BILL REQ. #:  H-1583.1 

Read first time 02/05/2007.   Referred to Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources.

     AN ACT Relating to preparing a response to the consequences of climate change on the forests of the state; creating new sections; and making appropriations.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that sustained global climatic changes will have an effect on the health and productivity of the forests in Washington. In just one instance, recent observations of high summer temperatures coupled with low moisture in eastern Washington, both outside of the one hundred year historic range of variability, are contributing to an alarming increase in mountain pine beatle infestations. The increase in pest infestations leads to an increase in tree mortality and severe fires.
     (2) The legislature further finds that minimizing the impacts of global climate change, and restoring the health and resiliency of eastern Washington's forests, will require an accelerated approach to research coupled with an aggressive outreach and training program to motivate an appropriate response on the ground. Better data can be used to mobilize ground responses with enhanced site-specific treatments.
     (3) The legislature further finds that investments made today, both in research, training, and on-the-ground treatments, will prove more cost-effective, conserve more resources, and save more firefighting costs than the option of doing nothing.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The department of natural resources shall contract with the college of forest resources at the University of Washington to:
     (1) Determine how treatments may be customized to site-specific conditions and to identify the most cost-effective treatments for reducing the risk of climate change and restoring forest health.
     (2) Implement a program of technology transfer through a series of outreach activities, including trainer training, community group outreach, and the production of streaming video and other instructional materials concerning the risks of not responding to changing climatic conditions and the benefits of various treatment options.
     (3) Develop methods by which state and federal agencies, private and community groups, and Indian tribes may directly assess the costs associated with different management options, including the cost of no action and how future costs can be avoided.
     (4) Analyze the institutional cost accounting methods to demonstrate where savings are accumulated and where investments are most needed to restore forest health, and provide recommended alternatives that can improve the responsiveness of treatments, biomass collection, and infrastructure development investments aimed at reducing health risks as applied differently to federal, state, and private ownerships.
     (5) Support other programs that assess the feasibility of converting large amounts of underutilized biomass into useful products and green energy by providing required analyses needed to efficiently collect and deliver biomass to green energy end users.
     (6) Conduct a pilot project on a high hazard area of forest land that collects and analyzes remote sensing data, using tools such as light detection and ranging data, in order to rapidly track forest health changes and provide information for planning ground treatments and the design of a comprehensive health tracking and treatment planning system for state monitoring.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) The sum of five hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, from the general fund to the department of natural resources for the purposes of this act.
     (2) The sum of five hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, from the general fund to the department of natural resources for the purposes of this act.