Z-0332.1
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SENATE BILL 5308
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State of Washington
56th Legislature
1999 Regular Session
By Senators Jacobsen, Hargrove, Gardner, Swecker, Fraser and Oke;
by
request of Commissioner of Public Lands
Read first time 01/19/1999. Referred to Committee on Natural
Resources, Parks & Recreation.
AN ACT Relating to a study of sand, gravel,
and rock resource
mining and its impact on salmon habitat and urban development;
creating
new sections; making appropriations; and providing an expiration
date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
{+ NEW SECTION. +} Sec. 1.
Over the next twenty years the state's
population is expected to increase by two million people.
As the urban
and suburban development related to this growth spreads into the
rural
and resource lands, more mineral resources such as sand, gravel,
and
rock will be needed for the construction of homes, shopping centers,
commercial and industrial facilities, and roads. At the same
time,
this growth will utilize the land base that may contain these deposits.
Current evaluations indicate that existing mines will not be able
to
meet the future demand for sand, gravel, or rock. Current
development
patterns and land use regulations limit the opportunity to open
new
mines or to expand existing mines. Therefore, the legislature
finds
that it is in the best interest of the citizens of the state to
identify known sand, gravel, and rock deposits that are environmentally
acceptable for resource production and assure that efforts are
undertaken to protect these resources from uses incompatible with
mineral extraction so there will be a future supply of these resources.
In recent years, there have been increasing
efforts to mine sand
and gravel resources from rivers and their floodplains. Current
and
past practices of mining from rivers and their floodplains may
impact
the state's effort to recover threatened and endangered anadromous
and
freshwater fish. Therefore, the legislature finds that it
is in the
best interest of the citizens of the state to study the impacts
of
sand, gravel, and rock resource extraction methods on the habitat
needs
of anadromous and freshwater fish.
{+ NEW SECTION. +} Sec. 2.
The department of natural resources is
directed to prepare a report to the legislature identifying the
status
of sand, gravel, and rock deposits, and recommending zoning and
extraction practices. In preparing the report, the department
shall
evaluate existing information. The report
shall include the following:
(1) An evaluation of the impacts of sand
and gravel excavation in
floodplains on the spawning and rearing habitat of salmonid and
freshwater species;
(2) A recommendation on whether additional
controls are needed for
sand and gravel extraction in floodplains to protect fish resources;
(3) An evaluation of the expected life
of known and designated sand
and gravel deposits within an economically viable transport distance
from major urban areas;
(4) An evaluation of current sand, gravel,
and rock consumption and
projected sand, gravel, and rock consumption trends for the next
fiftyyears;
(5) An evaluation of alternative sources
of aggregate supply
including recycling, reuse, conservation opportunities, and quarriedrock;
and
(6) A recommendation to local governments
on mineral resource
designation standards to protect known deposits of sand, rock,
and
gravel to meet projected supply needs.
This section expires June 30, 2000.
{+ NEW SECTION. +} Sec. 3.
(1) The sum of fifty thousand dollars,
or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the
fiscal
year ending June 30, 2000, from the general fund to the department
of
natural resources for the purposes of this act.
(2) The sum of fifty thousand dollars,
or as much thereof as may be
necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30,
2001,
from the general fund to the department of natural resources for
the
purposes of this act.
{+ NEW SECTION. +} Sec. 4.
If specific funding for the purposes
of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is
not
provided by June 30, 2000, in the omnibus appropriations act, this
act
is null and void.
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