HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1071

As Amended by the Senate

Title:  An act relating to salmon recovery funding board grant application deadlines.

Brief Description:  Adjusting deadlines for salmon recovery grant applications.

Sponsors:  Representatives Doumit, Buck, Sump, Ogden and Dunn; by request of Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Natural Resources:  1/24/01, 1/26/01 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 2/20/01, 97-0.

Senate Amended.

Passed Senate: 4/3/01, 47-0.

Brief Summary of Bill

$Provides flexibility to the Salmon Recovery Funding Board to establish the funding cycle for habitat projects.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  Do pass. Signed by 11 members: Representatives Doumit, Democratic Co‑Chair; Sump, Republican Co‑Chair; Pearson, Republican Vice Chair; Rockefeller, Democratic Vice Chair; Buck, Eickmeyer, Ericksen, G. Chandler, Jackley, Murray and Pennington.

Staff:  Bill Lynch (786‑7092).

Background:

The Salmon Recovery Funding Board is required by statute to conduct two funding cycles each year for habitat projects.  Lead entities must submit habitat project lists to the board by January 1 and July 1 of each year.

Concerns have been raised that by mandating two funding cycles, volunteers are being pulled away from working on the projects themselves in order to prepare the grant applications for the next funding round.   In addition, by eliminating the requirement for two funding cycles, the Salmon Recovery Funding Board itself could be conducting other work pertinent to salmon recovery rather than reviewing an additional round of projects.

Summary of Bill:

The Salmon Recovery Funding Board is no longer required to conduct two funding cycles for habitat projects each year.  The specific dates for when habitat project lists must be submitted to the board each year are deleted.  Habitat project lists must be submitted to the board at least once a year on a schedule established by the board.

EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENT(S):

Language is added to require the Salmon Recovery Funding Board to provide payment to project sponsors within 30 days of completing salmon habitat projects.  The project must have been approved for funding from the habitat project list and the project sponsor must have met grant application deadlines to be eligible for the payment within 30 days.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not Requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The current statutory timelines do not coincide well with the work windows available to implement a salmon habitat project.  Volunteers are pulled away from working on the project so they can prepare paperwork for the next funding round.  The bill provides flexibility for timing the application process.  At least one application round must still be conducted each year, but there is flexibility for the Salmon Recovery Funding Board to conduct more than one application round if it is considered to be appropriate.

Testimony Against:  None

Testified:  Laura Johnson, Salmon Recovery Funding Board; and Phil Trask, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.