HOUSE BILL REPORT
SB 5006
As Reported by House Committee On:
Natural Resources, Ecology & Parks
Title: An act relating to the sale of aquaculture products from leased state-owned aquatic lands.
Brief Description: Concerning the sale of aquaculture products produced on leased state-owned aquatic land.
Sponsors: Senator Jacobsen.
Brief History:
Natural Resources, Ecology & Parks: 3/17/05, 3/24/05 [DP].
Brief Summary of Bill |
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, ECOLOGY & PARKS
Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 10 members: Representatives B. Sullivan, Chair; Upthegrove, Vice Chair; Buck, Ranking Minority Member; Kretz, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Blake, DeBolt, Dickerson, Hunt, Orcutt and Williams.
Staff: Jason Callahan (786-7117).
Background:
State-owned aquatic lands may be leased by private enterprises for the production of
aquaculture products. The Department of Natural Resources (Department) is authorized to
enter into 30-year leases with aquaculture producers on tidelands and the beds of navigable
waters. In most instances, the value of the aquaculture products produced on state-owned
aquatic lands belongs to the lessee of the lands.
However, geoducks must be sold by the state as a valuable material, regardless if they are
naturally-occurring or raised as an aquaculture product. All valuable materials must be sold
at a public auction or by sealed bid to the highest responsible bidder.
Summary of Bill:
Aquaculture products that are produced on state-owned aquatic lands may be sold by the
person that produced the product without going through a competitive bid or public auction
process.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: This bill ensures that those leasing state owned aquatic lands for geoduck production can harvest their product. There are no geoducks being farmed on state lands as of now, but this is a first step towards inducing geoduck aquaculture. With this bill, geoducks will be treated like oysters and clams. The Department is working on a study now to look at the feasibility of geoduck aquaculture, and this is the first recommendation that has come from the feasibility study.
Testimony Against: None.
Persons Testifying: Fran McNair, Department of Fish and Wildlife.