HOUSE BILL REPORT

HJM 4045

BYRepresentatives Bumgarner, Sutherland, Silver, Brooks, Cole, Grant, Moyer, Haugen, D. Sommers, K. Wilson, Nealey, Hargrove, Sanders, Doty, Padden, Meyers, Amondson, Fuhrman and Taylor

Urging Congress to fund fully the Lower Snake River Fish and Wildlife Compensation Plan.

House Committe on Natural Resources

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (16)

      Signed by Representatives Sutherland, Chair; K. Wilson, Vice Chair; Basich, Beck, Belcher, Bumgarner, Butterfield, Cole, Dorn, Fuhrman, Meyers, Sayan, Schmidt, C. Smith, Spanel and S. Wilson.

House Staff:Robert Butts (786-7841)

AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 10, 1988

BACKGROUND:

Between 1956 and 1975, four dams were constructed in Washington on the Snake River.  The dams flooded approximately 14,000 acres of riparian wildlife habitat.

To compensate for the loss of fish and wildlife populations and habitats, in 1976 the U.S. Congress authorized the Corps of Engineers to develop the Lower Snake River Fish and Wildlife Compensation Plan.

The Plan has two major components:  compensation for the loss in fish populations, and compensation for the loss of upland wildlife habitat.

To compensate for the loss of upland habitat, the plan provided for the appropriation of funds to improve existing upland bird habitat, and for the acquisition of upland bird habitat and land to be used as access points for anglers.

It is generally agreed that the federal government has been diligent in funding the fish compensation portion of the plan.  However, concern has been expressed that the federal government has not been diligent in funding the upland habitat compensation provisions.  It is estimated that less than twenty percent of the upland habitat provisions have been funded by the federal government.

Estimated costs for implementing the remaining upland habitat provisions total $7.9 million.  The current and proposed FY 89 Corps of Engineer budgets do not include funds for this purpose.

SUMMARY:

The Legislature requests that Congress fully fund the Lower Snake River Fish and Wildlife Compensation Plan, and that the Plan be immediately implemented in cooperation with the State of Washington.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Ed Manary, Department of Fisheries; and Cal Groen, Department of Wildlife.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    The Corps of Engineers should live up to its mitigation agreements.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.