BILL REQ. #:  S-2231.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/23/07.   

     AN ACT Relating to creating the salmon and watershed planning integration work group; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The salmon and watershed planning integration work group is established. The work group consists of: (a) One member of each of the two largest caucuses of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate; (b) one member of each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; (c) two elected officials from watershed planning groups, one appointed by the president of the senate and one appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and (d) two elected officials from salmon recovery entities, one appointed by the president of the senate and one appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
     (2) The work group shall:
     (a) Review the current status of salmon recovery and watershed entities, plans, and projects, including but not limited to plans and projects developed under chapters 77.85 and 90.82 RCW;
     (b) Review the organizational structure and governance of entities preparing or implementing salmon recovery or watershed plans or projects;
     (c) Make recommendations, if any, regarding salmon recovery and watershed entities, plans, and projects in order to integrate such plans and projects or to otherwise improve planning and project administration;
     (d) Make recommendations, if any, for state incentives to achieve greater integration of salmon recovery and watershed entities, plans, and projects.
     (3) The work group may:
     (a) Review the current sources and uses of funding for administration, operations, planning, and project implementation;
     (b) Work with the Puget Sound partnership if reviewing the Puget Sound watersheds and jointly develop recommendations specific to Puget Sound, to coincide with timelines and requirements for the Puget Sound partnership, created by chapter . . ., (Senate Bill No. 5372), Laws of 2007;
     (c) If appropriate, recommend changes to the current organizational structures, to improve administration of these entities and to foster integration of plans and projects into a comprehensive approach to watershed health and salmon recovery at the watershed level; or
     (d) Recommend actions to improve the utilization and the allocation of mitigation funding on a watershed basis, consistent with the state's policies and programs for optimizing mitigation projects.
     (4) The work group shall report its recommendations, if any, in the form of draft legislation to the appropriate committees of the legislature by November 1, 2008.
     (5)(a) Senate committee services and the office of program research must provide staff to the work group.
     (b) Legislative members of the work group will be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120.
     (6) This section expires July 1, 2009.