(1) The department shall assist in the process of inventorying and collecting data on public and private land for the acquisition of data describing land uses, demographics, infrastructure, critical areas, transportation corridors physical features, housing, and other information useful in managing growth throughout the state. For this purpose the department may contract with Washington technology solutions and shall form an advisory group consisting of representatives from state, local, and federal agencies, colleges and universities, and private firms with expertise in land planning, and geographic information systems.
(2) The department shall establish a sequence for acquiring data, giving priority to rapidly growing areas. The data shall be retained in a manner to facilitate its use in preparing maps, aggregating with data from multiple jurisdictions, and comparing changes over time. Data shall further be retained in a manner which permits its access via computer.
(3) The department shall work with other state agencies, local governments, and private organizations that are inventorying public and private lands to ensure close coordination and to ensure that duplication of efforts does not occur.