(1) It is the intent of this chapter to provide financial resources to make substantial progress toward: (a) Implementing the Puget Sound water quality management plan and other watershed-based management strategies and plans; (b) ameliorating degradation to watersheds; and (c) keeping and creating stable, environmentally sound, good wage employment in Washington state. The legislature intends that employment under this chapter is not to result in the displacement or partial displacement, whether by the reduction of hours of nonovertime work, wages, or other employment benefits, of currently employed workers, including but not limited to state civil service employees, or of currently or normally contracted services.

     (2) It is the purpose of this chapter to:

     (a) Implement clean water, forest, and habitat restoration projects that will produce measurable improvements in water and habitat quality, that rate highly when existing environmental ranking systems are applied, and that provide economic stability.

     (b) Facilitate the coordination and consistency of federal, state, tribal, local, and private water and habitat protection and enhancement programs in the state's watersheds.

     (c) Fund necessary projects for which a public planning process has been completed.

     (d) Provide immediate funding to create jobs and training for environmental restoration and enhancement jobs for unemployed workers and displaced workers in impact areas, especially rural natural resources-dependent communities.

     (3) For purposes of this chapter "impact areas" means: (a) Distressed counties as defined in *RCW 43.168.020; and (b) areas that the task force determines are likely to experience dislocations in the near future from downturns in natural resource-based industries.

     (4) For purposes of this chapter, "high-risk youth" means youth eligible for Washington conservation corps programs under chapter 43.220 RCW or Washington service corps programs under chapter 50.65 RCW.

     (5) For purposes of this chapter, "dislocated forest products worker" has the meaning set forth in **RCW 50.70.010.

     (6) For purposes of this chapter, "task force" means the environmental enhancement and job creation task force created under RCW 43.21J.030.

[2005 c 136 § 1; 1995 c 226 § 26; 1993 c 516 § 2.]

NOTES:

     Reviser's note: *(1) RCW 43.168.020 defines "distressed area."

     **(2) RCW 50.70.010 was repealed by 1995 c 226 § 35, effective June 30, 2001.

     Savings -- Effective date -- 2005 c 136: See notes following RCW 43.168.020.

     Severability -- Conflict with federal requirements -- Effective date -- 1995 c 226: See notes following RCW 43.160.020.