WASHINGTON ATTORNEY GENERAL
The Washington Attorney General issues formal published
opinions in response to requests by the heads of state agencies,
state legislators, and county prosecuting attorneys. When it
appears that individuals outside the Attorney General's Office
have information or expertise that will assist in the preparation
of a particular opinion, a summary of that opinion request will
be published in the state register. If you are interested in
commenting on a request listed in this volume of the register,
you should notify the Attorney General's Office of your interest
by February 23, 2000. This is not the due date by which comments
must be received. However, if you do not notify the Attorney
General's Office of your interest in commenting on an opinion
request by February 23, 2000, the opinion may be issued before
your comments have been received. You may notify the Attorney
General's Office of your intention to comment by calling (360)
586-4218, or by writing to the Solicitor General, Office of the
Attorney General, P.O. Box 40100, Olympia, WA 98504-0100. When
you notify the office of your intention to comment, you will be
provided with a copy of the opinion request in which you are
interested; information about the Attorney General's Opinion
process; information on how to submit your comments; and a due
date by which your comments must be received to ensure that they
are fully considered.
The Attorney General's Office seeks public input on the following
opinion request(s).
00-01-07 Request by:
Vim Wright, Chair
Washington State Conservation
Commission
1. Are farm plans, developed in whole or in part by conservation
district staff, public documents under the state Public Records
Act, RCW 42.17.250?
2. If farm plans are public documents, must they be disclosed
under the Public Records Act if so requested?
3. When a request for disclosure of such farm plans under the
state Public Records Act is received by a conservation district
and that act requires disclosure of documents, is a conservation
district precluded from disclosure by the preemptive effect of
federal laws, specifically, the Economic Espionage Act, 18 U.S.C.
§ 1831 et. seq.; the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552;
and the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)?