AN ACT Relating to funding for the acquisition and development of land for wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation; adding a new chapter to Title 43 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds:

(1) That Washington possesses an abundance of natural wealth in the form of forests, mountains, wildlife, waters, and other natural resources, all of which help to provide an unparalleled diversity of outdoor recreation opportunities and a quality of life unmatched in this nation;

(2) That as the state's population grows, the demand on these resources is growing too, placing greater stress on today's already overcrowded public recreational lands and facilities, and resulting in a significant loss of wildlife habitat and lands of unique natural value;

(3) That public acquisition and development programs have not kept pace with the state's expanding population;

(4) That private investment and employment opportunities in general and the tourist industry in particular are dependent upon the continued availability of recreational opportunities and our state's unique natural environment;

(5) That if current trends continue, some wildlife species and rare ecosystems will be lost in the state forever and public recreational lands will not be adequate to meet public demands;

(6) That there is accordingly a need for the people of the state to reserve certain areas of the state, in rural as well as urban settings, for the benefit of present and future generations.

It is therefore the policy of the state to acquire as soon as possible the most significant lands for wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation purposes before they are converted to other uses, and to develop existing public recreational land and facilities to meet the needs of present and future generations.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The definitions set forth in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1) "Acquisition" means the purchase on a willing seller basis of fee or less than fee interests in real property. These interests include, but are not limited to, options, rights of first refusal, conservation easements, leases, and mineral rights.

(2) "Committee" means the interagency committee for outdoor recreation.

(3) "Critical habitat" means lands important for the protection, management, or public enjoyment of certain wildlife species or groups of species, including, but not limited to, wintering range for deer, elk, and other species, waterfowl and upland bird habitat, fish habitat, and habitat for endangered, threatened, or sensitive species.

(4) "Local agencies" means a city, county, town, tribe, special purpose district, port district, or other political subdivision of the state providing services to less than the entire state.

(5) "Natural areas" means areas that have, to a significant degree, retained their natural character and are important in preserving rare or vanishing flora, fauna, geological, natural historical, or similar features of scientific or educational value.

(6) "Special needs populations" means physically restricted people or people of limited means.

(7) "Trails" means public ways constructed for and open to pedestrians, equestrians, or bicyclists, or any combination thereof, other than a sidewalk constructed as a part of a city street or county road for exclusive use of pedestrians.

(8) "Urban wildlife habitat" means lands that provide habitat important to wildlife in proximity to a metropolitan area.

(9) "Water access" means boat or foot access to marine waters, lakes, rivers, or streams.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The habitat conservation account is established in the state treasury. The committee shall administer the account in accordance with chapter 43.99 RCW and this chapter, and shall hold it separate and apart from all other money, funds, and accounts of the committee.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) Moneys appropriated for this chapter shall be divided equally between the habitat conservation and outdoor recreation accounts and shall be used exclusively for the purposes specified in this chapter.

(2) Moneys deposited in these accounts shall be invested as authorized for other state funds, and any earnings on them shall be credited to the respective account.

(3) All moneys deposited in the habitat conservation and outdoor recreation accounts shall be allocated under sections 5 and 6 of this act as grants to state or local agencies for acquisition, development, and renovation within the jurisdiction of those agencies, subject to legislative appropriation. The committee may use or permit the use of any funds appropriated for this chapter as matching funds where federal, local, or other funds are made available for projects within the purposes of this chapter.

(4) Projects receiving grants under this chapter that are developed or otherwise accessible for public recreational uses shall be available to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.

(5) The committee may make grants to an eligible project from both the habitat conservation and outdoor recreation accounts and any one or more of the applicable categories under such accounts described in sections 5 and 6 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) Moneys appropriated for this chapter to the habitat conservation account shall be distributed in the following way:

(a) Not less than thirty-five percent for the acquisition and development of critical habitat;

(b) Not less than twenty percent for the acquisition and development of natural areas;

(d) The remaining amount shall be considered unallocated and shall be used by the committee to fund high priority acquisition and development needs for critical habitat, natural areas, and urban wildlife habitat.

(2) In distributing these funds, the committee retains discretion to meet the most pressing needs for critical habitat, natural areas, and urban wildlife habitat, and is not required to meet the percentages described in subsection (1) of this section in any one biennium.

(3) Only state agencies may apply for acquisition and development funds for critical habitat and natural areas projects under subsection (1) (a), (b), and (d) of this section.

(4) State and local agencies may apply for acquisition and development funds for urban wildlife habitat projects under subsection (1) (c) and (d) of this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. (1) Moneys appropriated for this chapter to the outdoor recreation account shall be distributed in the following way:

(a) Not less than twenty-five percent to the state parks and recreation commission for the acquisition and development of state parks, with at least seventy-five percent of this money for acquisition costs;

(b) Not less than twenty-five percent for the acquisition, development, and renovation of local parks, with at least fifty percent of this money for acquisition costs;

(d) Not less than ten percent for the acquisition and development of water access sites, with at least seventy-five percent of this money for acquisition costs; and

(e) The remaining amount shall be considered unallocated and shall be distributed by the committee to state and local agencies to fund high priority acquisition and development needs for parks, trails, and water access sites.

(2) In distributing these funds, the committee retains discretion to meet the most pressing needs for state and local parks, trails, and water access sites, and is not required to meet the percentages described in subsection (1) of this section in any one biennium.

(3) Only local agencies may apply for acquisition, development, or renovation funds for local parks under subsection (1)(b) of this section.

(4) State and local agencies may apply for funds for trails under subsection (1)(c) of this section.

(5) State and local agencies may apply for funds for water access sites under subsection (1)(d) of this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. (1) The committee may adopt rules establishing acquisition policies and priorities for distributions from the habitat conservation account.

(2) Moneys appropriated for this chapter may not be used by the committee to fund additional staff positions or other overhead expenses, or by a state, regional, or local agency to fund operation and maintenance of areas acquired under this chapter.

(3) Moneys appropriated for this chapter may be used for costs incidental to acquisition, including, but not limited to, surveying expenses, fencing, and signing.

(4) The committee may not approve a local project where the local agency share is less than the amount to be awarded from the habitat conservation account.

(5) In determining acquisition priorities with respect to the habitat conservation account, the committee shall consider, at a minimum, the following criteria:

(a) For critical habitat and natural areas proposals:

(i) Community support;

(ii) Immediacy of threat to the site;

(iii) Uniqueness of the site;

(iv) Diversity of species using the site;

(v) Quality of the habitat;

(vi) Long-term viability of the site;

(vii) Presence of endangered, threatened, or sensitive species;

(viii) Enhancement of existing public property;

(ix) Consistency with a local land use plan, or a regional or state-wide recreational or resource plan; and

(x) Educational and scientific value of the site.

(b) For urban wildlife habitat proposals, in addition to the criteria of (a) of this subsection:

(i) Population of, and distance from, the nearest urban area;

(ii) Proximity to other wildlife habitat;

(iii) Potential for public use; and

(iv) Potential for use by special needs populations.

(6) Before October 1st of each even-numbered year, the committee shall recommend to the governor a prioritized list of state agency projects to be funded under section 5(1) (a), (b), and (c) of this act. The governor may remove projects from the list recommended by the committee and shall submit this amended list in the capital budget request to the legislature. The list shall include, but not be limited to, a description of each project; and shall describe for each project any anticipated restrictions upon recreational activities allowed prior to the project.

(7) Before October 1st of each year, the committee shall recommend to the governor a prioritized list of all local projects to be funded under section 5(1)(c) of this act. The governor may remove projects from the list recommended by the committee and shall submit this amended list in the capital budget request to the legislature. The list shall include, but not be limited to, a description of each project and any particular match requirement, and describe for each project any anticipated restrictions upon recreational activities allowed prior to the project.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. (1) In determining which state parks proposals and local parks proposals to fund, the committee shall use existing policies and priorities.

(2) Moneys appropriated for this chapter may not be used by the committee to fund additional staff or other overhead expenses, or by a state, regional, or local agency to fund operation and maintenance of areas acquired under this chapter.

(3) Moneys appropriated for this chapter may be used for costs incidental to acquisition, including, but not limited to, surveying expenses, fencing, and signing.

(4) The committee may not approve a project of a local agency where the share contributed by the local agency is less than the amount to be awarded from the outdoor recreation account.

(5) The committee may adopt rules establishing acquisition policies and priorities for the acquisition and development of trails and water access sites to be financed from moneys in the outdoor recreation account.

(6) In determining the acquisition and development priorities, the committee shall consider, at a minimum, the following criteria:

(a) For trails proposals:

(i) Community support;

(ii) Immediacy of threat to the site;

(iii) Linkage between communities;

(iv) Linkage between trails;

(v) Existing or potential usage;

(vi) Consistency with an existing local land use plan or a regional or state-wide recreational or resource plan;

(vii) Availability of water access or views;

(viii) Enhancement of wildlife habitat; and

(ix) Scenic values of the site.

(b) For water access proposals:

(i) Community support;

(ii) Distance from similar water access opportunities;

(iii) Immediacy of threat to the site;

(iv) Diversity of possible recreational uses; and

(v) Public demand in the area.

(7) Before October 1st of each even-numbered year, the committee shall recommend to the governor a prioritized list of state agency projects to be funded under section 6(1) (a), (c), and (d) of this act. The governor may remove projects from the list recommended by the committee and shall submit this amended list in the capital budget request to the legislature. The list shall include, but not be limited to, a description of each project; and shall describe for each project any anticipated restrictions upon recreational activities allowed prior to the project.

(8) Before October 1st of each year, the committee shall recommend to the governor a prioritized list of all local projects to be funded under section 6(1) (b), (c), and (d) of this act. The governor may remove projects from the list recommended by the committee and shall submit this amended list in the capital budget request to the legislature. The list shall include, but not be limited to, a description of each project and any particular match requirement, and describe for each project any anticipated restrictions upon recreational activities allowed prior to the project.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. The committee shall not sign contracts or otherwise financially obligate funds from the habitat conservation account or the outdoor recreation account as provided in this chapter before the legislature has appropriated funds for a specific list of projects. The legislature may remove projects from the list recommended by the governor.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. Moneys made available under this chapter for land acquisition shall not be used to acquire land through condemnation.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. On or before November 1st of each odd-numbered year, the committee shall submit to the governor and the standing committees of the legislature dealing with fiscal affairs, fish and wildlife, and natural resources a report detailing the acquisitions and development projects funded under this chapter during the immediately preceding biennium.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 13. (1) The appropriations from the habitat conservation account and the outdoor recreation account for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, shall be expended to acquire projects recommended by the committee to the governor by March 31, 1990. The governor may remove projects from the list and shall approve by April 15, 1990, a list of projects to be acquired for the fiscal biennium ending June 30, 1991.

(2) Acquisitions shall be completed to the extent possible within available funds. If a site has been converted, or the owner is not willing to sell, the committee shall select from the list until all funds have been expended. The committee shall not approve a project of a local agency where the share contributed by the local agency is less than the amount awarded by the state.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 14. Sections 1 through 12 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 43 RCW.