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Subjects › Environment › Interest Statement of Counties and Cities Municipal Water, Instream Flows Workgroup

INTEREST STATEMENT OF COUNTIES AND CITIES - Water policy

Interest Statement of Counties and Cities Municipal Water, Instream Flows Workgroup

From Court House Journal July 24, 1998

Counties and cities, along with the state, protect the public health, safety and welfare. Our interests in water rights, instream flows, ground water and conservation encompass a broad range of issues and concerns, including a safe, adequate, reliable supply of water for public consumption, agriculture and industrial use, recreational, aesthetic and other needs. Our primary interests is that water rights and water supply decisions must be made to enable locally adopted comprehensive plans to be implemented with certainty. Water rights, water supply and infrastructure decisions should not be made that thwart implementation of adopted GMA plans. The state has an equal responsibility for implementing the GMA and should be involved in the early development stages of local plans so that issues with water supply can be factored into the local GMA planning process. Our interests also include meeting obligations and responsibilities for developing regionally and federally acceptable ESA response plans. Our position is that all these demands, needs and interests must be balanced while respecting the integrity of the ecosystem as a whole.

Because of the diversity of needs and interests, our interest at this table is to resolve differences and disputes. The realities of population growth, economic development, environmental protection and salmon restoration require that decisions to made furthering all these diverse interests and needs, consistent with our locally-developed growth management plans and strategies. This process must result in legislation ensuring that water supply decisions will be made. Whether made through a regional planning process or by the state, these decisions must be timely, consistent and supportive of growth management planning and with efforts underway with state and tribal partners that promote sustainability for fisheries and other resources.