H-890                _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1274

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representatives Haugen, S. Wilson, R. King, Brooks, Morris, Hargrove, Anderson, Rector and P. King

Read first time 1/20/89 and referred to Committee on Fisheries & Wildlife.

AN ACT Relating to natural resource enforcement; creating new sections; and providing an effective date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that protection of the state's natural resources is in transition.  As the state's population increases, preservation of the state's natural resources will require a greater emphasis on enforcement of laws and regulations designed to preserve the resource and allow recreational opportunities.

          The legislature further finds that there is a growing need for increased investigative capability and technical sophistication in prosecuting natural resource violations.  To provide better coordination of enforcement and use of enforcement personnel, to eliminate duplication between the department of fisheries and the department of wildlife, and to provide more enforcement presence in the field, it is the intent of the legislature to consolidate the enforcement responsibilities of these two departments.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     There is created an office of natural resource enforcement to be administered by a natural resource enforcement officer.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     An evaluation team shall be appointed by the director of the department of fisheries and the director of the department of wildlife to report to the legislature by October 1, 1989, on the following:

          (1)  Whether the office of natural resource enforcement shall be an independent agency or shall be part of the organizational structure of an existing agency;

          (2)  What duties and responsibilities should be assigned to the office of natural resource enforcement; and

          (3)  Whether the following duties and responsibilities shall be transferred to the office of natural resource enforcement:

          (a)  Enforcing compliance of hydraulic permits issued by the department of fisheries and the department of wildlife;

          (b)  Coordinating the location of enforcement agents including the temporary transfer of agents to provide additional coverage during peak seasons;

          (c)  Enforcing and administering both criminal and civil penalties; and

          (d)  Coordinating the adoption of consistent regulations and consistent penalties of the department of fisheries and the department of wildlife.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     Section 2 of this act shall take effect on July 1, 1990.