S-4744.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6231

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Parks (originally sponsored by Senators Hargrove, Anderson, Snyder, Swecker, T. Sheldon, Oke and Goings)

Read first time 02/06/98.

Limiting the near-term growth of the natural area preserve program, and providing for a study of the program.

    AN ACT Relating to natural area preserves; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  There is a two-year moratorium on the expansion of any existing natural area preserves or the creation of any new natural area preserves under chapter 79.70 RCW except for any current, ongoing land purchase negotiations or acquisitions involving land in Kitsap county and King county.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  The senate natural resources and parks committee and the ways and means committee, the house of representatives natural resources committee, in concert with all relevant agencies and interested groups shall study the following aspects of the natural area preserves program created under chapter 79.70 RCW:

    (1) The goals of the program;

    (2) The cost of the program;

    (3) The adequacy of the current natural area preserve lands for scientific studies;

    (4) Department of natural resources goals and costs;

    (5) Public use issues;

    (6) The cost of personnel and equipment to ensure that the public is not allowed access;

    (7) How many natural area preserves, specified by environmental area, are left to be put into the program, and the cost of the proposed land and future management costs;

    (8) Sources of continued maintenance funding, including funding from users including K-12 educational programs and higher education institutions;

    (9) The criteria used to ensure that environmental areas are not duplicated; and

    (10) The adequacy of the public's and local government's input concerning the selection of lands to be designated as natural area preserves.

    The study required under this section shall be submitted to the legislature by November 1, 2000.

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