Olympia - Senator Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island, and a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation last week to create a permanent endowment for the management of Washington's coastal and marine resources. A hearing was held Thursday in the Senate Energy, Natural Resources and Marine Waters Committee, which Ranker chairs, to discuss the bill.
“The goal of the legislation is to remove roadblocks from current rules and create a permanent funding source,” said Ranker. “This will ensure the advancement of critical work supporting our coastal and marine resources and the economies that depend upon them.”
SB 6263 removes roadblocks from the Marine Spatial Planning legislation that was passed two years ago, allowing the state, coastal counties and industry to take advantage of opportunities to leverage private and federal support protecting coastal jobs and allowing greater understanding of our marine resources.
It also permanently dedicates a percentage of revenue from the leasing of Washington States Aquatic Lands to create an endowment, which would generate approximately $1.2-2.4M per biennium. Expenditures from the account will be used to advance projects enhancing protection of existing resources in our marine waters, such as shellfish aquaculture and commercial and recreation fishing and commerce, while researching new opportunities, such as renewable energy siting.
“A dedicated funding source for marine planning is beneficial to economies up and down our coast and Sound,” said Ranker. “It's critical that we not only protect the thousands of existing jobs that depend upon our marine resources, but also keep advancing opportunities for progress in new sectors within our marine-based economies.”
“We are living in a new era where traditional and new users of our oceans are working together to meet the increasing demands on our natural resources,” said Karen Anderson, State Director of the Nature Conservancy. “We know there is widespread support in Washington for getting this right, and the Senate bill for marine planning provides the opportunity to do so. This bill will help us manage Washington’s marine resources more effectively for everyone, while ensuring a healthy ocean that supports fisheries, shellfish farming and recreation and will help us safeguard jobs and the environment, even during difficult times.”
“Utilizing a portion of the revenue generated from the use of state aquatic lands to facilitate marine assessments, mapping and planning makes sense. It will help protect existing uses such as shellfish aquaculture and facilitate its growth while minimizing conflicts,” said Bill Dewey of Taylor Shellfish Farms.
“When it comes to being stewards of the ocean, we are already the best, but there’s still room for improvement,” said Ray Toste, President of the Washington Dungeness Crab Fisherman’s Association and Dale Beasley, President of the Columbia River Crab Fisherman’s Association. “As our coastal economy continues to grow, we need to ensure that our current, existing industries and uses remain strong. This bill provides a clear path to do so while laying the groundwork for a more vibrant coastal economy as a whole.”