WA panel advances voluntary conservation bill | Western Livestock Journal
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WA panel advances voluntary conservation bill

Charles Wallace
Feb. 04, 2022 2 minutes read
WA panel advances voluntary conservation bill

The Washington House Committee on Rural Development, Agriculture and Natural Resources advanced a bill expanding the number of counties participating in the voluntary stewardship program (VSP).

House Bill 1856, introduced by Reps. Kelly Chambers (R-25), Larry Springer (D-45) and Pat Sullivan (D-47), gives the remaining 12 counties until July 1, 2023, to participate. Currently, 27 of the state’s 39 counties joined VSP a decade ago.

In 2011, lawmakers gave county commissioners the ability to participate in VSP, with counties in the eastern portion of the state embracing the program and those in the western part being indifferent. The counties not in VSP are Clallam, Clark, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Klickitat, Pierce, Skamania, Snohomish, Wahkiakum and Whatcom.

Paul Jewell, policy director for the Washington State Association of Counties, supports the bill, stating the state should allow more counties and those in the farming community within those counties to participate.

“As we look at the ongoing challenge of restoring our salmon runs and rehabilitating our riparian management zones, what comes up as an effective program over and over again is the (VSP),” said Springer.

Under the VSP program, agricultural landowners aren’t required to give up their land, and counties provide incentives for participation to protect critical habitat areas.

The bill comes after the committee took no action on a bill to establish buffers in riparian habitats for salmon recovery. Rep. Debra Lekanoff (D-40) introduced House Bill 1838—also known as the Lorraine Loomis Act, named after the late chair for the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and fisheries manager for the Swinomish Tribe—and told KING 5 television that the bill would not pass in 2022. Lekanoff said the bill needs more work between Tribes, farmers and the fishing industry.

Gov. Jay Inslee (D) said the bill probably wouldn’t pass during a press conference, blaming opposition on a lack of support for cooling streams to save salmon.

“I don’t think there’s cause for optimism on that bill as currently drafted because there is opposition to it,” Inslee said. “There’s opposition to the bill because not enough people have embraced that mission statement yet.”

Inslee said there is an opportunity for a revised version, and he hopes that a conversation can be made about measures to protect salmon. — Charles Wallace, WLJ editor

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