S-3520               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6240

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Senators Warnke and Metcalf

Read first time 1/15/88 and referred to Committee on Environment & Natural Resources.

AN ACT Relating to wild mushroom harvesting on state lands; and adding a new section to chapter 79.01 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 79.01 RCW to read as follows:

          As permitted under RCW 79.01.124, the commissioner of public lands may sell wild mushrooms situated on state lands when determined to be in the best interest of the state.  Regardless of the commissioner's decision to sell wild mushrooms, the commissioner shall develop a wild mushroom harvesting program to assure that recreational mushroom gathering takes precedence over commercial harvesting of the wild mushroom resource on state lands.  The commissioner shall include as a part of this program a permitting process, bag limits, and time-period restrictions.  The commissioner shall establish an advisory committee to incorporate the interests of recreational and commercial mushroom harvesters into this program.  The wild mushroom harvesting program shall be developed and implemented by September 1, 1988.