules adopted under
this chapter or the requirements of the Northwest Interstate Compact on
Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management under chapter 43.145 RCW. The
agency may also deny or suspend a site use permit for failure to comply
with RCW 43.200.230.
(2) Any permit issued by the department of ecology for a site use
permit pursuant to chapter 43.200 RCW is valid until the first
expiration date that occurs after July 1, 2012.
(3) The agency shall collect a fee from the applicants for site use
permits that is sufficient to fund the costs to the agency to
administer the user permit system. The site use permit fee must be set
at a level that is also sufficient to fund state participation in
activities related to the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level
Radioactive Waste Management under chapter 43.145 RCW. The site use
permit fees must be deposited in the site closure account established
in RCW 43.200.080(2). Appropriations to the department of health or
the department of ecology are required to permit expenditures using
site use permit fee funds from the site closure account.
(4) The agency shall collect a surveillance fee as an added charge
on each cubic foot of low-level radioactive waste disposed of at the
commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal site in this state
which shall be set at a level that is sufficient to fund completely the
radiation control activities of the agency directly related to the
disposal site, including but not limited to the management, licensing,
monitoring, and regulation of the site. ((The surveillance fee shall
not exceed five percent in 1990, six percent in 1991, and seven percent
in 1992 of the basic minimum fee charged by an operator of a low-level
radioactive waste disposal site in this state. The basic minimum fee
consists of the disposal fee for the site operator, the fee for the
perpetual care and maintenance fund administered by the state, the fee
for the state closure fund, and the tax collected pursuant to chapter
82.04 RCW. Site use permit fees and surcharges collected under chapter
43.200 RCW are not part of the basic minimum fee.)) The fee shall also
provide funds to the Washington state patrol for costs incurred from
inspection of low-level radioactive waste shipments entering this
state. Disbursements for this purpose shall be by authorization of the
secretary of the department of health or the secretary's designee.
(5) The agency shall require that any person who holds or applies
for a permit under this chapter indemnify and hold harmless the state
from claims, suits, damages, or expenses on account of injuries to or
death of persons and property damage, arising or growing out of any
operations and activities for which the person holds the permit, and
any necessary or incidental operations.
(6) The agency may adopt such rules as are necessary to carry out
its responsibilities under this section.
Sec. 7056 RCW 70.98.095 and 1992 c 61 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The radiation control agency may require any person who
applies for, or holds, a license under this chapter to demonstrate that
the person has financial assurance sufficient to assure that liability
incurred as a result of licensed operations and activities can be fully
satisfied. Financial assurance may be in the form of insurance, cash
deposits, surety bonds, corporate guarantees, letters of credit, or
other financial instruments or guarantees determined by the agency to
be acceptable financial assurance. The agency may require financial
assurance in an amount determined by the secretary pursuant to RCW
70.98.098.
(2) The radiation control agency may require site use permit
holders to demonstrate financial assurance in an amount that is
adequate to protect the state and its citizens from all claims, suits,
losses, damages, or expenses on account of injuries to persons and
property damage arising or growing out of the transportation or
disposal of commercial low-level radioactive waste. The financial
assurance may be in the form of insurance, cash deposits, surety bonds,
corporate guarantees, and other acceptable instruments or guarantees
determined by the director to be acceptable evidence of financial
assurance. The agency may require financial assurance in an amount
determined by the secretary pursuant to RCW 70.98.098.
(3) The radiation control agency shall refuse to issue a license or
permit or suspend the license or permit of any person required by this
section to demonstrate financial assurance who fails to demonstrate
compliance with this section. The license or permit shall not be
issued or reinstated until the person demonstrates compliance with this
section.
(((3))) (4) The radiation control agency shall require (a) that any
person required to demonstrate financial assurance, maintain with the
agency current copies of any insurance policies, certificates of
insurance, letters of credit, surety bonds, or any other documents used
to comply with this section, (b) that the agency be notified of any
changes in the financial assurance or financial condition of the
person, and (c) that the state be named as an insured party on any
insurance policy used to comply with this section.
Sec. 7057 RCW 70.98.098 and 2003 1st sp.s. c 21 s 2 are each
amended to read as follows:
(1) In making the determination of the appropriate level of
financial assurance, the secretary shall consider: (a) ((The)) Any
report prepared by the department of ecology pursuant to RCW
43.200.200; (b) the potential cost of decontamination, treatment,
disposal, decommissioning, and cleanup of facilities or equipment; (c)
federal cleanup and decommissioning requirements; and (d) the legal
defense cost, if any, that might be paid from the required financial
assurance.
(2) The secretary may establish different levels of required
financial assurance for various classes of permit or license holders.
(3) The secretary shall establish by rule the instruments or
mechanisms by which a person may demonstrate financial assurance as
required by RCW 70.98.095.
(4) To the extent that money in the site closure account together
with the amount of money identified for repayment to the site closure
account pursuant to RCW 43.200.080 equals or exceeds the cost estimate
approved by the department of health for closure and decommissioning of
the ((Hanford)) commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal
facility, the money in the site closure account together with the
amount of money identified for repayment to the site closure account
shall constitute adequate financial assurance for purposes of the
department of health financial assurance requirements under RCW
70.98.095.
Sec. 7058 RCW 70.98.130 and 1989 c 175 s 133 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) In any proceeding under this chapter for the issuance or
modification or repeal of rules relating to control of sources of
ionizing radiation, the agency shall comply with the requirements of
chapter 34.05 RCW, the administrative procedure act.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, whenever
the agency finds that an emergency exists requiring immediate action to
protect the public health, safety, or general welfare, the agency may,
in accordance with RCW 34.05.350 without notice or hearing, adopt a
rule reciting the existence of such emergency and require that such
action be taken as is necessary to meet the emergency. As specified in
RCW 34.05.350, such rules are effective immediately.
(3) In any case in which the department denies, modifies, suspends,
or revokes a license or permit, RCW 43.70.115 governs notice of the
action and provides the right to an adjudicative proceeding to the
applicant or licensee or permittee. Such an adjudicative proceeding is
governed by chapter 34.05 RCW.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7059 A new section is added to chapter 70.98
RCW to read as follows:
The agency shall adopt rules for administering a site use permit
program under RCW 70.98.085.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7060 A new section is added to chapter 43.200
RCW to read as follows:
(1) The site use permit program is transferred from the department
of ecology to the department of health.
(2)(a) All reports, documents, surveys, books, records, files,
papers, or written material in the possession of the department of
ecology site use permit program shall be delivered to the custody of
the department of health. All cabinets, furniture, office equipment,
motor vehicles, and other tangible property employed by the department
of ecology site use permit program shall be transferred to the
department of health. All funds, credits, or other assets held by the
department of ecology site use permit program shall be assigned to the
department of health.
(b) Any appropriations made to the department of ecology for the
site use permit program shall be transferred and credited to the
department of health.
(c) If any question arises as to the transfer of any personnel,
funds, books, documents, records, papers, files, equipment, or other
tangible property used or held in the exercise of the powers and the
performance of the duties and functions transferred, the director of
financial management shall make a determination as to the proper
allocation and certify the same to the state agencies concerned.
(3) All employees of the department of ecology site use permit
program are transferred to the jurisdiction of the department of
health. All employees classified under chapter 41.06 RCW, the state
civil service law, are assigned to the department of health to perform
their usual duties upon the same terms as formerly, without any loss of
rights, subject to any action that may be appropriate thereafter in
accordance with the laws and rules governing state civil service.
(4) All rules and all pending business before the department of
ecology site use permit program shall be continued and acted upon by
the department of health. All existing contracts and obligations shall
remain in full force and shall be performed by the department of
health.
(5) The transfer of the powers, duties, functions, and personnel of
the department of ecology site use permit program to the department of
health under this act shall not affect the validity of any activity
performed before the effective date of this section or the effective
date of the consolidation.
(6) If apportionments of budgeted funds are required because of the
consolidation directed by this section, the director of financial
management shall certify the apportionments to the affected agencies,
the state auditor, and the state treasurer. Each of these shall make
the appropriate transfer and adjustments in funds and appropriation
accounts and equipment records in accordance with the certification.
(7) All classified employees of the department of ecology site use
permit program assigned to the department of health under this act
whose positions are within an existing bargaining unit description at
the department of health shall become a part of the existing bargaining
unit at the department of health and shall be considered an appropriate
inclusion or modification of the existing bargaining unit under the
provisions of chapter 41.80 RCW.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7061 RCW 43.200.210 (Immunity of state--Demonstration of financial assurance -- Suspension of permit) and 1992 c
61 s 2, 1990 c 82 s 2, & 1986 c 191 s 2 are each repealed.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7062 (1) On the effective date of this
section, the secretary of health and the directors of the department of
ecology, the pollution liability insurance agency, and the Columbia
river gorge commission must each designate one executive-level
representative to serve on a consolidation transition team. This team
must, with the assistance of their agencies, develop the following work
products:
(a) A consolidation transition team report, to be submitted to the
office of financial management and the legislature by August 1, 2011.
This report must, at a minimum, detail all legislative and fiscal
changes necessary for the successful implementation of this
consolidation and identify expected costs and savings associated with
the consolidation.
(b) A supplemental budget request, if necessary, for consideration
during the 2012 legislative session. This request must encompass any
necessary budgetary and legislative changes for the agencies affected
by this consolidation, and be submitted to the office of financial
management by September 1, 2011.
(c) A second consolidation transition team report, to be submitted
to the director of ecology by July 1, 2012. This report must, at a
minimum, detail all additional legislative and fiscal changes necessary
for the successful implementation of this agency consolidation and
identify expected costs and savings associated with the consolidation.
(2) This section applies to the consolidation directed pursuant to
sections 7001 through 7061 of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7063 The consolidation directed pursuant to
sections 7001 through 7062 of this act takes effect July 1, 2012.
Sec. 8001 RCW 43.334.010 and 2005 c 333 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) There is created ((a department of state government)) an office
within the department of natural resources to be known as the
((department)) office of archaeology and historic preservation. The
((department)) office is vested with all powers and duties transferred
to it under this chapter and such other powers and duties as may be
authorized by law.
(2) Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions
in this section apply throughout this chapter.
(a) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of public lands, who is
the administrator of the department of natural resources.
(b) "Department" means the department of ((archaeology and historic
preservation)) natural resources.
(((b) "Director" means the director of the department of
archaeology and historic preservation.))
(c) "Office" means the office of archaeology and historic
preservation.
(d) "Preservation officer" means the state historic preservation
officer as provided for in RCW 43.334.020.
(e) "Supervisor" means the supervisor of the department of natural
resources, appointed by the administrator with the advice and consent
of the board of natural resources.
Sec. 8002 RCW 43.334.020 and 2005 c 333 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
((The executive head and appointing authority of the department is
the director.)) The ((director)) governor shall ((serve as)) appoint
the state historic preservation officer((, and)) subject to the
approval of the commissioner. The commissioner shall provide the
governor with a list of candidates for consideration as the state
historic preservation officer. The preservation officer shall report
directly to the commissioner. The preservation officer shall have a
background in program administration, an active involvement in historic
preservation, and a knowledge of the national, state, and local
preservation programs as they affect the state of Washington. ((The
director shall be appointed by the governor, with the consent of the
senate, and serves at the pleasure of the governor. The director shall
be paid a salary to be fixed by the governor in accordance with RCW
43.03.040. If a vacancy occurs in the position while the senate is not
in session, the governor shall make a temporary appointment until the
next meeting of the senate.))
Sec. 8003 RCW 43.334.060 and 2005 c 333 s 6 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The preservation officer shall supervise the operations of the
office of archaeology and historic preservation.
(2) Any power or duty vested in or transferred to the ((director))
preservation officer by law or executive order may be delegated by the
((director to the deputy director or)) preservation officer to any
other assistant or subordinate; but the ((director)) preservation
officer is responsible for the official acts of the officers and
employees of the ((department)) office.
Sec. 8004 RCW 43.334.070 and 2005 c 333 s 7 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((director)) commissioner may appoint advisory committees or
councils as required by any federal legislation as a condition to the
receipt of federal funds by the ((department)) office based on
nominations by the preservation officer. The ((director)) commissioner
may also appoint statewide committees or councils on those subject
matters as are or come within the ((department's)) office's
responsibilities based on nominations by the preservation officer. The
statewide committees and councils shall have representation from both
major political parties and shall have substantial consumer
representation. The committees or councils shall be constituted as
required by federal law or as the ((director)) commissioner may
determine. The members of the committees or councils shall hold office
as follows: One-third to serve one year; one-third to serve two years;
and one-third to serve three years. Upon expiration of the original
terms, subsequent appointments shall be for three years except in the
case of a vacancy, in which event appointment shall be only for the
remainder of the unexpired term for which the vacancy occurs. No
member may serve more than two consecutive terms.
Members of such state advisory committees or councils may be paid
their travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
Sec. 8005 RCW 43.334.075 and 2008 c 275 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((director)) preservation officer shall appoint a state
physical anthropologist. At a minimum, the state physical
anthropologist must have a doctorate in either archaeology or
anthropology and have experience in forensic osteology or other
relevant aspects of physical anthropology and must have at least one
year of experience in laboratory reconstruction and analysis. A
medical degree with archaeological experience in addition to the
experience required may substitute for a doctorate in archaeology or
anthropology.
(2) The state physical anthropologist has the primary
responsibility of investigating, preserving, and, when necessary,
removing and reinterring discoveries of nonforensic skeletal human
remains. The state physical anthropologist is available to any local
governments or any federally recognized tribal government within the
boundaries of Washington to assist in determining whether discovered
skeletal human remains are forensic or nonforensic.
(3) The ((director)) preservation officer shall hire staff as
necessary to support the state physical anthropologist to meet the
objectives of this section.
(4) For the purposes of this section, "forensic remains" are those
that come under the jurisdiction of the coroner pursuant to RCW
68.50.010.
Sec. 8006 RCW 43.334.077 and 2008 c 275 s 7 are each amended to
read as follows:
The skeletal human remains assistance account is created in the
custody of the state treasurer. All appropriations provided by the
legislature for this purpose as well as any reimbursement for services
provided pursuant to chapter 275, Laws of 2008 must be deposited in the
account. Expenditures from the account may be used only for
archaeological determinations and excavations of inadvertently
discovered skeletal human remains, and removal and reinterment of such
remains when necessary. Only the ((director or the director's))
commissioner, preservation officer, or preservation officer's designee
may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to
the allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation
is not required for expenditures.
Sec. 8007 RCW 43.334.080 and 2005 c 333 s 8 are each amended to
read as follows:
In furtherance of the policy of the state to cooperate with the
federal government in all of the programs under the jurisdiction of the
((department)) office, rules as may become necessary to entitle the
state to participate in federal funds may be adopted, unless expressly
prohibited by law. Any internal reorganization carried out under the
terms of this chapter shall meet federal requirements that are a
necessary condition to state receipt of federal funds. Any section or
provision of law dealing with the ((department)) office that may be
susceptible to more than one construction shall be interpreted in favor
of the construction most likely to comply with federal laws entitling
this state to receive federal funds for the various programs of the
((department)) office. If any law dealing with the ((department))
office is ruled to be in conflict with federal requirements that are a
prescribed condition of the allocation of federal funds to the state,
or to any departments or agencies thereof, the conflicting part is
declared to be inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict.
Sec. 8008 RCW 27.34.020 and 2007 c 333 s 5 are each amended to
read as follows:
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in
this section apply throughout this chapter:
(1) "Advisory council" means the advisory council on historic
preservation.
(2) (("Department")) "Office" means the ((department)) office of
archaeology and historic preservation.
(3) (("Director")) "Commissioner" means the ((director of the
department of archaeology and historic preservation)) commissioner of
public lands.
(4) "Federal act" means the national historic preservation act of
1966 (Public Law 89-655; 80 Stat. 915).
(5) "Heritage barn" means any large agricultural outbuilding used
to house animals, crops, or farm equipment, that is over fifty years
old and has been determined by the department to: (a) Be eligible for
listing on the Washington heritage register or the national register of
historic places; or (b) have been listed on a local historic register
and approved by the advisory council. In addition to barns, "heritage
barn" includes agricultural resources such as milk houses, sheds,
silos, or other outbuildings, that are historically associated with the
working life of the farm or ranch, if these outbuildings are on the
same property as a heritage barn.
(6) (("Heritage council" means the Washington state heritage
council.)) "Historic preservation" includes the protection,
rehabilitation, restoration, identification, scientific excavation, and
reconstruction of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects
significant in American and Washington state history, architecture,
archaeology, or culture.
(7)
(((8))) (7) "Preservation officer" means the state historic
preservation officer as provided for in RCW 43.334.020.
(((9))) (8) "Project" means programs leading to the preservation
for public benefit of historical properties, whether by state and local
governments or other public bodies, or private organizations or
individuals, including the acquisition of title or interests in, and
the development of, any district, site, building, structure, or object
that is significant in American and Washington state history,
architecture, archaeology, or culture, and property used in connection
therewith, or for its development.
(((10))) (9) "State historical agencies" means the state historical
societies and the ((department)) office.
(((11))) (10) "State historical societies" means the Washington
state historical society and the eastern Washington state historical
society.
(((12))) (11) "Cultural resource management plan" means a
comprehensive plan which identifies and organizes information on the
state of Washington's historic, archaeological, and architectural
resources into a set of management criteria, and which is to be used
for producing reliable decisions, recommendations, and advice relative
to the identification, evaluation, and protection of these resources.
Sec. 8009 RCW 27.34.220 and 1997 c 145 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((director or the director's)) preservation officer or
preservation officer's designee is authorized:
(1) To promulgate and maintain the Washington heritage register of
districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects significant in
American or Washington state history, architecture, archaeology, and
culture, and to prepare comprehensive statewide historic surveys and
plans and research and evaluation of surveyed resources for the
preparation of nominations to the Washington heritage register and the
national register of historic places, in accordance with criteria
approved by the advisory council established under RCW 27.34.250.
Nominations to the national register of historic places shall comply
with any standards and regulations promulgated by the United States
secretary of the interior for the preservation, acquisition, and
development of such properties. Nominations to the Washington heritage
register shall comply with rules adopted under this chapter.
(2) To establish a program of matching grants-in-aid to public
agencies, public or private organizations, or individuals for projects
having as their purpose the preservation for public benefit of
properties that are significant in American or Washington state
history, architecture, archaeology, and culture.
(3) To promote historic preservation efforts throughout the state,
including private efforts and those of city, county, and state
agencies.
(4) To enhance the effectiveness of the state preservation program
through the initiation of legislation, the use of varied funding
sources, the creation of special purpose programs, and contact with
state, county, and city officials, civic groups, and professionals.
(5) To spend funds, subject to legislative appropriation and the
availability of funds, where necessary to assist the Indian tribes of
Washington state in removing prehistoric human remains for scientific
examination and reburial, if the human remains have been unearthed
inadvertently or through vandalism and if no other public agency is
legally responsible for their preservation.
(6) To consult with the governor and the legislature on issues
relating to the conservation of the man-made environment and their
impact on the well-being of the state and its citizens.
(7) To charge fees for professional and clerical services provided
by the office.
(8) To adopt such rules, in accordance with chapter 34.05 RCW, as
are necessary to carry out RCW 27.34.200 through 27.34.280.
Sec. 8010 RCW 27.34.230 and 2005 c 333 s 15 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((director or the director's)) commissioner or commissioner's
designee shall:
(1) Receive, administer, and disburse such gifts, grants, and
endowments from private sources as may be made in trust or otherwise
for the purposes of RCW 27.34.200 ((through)) and 27.34.220 or the
federal act; and
(2) Develop and implement a cultural resource management plan.
Sec. 8011 RCW 27.34.240 and 1986 c 266 s 13 are each amended to
read as follows:
The amounts made available for grants to the public agencies,
public or private organizations, or individuals for projects for each
fiscal year shall be apportioned among program applicants by the
((director or the director's)) preservation officer or preservation
officer's designee, with the advice of the preservation officer, in
accordance with needs as contained in statewide archaeology and
historic preservation plans developed by the ((department)) office.
Sec. 8012 RCW 27.34.270 and 1997 c 145 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
The advisory council shall:
(1) Advise the governor and the ((department)) office on matters
relating to historic preservation; recommend measures to coordinate
activities of state and local agencies, private institutions, and
individuals relating to historic preservation; and advise on the
dissemination of information pertaining to such activities; and
(2) Review and recommend nominations for the national register of
historic places to the preservation officer ((and the director)).
Sec. 8013 RCW 27.34.280 and 1986 c 266 s 15 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((department)) office shall provide administrative and
financial services to the advisory council on historic preservation
((and to the Washington state heritage council)).
Sec. 8014 RCW 27.34.330 and 2006 c 371 s 232 are each amended to
read as follows:
The Washington state historical society shall establish a
competitive process to solicit proposals for and prioritize heritage
capital projects for potential funding in the state capital budget.
The society shall adopt rules governing project eligibility and
evaluation criteria. Application for funding of specific projects may
be made to the society by local governments, public development
authorities, nonprofit corporations, tribal governments, and other
entities, as determined by the society. The society, with the advice
of leaders in the heritage field, including but not limited to
representatives from the office of the secretary of state, the eastern
Washington state historical society, and the ((department)) office of
archaeology and historic preservation, shall establish and submit a
prioritized list of heritage capital projects to the governor and the
legislature in the society's biennial capital budget request. The list
shall include a description of each project, the amount of recommended
state funding, and documentation of nonstate funds to be used for the
project. The total amount of recommended state funding for projects on
a biennial project list shall not exceed ten million dollars. The
prioritized list shall be developed through open and public meetings
and the amount of state funding shall not exceed thirty-three percent
of the total cost of the project. The nonstate portion of the total
project cost may include cash, the value of real property when acquired
solely for the purpose of the project, and in-kind contributions. The
((department)) society shall not sign contracts or otherwise
financially obligate funds under this section until the legislature has
approved a specific list of projects. In contracts for grants
authorized under this section, the society shall include provisions
requiring that capital improvements be held by the grantee for a
specified period of time appropriate to the amount of the grant and
that facilities be used for the express purpose of the grant. If the
grantee is found to be out of compliance with provisions of the
contract, the grantee shall repay to the state general fund the
principal amount of the grant plus interest calculated at the rate of
interest on state of Washington general obligation bonds issued most
closely to the date of authorization of the grant.
Sec. 8015 RCW 27.34.415 and 2008 c 275 s 6 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((department)) office of archaeology and historic preservation
shall develop and maintain a centralized database and geographic
information systems spatial layer of all known cemeteries and known
sites of burials of human remains in Washington state. The information
in the database is subject to public disclosure, except as provided in
RCW 42.56.300; exempt information is available by confidentiality
agreement to federal, state, and local agencies for purposes of
environmental review, and to tribes in order to participate in
environmental review, protect their ancestors, and perpetuate their
cultures.
Information provided to state and local agencies under this section
is subject to public disclosure, except as provided in RCW 42.56.300.
Sec. 8016 RCW 27.44.055 and 2008 c 275 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Any person who discovers skeletal human remains must notify the
coroner and local law enforcement in the most expeditious manner
possible. Any person knowing of the existence of human remains and not
having good reason to believe that the coroner and local law
enforcement has notice thereof and who fails to give notice thereof is
guilty of a misdemeanor.
(2) Any person engaged in ground disturbing activity and who
encounters or discovers skeletal human remains in or on the ground
shall:
(a) Immediately cease any activity which may cause further
disturbance;
(b) Make a reasonable effort to protect the area from further
disturbance;
(c) Report the presence and location of the remains to the coroner
and local law enforcement in the most expeditious manner possible; and
(d) Be held harmless from criminal and civil liability arising
under the provisions of this section provided the following criteria
are met:
(i) The finding of the remains was based on inadvertent discovery;
(ii) The requirements of the subsection are otherwise met; and
(iii) The person is otherwise in compliance with applicable law.
(3) The coroner must make a determination whether the skeletal
human remains are forensic or nonforensic within five business days of
receiving notification of a finding of such remains provided that there
is sufficient evidence to make such a determination within that time
period. The coroner will retain jurisdiction over forensic remains.
(a) Upon determination that the remains are nonforensic, the
coroner must notify the ((department)) office of archaeology and
historic preservation within two business days. The ((department))
office will have jurisdiction over such remains until provenance of the
remains is established. A determination that remains are nonforensic
does not create a presumption of removal or nonremoval.
(b) Upon receiving notice from a coroner of a finding of
nonforensic skeletal human remains, the ((department)) office must
notify the appropriate local cemeteries, and all affected Indian tribes
via certified mail to the head of the appropriate tribal government,
and contact the appropriate tribal cultural resources staff within two
business days of the finding. The determination of what are
appropriate local cemeteries to be notified is at the discretion of the
((department)) office. A notification to tribes of a finding of
nonforensic skeletal human remains does not create a presumption that
the remains are Indian.
(c) The state physical anthropologist must make an initial
determination of whether nonforensic skeletal human remains are Indian
or non-Indian to the extent possible based on the remains within two
business days of notification of a finding of such nonforensic remains.
If the remains are determined to be Indian, the ((department)) office
must notify all affected Indian tribes via certified mail to the head
of the appropriate tribal government within two business days and
contact the appropriate tribal cultural resources staff.
(d) The affected tribes have five business days to respond via
telephone or writing to the ((department)) office as to their interest
in the remains.
(4) For the purposes of this section:
(a) "Affected tribes" are:
(i) Those federally recognized tribes with usual and accustomed
areas in the jurisdiction where the remains were found;
(ii) Those federally recognized tribes that submit to the
((department)) office maps that reflect the tribe's geographical area
of cultural affiliation; and
(iii) Other tribes with historical and cultural affiliation in the
jurisdiction where the remains were found.
(b) "Forensic remains" are those that come under the jurisdiction
of the coroner pursuant to RCW 68.50.010.
(c) "Inadvertent discovery" has the same meaning as used in RCW
27.44.040.
(5) Nothing in this section constitutes, advocates, or otherwise
grants, confers, or implies federal or state recognition of those
tribes that are not federally recognized pursuant to 25 C.F.R. part 83,
procedures for establishing that an American Indian group exists as an
Indian tribe.
Sec. 8017 RCW 27.53.020 and 2005 c 333 s 19 are each amended to
read as follows:
The discovery, identification, excavation, and study of the state's
archaeological resources, the providing of information on
archaeological sites for their nomination to the state and national
registers of historic places, the maintaining of a complete inventory
of archaeological sites and collections, and the providing of
information to state, federal, and private construction agencies
regarding the possible impact of construction activities on the state's
archaeological resources, are proper public functions; and the
((department)) office of archaeology and historic preservation, created
under the authority of chapter 43.334 RCW, is hereby designated as an
appropriate agency to carry out these functions. The ((director))
preservation officer shall provide guidelines for the selection of
depositories designated by the state for archaeological resources. The
legislature directs that there shall be full cooperation amongst the
((department)) office and other agencies of the state.
Sec. 8018 RCW 27.53.030 and 2008 c 275 s 5 are each amended to
read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter
unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Archaeology" means the systematic((, scientific study of man's
past through material)) study of past human life and environments
through the recovery and examination of cultural material and remains.
(2) "Archaeological object" means an object that comprises the
physical evidence of an indigenous and subsequent culture including
material remains of past human life including monuments, symbols,
tools, facilities, and technological by-products.
(3) "Archaeological site" means a geographic locality in
Washington, including but not limited to, submerged and submersible
lands and the bed of the sea within the state's jurisdiction, that
contains archaeological objects.
(4) "Department" means the department of ((archaeology and historic
preservation, created in chapter 43.334 RCW)) natural resources.
(5) (("Director" means the director of the department of
archaeology and historic preservation, created in chapter 43.334 RCW.)) "Historic" means peoples and cultures who are known through
written documents in their own or other languages. As applied to
underwater archaeological resources, the term historic shall include
only those properties which are listed in or eligible for listing in
the Washington State Register of Historic Places (RCW 27.34.220) or the
National Register of Historic Places as defined in the National
Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Title 1, Sec. 101, Public Law 89-665; 80 Stat. 915; 16 U.S.C. Sec. 470) as now or hereafter amended.
(6)
(6) "Office" means the office of archaeology and historic
preservation.
(7) "Prehistoric" means peoples and cultures who are unknown
through contemporaneous written documents in any language.
(8) "Preservation officer" means the state historic preservation
officer as provided for in RCW 43.334.020.
(9) "Professional archaeologist" means a person with qualifications
meeting the federal secretary of the interior's standards for a
professional archaeologist. Archaeologists not meeting this standard
may be conditionally employed by working under the supervision of a
professional archaeologist for a period of four years provided the
employee is pursuing qualifications necessary to meet the federal
secretary of the interior's standards for a professional archaeologist.
During this four-year period, the professional archaeologist is
responsible for all findings. The four-year period is not subject to
renewal.
(((9))) (10) "Amateur society" means any organization composed
primarily of persons who are not professional archaeologists, whose
primary interest is in the archaeological resources of the state, and
which has been certified in writing by two professional archaeologists.
(((10))) (11) "Historic archaeological resources" means those
properties which are listed in or eligible for listing in the
Washington State Register of Historic Places (RCW 27.34.220) or the
National Register of Historic Places as defined in the National
Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Title 1, Sec. 101, Public Law 89-665; 80 Stat. 915; 16 U.S.C. Sec. 470) as now or hereafter amended.
Sec. 8019 RCW 27.53.060 and 2002 c 211 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) On the private and public lands of this state it shall be
unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, or any agency or
institution of the state or a political subdivision thereof to
knowingly remove, alter, dig into, or excavate by use of any
mechanical, hydraulic, or other means, or to damage, deface, or destroy
any historic or prehistoric archaeological resource or site, or remove
any archaeological object from such site, except for Indian graves or
cairns, or any glyptic or painted record of any tribe or peoples, or
historic graves as defined in chapter 68.05 RCW, disturbances of which
shall be a class C felony punishable under chapter 9A.20 RCW, without
having obtained a written permit from the ((director)) preservation
officer or preservation officer's designee for such activities.
(2) The ((director)) preservation officer or preservation officer's
designee must obtain the consent of the private or public property
owner or agency responsible for the management thereof, prior to
issuance of the permit. The property owner or agency responsible for
the management of such land may condition its consent on the execution
of a separate agreement, lease, or other real property conveyance with
the applicant as may be necessary to carry out the legal rights or
duties of the public property landowner or agency.
(3) The ((director)) preservation officer, in consultation with the
affected tribes, shall develop guidelines for the issuance and
processing of permits.
(4) Such written permit and any agreement or lease or other
conveyance required by any public property owner or agency responsible
for management of such land shall be physically present while any such
activity is being conducted.
(5) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the removal
of artifacts found exposed on the surface of the ground which are not
historic archaeological resources or sites.
(6) When determining whether to grant or condition a permit, the
((director)) preservation officer or preservation officer's designee
may give great weight to the final record of previous civil or criminal
penalties against either the applicant, the parties responsible for
conducting the work, or the parties responsible for carrying out the
terms and conditions of the permit, either under this chapter or under
comparable federal laws. If the ((director)) preservation officer
denies a permit, the applicant may request a hearing as provided for in
chapter 34.05 RCW. When the holder of a permit issued by the
department requests a hearing under this subsection, an administrative
law judge assigned by the office of administrative hearings shall
conduct the hearing. The decision of the administrative law judge is
a final agency order.
Sec. 8020 RCW 27.53.070 and 2005 c 333 s 21 and 2005 c 274 s 243
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
It is the declared intention of the legislature that field
investigations on privately owned lands should be discouraged except in
accordance with both the provisions and spirit of this chapter and
persons having knowledge of the location of archaeological sites or
resources are encouraged to communicate such information to the
((department)) office. Such information shall not constitute a public
record which requires disclosure pursuant to the exception authorized
in chapter 42.56 RCW to avoid site depredation.
Sec. 8021 RCW 27.53.080 and 2005 c 333 s 22 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Qualified or professional archaeologists, in performance of
their duties, may enter upon public lands of the state of Washington
and its political subdivisions after first notifying the entity
responsible for managing those public lands, at such times and in such
manner as not to interfere with the normal management thereof, for the
purposes of doing archaeological resource location and evaluation
studies, including site sampling activities. The results of such
studies shall be provided to the state agency or political subdivision
responsible for such lands and the ((department)) office and are
confidential unless the ((director)) preservation officer, in writing,
declares otherwise. Scientific excavations are to be carried out only
after appropriate agreement has been made between a professional
archaeologist or an institution of higher education and the agency or
political subdivision responsible for such lands. A copy of such
agreement shall be filed with the ((department)) office.
(2) Amateur societies may engage in such activities by submitting
and having approved by the responsible agency or political subdivision
a written proposal detailing the scope and duration of the activity.
Before approval, a proposal from an amateur society shall be submitted
to the ((department)) office for review and recommendation. The
approving agency or political subdivision shall impose conditions on
the scope and duration of the proposed activity necessary to protect
the archaeological resources and ensure compliance with applicable
federal, state, and local laws. The findings and results of activities
authorized under this section shall be made known to the approving
agency or political subdivision approving the activities and to the
((department)) office.
Sec. 8022 RCW 27.53.090 and 1986 c 266 s 20 are each amended to
read as follows:
Any person, firm, or corporation violating any of the provisions of
this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Each day of continued
violation of any provision of this chapter shall constitute a distinct
and separate offense. Offenses shall be reported to the appropriate
law enforcement agency or to the ((director)) office.
Sec. 8023 RCW 27.53.095 and 2005 c 333 s 23 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Persons found to have violated this chapter, either by a
knowing and willful failure to obtain a permit where required under RCW
27.53.060 or by a knowing and willful failure to comply with the
provisions of a permit issued by the ((director)) preservation officer
where required under RCW 27.53.060, in addition to other remedies as
provided for by law, may be subject to one or more of the following:
(a) Reasonable investigative costs incurred by a mutually agreed
upon independent professional archaeologist investigating the alleged
violation;
(b) Reasonable site restoration costs; and
(c) Civil penalties, as determined by the ((director)) preservation
officer, in an amount of not more than five thousand dollars per
violation.
(2) Any person incurring the penalty may file an application for an
adjudicative proceeding and may pursue subsequent review as provided in
chapter 34.05 RCW and applicable rules of the department. When the
department or a person incurring penalties arising out of activities
permitted by the department requests a hearing under this subsection,
an administrative law judge assigned by the office of administrative
hearings shall conduct the hearing. The decision of the administrative
law judge is a final agency order.
(3) Any penalty imposed by final order following an adjudicative
proceeding becomes due and payable upon service of the final order.
(4) The attorney general may bring an action in the name of the
department in the superior court of Thurston county or of any county in
which the violator may do business to collect any penalty imposed under
this chapter and to enforce subsection (5) of this section.
(5) Any and all artifacts in possession of a violator shall become
the property of the state until proper identification of artifact
ownership may be determined by the ((director)) preservation officer or
preservation officer's designee.
(6) Penalties overturned on appeal entitle the appealing party to
fees and other expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, as
provided in RCW 4.84.350.
Sec. 8024 RCW 27.53.100 and 1988 c 124 s 5 are each amended to
read as follows:
Persons, firms, corporations, institutions, or agencies which
discover a previously unreported historic archaeological resource on
state-owned aquatic lands and report the site or location of such
resource to the ((department)) office shall have a right of first
refusal to future salvage permits granted for the recovery of that
resource, subject to the provisions of RCW 27.53.110. Such right of
first refusal shall exist for five years from the date of the report.
Should another person, firm, corporation, institution, or agency apply
for a permit to salvage that resource, the reporting entity shall have
sixty days to submit its own permit application and exercise its first
refusal right, or the right shall be extinguished.
Sec. 8025 RCW 27.53.110 and 1988 c 124 s 6 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((director)) department is hereby authorized to enter into
contracts with ((other)) state agencies or institutions and with
qualified private institutions, persons, firms, or corporations for the
discovery and salvage of state-owned historic archaeological resources.
Such contracts shall include but are not limited to the following terms
and conditions:
(1) Historic shipwrecks:
(a) The contract shall provide for fair compensation to a salvor.
"Fair compensation" means an amount not less than ninety percent of the
appraised value of the objects recovered following successful
completion of the contract.
(b) The salvor may retain objects with a value of up to ninety
percent of the appraised value of the total objects recovered, or cash,
or a combination of objects and cash. In no event may the total of
objects and cash exceed ninety percent of the total appraised value of
the objects recovered. A salvor shall not be entitled to further
compensation from any state sources.
(c) The contract shall provide that the state will be given first
choice of which objects it may wish to retain for display purposes for
the people of the state from among all the objects recovered. The
state may retain objects with a value of up to ten percent of the
appraised value of the total objects recovered. If the state chooses
not to retain recovered objects with a value of up to ten percent of
the appraised value, the state shall be entitled to receive its share
in cash or a combination of recovered objects and cash so long as the
state's total share does not exceed ten percent of the appraised value
of the objects recovered.
(d) The contract shall provide that both the state and the salvor
shall have the right to select a single appraiser or joint appraisers.
(e) The contract shall also provide that title to the objects shall
pass to the salvor when the permit is issued. However, should the
salvor fail to fully perform under the terms of the contract, title to
all objects recovered shall revert to the state.
(2) Historic aircraft:
(a) The contract shall provide that historic aircraft belonging to
the state of Washington may only be recovered if the purpose of that
salvage operation is to recover the aircraft for a museum, historical
society, nonprofit organization, or governmental entity.
(b) Title to the aircraft may only be passed by the state to one of
the entities listed in (a) of this subsection.
(c) Compensation to the salvor shall only be derived from the sale
or exchange of the aircraft to one of the entities listed in (a) of
this subsection or such other compensation as one of the entities
listed in (a) of this subsection and the salvor may arrange. The
salvor shall not have a claim to compensation from state funds.
(3) Other historic archaeological resources: The ((director))
preservation officer, in his or her discretion, may negotiate the terms
of such contracts.
Sec. 8026 RCW 27.53.120 and 1988 c 124 s 7 are each amended to
read as follows:
The salvor shall agree to mitigate any archaeological damage which
occurs during the salvage operation. The ((department)) office shall
have access to all property recovered from historic archaeological
sites for purposes of scholarly research and photographic documentation
for a period to be agreed upon by the parties following completion of
the salvage operation. The ((department)) office shall also have the
right to publish scientific papers concerning the results of all
research conducted as project mitigation.
The ((director)) preservation officer has the right to refuse to
issue a permit for salvaging an historic archaeological resource if
that resource would be destroyed beyond mitigation by the proposed
salvage operation. Any agency, institution, person, firm, or
corporation which has been denied a permit because the resource would
be destroyed beyond mitigation by their method of salvage shall have a
right of first refusal for that permit at a future date should
technology be found which would make salvage possible without
destroying the resource. Such right of first refusal shall be in
effect for sixty days after the ((director)) preservation officer has
determined that salvage can be accomplished by a subsequent applicant
without destroying the resource.
No person, firm, or corporation may conduct such salvage or
recovery operation herein described without first obtaining such
contract.
Sec. 8027 RCW 27.53.130 and 1995 c 399 s 17 are each amended to
read as follows:
The department, in consultation with the preservation officer,
shall publish annually and update as necessary a list of those areas
where permits are required to protect historic archaeological sites on
aquatic lands.
Sec. 8028 RCW 27.53.140 and 1995 c 399 s 18 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((department)) office shall have such rule-making authority as
is necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
Sec. 8029 RCW 35.100.020 and 2010 c 30 s 2 are each reenacted and
amended to read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter
unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Community revitalization project" means:
(a) Health and safety improvements authorized to be publicly
financed under chapter 35.80 or 35.81 RCW;
(b) Publicly owned or leased facilities within the jurisdiction of
a local government which the sponsor has authority to provide; and
(c) Expenditure for any of the following purposes:
(i) Providing environmental analysis, professional management,
planning, and promotion within a downtown or neighborhood commercial
district including the management and promotion of retail trade
activities in the district;
(ii) Providing maintenance and security for common or public areas
in the downtown or neighborhood commercial district;
(iii) Historic preservation activities authorized under RCW
35.21.395; or
(iv) Project design and planning, land acquisition, site
preparation, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, improvement,
operation, and installation of a public facility; the costs of
financing, including interest during construction, legal and other
professional services, taxes, and insurance; the costs of complying
with this chapter and other applicable law; and the administrative
costs reasonably necessary and related to these costs.
(2) "Downtown or neighborhood commercial district" means (a) an
area or areas designated by the legislative authority of a city or town
with a population over one hundred thousand and that are typically
limited to the pedestrian core area or the central commercial district
and compact business districts that serve specific neighborhoods within
the city or town; or (b) commercial areas designated as main street
areas by the ((department)) office of archaeology and historic
preservation.
(3) "Local retail sales and use tax" means the tax levied by a city
or town under RCW 82.14.030, excluding that portion which a county is
entitled to receive under RCW 82.14.030.
(4) "Local retail sales and use tax increment revenue" means that
portion of the local retail sales and use tax collected in each year
upon any retail sale or any use of an article of tangible personal
property within a downtown or neighborhood commercial district that is
in excess of the amount of local retail sales and use tax collected on
sales or uses within the downtown or neighborhood commercial district
in the year preceding.
Sec. 8030 RCW 41.06.095 and 2005 c 333 s 9 are each amended to
read as follows:
In addition to the exemptions under RCW 41.06.070, this chapter
does not apply in the ((department)) office of archaeology and historic
preservation to the ((director, the director's personal secretary, the
deputy director, all division directors and assistant directors,))
preservation officer and one confidential secretary for each of these
officers.
Sec. 8031 RCW 43.17.010 and 2009 c 565 s 25 are each amended to
read as follows:
There shall be departments of the state government which shall be
known as (1) the department of social and health services, (2) the
department of ecology, (3) the department of labor and industries, (4)
the department of agriculture, (5) the department of fish and wildlife,
(6) the department of transportation, (7) the department of licensing,
(8) the department of general administration, (9) the department of
commerce, (10) the department of veterans affairs, (11) the department
of revenue, (12) the department of retirement systems, (13) the
department of corrections, (14) the department of health, (15) the
department of financial institutions, (16) ((the department of
archaeology and historic preservation, (17))) the department of early
learning, and (((18))) (17) the Puget Sound partnership, which shall be
charged with the execution, enforcement, and administration of such
laws, and invested with such powers and required to perform such
duties, as the legislature may provide.
Sec. 8032 RCW 43.17.020 and 2009 c 565 s 26 are each amended to
read as follows:
There shall be a chief executive officer of each department to be
known as: (1) The secretary of social and health services, (2) the
director of ecology, (3) the director of labor and industries, (4) the
director of agriculture, (5) the director of fish and wildlife, (6) the
secretary of transportation, (7) the director of licensing, (8) the
director of general administration, (9) the director of commerce, (10)
the director of veterans affairs, (11) the director of revenue, (12)
the director of retirement systems, (13) the secretary of corrections,
(14) the secretary of health, (15) the director of financial
institutions, (16) ((the director of the department of archaeology and
historic preservation, (17))) the director of early learning, and
(((18))) (17) the executive director of the Puget Sound partnership.
Such officers, except the director of fish and wildlife, shall be
appointed by the governor, with the consent of the senate, and hold
office at the pleasure of the governor. The director of fish and
wildlife shall be appointed by the fish and wildlife commission as
prescribed by RCW 77.04.055.
Sec. 8033 RCW 43.360.010 and 2010 c 30 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter
unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Area" means a geographic area within a local government that
is described by a closed perimeter boundary.
(2) (("Department")) "Office" means the ((department)) office of
archaeology and historic preservation.
(3) (("Director" means the director of the department.)) "Local government" means a city, code city, or town.
(4)
(4) "Preservation officer" means the state historic preservation
officer of the office.
(5) "Qualified levels of participation" means a local downtown or
neighborhood commercial district revitalization program that has been
designated by the ((department)) office.
Sec. 8034 RCW 43.360.020 and 2005 c 514 s 909 are each amended to
read as follows:
The Washington main street program is created within the
((department)) office. In order to implement the Washington main
street program, the ((department)) office shall:
(1) Provide technical assistance to businesses, property owners,
organizations, and local governments undertaking a comprehensive
downtown or neighborhood commercial district revitalization initiative
and management strategy. Technical assistance may include, but is not
limited to, initial site evaluations and assessments, training for
local programs, training for local program staff, site visits and
assessments by technical specialists, local program design assistance
and evaluation, and continued local program on-site assistance;
(2) To the extent funds are made available, provide financial
assistance to local governments or local organizations to assist in
initial downtown or neighborhood commercial district revitalization
program start-up costs, specialized training, specific project
feasibility studies, market studies, and design assistance;
(3) Develop objective criteria for selecting recipients of
assistance under subsections (1) and (2) of this section, which shall
include priority for downtown or neighborhood commercial district
revitalization programs located in a rural county as defined in RCW
43.160.020(((12))) (5), and provide for designation of local programs
under RCW 43.360.030;
(4) Operate the Washington main street program in accordance with
the plan developed by the ((department, in consultation with the
Washington main street advisory committee created under RCW
43.360.040)) office; and
(5) Consider other factors the department deems necessary for the
implementation of this chapter.
Sec. 8035 RCW 43.360.030 and 2005 c 514 s 910 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The ((department)) office shall adopt criteria for the
designation of local downtown or neighborhood commercial district
revitalization programs and official local main street programs. In
establishing the criteria, the ((department)) office shall consider:
(a) The degree of interest and commitment to comprehensive downtown
or neighborhood commercial district revitalization and, where
applicable, historic preservation by both the public and private
sectors;
(b) The evidence of potential private sector investment in the
downtown or neighborhood commercial district;
(c) Where applicable, a downtown or neighborhood commercial
district with sufficient historic fabric to become a foundation for an
enhanced community image;
(d) The capacity of the organization to undertake a comprehensive
program and the financial commitment to implement a long-term downtown
or neighborhood commercial district revitalization program that
includes a commitment to employ a professional program manager and
maintain a sufficient operating budget;
(e) The ((department's)) office's existing downtown revitalization
program's tier system;
(f) The national main street center's criteria for designating
official main street cities; and
(g) Other factors the ((department)) office deems necessary for the
designation of a local program.
(2) The ((department)) office shall designate local downtown or
neighborhood commercial district revitalization programs and official
local main street programs. The programs shall be limited to three
categories of designation, one of which shall be the main street level.
(3) RCW ((82.73.010)) 43.360.020 does not apply to any local
downtown or neighborhood commercial district revitalization program
unless the boundaries of the program have been identified and approved
by the ((department)) office. The boundaries of a local downtown or
neighborhood commercial district revitalization program are typically
defined using the pedestrian core of a traditional commercial district.
(4) The ((department)) office may not designate a local downtown or
neighborhood commercial district revitalization program or official
local main street program if the program is undertaken by a local
government with a population of one hundred ninety thousand persons or
more.
Sec. 8036 RCW 68.24.090 and 2009 c 102 s 13 are each amended to
read as follows:
Property dedicated to cemetery purposes shall be held and used
exclusively for cemetery purposes, unless and until the dedication is
removed from all or any part of it by an order and decree of the
superior court of the county in which the property is situated, in a
proceeding brought by the cemetery authority for that purpose and upon
notice of hearing and proof satisfactory to the court:
(1) That no placements of human remains were made in or that all
placements of human remains have been removed from that portion of the
property from which dedication is sought to be removed.
(2) That the portion of the property from which dedication is
sought to be removed is not being used for placement of human remains.
(3) That notice of the proposed removal of dedication has been
given in writing to both the funeral and cemetery board and the
((department)) office of archaeology and historic preservation. This
notice must be given at least sixty days before filing the proceedings
in superior court. The notice of the proposed removal of dedication
shall be recorded with the auditor or recording officer of the county
where the cemetery is located at least sixty days before filing the
proceedings in superior court.
Sec. 8037 RCW 68.50.645 and 2008 c 275 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) It is the duty of every person who knows of the existence and
location of skeletal human remains to notify the coroner and local law
enforcement in the most expeditious manner possible, unless such person
has good reason to believe that such notice has already been given.
Any person knowing of the existence of skeletal human remains and not
having good reason to believe that the coroner and local law
enforcement has notice thereof and who fails to give notice to the
coroner and local law enforcement, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(2) Any person engaged in ground disturbing activity and who
encounters or discovers skeletal human remains in or on the ground
shall:
(a) Immediately cease any activity which may cause further
disturbance;
(b) Make a reasonable effort to protect the area from further
disturbance;
(c) Report the presence and location of the remains to the coroner
and local law enforcement in the most expeditious manner possible; and
(d) Be held harmless from criminal and civil liability arising
under the provisions of this section provided the following criteria
are met:
(i) The finding of the remains was based on inadvertent discovery;
(ii) The requirements of the subsection are otherwise met; and
(iii) The person is otherwise in compliance with applicable law.
(3) The coroner must make a determination of whether the skeletal
human remains are forensic or nonforensic within five business days of
receiving notification of a finding of such human remains provided that
there is sufficient evidence to make such a determination within that
time period. The coroner will retain jurisdiction over forensic
remains.
(a) Upon determination that the remains are nonforensic, the
coroner must notify the ((department)) office of archaeology and
historic preservation within two business days. The ((department))
office will have jurisdiction over such remains until provenance of the
remains is established. A determination that remains are nonforensic
does not create a presumption of removal or nonremoval.
(b) Upon receiving notice from a coroner of a finding of
nonforensic skeletal human remains, the ((department)) office must
notify the appropriate local cemeteries, and all affected Indian tribes
via certified mail to the head of the appropriate tribal government,
and contact the appropriate tribal cultural resources staff within two
business days of the finding. The determination of what are
appropriate local cemeteries to be notified is at the discretion of the
((department)) office. A notification to tribes of a finding of such
nonforensic skeletal human remains does not create a presumption that
the remains are Indian.
(c) The state physical anthropologist must make an initial
determination of whether nonforensic skeletal human remains are Indian
or non-Indian to the extent possible based on the remains within two
business days of notification of a finding of nonforensic remains. If
the remains are determined to be Indian, the ((department)) office must
notify all affected Indian tribes via certified mail to the head of the
appropriate tribal government within two business days and contact the
appropriate tribal cultural resources staff.
(d) The affected tribes have five business days to respond via
telephone or writing to the ((department)) office as to their interest
in the remains.
(4) For the purposes of this section:
(a) "Affected tribes" are:
(i) Those federally recognized tribes with usual and accustomed
areas in the jurisdiction where the remains were found;
(ii) Those federally recognized tribes that submit to the
((department)) office maps that reflect the tribe's geographical area
of cultural affiliation; and
(iii) Other tribes with historical and cultural affiliation in the
jurisdiction where the remains were found.
(b) "Forensic remains" are those that come under the jurisdiction
of the coroner pursuant to RCW 68.50.010.
(c) "Inadvertent discovery" has the same meaning as used in RCW
27.44.040.
(5) Nothing in this section constitutes, advocates, or otherwise
grants, confers, or implies federal or state recognition of those
tribes that are not federally recognized pursuant to 25 C.F.R. part 83,
procedures for establishing that an American Indian group exists as an
Indian tribe.
Sec. 8038 RCW 68.60.030 and 2009 c 102 s 21 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1)(a) The ((department)) office of archaeology and historic
preservation may grant by nontransferable certificate authority to
maintain and protect an abandoned cemetery upon application made by a
preservation organization which has been incorporated for the purpose
of restoring, maintaining, and protecting an abandoned cemetery. Such
authority shall be limited to the care, maintenance, restoration,
protection, and historical preservation of the abandoned cemetery, and
shall not include authority to make burials. In order to activate a
historical cemetery for burials, an applicant must apply for a
certificate of authority to operate a cemetery from the funeral and
cemetery board.
(b) Those preservation and maintenance corporations that are
granted authority to maintain and protect an abandoned cemetery shall
be entitled to hold and possess burial records, maps, and other
historical documents as may exist. Maintenance and preservation
corporations that are granted authority to maintain and protect an
abandoned cemetery shall not be liable to those claiming burial rights,
ancestral ownership, or to any other person or organization alleging to
have control by any form of conveyance not previously recorded at the
county auditor's office within the county in which the abandoned
cemetery exists. Such organizations shall not be liable for any
reasonable alterations made during restoration work on memorials,
roadways, walkways, features, plantings, or any other detail of the
abandoned cemetery.
(c) Should the maintenance and preservation corporation be
dissolved, the ((department)) office of archaeology and historic
preservation shall revoke the certificate of authority.
(d) Maintenance and preservation corporations that are granted
authority to maintain and protect an abandoned cemetery may establish
care funds.
(2) Except as provided in subsection (1) of this section, the
((department)) office of archaeology and historic preservation may, in
its sole discretion, authorize any Washington nonprofit corporation
that is not expressly incorporated for the purpose of restoring,
maintaining, and protecting an abandoned cemetery, to restore,
maintain, and protect one or more abandoned cemeteries. The
authorization may include the right of access to any burial records,
maps, and other historical documents, but shall not include the right
to be the permanent custodian of original records, maps, or documents.
This authorization shall be granted by a nontransferable certificate of
authority. Any nonprofit corporation authorized and acting under this
subsection is immune from liability to the same extent as if it were a
preservation organization holding a certificate of authority under
subsection (1) of this section.
(3) The ((department)) office of archaeology and historic
preservation shall establish standards and guidelines for granting
certificates of authority under subsections (1) and (2) of this section
to assure that any restoration, maintenance, and protection activities
authorized under this subsection are conducted and supervised in an
appropriate manner.
Sec. 8039 RCW 68.60.050 and 2009 c 102 s 22 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Any person who knowingly removes, mutilates, defaces, injures,
or destroys any historic grave shall be guilty of a class C felony
punishable under chapter 9A.20 RCW. Persons disturbing historic graves
through inadvertence, including disturbance through construction, shall
reinter the human remains under the supervision of the ((department))
office of archaeology and historic preservation. Expenses to reinter
such human remains are to be provided by the ((department)) office of
archaeology and historic preservation to the extent that funds for this
purpose are appropriated by the legislature.
(2) This section does not apply to actions taken in the performance
of official law enforcement duties.
(3) It shall be a complete defense in a prosecution under
subsection (1) of this section if the defendant can prove by a
preponderance of evidence that the alleged acts were accidental or
inadvertent and that reasonable efforts were made to preserve the
remains accidentally disturbed or discovered, and that the accidental
discovery or disturbance was properly reported.
Sec. 8040 RCW 68.60.055 and 2008 c 275 s 3 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Any person who discovers skeletal human remains shall notify
the coroner and local law enforcement in the most expeditious manner
possible. Any person knowing of the existence of skeletal human
remains and not having good reason to believe that the coroner and
local law enforcement has notice thereof and who fails to give notice
thereof is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(2) Any person engaged in ground disturbing activity and who
encounters or discovers skeletal human remains in or on the ground
shall:
(a) Immediately cease any activity which may cause further
disturbance;
(b) Make a reasonable effort to protect the area from further
disturbance;
(c) Report the presence and location of the remains to the coroner
and local law enforcement in the most expeditious manner possible; and
(d) Be held harmless from criminal and civil liability arising
under the provisions of this section provided the following criteria
are met:
(i) The finding of the remains was based on inadvertent discovery;
(ii) The requirements of the subsection are otherwise met; and
(iii) The person is otherwise in compliance with applicable law.
(3) The coroner must make a determination whether the skeletal
human remains are forensic or nonforensic within five business days of
receiving notification of a finding of such remains provided that there
is sufficient evidence to make such a determination within that time
period. The coroner will retain jurisdiction over forensic remains.
(a) Upon determination that the remains are nonforensic, the
coroner must notify the ((department)) office of archaeology and
historic preservation within two business days. The ((department))
office will have jurisdiction over such remains until provenance of the
remains is established. A determination that remains are nonforensic
does not create a presumption of removal or nonremoval.
(b) Upon receiving notice from a coroner of a finding of
nonforensic skeletal human remains, the ((department)) office must
notify the appropriate local cemeteries, and all affected Indian tribes
via certified mail to the head of the appropriate tribal government,
and contact the appropriate tribal cultural resources staff within two
business days of the finding. The determination of what are
appropriate local cemeteries to be notified is at the discretion of the
((department)) office. A notification to tribes of a finding of such
nonforensic skeletal human remains does not create a presumption that
the remains are Indian.
(c) The state physical anthropologist must make an initial
determination of whether nonforensic skeletal human remains are Indian
or non-Indian to the extent possible based on the remains within two
business days of notification of a finding of such nonforensic remains.
If the remains are determined to be Indian, the ((department)) office
must notify all affected Indian tribes via certified mail to the head
of the appropriate tribal government within two business days and
contact the appropriate tribal cultural resources staff.
(d) The affected tribes have five business days to respond via
telephone or writing to the ((department)) office as to their interest
in the remains.
(4) For the purposes of this section:
(a) "Affected tribes" are:
(i) Those federally recognized tribes with usual and accustomed
areas in the jurisdiction where the remains were found;
(ii) Those federally recognized tribes that submit to the
((department)) office maps that reflect the tribe's geographical area
of cultural affiliation; and
(iii) Other tribes with historical and cultural affiliation in the
jurisdiction where the remains were found.
(b) "Forensic remains" are those that come under the jurisdiction
of the coroner pursuant to RCW 68.50.010.
(c) "Inadvertent discovery" has the same meaning as used in RCW
27.44.040.
(5) Nothing in this section constitutes, advocates, or otherwise
grants, confers, or implies federal or state recognition of those
tribes that are not federally recognized pursuant to 25 C.F.R. part 83,
procedures for establishing that an American Indian group exists as an
Indian tribe.
Sec. 8041 RCW 68.60.060 and 2009 c 102 s 23 are each amended to
read as follows:
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter is liable in
a civil action by and in the name of the ((department)) office of
archaeology and historic preservation to pay all damages occasioned by
their unlawful acts. The sum recovered shall be applied in payment for
the repair and restoration of the property injured or destroyed and to
the care fund if one is established.
Sec. 8042 RCW 82.73.010 and 2010 c 30 s 4 are each amended to
read as follows:
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in
this section apply throughout this chapter.
(1) "Applicant" means a person applying for a tax credit under this
chapter.
(2) "Contribution" means cash contributions.
(3) "Department" means the department of revenue.
(4) "Main street trust fund" means the Washington main street trust
fund account under RCW 43.360.050.
(5) "Person" has the meaning given in RCW 82.04.030.
(6) "Program" means a nonprofit organization under internal revenue
code sections 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6), with the sole mission of
revitalizing a downtown or neighborhood commercial district area, that
is designated by the ((department)) office of archaeology and historic
preservation as described in RCW 43.360.010 through 43.360.050.
Sec. 8043 RCW 82.73.050 and 2010 c 30 s 5 are each amended to
read as follows:
The ((department)) office of archaeology and historic preservation
shall provide information to the department to administer this chapter,
including a list of designated programs that shall be updated as
necessary.
Sec. 8044 RCW 88.02.660 and 2010 c 161 s 1031 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The maritime historic restoration and preservation account is
created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from the
voluntary donations made simultaneously with the registration of
vessels under this chapter must be deposited into this account. These
deposits are not public funds and are not subject to allotment
procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW.
(2) At the end of each fiscal year, the state treasurer shall pay
from this account to the department of natural resources an amount
equal to the reasonable administrative expenses of ((that agency)) the
office of archaeology and historic preservation for that fiscal year
for collecting the voluntary donations and transmitting them to the
state treasurer and shall pay to the state treasurer an amount equal to
the reasonable administrative expenses of that agency for that fiscal
year for maintaining the account and disbursing funds from the account.
(3) At the end of each fiscal year, the state treasurer shall pay
one-half of the balance of the funds in the account after payment of
the administrative costs provided in subsection (2) of this section, to
the Grays Harbor historical seaport or its corporate successor and the
remainder to the Steamer Virginia V foundation or its corporate
successor.
(4) If either the Grays Harbor historical seaport and its corporate
successors or the Steamer Virginia V foundation and its corporate
successors legally ceases to exist, the state treasurer shall, at the
end of each fiscal year, pay the balance of the funds in the account to
the remaining organization.
(5) If both the Grays Harbor historical seaport and its corporate
successors and the Steamer Virginia V foundation and its corporate
successors legally cease to exist, the ((department)) office of
archaeology and historic preservation shall discontinue the collection
of the voluntary donations in conjunction with the registration of
vessels under RCW 88.02.580, and the balance of the funds in the
account escheat to the state. If funds in the account escheat to the
state, one-half of the fund balance must be provided to the
((department)) office of archaeology and historic preservation, and the
remainder must be deposited into the parks renewal and stewardship
account.
(6) The secretary of state, the directors of the state historical
societies, the ((director)) preservation officer of the ((department))
office of archaeology and historic preservation within the department
of ((commerce)) natural resources, and two members representing the
recreational boating community appointed by the secretary of state((,))
shall review the success of the voluntary donation program for maritime
historic restoration and preservation established under RCW 88.02.580.
Sec. 8045 RCW 90.48.366 and 2007 c 347 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
The department, in consultation with the departments of fish and
wildlife and natural resources, and the parks and recreation
commission, shall adopt rules establishing a compensation schedule for
the discharge of oil in violation of this chapter and chapter 90.56
RCW. The amount of compensation assessed under this schedule shall be
no less than one dollar per gallon of oil spilled and no greater than
one hundred dollars per gallon of oil spilled. The compensation
schedule shall reflect adequate compensation for unquantifiable damages
or for damages not quantifiable at reasonable cost for any adverse
environmental, recreational, aesthetic, or other effects caused by the
spill and shall take into account:
(1) Characteristics of any oil spilled, such as toxicity,
dispersibility, solubility, and persistence, that may affect the
severity of the effects on the receiving environment, living organisms,
and recreational and aesthetic resources;
(2) The sensitivity of the affected area as determined by such
factors as: (a) The location of the spill; (b) habitat and living
resource sensitivity; (c) seasonal distribution or sensitivity of
living resources; (d) areas of recreational use or aesthetic
importance; (e) the proximity of the spill to important habitats for
birds, aquatic mammals, fish, or to species listed as threatened or
endangered under state or federal law; (f) significant archaeological
resources as determined by the ((department)) office of archaeology and
historic preservation; and (g) other areas of special ecological or
recreational importance, as determined by the department; and
(3) Actions taken by the party who spilled oil or any party liable
for the spill that: (a) Demonstrate a recognition and affirmative
acceptance of responsibility for the spill, such as the immediate
removal of oil and the amount of oil removed from the environment; or
(b) enhance or impede the detection of the spill, the determination of
the quantity of oil spilled, or the extent of damage, including the
unauthorized removal of evidence such as injured fish or wildlife.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8046 (1) The department of archaeology and
historic preservation is hereby abolished and its powers, duties, and
functions are hereby transferred to the office of archaeology and
historic preservation within the department of natural resources. All
references to the director or the department of archaeology and
historic preservation in the Revised Code of Washington shall be
construed to mean the director or the department of natural resources.
(2)(a) All reports, documents, surveys, books, records, files,
papers, or written material in the possession of the department of
archaeology and historic preservation shall be delivered to the custody
of the department of natural resources. All cabinets, furniture,
office equipment, motor vehicles, and other tangible property employed
by the department of archaeology and historic preservation shall be
made available to the department of natural resources. All funds,
credits, or other assets held by the department of archaeology and
historic preservation shall be assigned to the department of natural
resources for use by the office of archaeology and historic
preservation.
(b) Any appropriations made to the department of archaeology and
historic preservation shall, on the effective date of this section, be
transferred and credited to the department of natural resources.
(c) If any question arises as to the transfer of any personnel,
funds, books, documents, records, papers, files, equipment, or other
tangible property used or held in the exercise of the powers and the
performance of the duties and functions transferred, the director of
financial management shall make a determination as to the proper
allocation and certify the same to the state agencies concerned.
(3) All employees of the department of archaeology and historic
preservation are transferred to the jurisdiction of the department of
natural resources. All employees classified under chapter 41.06 RCW,
the state civil service law, are assigned to the department of natural
resources to perform their usual duties upon the same terms as
formerly, without any loss of rights, subject to any action that may be
appropriate thereafter in accordance with the laws and rules governing
state civil service.
(4) All rules and all pending business before the department of
archaeology and historic preservation shall be continued and acted upon
by the department of natural resources. All existing contracts and
obligations shall remain in full force and shall be performed by the
department of natural resources.
(5) The transfer of the powers, duties, functions, and personnel of
the department of archaeology and historic preservation shall not
affect the validity of any act performed before the effective date of
this section.
(6) If apportionments of budgeted funds are required because of the
transfers directed by this section, the director of financial
management shall certify the apportionments to the agencies affected,
the state auditor, and the state treasurer. Each of these shall make
the appropriate transfer and adjustments in funds and appropriation
accounts and equipment records in accordance with the certification.
(7) All classified employees of the department of archaeology and
historic preservation assigned to the department of natural resources
under this section whose positions are within an existing bargaining
unit description at the department of natural resources shall become a
part of the existing bargaining unit at the department of natural
resources and shall be considered an appropriate inclusion or
modification of the existing bargaining unit under the provisions.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8047 The following acts or parts of acts are
each repealed:
(1) RCW 43.334.030 (Director powers and duties) and 2005 c 333 s 3;
(2) RCW 43.334.040 (Departmental divisions) and 2005 c 333 s 4;
(3) RCW 43.334.050 (Deputy director--Department personnel
director--Assistant directors) and 2005 c 333 s 5; and
(4) RCW 43.334.900 (Transfer of powers, duties, and functions) and
2005 c 333 s 12.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8048 On the effective date of this section,
the commissioner of public lands and the director of the department of
archaeology and historic preservation must each designate one
executive-level representative to serve on a consolidation transition
team. This team must, with the assistance of their agencies, develop
the following work products:
(1) A consolidation transition team report, to be submitted to the
office of financial management and the legislature by August 1, 2011.
This report must, at a minimum, detail all legislative and fiscal
changes necessary for the successful implementation of this
consolidation and identify expected costs and savings associated with
the consolidation.
(2) A supplemental budget request, if necessary, for consideration
during the 2012 legislative session. This request must encompass any
necessary budgetary and legislative changes for the agencies affected
by this consolidation, and be submitted to the office of financial
management by September 1, 2011.
(3) A second consolidation transition team report, to be submitted
to the commissioner of public lands by July 1, 2012. This report must,
at a minimum, detail all additional legislative and fiscal changes
necessary for the successful implementation of this agency
consolidation and identify expected costs and savings associated with
the consolidation.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8049 The consolidation directed pursuant to
sections 8001 through 8048 of this act takes effect July 1, 2012.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8050 This act is necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the
state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect
July 1, 2011.