BILL REQ. #:  H-1263.2 

READ FIRST TIME 02/14/13.   

     AN ACT Relating to creating a focused effort on reestablishing a rural agricultural economy in western Washington by making investments aimed at returning underproducing land back into a state of active agricultural production; adding a new section to chapter 43.23 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that there is a large collection of small acreage landholdings in the central and southern Puget Sound region that are currently appropriate for agricultural production but are being maintained in a fallow state. Collectively, these landholdings represent a potentially significant agricultural base that could, through a focused effort on reestablishing a rural agricultural economy in western Washington, be used as a foundation for rural economic development and the rejuvenation of a local agricultural industry and way of life.
     (2) The legislature further finds that there is a significant and growing demand for local agricultural products and organic grains used as feedstock by western Washington dairy, egg, and livestock producers. Local organic grain growers would find an existing local market for their product among producers who must currently rely on organic grains brought in from other states or imported from foreign countries. Expanding this synergy between locally grown organic grains, other local agricultural products, and local demand would benefit the growers and producers, enhance the local rural economy, and allow consumers an option to enjoy the holistic benefits of truly local food sourcing.
     (3) The legislature further finds that an investment in an inventory of the idle lands in western Washington that assesses the viability of expanding the cultivation of organic and specialty grains and other agricultural production in western Washington is a tool for connecting potential growers with the existing local market and for promoting a resurgence in central and southern Puget Sound agriculture that turns currently underutilized agricultural lands into a resource that drives rural economic development.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.23 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) To inform a focused effort on reestablishing a rural agricultural economy in western Washington that focuses on investments aimed at returning underproducing land back into a state of active agricultural production, the department must rely on existing programs to develop an inventory of idle agricultural lands in the following western Washington counties: Clallam, Jefferson, Mason, Lewis, Thurston, Pierce, Clark, Cowlitz, Pacific, Kitsap, Grays Harbor, Island, and San Juan. The initial focus of the survey must be land located in the central and southern Puget Sound region.
     (2) For the purposes of this section, idle lands are to be considered lands that have been recently removed from crop production, lands that have in the past been used to support livestock operations that are not currently used for that purpose, open spaces not designated for conflicting use, or other lands suitable for agricultural operations, such as the raising of organic and specialty grains.
     (3) The department shall, during the course of implementing this section, expand upon the agricultural lands assessment project that the department has conducted since 2002. The department shall expand this mapping to include idle agricultural lands suitable for the commercial growing of organic and specialty grains. Project elements must include:
     (a) An initial assessment of idle agricultural lands using the current database maintained by the department;
     (b) The identification of potential parcels using a combination of field mapping, aerial photography, and statewide parcel databases;
     (c) An evaluation of potential fields using soil layers, wetlands, and other limiting factors;
     (d) An assessment of water availability as needed;
     (e) Field verification of potential fields; and
     (f) The production of a geographic information system layer and accompanying database that will identify parcels in western Washington counties currently idle from agricultural activity and evaluate the quality of those parcels in terms of growing organic and specialty grains.
     (4) The department must consult with Washington State University in the implementation of this section.
     (5) This section expires July 31, 2017.