CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5219

Chapter 141, Laws of 2007

60th Legislature
2007 Regular Session



NORTHWEST WEATHER AND AVALANCHE CENTER



EFFECTIVE DATE: 07/22/07

Passed by the Senate March 13, 2007
  YEAS 46   NAYS 0

BRAD OWEN
________________________________________    
President of the Senate
Passed by the House April 9, 2007
  YEAS 98   NAYS 0

FRANK CHOPP
________________________________________    
Speaker of the House of Representatives


 
CERTIFICATE

I, Thomas Hoemann, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5219 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.

THOMAS HOEMANN
________________________________________    
Secretary
Approved April 20, 2007, 2:25 p.m.








CHRISTINE GREGOIRE
________________________________________    
Governor of the State of Washington
 
FILED
April 20, 2007







Secretary of State
State of Washington


_____________________________________________ 

SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5219
_____________________________________________

Passed Legislature - 2007 Regular Session
State of Washington60th Legislature2007 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation (originally sponsored by Senator Jacobsen)

READ FIRST TIME 02/14/07.   



     AN ACT Relating to the Northwest weather and avalanche center; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that the Northwest weather and avalanche center (NWAC) provides valuable forecasting and education services, provides valuable information to the public, and reduces the impacts of adverse mountain weather and avalanches on recreation, industry, and transportation in Washington state. To conduct its forecasts, the NWAC receives information from the forty-two weather stations it maintains or helps to maintain, consults sources of on-the-ground weather observations, and utilizes information from the national weather service. The NWAC provides mountain weather and avalanche information through a public hotline recording and over the internet.
     The NWAC program, which was initiated in 1975, has been administered by the United States forest service since 1976. Throughout its history, the NWAC has been an interagency funded program, receiving significant funds from state, federal, and private sources. However, the NWAC faces funding shortfalls beginning in 2007 and for the foreseeable future, creating the possibility that the NWAC will have to reduce its services or close. It is the intent of the legislature to ensure, in continued cooperation with federal and private sources, that the NWAC receives the resources necessary to continue providing weather and avalanche forecasts for the benefit of Washington state.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) The state parks and recreation commission shall invite the United States forest service, the national weather service, and the national park service to cooperatively develop an intergovernmental plan and recommendations that seek to ensure that the Northwest weather and avalanche center program has the resources to continue operating at its current level of service into the future.
     (2) In developing the plan and recommendations, the state parks and recreation commission shall seek to address issues to include: Administrative control over the Northwest weather and avalanche center program; the physical location of the Northwest weather and avalanche center program; administrative control over the employees, equipment, and facilities of the Northwest weather and avalanche center; and ensuring continued cooperative funding, with equitable contributions from federal, state, local, and private sources, to meet the long-term needs of the Northwest weather and avalanche center.
     (3) In addition to the government agencies listed in subsection (1) of this section, the state parks and recreation commission and participating agencies may invite the department of transportation, the interagency committee for outdoor recreation, the United States department of transportation, other relevant state and federal entities, and relevant local governments, including counties along the Cascade mountain range, and private organizations to participate in the development of the plan and recommendations.
     (4) The state parks and recreation commission shall, by December 1, 2007, provide an update on the development of the plan and recommendations to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the senate and house of representatives. The state parks and recreation commission shall, by December 1, 2008, provide the final plan and recommendations to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the senate and house of representatives. The state parks and recreation commission shall also provide a copy of the final plan and recommendations to participating public and private entities.
     (5) The state parks and recreation commission, or any other state agency, may not assume administrative control over the Northwest weather and avalanche center program, its employees, its equipment, or its facilities without specific legislative authorization.
     (6) This section expires June 30, 2009.


         Passed by the Senate March 13, 2007.
         Passed by the House April 9, 2007.
         Approved by the Governor April 20, 2007.
         Filed in Office of Secretary of State April 20, 2007.