BILL REQ. #:  S-3918.1 

Read first time 01/14/08.   Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation.

     AN ACT Relating to improving the coordination of marine protected areas in Washington; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that Washington contains an array of marine protected areas managed by state, federal, tribal, and local governments. The many entities managing marine protected areas have developed distinct goals for protected areas, criteria for protected area establishment, management practices, terminology, and monitoring practices for these areas. The legislature supports all efforts to protect, conserve, and sustainably manage marine life and resources. However, the legislature finds that additional coordination between marine protected areas managers will improve the collective resource protection capacity of marine protected areas in Washington. The legislature further finds that additional coordination between state agencies and local governments and citizens will increase local involvement in, and the success of, marine protected areas.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) The marine protected areas work group is established. The work group shall:
     (a) Examine the current inventory and management of Washington's marine protected areas;
     (b) Develop recommendations to improve coordination and consistency among marine protected areas and marine protected areas managers regarding goals for protected areas, criteria for protected area establishment, management practices, terminology, and monitoring practices;
     (c) Develop recommendations to improve the integration of science into marine protected area establishment and management decisions;
     (d) Develop recommendations to further integrate local governments and nongovernmental organizations into the establishment and management of marine protected areas; and
     (e) Provide any other recommendations to improve the effectiveness of marine protected areas in Washington.
     (2) The director of fish and wildlife, or the director's designee, shall chair the work group. The chair shall invite representatives of state agencies and local governments with jurisdiction over or that manage marine protected areas in Washington to participate in the work group. These entities must include, but are not limited to, the department of fish and wildlife, the department of natural resources, the state parks and recreation commission, and appropriate marine resources committees. The chair shall invite representatives of appropriate federal agencies and tribal governments to participate in the work group. The chair may also invite other appropriate state agencies to participate in the work group. The chair is responsible for convening the work group and for directing the work of the work group. State agencies invited to participate in the work group must participate and work cooperatively with the department of fish and wildlife to carry out this act.
     (3) For the purposes of this section, "marine protected area" means a geographic marine or estuarine area designated by a state, federal, tribal, or local government in order to provide long-term protection for part or all of the resources within that area.
     (4) By December 1, 2009, the work group must provide the appropriate committees of the legislature with: (a) An inventory of marine protected areas in Washington; and (b) a summary of the issues and recommendations identified under subsection (1)(b) through (e) of this section.