State of Washington | 60th Legislature | 2008 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/07/08.
AN ACT Relating to mitigating the impacts of climate change through the growth management act; adding a new section to chapter 36.70A RCW; creating new sections; and providing expiration dates.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 (1) The legislature recognizes that the
profound implications of a changed climate will affect the peoples,
institutions, and economies of Washington. While no single local
government can substantially influence greenhouse gas emissions or
climate change trends, the legislature recognizes that the state,
including its local governments and residents, must do its part to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
(2) The legislature further recognizes that: (a) Patterns of land
use development significantly influence transportation-related
greenhouse gas emissions; (b) fossil fuel-based transportation is the
largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Washington; and (c) the
state and its residents will not achieve emission reductions
established in RCW 80.80.020 without a significant decrease in
transportation emissions. To this end, the legislature finds that
local land use and state and local transportation plans should be
developed to: Minimize greenhouse gas emissions associated with new
development and transportation improvements; and reduce overall
greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with RCW 80.80.020.
(3) The legislature finds that comprehensive land use plans of
local governments can be a significant tool for meaningfully addressing
these difficult issues. The legislature recognizes that locally
adopted plans should: (a) Minimize land use patterns that increase
vehicle usage; (b) encourage compact communities, in-filling, denser
development, linkages with transit options, and other practices that
reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled; and (c) encourage green
jobs and the provision of affordable housing in areas near employment
and service centers.
(4) The legislature also finds that the effects of global warming
are becoming evident in Washington, adversely affecting its residents,
economy, and environment. It is critical that Washington and its
counties and cities plan to adapt to these adverse effects and take
steps to prevent problematic circumstances from becoming worse.
(5) The legislature further finds that addressing land use-related
climate issues will simultaneously advance many other land use planning
goals and provide public dividends, including: (a) Realizing
reductions in the costs of providing public facilities and services
through more compact development; (b) increasing housing affordability
through lower public costs and more compact patterns of growth; (c)
lessening transportation costs through reductions in the number of
vehicle miles traveled; and (d) accomplishing goals for the protection
of the environmental resources of rural areas and resource lands by
reducing sprawl. The legislature also recognizes that alternative
fuels, and vehicles that use alternative fuels or have increased
efficiencies, will contribute to lessening greenhouse gas emissions and
will encourage investment in these fuels, energy sources, and
technologies.
(6) Without prompt, effective, and comprehensive responses to the
environmental and governance challenges of climate change, meaningful
solutions to these borderless issues will continue to elude the state
and its residents. The legislature recognizes that many Washington
counties and cities have begun to independently address climate change.
The legislature further finds that to achieve the state's emission
reduction goals, a collaborative effort is needed. This act is the
first step toward providing local governments with the tools that are
necessary to accomplish the state's emission reduction goals.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 36.70A RCW
to read as follows:
(1) The department must develop and provide advisory climate change
response methodologies, computer modeling programs, and estimates to
counties and cities that include a range of methodologies and
estimates. The advisory methodologies, computer modeling programs, and
estimates must reflect regional and local variations and the diversity
of counties and cities planning under this chapter, and, at a minimum,
also must:
(a) Identify the greenhouse gas emission reductions that various
land use and building measures are estimated to produce. The
methodologies developed under this subsection (1)(a) may be expressed
as a methodology or a quantification of probable reductions. The
methodologies must be capable of considering documented benefits of
accommodating growth within urban centers that provide for compact
development, appropriate mixes of uses, transit, nonmotorized travel
choices, and a balance of employment and housing;
(b) Consider potential policies, regulatory programs, and other
measures counties and cities can implement to adapt to the likely
adverse effects of global warming. Policies, programs, and measures
considered under this subsection (1)(b) must be consistent with the
department of ecology's preparation and adaption work group;
(c) Identify potential measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by lessening vehicle travel; and
(d) Estimate the number of vehicle miles traveled.
(2) The department must complete and make available the advisory
climate change response methodologies and estimates required by this
section by December 1, 2009. These advisory climate change response
methodologies and estimates must also be updated two years before each
completion date established in RCW 36.70A.130(4)(a).
(3) In preparing the methodologies and estimates, the department
must periodically consult with the advisory team required by section
4(3) of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 (1) A local government global warming
mitigation and adaptation program is established. The program must be
administered by the department of community, trade, and economic
development. The department must, through a competitive process,
select at least three counties and six cities for the program. At
least one county and one city selected for the program must have
potential to be adversely impacted by global warming through sea-level
increases, storms, flooding, or other adverse effects. At least one
county and one city must be located east of the crest of the Cascade
mountains. At least one county and one city must be located west of
the crest of the Cascade mountains and outside the central Puget Sound
region. Counties selected must reflect a range of opportunities to
address climate change in urbanizing, resource, or agricultural areas.
Cities selected must reflect a range of sizes, geographic locations,
and variations between those that are highly urbanized and those that
are less so and include more residential dwellings than employment
positions.
(2) The program is established to assist counties and cities that
are addressing climate change through their land use and transportation
planning, and those that aspire to do so but lack necessary resources.
The department may fund proposals to inventory global warming
emissions, mitigate global warming emissions, or adapt to the adverse
impacts of global warming using criteria established by the department
to accomplish the objectives of this act.
(3) The department must provide grants and technical assistance to
aid the selected counties and cities in their efforts to anticipate,
mitigate, and adapt to global warming and its associated problems.
(4) The program must conclude by June 30, 2010.
(5) If specific funding for the purposes of this section,
referencing this act by bill or chapter number and section number is
not provided by June 30, 2008, in the omnibus appropriations act, this
section is null and void.
(6) This section expires January 1, 2011, with a report by the
department to the governor and the appropriate committees of the house
of representatives and the senate on program findings and
recommendations.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4 (1) With the use of funds provided by
specific appropriation, by December 1, 2008, the department of
community, trade, and economic development must provide to the governor
and appropriate committees of the house of representatives and the
senate, a report that includes: (a) A description of what actions
counties and cities are taking to address climate change issues; (b) a
recommendation of what changes, if any, to chapter 36.70A RCW and other
relevant statutes that would enable state and local governments to
address climate change issues through land use and transportation
planning processes; (c) an assessment of state and local resources,
financial and otherwise, needed to fully implement the recommendations
of (b) of this subsection; and (d) recommendations for funding to
implement the recommendations of (b) of this subsection that is
consistent with the assessment required in (c) of this subsection.
(2) The report must address, as appropriate and with information
that is readily available: (a) What counties and cities have
voluntarily done to identify the greenhouse gas emissions of their
communities, including those created by counties and cities through
governmental activities; (b) the range of strategies chosen by
jurisdictions to reduce emissions from their own activities and those
of the entire community; (c) a description of obstacles and
opportunities to achieve emission reductions in a variety of urban and
rural areas; and (d) recommendations for statutory amendments, if any,
that are necessary to facilitate emission reductions at the county and
city levels.
(3) In preparing the report, the department shall convene and
consult with an advisory team comprised of the following interests, at
a minimum: (a) Two members of each major and minor caucus of the house
of representatives and the senate; (b) one representative from the
office of the governor; (c) one representative from the department of
ecology; (d) one representative from the department of community,
trade, and economic development; (e) one representative from a city and
county from each of the jurisdictional areas of a growth management
hearings board; (f) one representative of an association representing
real estate interests; (g) one representative from an association
representing local government planners; (h) one representative from a
nonprofit entity with experience in growth management and land use
planning issues; (i) one representative from a statewide business
association; and (j) one representative from a nonprofit entity with
experience in climate change issues. With the exceptions of (a) of
this subsection, which shall be appointed by the president of the
senate and the speaker of the house of representatives, (b) of this
subsection, which shall be nominated by the governor, and (c) of this
subsection, which shall be nominated by the department of ecology,
nominations from appropriate organizations shall be submitted to the
climate advisory team by July 1, 2008.
(4) This section expires December 31, 2008.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5 This act is not intended to amend or affect
chapter 353, Laws of 2007.