_____________________________________________
HOUSE
BILL 1865
_____________________________________________
AS
AMENDED BY THE SENATE
Passed
Legislature - 2001 Regular Session
State
of Washington 57th Legislature 2001 Regular Session
By
Read
first time 02/07/2001. Referred to Committee on Agriculture & Ecology.
Changing watershed planning provisions.
AN
ACT Relating to irrigation districts acting as initiating governments for
watershed planning; and amending RCW 90.82.060.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec.
1. RCW
90.82.060 and 1998 c 247 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
(1)
Planning conducted under this chapter must provide for a process to allow the
local citizens within a WRIA or multi-WRIA area to join together in an effort
to: (a) Assess the status of the water resources of their WRIA or multi-WRIA
area; and (b) determine how best to manage the water resources of the WRIA or
multi-WRIA area to balance the competing resource demands for that area within
the parameters under RCW 90.82.120.
(2)
Watershed planning under this chapter may be initiated for a WRIA only with the
concurrence of: (a) All counties within the WRIA; (b) the largest city or town
within the WRIA unless the WRIA does not contain a city or town; and (c) the
water supply utility obtaining the largest quantity of water from the WRIA or,
for a WRIA with lands within the Columbia Basin project, the water supply
utility obtaining from the Columbia Basin project the largest quantity of water
for the WRIA. To apply for a grant for organizing the planning unit as
provided for under RCW 90.82.040(2)(a), these entities shall designate the
entity that will serve as the lead agency for the planning effort and indicate
how the planning unit will be staffed.
(3)
Watershed planning under this chapter may be initiated for a multi-WRIA area
only with the concurrence of: (a) All counties within the multi-WRIA area; (b)
the largest city or town in each WRIA unless the WRIA does not contain a city
or town; and (c) the water supply utility obtaining the largest quantity of
water in each WRIA.
(4)
If entities in subsection (2) or (3) of this section decide jointly and
unanimously to proceed, they shall invite all tribes with reservation lands
within the management area.
(5)
The entities in subsection (2) or (3) of this section, including the tribes if
they affirmatively accept the invitation, constitute the initiating governments
for the purposes of this section.
(6)
The organizing grant shall be used to organize the planning unit and to
determine the scope of the planning to be conducted. In determining the scope
of the planning activities, consideration shall be given to all existing plans
and related planning activities. The scope of planning must include water
quantity elements as provided in RCW 90.82.070, and may include water quality
elements as contained in RCW 90.82.090, habitat elements as contained in RCW
90.82.100, and instream flow elements as contained in RCW 90.82.080. The
initiating governments shall work with state government, other local
governments within the management area, and affected tribal governments, in
developing a planning process. The initiating governments may hold public
meetings as deemed necessary to develop a proposed scope of work and a proposed
composition of the planning unit. In developing a proposed composition of the
planning unit, the initiating governments shall provide for representation of a
wide range of water resource interests.
(7)
Each state agency with regulatory or other interests in the WRIA or multi-WRIA
area to be planned shall assist the local citizens in the planning effort to
the greatest extent practicable, recognizing any fiscal limitations. In
providing such technical assistance and to facilitate representation on the
planning unit, state agencies may organize and agree upon their representation
on the planning unit. Such technical assistance must only be at the request of
and to the extent desired by the planning unit conducting such planning. The
number of state agency representatives on the planning unit shall be determined
by the initiating governments in consultation with the governor's office.
(8)
As used in this section, "lead agency" means the entity that
coordinates staff support of its own or of other local governments and receives
grants for developing a watershed plan.
Passed the House April 13, 2001.
Passed the Senate April 10, 2001.
Approved by the Governor May
9, 2001.
Filed
in Office of Secretary of State May 9, 2001.
