HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1290

BYRepresentatives Belcher, May and Rust; by request of Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation

Changing provisions relating to the interagency committee for outdoor recreation's comprehensive guide of public parks and recreation sites.

House Committe on Natural Resources

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (18)

      Signed by Representatives Sutherland, Chair; K. Wilson, Vice Chair; Amondson, Basich, Beck, Belcher, Bumgarner, Butterfield, Cole, Dorn, Fuhrman, Hargrove, Haugen, Meyers, Sayan, Schmidt, Spanel and S. Wilson.

House Staff:Robert Butts (786-7841)

AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 8, 1988

BACKGROUND:

In 1979, the Washington Legislature authorized the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation (IAC) to prepare a comprehensive guide of public parks and recreation sites in the state.  The legislation required that the guide be sold at a price that would cover "reasonable production and distribution costs."

As a result of the 1979 legislation, the "Washington State Recreation Guide" was published in 1985.  The forty-two page, full-color guide was published and distributed by a private company, and sells for $4.95.  Sales of the guide have been slow and it is likely that the publisher will not be able to cover its printing and distribution costs.  In addition, the IAC was provided 6,000 copies that it has had difficulty selling. According to the IAC, part of the difficulty with selling the guide to visitors is that many of the information booths frequented by visitors are not staffed, so that it is impossible to sell books.

In light of its experience with the 1985 guide, for future editions the IAC is considering preparing a smaller, less expensive, black and white guide that would be distributed at no charge.  IAC estimates that it would cost $30,000 to update the information and print 20,000 copies of the less expensive version. Funding for the guide would likely come from the Outdoor Recreation Account, which pays the administrative costs of the IAC and for projects that benefit watercraft recreation and all terrain vehicle users.

However, before the IAC could distribute new guides for free, RCW 43.99.142 must be amended to delete the requirement that IAC sell the guides at a price that will cover costs.

SUMMARY:

The Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation is no longer required to sell comprehensive recreational guides at a price that will pay for the guides' production and distribution costs.

Fiscal Note:      Available.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Gary Ogden and Robert Wilder, Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    The legislation will give the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation needed flexibility in the development and distribution of the comprehensive recreational guide.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.