1309-S.E AMS BARR S3339.1

ESHB 1309 - S AMD TO NAT COMM AMD (S-3062.1/93)

By Senators Barr and Hargrove

    On page 1, line 21 of the amendment, after "heritage" insert "from a number of causes including urban and rural subdivisions, shopping centers, industrial park, and other land use activities.

    The legislature finds that the maintenance and restoration of Washington's rangelands and shrub-steppe vegetation is vital to the long-term benefit of the people of the state.  The legislature finds that approximately one-fourth of the state is open range or open-canopied grazable woodland.  The legislature finds that these lands provide forage for livestock, habitat and forage for wildlife, and innumerable recreational opportunities including hunting, hiking, and fishing.

    The legislature finds that the development of coordinated resource management plans, that take into consideration the needs of wildlife, fish, livestock, timber production, water quality protection, and rangeland conservation on all state-owned grazing lands will improve the stewardship of these lands and allow for the increased development and maintenance of fish and wildlife habitat and other multipurpose benefits the public derives from these lands.

    The legislature finds that the state currently provides insufficient technical support for coordinated resource management plans to be developed for all state-owned lands and for many of the private lands desiring to develop such plans.  As a consequence of this lack of technical assistance, our state grazing lands, including fish and wildlife habitat and other resources provided by these lands, are not achieving their potential.  The legislature also finds that with many state lands being intermixed with private grazing lands, development of coordinated resource management plans on state-owned and managed lands provides an opportunity to improve the management and enhance the conditions of adjacent private lands.

    A purpose of this act is to establish state grazing lands as the model in the state for the development and implementation of coordinated resource management plans and to assure the timely development of coordinated resource management plans to cover all state-owned grazing lands.  Every lessee of state lands who is desirous of participating in the development and implementation of a coordinated resource management plan shall have the opportunity to do so"

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