H-2221.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1681

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By House Committee on Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Representatives Buck, Grant, Sump, Schoesler, Boldt, Mastin and McMorris)

Read first time 03/02/1999. 

Establishing a program to purchase and plant privately grown trout.

    AN ACT Relating to state purchase of privately grown trout for planting in state waters; adding new sections to Title 77 RCW; making an appropriation; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that it is beneficial to improve opportunities for trout fishing in order to satisfy the public's demand for recreational fishing during a time of declining opportunities to catch anadromous salmon and steelhead trout.

    Fish farmers can produce trout in a triploid genetic configuration for the purpose of certifying that the fish are sterile and that they cannot interbreed with wild trout.  These fish are ideally suited to planting into public lakes and ponds to provide immediate recreational fishing at a reasonable cost.  The fish continue to grow throughout their life cycle and have the potential to grow to trophy size.

    Planting of these catchable trout can provide increased angler participation, increased fishing license sales, increased tourism activities, and a boost to local economies.

    The department of fish and wildlife is authorized to purchase these privately produced fish to supplement existing department trout hatchery production.  The planting of these catchable trout in water bodies with water quality sufficient to support fish life must not have an adverse impact on the wild trout population.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  The fish and wildlife commission in consultation with the department is authorized to determine which waters of the state are appropriate for this use during the 1999 and 2000 calendar years.  In making this determination, the commission shall seek geographic distribution to assure opportunity to fishers state-wide.

    The commission in consultation with the department will determine the maximum number of fish that may be planted into state waters so as not to compete with the wild populations of fish species in the water body.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  The department shall report to the appropriate legislative committees by February 1, 2001, regarding the implementation of this act.  The report shall include information regarding the location and number of fish planted, the size of the fish planted, and information relating to the cost-effectiveness of the catchable trout program, including an estimate of new license sales generated by the programs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  The sum of . . . . . ., but not to exceed $200,000 dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund to the department of fish and wildlife for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1999, to carry out the purposes of this act.

    The sum of . . . . . ., but not to exceed $200,000 dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund to the department of fish and wildlife for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2000, to carry out the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.  Sections 1 through 3 of this act are each added to Title 77 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.  This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.

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