(1) Each county's six-year transportation program and ferry system fourteen-year long range capital improvement plan shall be prepared and adopted in accordance with RCW 36.81.121 and 36.54.015, respectively, and one copy shall be forwarded to the county road administration board no later than December 31 of each year.

(2) Any proposed county ferry capital improvement project must be included in both the county's six-year transportation program and ferry system fourteen-year capital improvement plan and must remain on both during all of the phases of the project including:

(a) At the time a county requests a call for projects;

(b) At the time the county submits a project funding application; and

(c) Until the project is completed or the project is otherwise terminated.

(3) The county ferry capital improvement project cost estimates that are included in the county's six-year transportation programs and ferry system fourteen-year plans shall be considered preliminary and are not binding on actual county ferry capital improvement project applications.