S-4285

AN ACT Relating to promoting wildlife viewing; amending RCW 77.12.010; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The departments of fish and wildlife and community, trade, and economic development shall host a working conference on promoting wildlife viewing tourism. The objective of the conference shall be to adopt a strategic plan and specific implementing actions to promote wildlife viewing tourism in Washington in a manner that both provides sustainable economic development in the state's rural areas and supports maintaining the state's wildlife diversity.

(2) The departments shall work with interested local governments, state agencies, visitor and convention bureaus, the hospitality industry, tourism development organizations, and tour operators and wildlife conservation organizations in preparing for and conducting the conference. The departments shall guide preparation for the conference by surveying programs and activities in other states and compiling information on current programs, infrastructure, and promotional activities regarding wildlife viewing tourism in Washington. To enhance the effectiveness of the conference and its products, the departments shall seek to frame issues and outline options for improvement through white papers and preliminary meetings with interest groups.

(3) Among the topics that the departments and interest groups should address at the conference are:

(a) Strategies to increase revenues and benefits to Washington communities with wildlife viewing resources that have identified tourism as part of their economic development strategy;

(b) Strengthening the wildlife viewing tourism elements of gateway community partnerships among state and local transportation, economic development, and parks and wildlife agencies;

(c) Providing leadership and services by state agencies to assist local communities to assess their local wildlife viewing resources and to market tourism centered upon such resources;

(d) Developing proposals to increase state funding to local communities to implement local wildlife viewing tourism plans, including assessing resources, providing infrastructure specific to wildlife viewing tourism, festival development and marketing; and

(e) Promoting wildlife viewing tourism as an element of tourism related to the Lewis and Clark bicentennial commemoration.

(4) The departments shall schedule the conference at a time sufficient to prepare a summary of the conference proceedings and proposals for legislative funding to be submitted to the appropriate committees of the legislature no later than December 15, 2000.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. From the amounts appropriated in this act, the department of fish and wildlife shall provide up to three grants to support local tourism promotional events that feature wildlife viewing. The department shall provide technical assistance to the grantees if requested through providing information on wildlife resources in the area and expertise on wildlife viewing activities. The department shall compile a summary of the costs and benefits of the events that the grants supported and provide the summary to the appropriate committees of the legislature no later than January 1, 2001.

Sec. 3. RCW 77.12.010 and 1985 c 438 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

Wildlife is the property of the state. The department shall preserve, protect, and perpetuate wildlife. Game animals, game birds, and game fish may be taken only at times or places, or in manners or quantities as in the judgment of the commission maximizes public recreational opportunities without impairing the supply of wildlife. The department shall manage wildlife programs in a manner that provides for public opportunities to view wildlife and supports wildlife viewing tourism without impairing the state's wildlife resources.

The commission shall not adopt rules that categorically prohibit fishing with bait or artificial lures in streams, rivers, beaver ponds, and lakes except that the commission may adopt rules and regulations restricting fishing methods upon a determination by the director that an individual body of water or part thereof clearly requires a fishing method prohibition to conserve or enhance the fisheries resource or to provide selected fishing alternatives. The commission shall attempt to maximize the public recreational fishing opportunities of all citizens, particularly juvenile, handicapped, and senior citizens.

Nothing contained herein shall be construed to infringe on the right of a private property owner to control the owner's private property.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The sum of forty-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, from the general fund to the department of fish and wildlife for the purposes of this act.