BILL REQ. #:  H-0689.1 

Read first time 01/18/13.   Referred to Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources.

     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 new sections to chapter 43.23 RCW; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 43.23 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The department shall, in tandem with the Washington State University Mount Vernon northwestern Washington research and extension center, maintain a program with the goal of returning land located in western Washington that is either not in agricultural production or that is currently in a state of underproduction back to production. The focus of this program must be to foster connections among landowners, potential growers, and purchasers and to help guide the development of the infrastructure necessary to rebuild a thriving agricultural economy in western Washington.
     (2) The program required under this section must initially focus on the following outcomes and deliverables:
     (a) An immediate reconnection of growers and producers in western Washington and with research and outreach originating from Washington State University and other similar resources;
     (b) A refocusing of efforts towards filling the need for local grains and feed for animal producers;
     (c) A halt to the erosion in farmland loss and the loss of knowledge of how to farm in these areas along with a concurrent growth in the economic well-being of these areas in terms of jobs related to agriculture and processing;
     (d) A rapid closing of the growing regional grain loop for food, feed, and malt by adding value to what are considered low-value rotational crops; and
     (e) The maintenance of an agronomist and a technician position to connect growers and producers in all western Washington counties with the latest varieties, techniques, and knowledge needed to immediately add value to existing, new, and revitalized farming systems and to work on laboratory techniques to optimize the feed and food value of locally produced crops.
     (3) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose:
     (a) The department, Washington State University, or both, must implement this program; and
     (b) The program directed by this section may provide services to all counties located in western Washington. However, resources must initially be focused on those counties located in the central and southern Puget Sound region.
     (4) The department and the Washington State University are authorized to mutually decide the most efficient sharing of duties towards the implementation of this section based on each agency's expertise and missions.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.23 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) To inform the implementation of section 1 of this act and to assess the viability of expanding the cultivation of organic and specialty grains in western Washington, the department must 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.