H-1974.1
_______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1700
_______________________________________________
State of Washington
56th Legislature
1999 Regular Session
By House Committee on Natural Resources (originally sponsored by
Representatives Buck, DeBolt, Doumit, Sump, Miloscia, Regala, Radcliff,
Barlean, Tokuda, Schoesler, Hatfield, Eickmeyer, Kessler, Mielke,
Pennington, Clements, Mastin and Dunn)Read first time 02/22/1999.
AN ACT Relating to regional fisheries
enhancement groups; amending
RCW 75.50.115; and adding a new section to chapter 75.50 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
{+ NEW SECTION. +} Sec. 1.
A new section is added to chapter
75.50 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The department shall provide coordination
and technical
assistance to facilitate the application by prospective groups
to be
regional fisheries enhancement groups. The department shall
provide a
format and guidelines that any prospective group may use to make
an
initial application. Prospective groups must submit the applications
to the department. Applications are reviewed by the regional
fisheries
enhancement group advisory board under RCW 75.50.115.
(2) The department shall designate geographical
areas for which
regional fisheries enhancement groups may be formed. In addition
to
the regions in existence as of January 1, 1999, the department
shall
designate four more regions in eastern Washington for the formation
of
a total of sixteen regional fisheries enhancement groups.
Sec. 2. RCW 75.50.115 and 1998 c
96 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) The regional fisheries enhancement
group advisory board shall:
(a) Assess the training and technical
assistance needs of the
regional fisheries enhancement groups;
(b) Develop a training and technical assistance
services plan in
order to provide timely, topical technical assistance and training
services to regional fisheries enhancement groups. The plan
shall be
provided to the director and to the senate and house of representatives
natural resources committees no later than October 1, 1995, and
shall
be updated not less than every year. The advisory board shall
provide
ample opportunity for the public and interested parties to participate
in the development of the plan. The plan shall include but
is notlimited to:
(i) Establishment of an information clearinghouse
service that is
readily available to regional fisheries enhancement groups.
The
information clearinghouse shall collect, collate, and make available
a
broad range of information on subjects that affect the development,
implementation, and operation of diverse fisheries and habitat
enhancement projects. The information clearinghouse service
may
include periodical news and informational bulletins;
(ii) An ongoing program in order to provide
direct, on-site
technical assistance and services to regional fisheries enhancement
groups. The advisory board shall assist regional fisheries
enhancement
groups in soliciting federal, state, and local agencies, tribal
governments, institutions of higher education, and private business
for
the purpose of providing technical assistance and services to regional
fisheries enhancement group projects; and
(iii) A cost estimate for implementing
the plan;
(c) Propose a budget to the director for
operation of the advisory
board and implementation of the technical assistance plan;
(d) Make recommendations to the director
regarding regional
enhancement group project proposals and funding of those proposals;(({-
and -}))
(e) {+ Review applications by prospective
groups applying for
selection as regional fisheries enhancement groups in regions
designated by the department for the establishment of regional
fisheries enhancement groups. Only one group may be selected
as a
regional fisheries enhancement group per region. The advisory
board
shall recommend to the director which group shall be selected as
the
regional fisheries enhancement group for a region; and
(f) +} Establish criteria for the redistribution
of unspent project
funds for any regional enhancement group that has a year ending
balance
exceeding one hundred thousand dollars.
(2) The regional fisheries enhancement
group advisory board may:
(a) Facilitate resolution of disputes
between regional fisheries
enhancement groups and the department;
(b) Promote community and governmental
partnerships that enhance
the salmon resource and habitat;
(c) Promote environmental ethics and watershed
stewardship;
(d) Advocate for watershed management
and restoration;
(e) Coordinate regional fisheries enhancement
group workshops andtraining;
(f) Monitor and evaluate regional fisheries
enhancement projects;
(g) Provide guidance to regional fisheries
enhancement groups; and
(h) Develop recommendations to the director
to address identified
impediments to the success of regional fisheries enhancement groups.
(3)(a) The regional fisheries enhancement
group advisory board
shall develop recommendations for limitations on the amount of
overhead
that a regional fisheries enhancement group may charge from each
of the
following categories of funding provided to the group:
(i) Federal funds;
(ii) State funds;
(iii) Local funds; and (iv) Private donations.
(b) The advisory board shall develop recommendations
for
limitations on the number and salary of paid employees that are
employed by a regional fisheries enhancement group. The regional
fisheries enhancement group advisory board shall adhere to the
founding
principles for regional groups that emphasize the volunteer nature
of
the groups, maximization of field-related fishery resource benefits,
and minimization of overhead.
(c) The advisory board shall evaluate
and make recommendations for
the limitation or elimination of commissions, finders fees, or
other
reimbursements to regional fisheries enhancement group employees.
(({- (d) The regional fisheries enhancement
group advisory board
shall report to the appropriate legislative committees by January
1,
1999, on the board recommendations for overhead limitations, paid
employee limitations, and commission limitations for regional fisheries
enhancement groups. -}))
--- END ---