Title: An act relating to collection and preservation of oral histories about Hood Canal.

Brief Description: Providing for collection of oral histories about Hood Canal.

Sponsors: House Committee on Select Committee on Hood Canal (originally sponsored by Representatives McCoy, Pearson, Eickmeyer, Upthegrove and Haigh).

Brief History: Passed House: 3/11/05, 94-0.

Committee Activity: Government Operations & Elections: 3/21/05, 3/28/05, 2/22/06 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ELECTIONS

Majority Report: Do pass as amended.Signed by Senators Kastama, Chair; Berkey, Vice Chair; Roach, Ranking Minority Member; Benton, Fairley, Haugen, Kline, Mulliken and Pridemore.

Staff: Cindy Fazio (786-7405)

Background: The Hood Canal is a glacier-carved fjord approximately 60 miles in length with approximately 180 miles of shoreline. Portions of Hood Canal have had low dissolved oxygen concentrations for many years. In the 1950's the University of Washington recorded low dissolved oxygen concentrations in Hood Canal. In recent years, low dissolved oxygen concentrations and significant fish death events have been recorded on Hood Canal. The 2004 dissolved oxygen concentrations in southern Hood Canal were the lowest recorded concentrations for the water body.

Summary of Amended Bill: The Evergreen State College must administer and conduct a program to record and document oral histories of tribal elders and other long-term residents of the Hood Canal area. The purpose of the interviews is to collect information and perspectives regarding the Hood Canal's historical conditions, including fish kill reports, marine species behavioral changes, fishing and harvesting histories, and other environmental health conditions.
   
The college must offer Hood Canal area tribes an opportunity to review the documents, information, photographs, or other materials collected through the oral history program to determine whether any of these materials relate to the location of tribal archaeological sites. Any materials identified by a tribe as relating to a tribal archaeological site(s) are exempt from public disclosure under state law and must be provided to the tribe for its own archival purposes.

The college may retain no more than 5 percent of program funding for its cash related to program administration.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill: The expiration date of the Act is changed from July 1, 2008 to July 1, 2009.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available for original bill; appropriation removed from engrossed substitute bill.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed. The program provisions expire on July 1, 2008.

Testimony For: When looking for solutions to the problems of Hood Canal, it is very important to gather the existing oral history. The citizens of Hood Canal have cultural information that may help bring about solutions. We must address the fish kills and the nitrates and should have as much information as possible to formulate solutions.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Representative John McCoy, prime sponsor.