CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

                   SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1565

                        55th Legislature

                      1997 Regular Session

Passed by the House April 26, 1997   Yeas 98   Nays 0 Speaker of the       House of Representatives Passed by the Senate April 26, 1997   Yeas 42   Nays 1

CERTIFICATE I, Timothy A. Martin, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1565  as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth.

President of the Senate

Chief Clerk

Approved Place Style On Codes above, and Style Off Codes below.

FILED

Governor of the State of Washington

Secretary of State                   State of Washington

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                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1565

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             Passed Legislature - 1997 Regular Session

            AS RECOMMENDED BY THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By House Committee on Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Representatives Mielke, Pennington, Carrell, Mulliken, Thompson and Cairnes)

Read first time 03/05/97.

Limiting the regulations of small scale mining.  

    AN ACT Relating to small scale prospecting and mining; adding a new section to chapter 75.20 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that small scale prospecting and mining:  (1) Is an important part of the heritage of the state; (2) provides economic benefits to the state; and (3) can be conducted in a manner that is beneficial to fish habitat and fish propagation.  Now, therefore, the legislature declares that small scale prospecting and mining shall be regulated in the least burdensome manner that is consistent with the state's fish management objectives and the federal endangered species act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 75.20 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) Small scale prospecting and mining shall not require written approval under this chapter if the prospecting is conducted in accordance with provisions established by the department.

    (2) By December 31, 1998, the department shall adopt rules applicable to small scale prospecting and mining activities subject to this section.  The department shall develop the rules in cooperation with the recreational mining community and other interested parties.

    (3) Within two months of adoption of the rules, the department shall distribute an updated gold and fish pamphlet that describes methods of mineral prospecting that are consistent with the department's rule.  The pamphlet shall be written to clearly indicate the prospecting methods that require written approval under this chapter and the prospecting methods that require compliance with the pamphlet.  To the extent possible, the department shall use the provisions of the gold and fish pamphlet to minimize the number of specific provisions of a written approval issued under this chapter.

    (4) For the purposes of this chapter, "small scale prospecting and mining" means only the use of the following methods:  Pans, nonmotorized sluice boxes, concentrators, and minirocker boxes for the discovery and recovery of minerals.

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