BILL REQ. #: H-3019.1
State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2012 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/10/12. Referred to Committee on Environment.
AN ACT Relating to the preservation and conservation of agricultural resource lands; and adding a new section to chapter 43.21C RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 A new section is added to chapter 43.21C RCW
to read as follows:
(1) The legislature finds the state's farm and range lands are a
unique natural resource that provide for the production of food, fiber,
alternative fuels, and other products necessary for the continued
welfare of people locally, nationally, and globally. Each year, a
significant amount of the state's agricultural land is irrevocably
converted from actual or potential agricultural use to nonagricultural
use. The continued decrease in the state's agricultural resource land
base is threatening the ability of the agricultural industry to produce
safe and affordable agricultural products in sufficient quantities to
meet our current and future local, regional, and national food and
fiber needs, as well as the demands of our export markets.
(2) The program and project actions of state agencies, local
governments, and persons, in many cases, inadvertently result in the
conversion of farmland to nonagricultural uses where alternative
actions would be preferred. The legislature declares that it is the
policy of the state to identify and take into account the adverse
effects of these actions on the preservation and conservation of
agricultural lands; to consider alternative actions, as appropriate,
that could lessen such adverse effects; and to assure that such actions
appropriately mitigate for unavoidable impacts to agricultural
resources.
(3) To assist the state to implement adequately the policy
identified in this section, the department of ecology shall add the
following questions to the state environmental policy act environmental
checklist form provided in WAC 197-11-960 by January 1, 2013.
(a) Is there any agricultural land directly affected by the
proposal, or near the vicinity of a project site? If yes, describe.
(b) Describe how much agricultural land will be converted to a
nonagricultural use as a result of this proposal.
(c) Would this proposal affect the ability of adjacent agricultural
landowners to continue farming?
(d) Would this proposal affect existing agricultural drainage
patterns within vicinity? If yes, generally describe.
(e) Would this proposal affect or interfere with normal
agricultural operations such as oversize equipment access, pesticide
applications, and tilling and harvesting? If yes, generally describe.
(f) Will this proposal result in placing or removing agricultural
soils from the site? If yes, generally describe.
(g) Describe proposed measures to preserve or enhance agricultural
resource lands, if any.