H-368                _______________________________________________

                                    HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 4403

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representatives Rust, Nelson, D. Sommers, R. King, May, Pruitt, Winsley, Anderson, Valle, Sprenkle, Ferguson, G. Fisher, Crane, Wood, Brekke, Inslee, Moyer, Brough and Phillips

Read first time 1/16/89 and referred to Committee on Environmental Affairs.

WHEREAS, It is increasingly evident that the Greenhouse Effect and ozone layer depletion may have severe impacts on the state's climate, sea level, and solar radiation characteristics causing adverse consequences on state agriculture, marine life, land use, and public health; and

          WHEREAS, The characteristics of these effects and the global systems they impact are not fully understood; and

          WHEREAS, These uncertainties make unpredictable the timing and magnitude of consequences; and

          WHEREAS,  Ongoing research seeks to reduce the uncertainties and allow the development of effective mitigative measures; and

          WHEREAS, Mitigative measures probably will require concerted action by many state agencies and other public and private organizations; and

          WHEREAS, The magnitude of effects and consequences may be great enough to warrant early and urgent mitigative actions; and

          WHEREAS, State agencies and other public and private organizations should be organized to follow Greenhouse Effect and ozone layer depletion research closely and to be prepared to take timely action;

          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, the Senate concurring, That the state is vitally interested in matters related to the Greenhouse Effect and ozone layer depletion and, accordingly, there should be a point of focus and coordination for relevant state activities; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That there is created a Biospheric Task Force consisting of representatives from state agencies, the legislature, and the academic community to oversee developments with respect to the Greenhouse Effect and ozone layer depletion and to make recommendations for needed state action; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the task force shall consist of:  One representative each from the departments of agriculture, ecology, fisheries, natural resources, trade and economic development, and transportation, and the state energy office, appointed by the agency directors; two members each from the committees on energy and utilities of the senate and the house of representatives, the senate committee on environment and natural resources, and the house of representatives committee on environmental affairs, appointed by the committee chairs; two members each from the faculties of the University of Washington and Washington State University, appointed by the respective university presidents; and four persons from relevant industries, including transportation, appointed by the director of the state energy office; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the task force shall be chaired by the representative from the state energy office, and that it may appoint additional temporary or permanent members if approved by a majority of task force members; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the task force shall report each December, and at other appropriate times, to the legislative committees represented on the task force on developments with respect to the Greenhouse Effect and ozone layer depletion, and that the December 1990 report shall contain a recommendation on whether to continue the task force beyond that date.