Washington Invasive Species Council seeks your input on proposed legislation

The Washington Invasive Species Council is soliciting comments from stakeholders on two draft pieces of legislation it is considering proposing. The first bill seeks to extend the Council, which currently is scheduled to sunset on December 30, 2011. The second bill proposes to establish an invasive species emergency response fund that would enable rapid response and eradication of new invasive species infestations. Proposed funding sources for the emergency response fund include 1 percent of the Marine Fuel Tax Refund Account, 1 percent of the Off-Road Vehicle Use Permit Fee, and a $0.05 increase in the tire fee. These fund sources are tied to particular vectors shown to be responsible for the introduction and spread of invasive species.

We would appreciate feedback on the attached documents so that we can incorporate comments prior to submitting them for further review in the agency-request legislation process. Please provide questions and comments to Wendy Brown, Executive Coordinator of the Council, by August 13, 2010 and feel free to pass this solicitation along to others that may be interested. Wendy can be reached at wendy.brown@invasivespecies.wa.gov.

Attachments:

• Attachment 1. Background information, including a statement of need, on the draft reauthorization bill.
• Attachment 2. Draft bill to reauthorize the Washington Invasive Species Council until June 2017.
• Attachment 3. Background information, including a statement of need, on the proposal to create an emergency response fund.
• Attachment 4. Draft bill to create an invasive species emergency response fund.

For more information about the Washington Invasive Species Council, please visit our web site at www.invasivespecies.wa.gov.