(1) A commission on integrated pest management is established. The commission shall be composed of 12 voting members appointed by the director as follows:
(a) Eight members from the following segments of the state's agricultural industry as nominated by a statewide private agricultural association or agricultural commodity commission formed under this title: (i) The tree fruit industry; (ii) hop growers; (iii) potato growers; (iv) wheat growers; (v) vegetable and seed growers; (vi) berry growers; (vii) wine grape growers; and (viii) the nursery and landscape industry. Although members are appointed from various segments of the agriculture industry, they are appointed to represent and advance the interests of the industry as a whole.
(b) One member from each of the following: (i) Forest protection industry; (ii) food processors; (iii) agricultural chemical industry; and (iv) professional pesticide applicators. One member shall be appointed for each such segment of the industry and shall be nominated by a statewide, private association of that segment of the industry. The representative of the agricultural chemical industry shall be involved in the manufacture of agricultural crop protection products.
The following shall be ex officio, nonvoting members of the commission: The coordinator of the interregional project number four at Washington State University; the director of the department of ecology or the director's designee; the director of the department of agriculture or the director's designee; the director of the department of labor and industries or the director's designee; the secretary of the department of health or the secretary's designee; and a representative of the United States environmental protection agency, region 10, who has working knowledge of federal pesticide policy issues.
(2) Each voting member of the commission shall serve a term of three years. A vacancy shall be filled by appointment for the unexpired term in the same manner provided for an appointment to the full term. No member of the commission may be removed by the director during his or her term of office unless for cause of incapacity, incompetence, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office. Each member of the commission shall receive travel expenses in accordance with RCW
43.03.050 and
43.03.060 for attending meetings of the commission and for performing special duties, in the way of official commission business, specifically assigned to the person by the commission. The voting members of the commission serve without compensation from the state other than such travel expenses.
(3) The commission shall elect a chair from among its voting members each calendar year. After its original organizational meeting, the commission shall meet at the call of the chair. A majority of the voting members of the commission constitutes a quorum and an official action of the commission may be taken by a majority vote of the quorum.