By JAMES BURKE
Associated Press Writer
OLYMPIA (AP) - When Gov. Gary Locke vetoed most of a watershed management bill last year, a group of legislators sat down to negotiate a compromise that could win bipartisan support - and make it past the governor's desk. Members of this ''Five Corners'' group - two Republicans, two Democrats and Department of Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons - had their differences but succeeded in drafting an alternative measure.
The result is a bill introduced Wednesday designed to strike a balance in how state agencies and local communities manage fragile watersheds. This time around, the executive branch is behind the bill and supporters say they're optimistic it will pass.
Ecology and the governor's Joint Cabinet on Natural Resources support the bill, Fitzsimmons said. It avoids many of the sticking points that concerned Locke last year - primarily finding the right balance between state and local roles, he said.
''As it settles, I'm pretty confident it will be acceptable,'' Fitzsimmons said. ''It's really a much more deeply cooperative, consensus-based process compared to last year.''
There may be some partisan wrangling as the bill heads toward the governor's office. Members of the negotiating group said they expect to see differences of opinion from other legislators similar to the ones they aired among themselves.
''It's a good starting point,'' said Rep. Gary Chandler, R-Moses Lake, chairman of the House Agriculture and Ecology Committee. ''It's a plan that allows the locals to decide what they want to do.''
The measure, HB 2514, would establish an optional framework and four-year timeline for communities to follow if they choose to create watershed management plans. Planning units would be set up for certain geographic areas. The units would be made up of cities, counties, water utilities, conservation districts, state representatives, Indian tribes and economic interests.
The top priority would be determining minimum ''in-stream flows'' as a step to restoring depleted fish stocks. Groups then would address issues of water quality and quantity and wildlife habitat. The bill calls for $500,000 for each participating planning unit.
Others involved in the five-member negotiating group were Sen. Bob Morton, R-Orient, chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Environment Committee; Sen. Karen Fraser, D-Lacey, ranking Democrat on the Senate Ecology Committee; and Rep. Kelli Linville, D-Bellingham, ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture and Ecology Committee.
Aided by an outside facilitator, the group wrapped up five months of discussions on Sunday - one night before the 60-day legislative session convened, Linville said.
''This is the first time I can remember that we didn't start with a bill to pick apart,'' Linville said. ''We started with a problem to be solved.'' Fraser conceded that the bill is ''probably not perfect,'' but she said the group developed a flexible approach that protects fish and wildlife, allows for economic growth and takes human needs into account. ''As the bill left the group, the criteria was, 'Is there anything in this bill that you can't live with?''' Linville said.
Adding urgency to the matter is an upcoming decision expected during the
session from the National Marine Fisheries Service, Fraser said. The agency
plans to list Puget Sound chinook as either threatened or endangered -
setting in motion a timeline for the state to correct habitat degradation.
If the state and local communities don't take action to manage watersheds,
the federal government has the authority to intervene, Fraser said.
A joint hearing on the bill is scheduled for next Wednesday.
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