H-1254.1
HOUSE BILL 1922
State of Washington | 69th Legislature | 2025 Regular Session |
ByRepresentatives Hunt, Callan, and Parshley
Read first time 02/10/25.Referred to Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources.
AN ACT Relating to hydraulic project approval mitigation after natural events; amending RCW
77.55.261; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW
77.55.261 and 2005 c 146 s 604 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Whenever the placement of woody debris is required as a condition of a permit issued under RCW
77.55.021, the department, upon request, shall invite comment regarding that placement from the local governmental authority, affected tribes, affected federal and state agencies, and the project applicant.
(2) Whenever the placement of woody debris is required as a condition of a permit issued under RCW 77.55.021 for work necessary to respond to impacts from an extreme weather event or natural disaster, the department must consider the following factors in determining a reasonable placement amount and location in accordance with RCW 77.55.231(1)(a): (a) The emergency nature of the work;
(b) The extent to which urban development and the built environment along the waterway may limit appropriate sites, access to, or ownership of sites for woody debris placement;
(c) Any potential increased risk of flooding;
(d) Whether the placement increases the potential for accumulation of debris that may create problematic log jams; and
(e) The proportionate benefits to the protection of fish life from:
(i) Prioritizing substantial mitigation, rather than one-to-one replacement, of woody debris removed from the waterway as part of the immediate response to the event or disaster; and
(ii) Limiting the maximum amount of required replacement to the woody debris that originated from the initial occurrence, and not subsequent accumulation.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.
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