BILL REQ. #:  H-2206.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/22/07.   

     AN ACT Relating to Puget Sound marine resource committees; adding new sections to chapter 90.71 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds the challenge of developing realistic, effective, and efficient solutions to the conservation and management issues facing Puget Sound requires calling on all available sources of knowledge and creative thinking available in the collective wisdom of Washington's citizens. The legislature further finds that Puget Sound is both a dynamic and localized waterbody with unique local challenges and unique local solutions. As such, it is essential for the future management of Puget Sound that citizens, through their local government, have a voice and an opportunity to share their dedication and interest in the well-being of their community's unique marine waters, while providing a valuable contribution to the statewide efforts aimed at restoring the Puget Sound as a whole.
     (2) The legislature further finds that federally led efforts to establish marine resource committees have proven to be an exciting vehicle for involving local citizens and community leaders in the future discussions, decisions, and restoration commitments in the waters most important to the community. The existing model of using a community-based, nonregulatory organization to examine issues particular to a community's corner of Puget Sound, applying for grants, and thoroughly and fairly investigating available options and solutions has proved to be a valuable asset to Puget Sound and its communities, and is worthy of replication throughout the Puget Sound basin.
     (3) In this act, the legislature intends to establish a structure on which interested local communities can harness the dedication, creativity, and wisdom of their residents in the form of marine resource committees. These committees are intended to compliment, and not compete with or undermine, any other governmental efforts to restore and manage the Puget Sound.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) The legislative authority for each county that borders the marine waters of Puget Sound is authorized to establish marine resource committees consistent with the procedures outlined in section 3 of this act.
     (2) The mission of a marine resource committee created under this section is to address, utilizing sound science, the needs of the marine ecosystem local to the county initiating the marine resource committee.
     (3) A marine resource committee created under this section should review current data and resource conservation and management programs and make prioritized recommendations for additional measures that might be necessary to enhance protection of marine resources.
     (4) The role of a marine resource committee in developing recommendations includes, but is not limited to:
     (a) Utilizing existing data and, to the extent necessary, helping to gather new data on the health of local marine resources;
     (b) Making scientifically based recommendations on local candidate sites for marine protected areas;
     (c) Working closely with local and state officials to help implement recommendations of the marine resource committee;
     (d) Promoting public outreach and education around marine resource conservation and management issues; and
     (e) Engaging in any other activities that the initiating county deems appropriate.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) A marine resource committee, as described in section 2 of this act, may be created by the legislative authority of any county bordering the marine waters of Puget Sound, in cooperation with all appropriate cities and special districts within their boundaries. Adjacent county legislative authorities are encouraged to coordinate their efforts whenever there is a mutual interest in creating a marine resource committee.
     (2) A county may delegate the management and oversight of a marine resource committee created by it under section 2 of this act to a city, or cities, within its jurisdiction, if the city or cities are located on the marine waters of Puget Sound and are willing to accept the delegation. A county may create multiple marine resource committees, and delegate the responsibilities of the different marine resource committees to different cities, if more than one city within a county is located on the marine waters of Puget Sound, and the marine waters adjacent to the cities are judged by the county to be sufficiently distinct.
     (3) Participating county legislative authorities must select members of the marine resource committee, ensuring balanced representation from: Local government; scientific experts; effected economic interests; effected recreational interests; and environmental and conservation interests. An initiating county may delegate its appointment authority to a city or cities that have received from the county the delegated responsibilities of managing and overseeing the marine resource committee.
     (4) County residents may petition the county legislative authority to create a marine resource committee. Upon receipt of a petition, the county legislative authority must respond in writing within sixty days as to whether they will authorize the creation of a marine resource committee as well as the reasons for their decision.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   (1) The action team, or its successor organization, shall serve as the regional coordinating entity for marine resource committees created under section 2 of this act.
     (2) The regional coordinating entity shall serve as a resource to, at a minimum:
     (a) Coordinate and pool grant applications and other funding requests for marine resource committees;
     (b) Coordinate communications and information among marine resource committees;
     (c) Assist marine resource committees to measure themselves against regional performance benchmarks;
     (d) Assist marine resource committees with coordinating local projects to compliment regional priorities; and
     (e) Assist marine resource committees to interact with and compliment other marine resource committees, and other similar groups, constituted under a different authority.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   Nothing in section 2 or 3 of this act is intended to expand or limit the authority of local marine resource committees existing as of the effective date of this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   Sections 2 through 5 of this act are each added to chapter 90.71 RCW.