S-5128               _______________________________________________

 

                                   SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 6291

                        _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

 

By Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Hansen, Barr and Rasmussen)

 

 

Read first time 2/19/90.

 

 


AN ACT Relating to control of pests; adding new sections to chapter 17.10 RCW; creating new sections; and prescribing penalties.

 

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

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that there is a significant infestation of purple loosestrife on many wetlands in the state, and that this weed is deleterious to the utilization of wetland habitat by many species of wildlife including migratory waterfowl, water dependent mammals, and assorted birds.  The legislature finds that the continuing rapid spread of the infestation will further degrade and destroy valuable wetland habitat which will reduce populations of migratory waterfowl and other wildlife species.  Further, the legislature finds that if effective management and control actions continue to be postponed, the expense will increase to the point where control of the weed and restoration of the damaged habitat will be cost prohibitive and loss of beneficial habitat will be permanent and irreversible.

          The purpose of this act is to establish an effective state-wide program for the control and eradication of the purple loosestrife infestation.

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.     "Purple loosestrife" means the plant that has the biological name of lythrum salicaria.

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.     The department of agriculture, department of wildlife, and the state noxious weed control board shall jointly develop a purple loosestrife control and eradication program.  An advisory committee may be appointed to assist in the development of the program; all state agencies shall cooperate in the effort.  The goal of the program is to eliminate the spread of the weed in the short term and to eradicate the major infested areas by December 1995, unless it can be shown that implementation of the program over a different time period is less costly and equally effective.

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.     The portion of the program to control and eradicate purple loosestrife on lands owned or under the management control of the department of wildlife shall be funded in the following way:  One-third of funds expended shall be provided from funds appropriated from the general fund to the department of agriculture specifically for control of purple loosestrife; one-third of the funds shall be provided from the appropriation from the wildlife fund to the department of wildlife specifically for control of purple loosestrife; and one-third of the funds expended shall be from the existing appropriation to the department of wildlife or from grants or in-kind donations from private sources or federal, state, or regional governmental entities.  Not more than two percent of the funds appropriated specifically for purple loosestrife control shall be used for administrative purposes.  Funds from the department of agriculture shall be transferred to the department of wildlife upon a showing that matching requirement will be met.

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5.     The state noxious weed control board shall provide a report to the legislature on the status of the control and eradication program by December 1, 1995.  The report shall contain a listing of all counties where purple loosestrife has been eradicated.

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6.     The sale and use of viable purple loosestrife seed or plant material in the state shall be prohibited.  The department of agriculture and the state noxious weed control board shall have authority to assess fines of up to one hundred dollars per day for persons violating this section.

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7.     Sections 2 through 6 of this act are each added to chapter 17.10 RCW.

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8.     If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill number, is not provided by June 30, 1990, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act shall be null and void.