BILL REQ. #:  S-3772.1 

Read first time 01/13/10.   Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation.

     AN ACT Relating to creating a task force to review conservation district functions and operations for the twenty-first century; 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 state's conservation district laws were enacted seven decades ago based on circumstances that were significantly different from what exists today. The legislature finds that these districts provide a valuable service with their unique and proven approach to stewardship of private land, water, and natural resources especially in areas with altered and built environments. Districts are noted for their high degree of success in engaging with private landowners in terms of developing practical solutions cooperatively with landowners on a range of land, water, and natural resource stewardship concerns. The legislature finds that this cooperative voluntary approach is especially important today in highly populated urban and suburban areas and, given the Puget Sound initiative, in the western region of the state.
     However, the legislature believes that conservation districts have not been able to fully achieve their potential to advance workable solutions for improved stewardship of natural resources. As a result, the gap in understanding between rural landowner needs and concerns and those of urban constituencies continues to exist and cause significant tension. Further, given projected population growth with its attendant impacts, given the imperative to achieve and maintain healthy major waterways such as the Columbia and Spokane rivers and Puget Sound, and given the growing realization that food security from local sources is dependent upon the continued viability of local farming operations, there is a critical need at this time to evaluate the functions and operations of conservation districts.
     The purpose of this act is to convene a broadly based task force to examine the conservation district laws, review the functions and operations of conservation districts, and to recommend changes that will allow conservation districts to be more effective in fulfilling their roles and mission in addressing twenty-first century needs.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) The conservation district task force is established. The task force shall consist of the following members:
     (a) One member representing the state conservation commission appointed by the chair of the state conservation commission;
     (b) One member representing the Puget Sound partnership appointed by its leadership council;
     (c) Up to seven members representing the range of conservation districts in the state, one of whom shall be from a county with a population that exceeds one million five hundred thousand people, appointed by the state association representing conservation districts;
     (d) Three representatives of statewide agricultural associations, one of whom shall be from an organization that represents livestock producers, appointed by the governor in consultation with the director of agriculture;
     (e) Two representatives of statewide environmental organizations that have an ongoing interest and experience in working with conservation districts on projects and activities in the existing altered and built environments and with land trusts, appointed by the governor;
     (f) Two representatives of cities reflecting the size spectrum of cities, appointed by a statewide association representing city governments; and
     (g) Two representatives of county governments, one whom shall represent counties with a population of over five hundred thousand, appointed by the state association representing county governments.
     (2) Tribal governments shall be invited by the governor to send a representative who is familiar with agricultural and urban concerns to serve on the task force.
     (3) The task force shall examine the following:
     (a) The process of selecting conservation district board members and whether the method of selecting members should be altered;
     (b) The methods by which conservation district activities are funded and whether the source of funding districts should be altered, including revenue from conservation district assessments and from state funding sources;
     (c) The current role and mission of conservation districts and whether conservation districts are structured to effectively fulfill their role and mission;
     (d) The jurisdictional areas of conservation districts and whether the differences between urban and rural areas are being successfully bridged by conservation district programs;
     (e) What needs that conservation districts are filling and what the public expectations are in the twenty-first century;
     (f) What makes natural resource stewardship projects and activities successful by inquiring with various groups with experience including the Ruckelshaus center, local salmon recovery boards, conservation districts, and the participants of successful programs; and
     (g) Other issues relevant to operation and function of conservation districts identified in the governor's natural resources reform report, including but not limited to the conservation incentives service delivery proposal.
     (4) The task force shall vote to select its chair or cochairs.
     (5) The task force shall be staffed by a facilitator who has proven understanding of the differences between urban, suburban, and rural culture and values, and has experience and familiarity with successful implementation of conservation programs. The facilitator, or cofacilitators, shall be appointed as independent contractors by the governor in consultation with this act's sponsoring legislators.
     (6) The task force shall issue a report of its findings and conclusions by December 1, 2011, to the governor's office, the chief clerk of the house of representatives and the secretary of the senate.
     (7) This section expires March 1, 2012.