HB 1720 — Concerning the protection and restoration of riparian areas through the establishment of a fully voluntary, regionally focused riparian grant program designed to improve the ecological functions of critical riparian management zones.

H-1353.2H-0903.3 SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1720 State of Washington 68th Legislature 2023 Regular Session By House Agriculture and Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Representatives Chapman, Dent, Lekanoff, Kretz, Volz, Klicker, Schmidt, Schmick, Couture, Goehner, Chambers, Ybarra, Stokesbary, Robertson, Sandlin, Christian, Reeves, Morgan, Orcutt, Corry, Barkis, Graham, Dye, Hutchins, and Cheney)Cheney READRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 02/17/23.02/02/23.

Referred to Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources.

adding a new sectionssection to chapter 77.85 RCW;

1 SHBHB 1720 (3) It is in the best interest of all the people of Washington, including federally recognized tribes and private landowners, to increase the population of salmon, to ensure the survivability of salmon against all threats, to protect and restore riparian areas, and to prioritize those riparian areas that provide shade and other cobenefits to support salmon recovery.

2 SHBHB 1720 and aligned with one or more of the following:

3 SHBHB 1720 Vegetation must be chosen to prevent invasive weed populations and ensure survival and successful establishment of plantings.

(1)(a) Within funds appropriated for this specific purpose, the salmon recovery funding board shall develop and implement the riparian grant program to fund protection and restoration of critical riparian management zones.

The salmon recovery funding board is responsible for developing the voluntary grant program criteria to p.

4 SHB 1720 achieve optimal restoration of functioning riparian ecosystems in priority critical riparian management zones.

This program is intended to complement the standard of no net loss of riparian habitat established in the voluntary stewardship program within the growth management act.

(b) In adopting the program criteria under this section, the salmon recovery funding board must:

(i) Coordinate with the department of ecology, the department of fish and wildlife, conservation districts, the department of agriculture, private landowners, and other interested stakeholders as well as invite federally recognized tribes to coordinate in the process as full participants;

and (ii) Notwithstanding different stream habitat restoration guidelines that govern other projects administered by the salmon recovery funding board, for purposes of the riparian grant program outlined in this section, consider the best available, locally applicable, science that is specific to each region of the state where the program criteria will be applied.

The salmon recovery funding board must apply the requirements and criteria set forth in this section in administering the riparian grant program, rather than any policies or standards that the board may apply to other grant programs administered by the board.

(2)(a) The salmon recovery funding board shall prioritize critical riparian management zones at the watershed or subbasin scale where grant funding under the program created in this section would be primarily targeted.

The prioritization must be informed by, consistent with, and aligned with one or more of the following:

Watershed plans developed pursuant to chapter 90.82 RCW;

the action agenda developed under RCW 90.71.260;

regional recovery plans created under RCW 77.85.090;

the habitat project lists developed pursuant to RCW 77.85.050;

the prioritization process developed under RCW 77.95.160;

and priority projects identified for salmon recovery through agency grant programs.

(b) The prioritization of critical riparian management must be developed in coordination with local conservation districts, the department of fish and wildlife, the department of ecology, and water resource inventory area planning units organized pursuant to chapter 90.82 RCW.

In addition, the salmon recovery funding board must invite the full participation of federally recognized tribes in the prioritization required under this section.

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5 SHB 1720 (3)(a) Conditions for awarding funding for projects under this program should include, but are not limited to:

(i) Consistency with the program criteria established in subsection (1) of this section;

(ii) Tiered incentive rates tied to improving functionality for riparian areas;

and (iii) Other requirements as determined by the salmon recovery funding board.

(b) Preference and compensation will be given for permanent protection of riparian areas or removal of riparian land from agricultural production or other development by purchase at fair market value.

(4) Riparian grant program funding must be distributed equitably throughout the state, consistent with received grant applications and benefit to salmon habitat.

Funding is intended primarily for projects located in salmon recovery regions, as defined in RCW 77.85.010, but funding may also be distributed to a project not located in a salmon recovery region upon a determination by the salmon recovery funding board that the project will provide a unique benefit to salmon habitat.

(5) Allowable expenses to a grantee receiving funds under this section include, but are not limited to, labor, equipment, fencing, mulch, seed, seedling trees, manual weed control, and yearly maintenance costs for up to 10 years.

(6) Any native woody trees and shrubs planted with funding provided under this section must be maintained for a minimum of five years or as otherwise set by the salmon recovery funding board for each grantee.

Vegetation must be chosen to prevent invasive weed populations and ensure survival and successful establishment of plantings.

(7) The salmon recovery funding board shall determine appropriate recordkeeping and data collections procedures required for program implementation and shall establish a data management system that allows for coordination between the salmon recovery funding board and other state agencies.

Any data collected or shared under this section may be used only to assess the successes of the riparian grant program in improving the functions of critical riparian habitat.

(8) The salmon recovery funding board shall develop and implement a framework that includes monitoring, adaptive management, and metrics in order to ensure consistency with the requirements of the p.

6 SHB 1720 riparian grant program.

The monitoring and adaptive management framework may include, but is not limited to, consideration of: