RCW 77.85.250
Findings -- Forum on monitoring salmon recovery and watershed health -- Creation -- Duties -- Report to the governor and legislature. (Expires June 30, 2015.)

(1) The legislature finds that pursuant to chapter 298, Laws of 2001, and acting upon recommendations of the state's independent science panel, the monitoring oversight committee developed recommendations for a comprehensive statewide strategy for monitoring watershed health, with a focus upon salmon recovery, entitled The Washington Comprehensive Monitoring Strategy and Action Plan for Watershed Health and Salmon Recovery. The legislature further finds that funding to begin implementing the strategy and action plan was provided in the 2003-2005 biennial budget, and that executive order 04-03 was issued to coordinate state agency implementation activities. It is therefore the purpose of this section to adopt the strategy and action plan and to provide guidance to ensure that the coordination activities directed by executive order 04-03 are effectively carried out.

     (2) The forum on monitoring salmon recovery and watershed health is created. The governor shall appoint a person with experience and expertise in natural resources and environmental quality monitoring to chair the forum. The chair shall serve four-year terms and may serve successive terms. The forum shall include representatives of the following state agencies and regional entities that have responsibilities related to monitoring of salmon recovery and watershed health:

     (a) Department of ecology;

     (b) Salmon recovery funding board;

     (c) Salmon recovery office;

     (d) Department of fish and wildlife;

     (e) Department of natural resources;

     (f) Puget Sound action team, or a successor state agency;

     (g) Conservation commission;

     (h) Department of agriculture;

     (i) Department of transportation; and

     (j) Each of the regional salmon recovery organizations.

     (3) The forum on monitoring salmon recovery and watershed health shall provide a multiagency venue for coordinating technical and policy issues and actions related to monitoring salmon recovery and watershed health.

     (4) The forum on monitoring salmon recovery and watershed health shall recommend a set of measures for use by the governor's salmon recovery office in the state of the salmon report to convey results and progress on salmon recovery and watershed health in ways that are easily understood by the general public.

     (5) The forum on monitoring salmon recovery and watershed health shall invite the participation of federal, tribal, regional, and local agencies and entities that carry out salmon recovery and watershed health monitoring, and work toward coordination and standardization of measures used.

     (6) The forum on monitoring salmon recovery and watershed health shall periodically report to the governor and the appropriate standing committees of the senate and house of representatives on the forum's activities and recommendations for improving monitoring programs by state agencies, coordinating with the governor's salmon recovery office biennial report as required by RCW 77.85.020.

     (7) The forum shall review pilot monitoring programs including those that integrate (a) data collection, management, and access; and (b) information regarding habitat projects and project management.

     (8) The forum on monitoring salmon recovery and watershed health shall review and make recommendations to the office of financial management and the appropriate legislative committees on agency budget requests related to monitoring salmon recovery and watershed health. These recommendations must be made no later than September 15th of each year. The goal of this review is to prioritize and integrate budget requests across agencies.

     (9) This section expires June 30, 2015.

[2007 c 444 § 8.]