READ FIRST TIME 02/17/11.   

     AN ACT Relating to implementing recommendations developed in accordance with Substitute Senate Bill No. 5248, chapter 353, Laws of 2007; amending RCW 36.70A.280; reenacting and amending RCW 36.70A.130; adding new sections to chapter 36.70A RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The purpose of this act is to establish the voluntary stewardship program as recommended in the report submitted by the William D. Ruckelshaus Center to the legislature as required by chapter 353, Laws of 2007 and chapter 203, Laws of 2010.
     (2) It is the intent of this act to:
     (a) Promote plans to protect and enhance critical areas within the area where agricultural activities are conducted, while maintaining and improving the long-term viability of agriculture in the state of Washington and reducing the conversion of farmland to other uses;
     (b) Focus and maximize voluntary incentive programs to encourage good riparian and ecosystem stewardship as an alternative to historic approaches used to protect critical areas;
     (c) Rely upon RCW 36.70A.060 for the protection of critical areas for those counties that do not choose to participate in this program;
     (d) Leverage existing resources by relying upon existing work and plans in counties and local watersheds, as well as existing state and federal programs to the maximum extent practicable to achieve program goals;
     (e) Foster a spirit of cooperation among diverse interest groups to better assure the program success;
     (f) Improve compliance with other laws designed to protect water quality and fish habitat; and
     (g) Rely upon voluntary stewardship practices as the primary method of protecting critical areas and not require the cessation of agricultural activities.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The definitions in this section apply to sections 1 through 15 of this act and RCW 36.70A.130 and 36.70A.280 unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (1) "Agricultural activities" means all agricultural uses and practices as defined in RCW 90.58.065.
     (2) "Commission" means the state conservation commission as defined in RCW 89.08.030.
     (3) "Director" means the executive director of the state conservation commission.
     (4) "Enhance" or "enhancement" means to improve the processes, structure, and functions existing, as of the effective date of this section, of ecosystems and habitats associated with critical areas.
     (5) "Participating watershed" means a watershed identified by a county under section 4(1) of this act to participate in the program.
     (6) "Priority watershed" means a geographic area nominated by the county and designated by the commission.
     (7) "Program" means the voluntary stewardship program established in section 3 of this act.
     (8) "Protect" or "protecting" means to prevent the degradation of functions and values existing as of the effective date of this section.
     (9) "Receipt of funding" means the date a county takes legislative action accepting any funds as required in section 5(1) of this act to implement the program.
     (10) "Statewide advisory committee" means the statewide advisory committee created in section 11 of this act.
     (11) "Technical panel" means the directors or director designees of the following agencies: The department of fish and wildlife; the department of agriculture; the department of ecology; and the commission.
     (12) "Watershed" means a water resource inventory area, salmon recovery planning area, or a subbasin as determined by a county.
     (13) "Watershed group" means an entity designated by a county under the provisions of section 5 of this act.
     (14) "Work plan" means a watershed work plan developed under the provisions of section 6 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) The voluntary stewardship program is established to be administered by the commission. The program shall be designed to protect and enhance critical areas on lands used for agricultural activities through voluntary actions by agricultural operators.
     (2) In administering the program, the commission must:
     (a) Establish policies and procedures for implementing the program;
     (b) Administer funding for counties to implement the program including, but not limited to, funding to develop strategies and incentive programs and to establish local guidelines for watershed stewardship programs;
     (c) Administer the program's technical assistance funds and coordinate among state agencies and other entities for the implementation of the program;
     (d) Establish a technical panel;
     (e) In conjunction with the technical panel, review and evaluate: (i) Work plans submitted for approval under section 6(2)(a) of this act; and (ii) reports submitted under section 6(2)(b) of this act;
     (f) Review and evaluate the program's success and effectiveness and make appropriate changes to policies and procedures for implementing the program, in consultation with the statewide advisory committee and other affected agencies;
     (g) Designate priority watersheds based upon the recommendation of the statewide advisory committee. The commission and the statewide advisory committee may only consider watersheds nominated by counties under section 4 of this act. When designating priority watersheds, the commission and the statewide advisory committee shall consider the statewide significance of the criteria listed in section 4(3) of this act;
     (h) Provide administrative support for the program's statewide advisory committee in its work. The administrative support must be in collaboration with the department of ecology and other agencies involved in the program;
     (i) Maintain a web site about the program that includes times, locations, and agenda information for meetings of the statewide advisory committee;
     (j) Report to the legislature on the general status of program implementation by December 1, 2013, and December 1, 2015;
     (k) In conjunction with the statewide advisory committee, conduct a review of the program beginning in 2017 and every five years thereafter, and report its findings to the legislature by December 1st; and
     (l) Report to the appropriate committees of the legislature in the format provided in RCW 43.01.036.
     (3) The department shall assist counties participating in the program to develop plans and development regulations under section 9(1) of this act.
     (4) The commission, department, department of agriculture, department of fish and wildlife, department of ecology, and other state agencies as directed by the governor shall:
     (a) Cooperate and collaborate to implement the program; and
     (b) Develop materials to assist local watershed groups in development of work plans.
     (5) State agencies conducting new monitoring to implement the program in a watershed must focus on the goals and benchmarks of the work plan.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   (1)(a) As an alternative to protecting critical areas in areas used for agricultural activities through development regulations adopted under RCW 36.70A.060, the legislative authority of a county may elect to protect such critical areas through the program.
     (b) In order to participate in the program, within six months after the effective date of this section, the legislative authority of a county must adopt an ordinance or resolution that:
     (i) Elects to have the county participate in the program;
     (ii) Identifies the watersheds that will participate in the program; and
     (iii) Based on the criteria in subsection (4) of this section, nominates watersheds for consideration by the commission as state priority watersheds.
     (2) Before adopting the ordinance or resolution under subsection (1) of this section, the county must provide notice following the public participation and notice provisions of RCW 36.70A.035 to property owners and other affected and interested individuals, tribes, government agencies, businesses, school districts, and organizations.
     (3) In identifying watersheds to participate in the program, a county must consider:
     (a) The role of farming within the watershed, including the number and acreage of farms, the economic value of crops and livestock, and the risk of the conversion of farmland; and
     (b) Existing watershed programs, including those of other jurisdictions in which the watershed has territory.
     (4) In identifying priority watersheds, a county must consider the following:
     (a) The role of farming within the watershed, including the number and acreage of farms, the economic value of crops and livestock, and the risk of the conversion of farmland;
     (b) The importance of salmonid resources in the watershed;
     (c) An evaluation of the biological diversity of wildlife species and their habitats in the geographic region including their significance and vulnerability;
     (d) The presence of leadership within the watershed that is representative and inclusive of the interests in the watershed;
     (e) Integration of regional watershed strategies, including the availability of a data and scientific review structure related to all types of critical areas;
     (f) The presence of a local watershed group that is willing and capable of overseeing a successful program, and that has the operational structures to administer the program effectively, including professional technical assistance staff, and monitoring and adaptive management structures; and
     (g) The overall likelihood of completing a successful program in the watershed.
     (5) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (9) of this section, beginning with the effective date of the ordinance or resolution adopted under subsection (1) of this section, the program applies to all unincorporated property upon which agricultural activities occur within a participating watershed.
     (6)(a) Except as otherwise provided in (b) of this subsection, within two years after the effective date of this section, a county must review and, if necessary, revise development regulations adopted under this chapter to protect critical areas as they specifically apply to agricultural activities:
     (i) If the county has not elected to participate in the program, for all unincorporated areas; or
     (ii) If the county has elected to participate in the program, for any watershed not participating in the program.
     (b) A county that between July 1, 2003, and June 30, 2007, in accordance with RCW 36.70A.130 completed the review of its development regulations as required by RCW 36.70A.130 to protect critical areas as they specifically apply to agricultural activities is not required to review and revise its development regulations until required by RCW 36.70A.130.
     (c) After the review and amendment required under (a) of this subsection, RCW 36.70A.130 applies to the subsequent review and amendment of development regulations adopted under this chapter to protect critical areas as they specifically apply to agricultural activities.
     (7)(a) A county that has made the election under subsection (1) of this section may withdraw a participating watershed from the program by adopting an ordinance or resolution withdrawing the watershed from the program. A county may withdraw a watershed from the program at the end of three years, five years, or eight years after receipt of funding, or any time after ten years from receipt of funding.
     (b) Within eighteen months after withdrawing a participating watershed from the program, the county must review and, if necessary, revise its development regulations that protect critical areas in that watershed as they specifically apply to agricultural activities. The development regulations must protect the critical area functions and values as they existed on the effective date of this section. RCW 36.70A.130 applies to the subsequent review and amendment of development regulations adopted under this chapter to protect critical areas as they specifically apply to agricultural activities.     
     (8) A county that has made the election under subsection (1) of this section is eligible for a share of the funding made available to implement the program, subject to funding availability from the state.
     (9) A county that has made the election under subsection (1) of this section is not required to implement the program in a participating watershed until adequate funding for the program in that watershed is provided to the county.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   (1) When the commission makes funds available to a county that has made the election provided in section 4(1) of this act, the county must within sixty days:
     (a) Acknowledge the receipt of funds; and
     (b) Designate a watershed group and an entity to administer funds for each watershed for which funding has been provided.
     (2) A county must confer with tribes and interested stakeholders before designating or establishing a watershed group.
     (3) The watershed group must include broad representation of key watershed stakeholders and, at a minimum, representatives of agricultural and environmental groups. The county should encourage existing lead entities, watershed planning units, or other integrating organizations to serve as the watershed group.
     (4) The county may designate itself, a tribe, or another entity to coordinate the local watershed group.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   (1) A watershed group designated by a county under section 5 of this act must develop a work plan to protect critical areas while maintaining the viability of agriculture in the watershed. The work plan must include goals and benchmarks for the protection and enhancement of critical areas. In developing and implementing the work plan, the watershed group must:
     (a) Review and incorporate applicable water quality, watershed management, farmland protection, and species recovery data and plans;
     (b) Seek input from tribes, agencies, and stakeholders;
     (c) Develop goals for participation by agricultural operators conducting commercial and noncommercial agricultural activities in the watershed necessary to meet the protection and enhancement benchmarks of the work plan;
     (d) Ensure outreach and technical assistance is provided to agricultural operators in the watershed;
     (e) Create measurable benchmarks that, within ten years after the receipt of funding, are designed to result in (i) the protection of critical area functions and values and (ii) the enhancement of critical area functions and values through voluntary, incentive-based measures;
     (f) Designate the entity or entities that will provide technical assistance;
     (g) Work with the entity providing technical assistance to ensure that individual stewardship plans contribute to the goals and benchmarks of the work plan;
     (h) Incorporate into the work plan any existing development regulations relied upon to achieve the goals and benchmarks for protection;
     (i) Establish baseline monitoring for: (i) Participation activities and implementation of the voluntary stewardship plans and projects; (ii) stewardship activities; and (iii) the effects on critical areas and agriculture relevant to the protection and enhancement benchmarks developed for the watershed;
     (j) Conduct periodic evaluations, institute adaptive management, and provide a written report of the status of plans and accomplishments to the county and to the commission within sixty days after the end of each biennium;
     (k) Assist state agencies in their monitoring programs; and
     (l) Satisfy any other reporting requirements of the program.
     (2)(a) The watershed group shall develop and submit the work plan to the director for approval as provided in section 7 of this act.
     (b)(i) Not later than five years after the receipt of funding for a participating watershed, the watershed group must report to the director and the county on whether it has met the work plan's protection and enhancement goals and benchmarks.
     (ii) If the watershed group determines the protection goals and benchmarks have been met, and the director concurs under section 8 of this act, the watershed group shall continue to implement the work plan.
     (iii) If the watershed group determines the protection goals and benchmarks have not been met, it must propose and submit to the director an adaptive management plan to achieve the goals and benchmarks that were not met. If the director does not approve the adaptive management plan under section 8 of this act, the watershed is subject to section 9 of this act.
     (iv) If the watershed group determines the enhancement goals and benchmarks have not been met, the watershed group must determine what additional voluntary actions are needed to meet the benchmarks, identify the funding necessary to implement these actions, and implement these actions when funding is provided.
     (c)(i) Not later than ten years after receipt of funding for a participating watershed, and every five years thereafter, the watershed group must report to the director and the county on whether it has met the protection and enhancement goals and benchmarks of the work plan.
     (ii) If the watershed group determines the protection goals and benchmarks have been met, and the director concurs under section 8 of this act, the watershed group shall continue to implement the work plan.
     (iii) If the watershed group determines the protection goals and benchmarks have not been met, the watershed is subject to section 9 of this act.
     (iv) If the watershed group determines the enhancement goals and benchmarks have not been met, the watershed group must determine what additional voluntary actions are needed to meet the benchmarks, identify the funding necessary to implement these actions, and implement these actions when funding is provided.
     (3) Following approval of a work plan, a county or watershed group may request a state or federal agency to focus existing enforcement authority in that participating watershed, if the action will facilitate progress toward achieving work plan protection goals and benchmarks.
     (4) The commission may provide priority funding to any watershed designated under the provisions of section 3(2)(g) of this act. The director, in consultation with the statewide advisory committee, shall work with the watershed group to develop an accelerated implementation schedule for watersheds that receive priority funding.
     (5) Commercial and noncommercial agricultural operators participating in the program are eligible to receive funding and assistance under watershed programs.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   (1) Upon receipt of a work plan submitted to the director under section 6(2)(a) of this act, the director must submit the work plan to the technical panel for review.
     (2) The technical panel shall review the work plan and report to the director within forty-five days after the director receives the work plan. The technical panel shall assess whether at the end of ten years after receipt of funding, the work plan, in conjunction with other existing plans and regulations, will protect critical areas while maintaining and enhancing the viability of agriculture in the watershed.
     (3)(a) If the technical panel determines the proposed work plan will protect critical areas while maintaining and enhancing the viability of agriculture in the watershed:
     (i) It must recommend approval of the work plan; and
     (ii) The director must approve the work plan.
     (b) If the technical panel determines the proposed work plan will not protect critical areas while maintaining and enhancing the viability of agriculture in the watershed:
     (i) It must identify the reasons for its determination; and
     (ii) The director must advise the watershed group of the reasons for disapproval.
     (4) The watershed group may modify and resubmit its work plan for review and approval consistent with this section.
     (5) If the director does not approve a work plan submitted under this section within two years and nine months after receipt of funding, the director shall submit the work plan to the statewide advisory committee for resolution. If the statewide advisory committee recommends approval, the director must approve the work plan.
     (6) If the director does not approve a work plan for a watershed within three years after receipt of funding, the provisions of section 9(2) of this act apply to the watershed.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8   (1) Upon receipt of a report by a watershed group under section 6(2)(b) of this act that the work plan goals and benchmarks have been met, the director must consult with the statewide advisory committee. If the director concurs with the watershed group report, the watershed group shall continue to implement the work plan. If the director does not concur with the watershed group report, the director shall consult with the statewide advisory committee following the procedures in subsection (2) of this section.
     (2) If either the director, following receipt of a report under subsection (1) of this section, or the watershed group, in the report submitted to the director under section 6(2)(b) of this act, concludes that the work plan goals and benchmarks for protection have not been met, the director must consult with the statewide advisory committee for a recommendation on how to proceed. If the director, acting upon recommendation from the statewide advisory committee, determines that the watershed is likely to meet the goals and benchmarks with an additional six months of planning and implementation time, the director must grant an extension. If the director, acting upon a recommendation from the statewide advisory committee, determines that the watershed is unlikely to meet the goals and benchmarks within six months, the watershed is subject to section 9 of this act.
     (3) A watershed that fails to meet its goals and benchmarks for protection within the six-month time extension under subsection (2) of this section is subject to section 9 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 9   (1) Within eighteen months after one of the events in subsection (2) of this section, a county must:
     (a) Develop, adopt, and implement a watershed work plan approved by the department that protects critical areas in areas used for agricultural activities while maintaining the viability of agriculture in the watershed. The department shall consult with the departments of agriculture, ecology, and fish and wildlife and the commission, and other relevant state agencies before approving or disapproving the proposed work plan. The appeal of the department's decision under this subsection is subject to appeal under RCW 36.70A.280;
     (b) Adopt development regulations previously adopted under this chapter by another local government for the purpose of protecting critical areas in areas used for agricultural activities. Regulations adopted under this subsection (1)(b) must be from a region with similar agricultural activities, geography, and geology and must: (i) Be from Clallam, Clark, King, or Whatcom counties; or (ii) have been upheld by a growth management hearings board or court after July 1, 2011, where the board or court determined that the provisions adequately protected critical areas functions and values in areas used for agricultural activities;
     (c) Adopt development regulations certified by the department as protective of critical areas in areas used for agricultural activities as required by this chapter. The county may submit existing or amended regulations for certification. The department must make its decision on whether to certify the development regulations within ninety days after the county submits its request. If the department denies the certification, the county shall take an action under (a), (b), or (d) of this subsection. The department must consult with the departments of agriculture, ecology, and fish and wildlife and the commission before making a certification under this section. The appeal of the department's decision under this subsection (1)(c) is subject to appeal under RCW 36.70A.280; or
     (d) Review and, if necessary, revise development regulations adopted under this chapter to protect critical areas as they relate to agricultural activities.
     (2) A participating watershed is subject to this section if:
     (a) The work plan is not approved by the director as provided in section 7 of this act;
     (b) The work plan's goals and benchmarks for protection have not been met as provided in section 6 of this act;
     (c) The commission has determined under section 10 of this act that the county, department, commission, or departments of agriculture, ecology, or fish and wildlife have not received adequate funding to implement a program in the watershed; or
     (d) The commission has determined under section 10 of this act that the watershed has not received adequate funding to implement the program.
     (3) The department shall adopt rules to implement subsection (1)(a) and (c) of this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 10   (1) By July 31, 2015, the commission must:
     (a) In consultation with each county that has elected under section 4 of this act to participate in the program, determine which participating watersheds received adequate funding to establish and implement the program in a participating watershed by July 1, 2015; and
     (b) In consultation with other state agencies, for each participating watershed determine whether state agencies required to take action under the provisions of sections 1 through 15 of this act have received adequate funding to support the program by July 1, 2015.
     (2) By July 31, 2017, and every two years thereafter, in consultation with each county that has elected under section 4 of this act to participate in the program and other state agencies, the commission shall determine for each participating watershed whether adequate funding to implement the program was provided during the preceding biennium as provided in subsection (1) of this section.
     (3) If the commission determines under subsection (1) or (2) of this section that a participating watershed has not received adequate funding, the watershed is subject to the provisions of section 9 of this act.
     (4) In consultation with the statewide advisory committee and other state agencies, not later than August 31, 2015, and each August 31st every two years thereafter, the commission shall report to the legislature and each county that has elected under section 4 of this act to participate in the program on the participating watersheds that have received adequate funding to establish and implement the program.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 11   (1)(a) From the nominations made under (b) of this subsection, the commission shall appoint a statewide advisory committee, consisting of: Two persons representing county government, two persons representing agricultural organizations, and two persons representing environmental organizations. The commission, in conjunction with the governor's office, shall also invite participation by two representatives of tribal governments.
     (b) Organizations representing county, agricultural, and environmental organizations shall submit nominations of their representatives to the commission within ninety days of the effective date of this section. Members of the statewide advisory committee shall serve two-year terms except that for the first year, one representative from each of the sectors shall be appointed to the statewide advisory committee for a term of one year. Members may be reappointed by the commission for additional two-year terms and replacement members shall be appointed in accordance with the process for selection of the initial members of the statewide advisory committee.
     (c) Upon notification of the commission by an appointed member, the appointed member may designate a person to serve as an alternate.
     (d) The executive director of the commission shall serve as a nonvoting chair of the statewide advisory committee.
     (e) Members of the statewide advisory committee shall serve without compensation and, unless serving as a state officer or employee, are not eligible for reimbursement for subsistence, lodging, and travel expenses under RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
     (2) The role of the statewide advisory committee is to advise the commission and other agencies involved in development and operation of the program.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 12   (1) Agricultural operators implementing an individual stewardship plan consistent with a work plan are presumed to be working toward the protection and enhancement of critical areas.
     (2) If the watershed group determines that additional or different practices are needed to achieve the work plan's goals and benchmarks, the agricultural operator may not be required to implement those practices but may choose to implement the revised practices on a voluntary basis and is eligible for funding to revise the practices.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 13   In developing stewardship practices to implement the work plan, to the maximum extent practical the watershed group should:
     (1) Avoid management practices that may have unintended adverse consequences for other habitats, species, and critical areas functions and values; and
     (2) Administer the program in a manner that allows participants to be eligible for public or private environmental protection and enhancement incentives while protecting and enhancing critical area functions and values.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 14   An agricultural operator participating in the program may withdraw from the program and is not required to continue voluntary measures after the expiration of an applicable contract. The watershed group must account for any loss of protection resulting from withdrawals when establishing goals and benchmarks for protection and a work plan under section 6 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 15   Nothing in sections 1 through 14 of this act may be construed to:
     (1) Interfere with or supplant the ability of any agricultural operator to work cooperatively with a conservation district or participate in state or federal conservation programs;
     (2) Require an agricultural operator to discontinue agricultural activities legally existing before the effective date of this section;
     (3) Prohibit the voluntary sale or leasing of land for conservation purposes, either in fee or as an easement;
     (4) Grant counties or state agencies additional authority to regulate critical areas on lands used for agricultural activities; and
     (5) Limit the authority of a state agency, local government, or landowner to carry out its obligations under any other federal, state, or local law.

Sec. 16   RCW 36.70A.130 and 2010 c 216 s 1 and 2010 c 211 s 2 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) Each comprehensive land use plan and development regulations shall be subject to continuing review and evaluation by the county or city that adopted them. Except as otherwise provided, a county or city shall take legislative action to review and, if needed, revise its comprehensive land use plan and development regulations to ensure the plan and regulations comply with the requirements of this chapter according to the deadlines in subsections (4) and (5) of this section.
     (b) Except as otherwise provided, a county or city not planning under RCW 36.70A.040 shall take action to review and, if needed, revise its policies and development regulations regarding critical areas and natural resource lands adopted according to this chapter to ensure these policies and regulations comply with the requirements of this chapter according to the deadlines in subsections (4) and (5) of this section. Legislative action means the adoption of a resolution or ordinance following notice and a public hearing indicating at a minimum, a finding that a review and evaluation has occurred and identifying the revisions made, or that a revision was not needed and the reasons therefor.
     (c) The review and evaluation required by this subsection may be combined with the review required by subsection (3) of this section. The review and evaluation required by this subsection shall include, but is not limited to, consideration of critical area ordinances and, if planning under RCW 36.70A.040, an analysis of the population allocated to a city or county from the most recent ten-year population forecast by the office of financial management.
     (d) Any amendment of or revision to a comprehensive land use plan shall conform to this chapter. Any amendment of or revision to development regulations shall be consistent with and implement the comprehensive plan.
     (2)(a) Each county and city shall establish and broadly disseminate to the public a public participation program consistent with RCW 36.70A.035 and 36.70A.140 that identifies procedures and schedules whereby updates, proposed amendments, or revisions of the comprehensive plan are considered by the governing body of the county or city no more frequently than once every year. "Updates" means to review and revise, if needed, according to subsection (1) of this section, and the deadlines in subsections (4) and (5) of this section or in accordance with the provisions of subsection (6) of this section. Amendments may be considered more frequently than once per year under the following circumstances:
     (i) The initial adoption of a subarea plan. Subarea plans adopted under this subsection (2)(a)(i) must clarify, supplement, or implement jurisdiction-wide comprehensive plan policies, and may only be adopted if the cumulative impacts of the proposed plan are addressed by appropriate environmental review under chapter 43.21C RCW;
     (ii) The development of an initial subarea plan for economic development located outside of the one hundred year floodplain in a county that has completed a state-funded pilot project that is based on watershed characterization and local habitat assessment;
     (iii) The adoption or amendment of a shoreline master program under the procedures set forth in chapter 90.58 RCW;
     (iv) The amendment of the capital facilities element of a comprehensive plan that occurs concurrently with the adoption or amendment of a county or city budget; or
     (v) The adoption of comprehensive plan amendments necessary to enact a planned action under RCW 43.21C.031(2), provided that amendments are considered in accordance with the public participation program established by the county or city under this subsection (2)(a) and all persons who have requested notice of a comprehensive plan update are given notice of the amendments and an opportunity to comment.
     (b) Except as otherwise provided in (a) of this subsection, all proposals shall be considered by the governing body concurrently so the cumulative effect of the various proposals can be ascertained. However, after appropriate public participation a county or city may adopt amendments or revisions to its comprehensive plan that conform with this chapter whenever an emergency exists or to resolve an appeal of a comprehensive plan filed with the growth management hearings board or with the court.
     (3)(a) Each county that designates urban growth areas under RCW 36.70A.110 shall review, at least every ten years, its designated urban growth area or areas, and the densities permitted within both the incorporated and unincorporated portions of each urban growth area. In conjunction with this review by the county, each city located within an urban growth area shall review the densities permitted within its boundaries, and the extent to which the urban growth occurring within the county has located within each city and the unincorporated portions of the urban growth areas.
     (b) The county comprehensive plan designating urban growth areas, and the densities permitted in the urban growth areas by the comprehensive plans of the county and each city located within the urban growth areas, shall be revised to accommodate the urban growth projected to occur in the county for the succeeding twenty-year period. The review required by this subsection may be combined with the review and evaluation required by RCW 36.70A.215.
     (4) Except as provided in subsection (6) of this section, counties and cities shall take action to review and, if needed, revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations to ensure the plan and regulations comply with the requirements of this chapter as follows:
     (a) On or before December 1, 2004, for Clallam, Clark, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston, and Whatcom counties and the cities within those counties;
     (b) On or before December 1, 2005, for Cowlitz, Island, Lewis, Mason, San Juan, Skagit, and Skamania counties and the cities within those counties;
     (c) On or before December 1, 2006, for Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Spokane, and Yakima counties and the cities within those counties; and
     (d) On or before December 1, 2007, for Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grays Harbor, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties and the cities within those counties.
     (5) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (6) and (8) of this section, following the review of comprehensive plans and development regulations required by subsection (4) of this section, counties and cities shall take action to review and, if needed, revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations to ensure the plan and regulations comply with the requirements of this chapter as follows:
     (a) On or before December 1, 2014, and every seven years thereafter, for Clallam, Clark, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston, and Whatcom counties and the cities within those counties;
     (b) On or before December 1, 2015, and every seven years thereafter, for Cowlitz, Island, Lewis, Mason, San Juan, Skagit, and Skamania counties and the cities within those counties;
     (c) On or before December 1, 2016, and every seven years thereafter, for Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Spokane, and Yakima counties and the cities within those counties; and
     (d) On or before December 1, 2017, and every seven years thereafter, for Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grays Harbor, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties and the cities within those counties.
     (6)(a) Nothing in this section precludes a county or city from conducting the review and evaluation required by this section before the deadlines established in subsections (4) and (5) of this section. Counties and cities may begin this process early and may be eligible for grants from the department, subject to available funding, if they elect to do so.
     (b) A county that is subject to a deadline established in subsection (4)(b) through (d) of this section and meets the following criteria may comply with the requirements of this section at any time within the thirty-six months following the deadline established in subsection (4) of this section: The county has a population of less than fifty thousand and has had its population increase by no more than seventeen percent in the ten years preceding the deadline established in subsection (4) of this section as of that date.
     (c) A city that is subject to a deadline established in subsection (4)(b) through (d) of this section and meets the following criteria may comply with the requirements of this section at any time within the thirty-six months following the deadline established in subsection (4) of this section: The city has a population of no more than five thousand and has had its population increase by the greater of either no more than one hundred persons or no more than seventeen percent in the ten years preceding the deadline established in subsection (4) of this section as of that date.
     (d) A county or city that is subject to a deadline established in subsection (4)(d) of this section and that meets the criteria established in subsection (6)(b) or (c) of this section may comply with the requirements of subsection (4)(d) of this section at any time within the thirty-six months after the extension provided in subsection (6)(b) or (c) of this section.
     (e) State agencies are encouraged to provide technical assistance to the counties and cities in the review of critical area ordinances, comprehensive plans, and development regulations.
     (7)(a) The requirements imposed on counties and cities under this section shall be considered "requirements of this chapter" under the terms of RCW 36.70A.040(1). Only those counties and cities that meet the following criteria may receive grants, loans, pledges, or financial guarantees under chapter 43.155 or 70.146 RCW:
     (i) Complying with the deadlines in this section;
     (ii) Demonstrating substantial progress towards compliance with the schedules in this section for development regulations that protect critical areas; or
     (iii) Complying with the extension provisions of subsection (6)(b), (c), or (d) of this section.
     (b) A county or city that is fewer than twelve months out of compliance with the schedules in this section for development regulations that protect critical areas is making substantial progress towards compliance. Only those counties and cities in compliance with the schedules in this section may receive preference for grants or loans subject to the provisions of RCW 43.17.250.
     (8)(a) Except as otherwise provided in (c) of this subsection, if a participating watershed is achieving benchmarks and goals for the protection of critical areas functions and values, the county is not required to update development regulations to protect critical areas as they specifically apply to agricultural activities in that watershed.
     (b) A county that has made the election under section 4(1) of this act may only adopt or amend development regulations to protect critical areas as they specifically apply to agricultural activities in a participating watershed if:
     (i) A work plan has been approved for that watershed in accordance with section 7 of this act;
     (ii) The local watershed group for that watershed has requested the county to adopt or amend development regulations as part of a work plan developed under section 6 of this act;
     (iii) The adoption or amendment of the development regulations is necessary to enable the county to respond to an order of the growth management hearings board or court;
     (iv) The adoption or amendment of development regulations is necessary to address a threat to human health or safety; or
     (v) Three or more years have elapsed since the receipt of funding.
     (c) Beginning ten years from the date of receipt of funding, a county that has made the election under section 4(1) of this act must review and, if necessary, revise development regulations to protect critical areas as they specifically apply to agricultural activities in a participating watershed in accordance with the review and revision requirements and timeline in subsection (5) of this section. This subsection (8)(c) does not apply to a participating watershed that has determined under section 6(2)(c)(ii) of this act that the watershed's goals and benchmarks for protection have been met.

Sec. 17   RCW 36.70A.280 and 2010 c 211 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The growth management hearings board shall hear and determine only those petitions alleging either:
     (a) That, except as provided otherwise by this subsection, a state agency, county, or city planning under this chapter is not in compliance with the requirements of this chapter, chapter 90.58 RCW as it relates to the adoption of shoreline master programs or amendments thereto, or chapter 43.21C RCW as it relates to plans, development regulations, or amendments, adopted under RCW 36.70A.040 or chapter 90.58 RCW. Nothing in this subsection authorizes the board to hear petitions alleging noncompliance with RCW 36.70A.5801; ((or))
     (b) That the twenty-year growth management planning population projections adopted by the office of financial management pursuant to RCW 43.62.035 should be adjusted;
     (c) That the approval of a work plan adopted under section 9(1)(a) of this act is not in compliance with the requirements of the program established under section 4 of this act;
     (d) That regulations adopted under section 9(1)(b) of this act are not regionally applicable and cannot be adopted, wholly or partially, by another jurisdiction; or
     (e) That a department certification under section 9(1)(c) of this act is erroneous.
     (2) A petition may be filed only by: (a) The state, or a county or city that plans under this chapter; (b) a person who has participated orally or in writing before the county or city regarding the matter on which a review is being requested; (c) a person who is certified by the governor within sixty days of filing the request with the board; or (d) a person qualified pursuant to RCW 34.05.530.
     (3) For purposes of this section "person" means any individual, partnership, corporation, association, state agency, governmental subdivision or unit thereof, or public or private organization or entity of any character.
     (4) To establish participation standing under subsection (2)(b) of this section, a person must show that his or her participation before the county or city was reasonably related to the person's issue as presented to the board.
     (5) When considering a possible adjustment to a growth management planning population projection prepared by the office of financial management, the board shall consider the implications of any such adjustment to the population forecast for the entire state.
     The rationale for any adjustment that is adopted by the board must be documented and filed with the office of financial management within ten working days after adoption.
     If adjusted by the board, a county growth management planning population projection shall only be used for the planning purposes set forth in this chapter and shall be known as the "board adjusted population projection." None of these changes shall affect the official state and county population forecasts prepared by the office of financial management, which shall continue to be used for state budget and planning purposes.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 18   Sections 1 through 15 of this act are each added to chapter 36.70A RCW under the subchapter heading "voluntary stewardship program."

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 19   If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 20   If any part of this act is found to be in conflict with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state, the conflicting part of this act is inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict and with respect to the agencies directly affected, and this finding does not affect the operation of the remainder of this act in its application to the agencies concerned. Rules adopted under this act must meet federal requirements that are a necessary condition to the receipt of federal funds by the state.