Title: An act relating to the salmon recovery funding board.

Brief Description: Concerning the conditioning of grants and loans by the salmon recovery funding board.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation (originally sponsored by Senators Parlette and Jacobsen).

Brief History:

Natural Resources, Ecology & Parks: 3/18/05, 3/31/05 [DPA].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, ECOLOGY & PARKS

Majority Report: Do pass as amended. Signed by 11 members: Representatives B. Sullivan, Chair; Upthegrove, Vice Chair; Buck, Ranking Minority Member; Kretz, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Blake, DeBolt, Dickerson, Eickmeyer, Hunt, Orcutt and Williams.

Staff: Jeff Olsen (786-7157).

Background:

The Salmon Recovery Funding Board (Board) was created by the Legislature during the 1999 legislative session to allocate funds for salmon habitat and recovery activities. The Board is required to consider several factors in evaluating, ranking and awarding funds for salmon recovery projects. The Board may condition a grant or loan to prohibit the transfer of property to a federal agency unless the agency agrees to comply with all the terms of the grant or loan. Property that was improved because of a grant or loan by the Board may be conveyed to a federal agency, but only if the agency agrees to comply with all of the conditions of the grant or loan.

Summary of Amended Bill:

Property that was acquired or improved because of a grant or loan by the Board may be conveyed to a federal agency if the Board approves changes in the terms of the grant or loan and revises or removes binding deed of right instruments. In addition, the Board must approve a memorandum of understanding ensuring that the facility or property will retain, to the extent feasible, adequate habitat protections. In addition the appropriate local legislative authority must approve the transfer.

Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:

The amended bill requires the appropriate local legislative authority to approve a land transfer to the federal government within their jurisdiction if the land was acquired with a grant or loan awarded by the Board.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date of Amended Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: There is currently a land exchange proposal in Chelan county along the White River that would transfer land to a federal agency in exchange for federal land that could be developed. The Chelan Douglas County Land Trust would donate lands acquired with a Salmon Recovery Funding Board (Board) grant to the federal government, and the federal government would transfer land to the county. The exchange is a benefit to all parties. Since the federal agency will not accept the land with a deed restriction, the bill would address that concern, allowing the Board to approve the transfer.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: Bill Robinson, The Nature Conservancy; and Laura Johnson, Interagency Committee on Outdoor Recreation and The Salmon Recovery Fund Board.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.