READ FIRST TIME 02/21/11.   

     AN ACT Relating to advancing the regional ocean partnership; amending RCW 43.372.070; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that the states of Washington, Oregon, and California have a common interest in the management and protection of ocean and coastal resources. This common interest stems from the many ocean and coastal resources that cross jurisdictional boundaries including winds, currents, fish, and wildlife, as well as the multijurisdictional reach of many uses of marine waters. These shared resources provide enormous economic, environmental, and social benefits to the states, and are an integral part of maintaining the high quality of life enjoyed by residents of the west coast.
     (2) The legislature finds that the shared nature of ocean and coastal resources make coordination between the states of Washington, Oregon, and California essential in order to achieve effective ocean and coastal resource management and support sustainable coastal communities.
     (3) The legislature recognizes the west coast governor's agreement on ocean health, entered into on September 18, 2006, as an important step towards achieving more coordinated management of these ocean and coastal resources.
     (4) Ocean and coastal resource planning processes and funding opportunities recently initiated by the federal government contemplate action at the regional level. Early action on the part of Washington, Oregon, and California to collaboratively define and implement such planning efforts and projects will increase the states' ability to determine the course of federal planning processes for the west coast and receive nonstate support for the planning efforts, resource preservation and restoration projects, and projects to support ocean health and sustainable coastal communities.
     (5) Therefore, collaboration on ocean and coastal resource management between Washington, Oregon, and California should be continued and enhanced through the respective legislatures, as well as through the respective executive branches through the west coast governor's agreement on ocean health.

Sec. 2   RCW 43.372.070 and 2010 c 145 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The marine resources stewardship trust account is created in the state treasury. All receipts from income derived from the investment of amounts credited to the account, any grants, gifts, or donations to the state for the purposes of marine management planning, marine spatial planning, data compilation, research, or monitoring, and any appropriations made to the account must be deposited in the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation.
     (2) Expenditures from the account may only be used for the purposes of marine management planning, marine spatial planning, research, monitoring, implementation of the marine management plan, and for the restoration or enhancement of marine habitat or resources.
     (3) When moneys are deposited into the marine resources stewardship trust account, the governor must provide recommendations on expenditures from the account to the appropriate committees of the legislature prior to the next regular legislative session. The recommended projects and activities must be consistent with:
     (a) The allowable uses of the marine resources stewardship trust account; and
     (b) The priority areas identified in the west coast governor's agreement on ocean health, entered into on September 18, 2006, and recognized in section 1 of this act.