| Passed by the Senate March 6, 2012 YEAS 35 ________________________________________ President of the Senate Passed by the House March 2, 2012 YEAS 63 ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives | I, Thomas Hoemann, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SENATE BILL 6082 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth. ________________________________________ Secretary | |
| Approved ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | Secretary of State State of Washington |
| State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2012 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/11/12. Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Water & Rural Economic Development.
AN ACT Relating to the preservation and conservation of agricultural resource lands; and adding a new section to chapter 43.21C RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 A new section is added to chapter 43.21C RCW
to read as follows:
(1) The legislature finds the state's farm and range lands are a
unique natural resource that provide for the production of food, fiber,
alternative fuels, and other products necessary for the continued
welfare of people locally, nationally, and globally. Each year, a
significant amount of the state's agricultural land is irrevocably
converted from actual or potential agricultural use to nonagricultural
use. The continued decrease in the state's agricultural resource land
base is threatening the ability of the agricultural industry to produce
safe and affordable agricultural products in sufficient quantities to
meet our current and future local, regional, and national food and
fiber needs, as well as the demands of our export markets.
(2) The program and project actions of state agencies, local
governments, and persons, in many cases, inadvertently result in the
conversion of farmland to nonagricultural uses where alternative
actions would be preferred. The legislature declares that it is the
policy of the state to identify and take into account the adverse
effects of these actions on the preservation and conservation of
agricultural lands; to consider alternative actions, as appropriate,
that could lessen such adverse effects; and to assure that such actions
appropriately mitigate for unavoidable impacts to agricultural
resources.
(3) By December 31, 2013, the department of ecology shall conduct
rule making to review and consider whether the current environmental
checklist form in WAC 197-11-960 ensures consideration of potential
impacts to agricultural lands of long-term commercial significance, as
that term is used in chapter 36.70A RCW. The review and update shall
ensure that the checklist is adequate to allow for consideration of
impacts on adjacent agricultural properties, drainage patterns,
agricultural soils, and normal agricultural operations.