2004 issue #3 bird's eye view newsletter washington audubon society

8/8/2019 2004 Issue #3 Bird's Eye View Newsletter Washington Audubon Society

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2004 Legislative Newsletter Issue 3—February 12, 2004

Greetings from Olympia--Session is half over! Birds Eye View (BEV) keeps Washington’s 25 Audubonchapters and 22,000 members informed about legislation effecting birds, other wildlife and their habitat.

S ubscribe today and you’ll receive every issues of BEV throughout the Legislative Session.

Important Bird Areas BillFledged

On Monday, February 3, 2004, theSenate Parks, Fish and WildlifeCommittee UNANIMOUSLY passedour IBA Bill (PSSB 6342 --Recognizing Important Bird Areas)!Then on Friday morning, the HouseAgriculture and Natural ResourcesCommittee voted 7-6 to move our companion IBA bill (PSHB 2650) on tothe House Rules committee. This billprovides statewide recognition of

existing IBAs, and creates a science-based means of identifying future IBAs!By identifying Important Bird Areas andworking locally to manage these areas,we can help restore bird habitat andpopulations.

Thanks to the chairwoman,Representative Kelli Linville (D-Bellingham), our bill was not “killed bythe clock” -- February 6 was the last dayto get bills out of the policy committees.Representative Dave Quall (D- Mt.Vernon) was very eloquent insupporting our bill: “There are evenmore reasons than economics to supportthis bill. Watching birds and wildlife issimply enjoyable and a great activity for families. I hope the Skagit Flats will beidentified as an IBA.” This year, TimCullinan, Audubon’s science director,will work with the Skagit Chapter tobegin the site selection process.

The next steps for our IBA bills are toget the Senate bill passed out of theSenate Rules committee and to schedulea Senate Floor vote. Make sure yourSenator knows they need to vote YESon PSHB 6342! The same goes for theHouse: Call your representative andasking them to vote YES on PSHB2650.

How they Voted…Be sure to thank the following“Bird Bill” supporters:

Senator Oke (R-26)Senator Sheahan (R-9)Senator Doumit (D-19)Senator Jacobsen (D-46)Senator Morton (R-7)Senator Spanel (D-40)Senator Swecker (R-20)

Representative Linville - (D-42)Representative Rockefeller - (D-23)Representative Eickmeyer (D-35)Representative Grant (D-16)Representative Hunt (D-22)Representative McDermott (D-34)Representative Quall (D-40)

The "no" votes…“Bird Bill” opponents are:

Representative Schoesler - (R-9)Representative Holmquist - (R-13)Representative Kristiansen - (R-39)Representative Chandler (R-15)Representative Orcutt (R-18)Representative Sump (R-7)

Flocking Together Lobbying for Conservation

By Debbi Edelstein Executive Director

A round of applause for all theAuduboners and other conservationsupporters who traveled to Olympia onJanuary 29 th to participate in the 13 th annual Citizens’ Lobby Day.

More than 250 Washington residentsfrom around the state attended morningtraining sessions, which included agubernatorial appearance – a Lobby Dayfirst - and used the afternoon to urgetheir legislators to protect our environment. A reception withlegislators and other citizen lobbyistscapped the day’s activities.

Thanks also to People for Puget Soundfor organizing the event and to our ownOlympia team –Nina Carter, HeathPackard, and Kelly Hacker – for

providing up-to-the-minute informationto Audubon members and assisting withthe presentation of our message.

Nearly one-fifth of all Lobby Day participants were from Audubonchapters and the state office! Thefollowing people pre-registered for theevent. Our apologies to those of youwho came, lobbied, and wentunrecorded: Sue Danver, Black Hills;Tim McGruder, Melinda Brunsdun,Jim McRoberts, Tricia Kischell ; Ea



Audubon Washington’sBirds Eye View Issue 3—February 12, 2004 of 8

Lake Washington; Linda Carpenter,R.D. Grunbaum , Grays Harbor;Richard Anderson, Tom Nevins,Kitsap; Sally Van Niel, Jan Van Niel,John Mauro, Susie Schafer, Pilchuck;Laura Stiles, Bruce Harpham, AdeleFreeland, Rainier ; Alex Morgan,Marina Skumanich, Robert Gresky,Linda Gresky, Marilyn Heiman, Seattle; Steve Aslanian, Skagit; RobMcNair, Bryan Flint, Judy Austin,Amy Garrigan, Bill Giddings, RoxieGiddings, Liz Lathrop, Tahoma ; JerryBeale, Jan Beale, Gretchen Starke, Marilyn Hall, Vancouver; John Green,Margaret Green , Willapa Hills. Stateoffice staff (many of whom are alsomembers of their local chapters)included Nina Carter, Heath Packard,Kelly Hacker, Heather Page, WoodyWheeler, Candy Castellanos, ChristiNorman, Hilary Hilscher, volunteers Sarah Maxwell and Michael Kaiser, and yours truly.

The conservation community has four major priorities for this session: 1)sustainable forests, 2) alternativeenergy, 3) halting toxic pollution, and 4)adequate water in streams and rivers.Overall, however, conservationists wantto stop any rollback of the state’senvironmental regulations. Gov. GaryLocke strongly endorsed the last issue,saying he would use his veto pen toprevent any erosion of the quality of our environment or public health.

Legislators who participated in themorning briefing sessions wereRepresentatives Mike Cooper, HansDunshee, Sam Hunt, and Zack Hudgins .

Earlier in January, North CentralWashington Audubon Society’sConservation Chair Jon Soest and

Washington Conservation Voters’Executive Director Bruce Gryniewskico-authored an op-ed piece describingthe conservation legislative priorities.The article appeared in the WenatcheeWorld, the Leavenworth Echo, and the Cashmere Record . The Tacoma NewsTribune and the Vancouver Columbian

printed similar pieces .

In addition to lobbying in-person andtestifying in front of House and Senatecommittees, Audubon members workingthe phone lines and sending e-mails andfaxes have been instrumental in movingthe Important Bird Areas (IBA) and thesustainable forests bills forward.

Good work, one and all!

Lead Shot Kills SwansRepresentative Ruth Kagi met withAudubon, The Trumpeter Swan Societyand the Department of Fish and Wildlifeto discuss what is needed to locate andclean up lead that is killing swans, anddetermine how to prevent additionallead shot from getting into ponds, lakes,and rivers. This group agreed thatstudies determining where leadcontamination is need to be completed.

Then clean up is the next step. MarthaJordan, of The Trumpeter Swan Societyhas been working with the CanadianWildlife Department and WDFW tocomplete this work. However, WDFWdoes not have money for 2004-05 to dotheir part of the work.

Representative Kagi is asking hercolleagues to add $80,000 in thisyear’s budget to pay for swanmortality studies and educate hunters,

skeet shooters and dog trainers – wholegally use lead shot.

Legislature 101—What’s a Cutoff Anyway?

Friday, February 6, 2004 was the first“committee cutoff” of the 2004legislative session. This is the last daythat any bills introduced in the Fifty-Eighth Washington State Legislaturemay be “voted out” of the committeethat bill was introduced in. Any billsnot passed out of the committee of origin after that cutoff is dead and willhave to be reintroduced in a futuresession. Tuesday, February 10, 2004marked a similar cutoff for fiscal

committees in each house.

As a result, we have pushed back production of this issue of BEV inorder to provide you with up-to-the-minute coverage on the bills that stillhave wings, good or bad. Unlessotherwise noted, the legislationhighlighted in this issue is still aliveand moving through the legislative

process.

Lead shot is outlawed on federal refugesand on some state wildlife managementareas. It is still permitted for use inupland bird hunting and in other non-hunting activities. There are non-toxicshot alternatives for most of theseactivities. “We need to work to form acoalition of people and user groups towork to end the use of lead shot.

Education is important to help themunderstand the terrible effect they arehaving on these magnificent swans.People using lead shot have alternatives

but they don’t see a reason to switch.Whenever I show them pictures of deadswans and explain the magnitude of theswan die-off and the continued

poisoning of other waterfowl andraptors, they are usually willing tochange to non-toxic shot. ”

Contact: Martha Jordan 425-787-0258

[email protected]

http://c/Documents%20and%20Settings/cric235/Desktop/mtailto:[email protected]

http://c/Documents%20and%20Settings/cric235/Desktop/mtailto:[email protected]




Wetland MitigationBanking

SHB 2320 is DNR's proposal toestablish and manage a wetlandmitigation banking program on DNR’saquatic lands. Concern about theoriginal bill has been address with thissubstitute bill, which Audubon, WetNet,Ecology, DNR and the Ports haveagreed upon. This substitute bill (SHB2320) passed out of the HouseAgriculture and AppropriationsCommittees. We are working to clarifyone more issue on this bill: what is the“service area” for wetland banks? Thatis, if a wetland is filled in toaccommodate a development, how far away will the compensation site belocated? We believe it must be withinthe watershed or the same functioningarea within which the original wetlandswas located. We will be working withSenators and House members over thenext week to resolve this question.

Beach Driving

This week Nina Carter and DeanSchwickerath from Audubon met withPaul Malmberg from State Parks andRepresentatives Blake and Hatfield (Gray’s Harbor) to address questionsand complaints about driving onWashington’s beaches. Our meetingwas in response to Rep. Al O’Brien’sbill that would have banned beachdriving. This issue will keep coming upas more people visit our beaches and seethat cars, ATVs and four-wheel drivevehicles are allowed to drive on our beaches.

At the conclusion of our meeting, weagree that local residents, visitors,

interest groups, businesses, andgovernments need to meet and talk about the beach driving issues. A work group could recommend improvementsto the Legislature by Fall 2004. We willcontinue meeting with legislators untilwe agree on a process to address the

beach driving issue.

If a work group is formed, some of thequestions they should discuss are:• What are the estimated annual

numbers of beach drivers and non- beach driving tourists?• What is the estimated revenue to

local businesses and governmentsfrom driving and non-driving beachtourists?

• Which governmental jurisdictionsreceive how much money to patroland educate users of the beaches?

• Which species of birds, fish or wildlife use the beaches? And whattimes during the year do these

species use the beaches?

ConservationCommunity’s AgendaMoving Forward

This “short” Legislative Session isscheduled to end on March 11, 2004— and we’re about half way through. Thegood news is that Audubon's priorities,and the Environmental Community’stop priorities are still alive and well!The following bills warrant Audubonmembers support.

Sustainable State Forests The House Agriculture and NaturalResources Committee passed SHB 2753 on Friday, February 6, to studycertification of state forests. Legislative

leadership includes strong support byRepresentatives Linville and Cooper.

This bill will raise awareness about stateforest wood products in a crowded,global marketplace by ensuring theDept. of Natural Resources carefullyanalyzes ways to provide access togrowing markets for sustainablyharvested wood products through third

party certification of state forests.

Streamflow Protection Successful negotiations to harmonizeHB 2393 and HB 2396 resulted in HB2396 passing out of the House Ag. and

Natural Resources Committee onFebruary 3 rd. The bill would restore and

protect stream flows adequate for fishhabitat, water quality, recreation, andother instream uses. SHB 2396 includesa task force to look at establishing along-term, stable revenue source tosupport modern water resourcemanagement. The task force providesfindings by September.

Stop Toxic PollutionGovernor Locke announced at theEnvironmental Lobby Day that hewould fight hard to restore the budgetfor the Department of Ecology's

program to phase out persistent toxicchemicals. "The Governor is to belauded for his support of restoring thisfunding and his executive order toreduce the use of toxic flame retardantsthat are building up in the environmentand being discovered in breast milk,"said Gregg Small of Washington ToxicsCoalition. "The Legislature now needsto show leadership on this issue by fullyfunding the state's program."




Efficient & Renewable EnergySHB 2333 , which would ensure thatutilities incorporate increasing amountsof renewable energy and energyefficiency in meeting customer demand,was advanced by the HouseTechnology, Telecommunications, andEnergy Committee on a bipartisan, 11-6vote. This legislation could create jobs,stabilize electricity prices andsupplement rural economies. SHB 2333 passed out of the House Appropriations

Committee 14 to 13 on February 10.

No Rollbacks!

Another priority position of WashingtonState's Conservation Community is toensure that there are No EnvironmentalRollbacks. Below are a few of thederegulation efforts that theconservation community is opposing:

SSB 6329-- Oppose Ballast Water DischargeVessels entering Washington waters,often from foreign ports, routinelydischarge ballast water, which containsnonnative invasive species. Ballastwater is water drawn into the vesselsbilge at it's port of call to ensure thevessel's stability in open waters.Invasive species, such as the GreenCrab, can cause great harm to our environment as well as our economy.

Under current law, shippers areexpected to either discharge 50 milesoffshore or, by July 2004, treat theballast water to eliminate the nonnativespecies.

This bill would extend the treatmentrequirements until 2008. Treatmentrequirements have already beenextended once before by the legislature --- it is time to put in place a clear plan

for vessels to achieve treatmentrequirements.

SB 6409-- Oppose Industrial Land BanksSome Washington counties are eligibleto develop Industrial Land Banksoutside the urban growth area (UGA)when suitable land is not availablewithin the UGA for manufacturing or industrial businesses.

The land banks are appropriate only inlimited circumstances, because mostcounties have available parcels andinfrastructure inside the UGA for industrial uses.

SB 6409 would allow all 39 counties inWashington to site these banks outsidethe urban area. This bill would lead tounnecessary industrial developmentoutside the UGA, eroding our farmlandand rural areas.

SB 6415 -- Oppose Storm Water Discharge PermitThis bill would make it virtuallyimpossible for the state to control

polluted storm water - the largest sourceof pollution entering Washingtonwaters.

Storm water or urban runoff is thelargest source of pollution enteringWashington’s waterways. The state is

required, under the federal Clean Water Act, to issue permits to regulate stormwater pollution from industrial,municipal, and construction activities.

This bill would make it virtuallyimpossible for the state to regulate theseactivities so that they achieve cleanwater standards. Moreover, the bill is indirect conflict with numerous provisionsin the federal Clean Water Act.

SB 6612-- Oppose Multimodal Trans PlanThis bill requires WSDOT to plan for the costly expansion of highwaycapacity before assessing opportunitiesto improve the operational efficiency ofthe existing system.

This bill creates a planning bias againstthe most cost-effective strategies for congestion relief, including signalsynchronization, ramp-metering,

intelligent transportation systems,transportation demand management, andcommute trip reduction.

SB 6624-- Oppose Dwelling Units This bill is a special interest response toSan Juan County's request for looseningof laws governing accessory dwellingunits (ADUs).

SB 6624 expands criteria for ADUs,

allowing them to be completelydetached structures, independentresidences and vacation rentals.

This would overturn important growth board rulings and would potentiallydouble density in the rural area under the guise of affordable housing.

SSB 6662-- Oppose Water Rights Administration This bill eliminates the state law meantto prevent the hoarding and speculationof the publics’ water. SSB 6662 woulalso eliminates review of some water right changes, and decreases oversightof others, potentially allowingunconfirmed water rights to betransferred to new uses. This wouldlikely lead to the harm of neighbors’water use and/or stream flows.




If enacted, such changes will likelypreclude achieving stream flows neededto protect fish, water quality, and other instream uses in many of our watersheds.

SB 6672-- Oppose HOV Toll LanesThis bill will likely slow down busesand carpools in the 167 corridor becausethe single HOT lane will likely becomeovercrowded with solo-drivers.

SSB 6732-- Oppose Relating to Water AvailabilityThis bill prevents safeguards at the stateand local level needed to ensurecompatible land and water managementfor livable communities.

SSB 6732 also establishes aquestionable fund for county-basedeconomic development agencies to buyand lease water for stock-watering

purposes, providing more benefits toone limited class of water use.

The ConservationCommunity Supports…

HB 2531-- Support Regional TransportationInvestment Districts.This bill provides local officials in any

county or region, which chooses to forman RTID, the flexibility needed to investin the most effective and locallyappropriate mix of transportationprojects and services, including transit.

HB 2531 provides alternatives to thegeneral sales tax by adding user-feebased revenue options requested by thePuget Sound RTID Board, including a

limited regional sales tax on gas, and alocal option gas-tax.

SHB 3020-- Support Oil Spill ManagementSSB 6641-- Support Oil Spill ManagementThese bills will help the state avoid oilspills such as the one we experiencedseveral weeks ago at Point Wells .

HB 3020 puts in place new

requirements and rulemaking authorityto reduce the risk of oil spills occurringduring transfers of oil to vessels.

SSB 6641 directs the Department of Ecology to do rulemaking to put in placesafeguards which will reduce the risk of oil spills occurring during transfers of oil to vessels.

SHB 3112-- Support Marine Fuel FacilitiesThis bill directs the Department of Ecology to study the issue of truck-to-vessel refueling, which is not as closelyregulated as fueling of vessels fromstationary facilities. Ecology will then

be directed to make recommendationson additional steps to regulate this

practice.

SSB 6131-- Support Renewable Energy IncentivesSSB 6132-- Support Solar Energy IncentivesThese bills, prime sponsored by SenatorPoulsen and Senator Mortonrespectively, support the development of sustainable energy in our state.Washington is home to several solar electric corporate leaders. Washingtonwill lose out on significant economicopportunities in the domestic and globalmarkets if solar electric corporations

continue to leave. Incentives toencourage in-state manufacturing andfurther develop Washington’s solar electric market will keep these

businesses in our state. Incentives tomanufacture solar equipment inWashington, coupled with productionincentives, will ensure industry growth,leading to local job creation and ruraleconomic development.

Environmental EducationComprehensive Planning

A broad-based coalition of environmental education (EE) advocatesupported legislation earlier thislegislative session which invited stateagencies to participate with private and

public EE stakeholders in thedevelopment of a comprehensivestatewide plan for EE. This plan willdevelop a unified vision and approach to

EE in Washington, and will address theneeds of EE beneficiaries, and identify

policies, revenue streams and structuresthat can strengthen EE in Washington.

Although all of the government agencieinvited to participate support the concepof this plan, some were concerned thatthey didn't have the capacity necessaryto adequately represent their agencies inthe development of the plan. As a resulthe coalition decided, by consensus, to

stop moving this legislation until we canensure quality plan development and

participation by all interested parties.

We continue to work with private philanthropists and agencies in this plan



Audubon Washington’sBirds Eye View January 22, 2004 of 8

Legislative Session At a Glance – An Activist Reference Guide

Many Audubon members are busy with careers, families and local volunteer work, yet want to influence their legislators. In our growing efforts to facilitate relationships between Audubon members and their elected officials, we have pulled together the

following Primer. This should set you on your way to tracking and influencing the legislative issues your care about.

How many members represent my district?

Three—one senator & two representatives.

Who represents me? What district am I in?

Visit http://www.leg.wa.gov - click on “District Finder”

How do I find contact info for my legislators?

Go to http://www.leg.wa.gov and click on theappropriate “House” or “Senate” menu items.

Which legislative issues are affecting birds,wildlife and their habitat?

Audubon Washington’s legislative newsletter, BirdsEye View, and our regular Action Alerts, answer thisquestion throughout session. Watch your email for Action Alerts and visit http://wa.audubon.org for thelatest alert.

Where can I get bill information?

Visit http://www.leg.wa.gov click on “Bill Info.”Enter the bill number and you’ll get a recent report onthe bill’s status and history.For anat the s

Whatlegis

dividual phone calls, letters oemails from voters in your district.

2. Meet with your legislator between sessions.sion

5. Write and send a personal letter/email/faxee legislative hotline

What should I include in correspondences tomy Alw mberandcommun

up-to-the-minute update, contact Nina or Heathtate policy office.

are the best ways to influence mylator on a specific legislative issue?

In descending order of effectiveness:1. Generate dozens of in

3. Make a personal visit to Olympia during ses4. Make a personal phone call

6. Leave a message on the toll fr 1-800-562-6000

legislators?

ays include your name, address, bill title and nuthose of the official on all mail and E-mail

ications.

Remember these Audubon Activist Resources

Action Alerts & updates online at http://wa.audubon.org

Legislature eg.wa.gov

online: http://www.l

ree legislative ho line: 1-800-562-6 t

Toll f 000

http://www.leg.wa.gov/


http://wa.audubon.org/



http://wa.audubon.org/






Follow the 2004 Legislative SessionWith Bird’s Eye View

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itscomplex legislation, and track bills through the process. Also in the Bird’s Eye you’ll receive

ction alerts so you can provide your input to key decision makers. You’ll find out what’s happening in Congress, keep track of state and federal agencie onal Audubon Society’s national campaigns.

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Audubon Washington is a partnership of the Washington state office of thel Audubon Society and Washington’s 25 independent Audubon Chapters.

Admiralty Audubon

Grays Harbor Audubon

Kitsap Audubon

Kittitas Audubo

Lower Columbia Basin Audubon

North Cascades Audubon

North Central Audubon

Olympic Peninsula Audubon

Palouse Audubon

Pilchuck Audubon

Seattle Audubon

Skagit Audubon

Spokane Audubon

Tahoma Audubon

Vancouver Audubon

Vashon-Maury Isle Audubon

Yakima Valley Audubon

Audubon Washington Policy Staff: Nina Carter Heath Packard PO Box 462Policy Director Field Director Olympia, WA 98507(360) 789-0792 (36 [email protected]

Nationa

Black Hills Audubon.

Blue Mt. Audubon

Central Basin Audubon

East Lake Audubon

Rainier Audubon Whidbey Audubon

n San Juan Islands Audubon Willapa Hills Audubon

0)[email protected]

6 POlympia, WA 98507

To conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusingon birds, other wildlife,

and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.

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