Legislation Introduced to Create Washington State Water Commission to Streamline and Reform State Management of Water Resources

OLYMPIA, Wash., Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Friday, January 14th, important government reform and efficiency legislation (http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1296&year=2011 & http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5210&year=2011), titled "Creating a Water Commission," was introduced by 29 legislators in the Washington State House and Senate.

In particular, House Bill 1296 and Senate Bill 5210 would downsize the Washington State Department of Ecology and transfer the existing administrative and regulatory powers of the Department of Ecology Water Resources Program to a new Washington State Water Commission, which would consist of seven members with 3 members elected from west of the Cascades, 3 members elected from east of the Cascades, and 1 member appointed by the governor. The new Washington State Water Commission staff would assume the Department of Ecology's water resources management functions and the Department's Water Resources Program would be terminated.

Since 2000, the Washington Department of Ecology Water Resources Program has grown by nearly 50% in size in employees or FTE's (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dFYDhG00GjmMIbHW9nl0kw?feat=directlink). Given Washington State's current large budget shortfall and its continued sluggish economy, a number of key political leaders in Washington State have been calling for the state to streamline programs and reduce spending. For example, Governor Christine Gregoire recently stated that "We must not only cut, we must restructure, modernize, prioritize and position our state as a 21st century government. It's not just about this crisis -- it's about setting our state on a trajectory that ensures a strong financial foundation for our kids and grandkids ... I know change is hard, but this crisis is our force for change ... Families, businesses and non-profits across this state have been forced to change to survive. We must do the same."

As a result, HB 1296 and SB 5210 would make much more efficient and effective use of state taxpayer dollars, reducing staff from the current 150 FTE's in the Department of Ecology Water Resources Program to less than 100 FTE's at the new Water Commission. Additionally, it would reduce the number of Water Resources Program offices from 5 to 2 under the new Water Commission. More importantly, this legislative proposal (HB 1296 and SB 5210) would save the State of Washington millions of dollars annually, while providing streamlined and effective management of our state's water resources.

"The governor has said she wants to transform state government, so here's a great opportunity to turn words into action," said Rep. Bill Hinkle (R-Cle Elum), who is the prime sponsor of HB 1296. "Not only could we reduce the size of state government, we could provide more accountability and certainty for decisions involving water."

For a specific overview of the proposed Washington State Water Commission legislation (HB 1296 and SB 5210), click on the below link: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tEvNwfnWoxbf6MQPT7qQtg?feat=directlink

For more information, call Darryll Olsen or Pat Boss of the Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association at 509-783-1623 or 360-878-7073 or email [email protected].

About CSRIA

The Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association has become a leader in promoting water conservation and water efficiency in the Pacific Northwest. CSRIA's membership includes row crop, vineyard, orchard and livestock operations and we irrigate about 250,000 acres of prime agricultural lands in Washington State and primarily consists of operations along the Columbia-Snake River system, relying almost exclusively on private investment to build and operate highly efficient, state-of-the-art river pump stations and water distribution systems. Additionally, many municipalities and port districts are members of CSRIA. In economic terms, CSRIA members annually generate about $475-600 million in state and local income by purchasing goods and services from numerous economic sectors, ranging from paper products and food packaging to financial, legal and marketing services.

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SOURCE CSRIA