[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6127483,"mediaKeyId","2663267-0d9d05b557a1a7bb64675d7b2848fd10","parentId",2663267,"title","Bill would create shellfish pest research board after Ecology denied pesticide request; critics warn of industry influence","audioSeconds",4253,"startMs",383175,"endMs",4637074,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2663267-0d9d05b557a1a7bb64675d7b2848fd10&start=383&end=4637","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2663267-0d9d05b557a1a7bb64675d7b2848fd10/thumbnail_383175.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6127483/Washington/Bill-would-create-shellfish-pest-research-board-after-Ecology-denied-pesticide-request-critics-warn-of-industry-influence","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6127483-8fc593c151f11a4a85938cc380e9caed/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142643&Signature=kyyLmILKcKHfNunYBYC97w49a~8PXTe1O5VVpO~dxE3DVmcYeOhkshfm504SHFwz-6WfThrn9~dvksZArVmJMVIoFOnmVmawIO6j01bBz-SzhX9AZbZEOYMBTvhEqT62~XiwVzZeZYKN562QiE3CaiTqx4PYjW-cRqWa2oFvQZS88WquOvR6QqlQZIA76J60wgWBHsM5rtZZV0MjtAVLIosQZcIYaLulqOBOhWtZ-OIVDRfjtdsYbF-4imyRShVVO--x9NNZiSGBIPt7e8~zK-bkrFvh3w7xTjsmwMRQcKSSODBNr5lAvUNe99~qNOoXUc5yfYmPm5MYObQ3LXlASg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Washington Legislature","date","2025-03-17T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks Committee heard Substitute House Bill 13 09 on March 17. The bill would direct the Washington Department of Agriculture to administer an integrated pest management (IPM) research program focused on burrowing (ghost) shrimp and establish a governing board to oversee program grants and research priorities.

Committee staff, Jeff Olson, said the bill mirrors language passed in the House (94–1) and is a companion to a Senate measure. Olson recounted that in 2018 the Department of Ecology denied a request by growers to use a pesticide on shellfish beds in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor, and that Ecology and shellfish growers subsequently entered a settlement agreement to pursue other management options. The bill would create an IPM research program, and a governing board with representatives from six state agencies, shellfish growers and processors, the Shoalwater Bay Tribe, an ecosystem‑based nonprofit and a nonprofit shellfish organization. Olson said the governing board is directed to meet at least quarterly. A partial fiscal note put initial implementation costs at about $193,000 and did not include research funding.

Rep. Joel McIntyre, the bill’s prime sponsor, said the coastal shellfish industry has suffered production losses attributable to burrowing shrimp and that research into a suite of tools — mechanical, biological and other delivery mechanisms — is needed. “This is just the start to a solution,” McIntyre said, calling the bill a step toward environmentally acceptable management techniques.

Several shellfish growers and the Willapa Grays Harbor Oyster Growers Association testified in favor. Laura Butler, legislative liaison for the Washington State Department of Agriculture, described nearly $4 million in state research grants awarded since 2019 under a prior grant program tied to the Ecology settlement and said the IPM work has been collaborative among growers, agencies and tribes.

A number of environmental and community witnesses testified in opposition or urged caution. John Garner of the Environmental Coalition of Pierce County and other speakers raised concerns that the bill’s governing‑board membership requirement — which the bill text frames as members who “must have a clear stake or vested interest in the preservation and sustainability of the shellfish industry” — would bias decisions toward industry priorities and could reopen the door to chemical controls. Several opposition witnesses said Ecology’s past denial of aerial pesticide spraying reflected science‑based concerns about impacts to estuarine ecosystems and food webs. Advocates for the bill responded that the program’s statutory language is intended to support integrated pest management research and collaboration across agencies, tribes and scientists and that research to identify non‑toxic management tools is ongoing.

Committee staff and multiple witnesses cited the bill’s House passage with strong support and described an active IPM working group that has carried out micro‑scale research trials since 2019. The committee did not take action at the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources - 3/17/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Agriculture Committee heard substitute House Bill 1309 on March 17, which would create an integrated pest management research program at the Washington Department of Agriculture to address burrowing shrimp impacts on bottom culture shellfish.","taxTitle","Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks, Senate, Legislative Sessions, Washington","taxId",20499,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6127488,"Senate committee hears bill to protect agritourism, limit tax penalties on open‑space farms",4976,52615,5029000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2663267-0d9d05b557a1a7bb64675d7b2848fd10&start=52&end=5029","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2663267-0d9d05b557a1a7bb64675d7b2848fd10/thumbnail_52615.jpg","/articles/6127488/Washington/Senate-committee-hears-bill-to-protect-agritourism-limit-tax-penalties-on-openspace-farms","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6127488-cfb108ccd1b7e9cdcd7016b9d6ee8f35/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142643&Signature=GO8-HhHtxYTP2Xkph~7WUoOazp99BcRfRtK8q9IkdhdVSmIAI6g6JfSALjx0YUKyBfLqpbNekpUIxKC83y99ZVkJPPQK-QjgqVirQ31cmebN~o1ePEatD-X3EDJX6RNQpZGCglt5GKAIJS3IGQUHsTcJ~DEGLLaet7L9HBVyTOEXUB7sOkp59kc8nJ2bq8Z-9EyfpuYI9ZnYWjAQf322ePzfjGBxd4bHlzfadpSi-NHW3oxY9hcEksSaf35fADnZYap7KvbH4zgLZUsU-O~J2GPIENBtTjRj6qXUS3pngSPQErTFmCCv9fTkauvb3j~fVz0Ff6tNE97JGeY9eCF~DQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Washington State Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks Committee on Monday, March 17, heard Substitute House Bill 12 61, which would expand allowable incidental uses on land classified as open space and reduce the period for calculating rollback taxes when a parcel is removed from the program.

Jeff Olson, staff to the committee, told members the bill would add the wholesale value of agricultural products sold to consumers participating in “harvest‑your‑own” operations to the definition of qualifying income for open‑space classification. Olson said the bill also would prevent removal of land from open‑space classification because of minor upgrades to existing appurtenances and permit limited, compatible uses — including educational or recreational farming programs, seasonal farm festivals and celebratory gatherings — without triggering reclassification. The bill would reduce the look‑back period used to calculate back taxes from seven years to four beginning Sept. 1, 2025, Olson said. He noted a fiscal note estimating about $37,000 to implement the bill in the 2025–27 biennium and that local impacts were indeterminate.

The bill’s prime sponsor, Rep. Sam Lowe, R‑39, said the measure responds to county assessor actions that in some cases produced large rollback tax bills for farmers. “When we don't give our farmers a little bit of flexibility and we tax them out of their farms, they have little to no choice but to sell,” Lowe said, describing cases in Snohomish County where some farmers faced penalties “tens of thousands of dollars” and, he said, “as high as $90,000.” Lowe said the bill aims to provide clarity about incidental uses commonly used to support farm businesses, often called agritourism.

Farm and agricultural stakeholders who testified in support described agritourism and small‑scale events as an essential revenue stream for small farms. Linda Nunzick, Snohomish County’s agriculture coordinator, said agriculture in her county produces roughly $280 million in annual economic activity but that most farms are small; she urged passage to provide stability and predictability for farmers. Scott Lucky, owner of Lucky Farms in Snohomish County, told the committee the clarification would help small family farms survive development pressure and diversify revenue.

Brad Tower, representing the Christmas Tree Growers of Washington, noted the bill had passed the House unanimously and that Department of Revenue changes had addressed prior refund language in the bill.

The committee did not take a vote during the hearing. The bill’s fiscal note and local impact estimates will remain part of record as members continue deliberations.","A bill that clarifies allowable incidental uses on farmland enrolled in the open‑space tax program and shortens the look‑back period for rollback taxes drew bipartisan support and farmer testimony in the Washington Senate Agriculture Committee.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6127468,"Committee hears bipartisan bill to create prescribed‑fire claims fund pilot to reduce liability barriers",958,2045865,3004545,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2663267-0d9d05b557a1a7bb64675d7b2848fd10&start=2045&end=3004","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2663267-0d9d05b557a1a7bb64675d7b2848fd10/thumbnail_2045865.jpg","/articles/6127468/Washington/Committee-hears-bipartisan-bill-to-create-prescribedfire-claims-fund-pilot-to-reduce-liability-barriers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6127468-a032f0b6e6cf176a78fa7f8b4feb58ce/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142643&Signature=jsNbISGDuIlh4uZL9DlVKtrKEgb8cgzxpxz8JeCdrimspWNq8QFLyEwDPNvz3yoaAygDgMwguawnjJHWvZvPg0T~f6iNaNTjBQ-4clVTtRm-TrqUazTMZOFOUi3UA69Gm~yqCBB4tregXLHyb9CWLozKgAKnlN3bPlsQVO9EMJ0205BupKf4VpmRJ2isiaAHOTIpv34qfM9moxm1EHOzsmCOV~~8KY3Be76BfINwru1-yG7-ADcqBkmiRW-8I4kKIhNac2JQjECC9K22xGCumwoXjCZj-C1qA4YrrrbUP-sq3ezArVifG34YDWZoOz33o2bdbflYdPRYP5KvmZTmXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks Committee on March 17 heard Substitute House Bill 15 63, which would establish a prescribed‑fire claim fund pilot program administered by the Office of Risk Management in cooperation with the Department of Natural Resources.

Committee staff, Jeff Olson, said the pilot would provide reimbursement for eligible losses from prescribed burns and cultural burning conducted on lands under DNR protection authority or on tribal lands with agreement or tribal approval. Eligible burns must be conducted by a certified burn manager or cultural fire practitioner and meet applicable permits and approvals; DNR would review claims to certify eligibility to risk management. Risk management would be authorized to reimburse claims up to $2,000,000; payment of claims would be conditional on availability of funds. Olson said the pilot program expires (date not specified in the hearing summary) and a fiscal note estimated about $1.2 million in 2025–27 to implement the bill.

Pat Sullivan, director of governmental external affairs for DNR, urged support, saying prescribed fire is an important but underused tool for forest health. Practitioners including Mark Charlton of The Nature Conservancy, Lucas King of the Washington Prescribed Fire Council and representatives of nonprofit and tribal interests described the fund as a needed financial backstop to reduce the liability barrier that keeps many landowners and partners from conducting prescribed burns. Sarah Clark, a public‑interest attorney who worked on California’s prescribed‑fire claims fund pilot, told the committee that California set aside $20 million for its first‑in‑nation program and that the fund has allowed hundreds of projects and tens of thousands of acres to enroll with no claims made against the fund in its first two years; she said the program has helped entice private insurers back into the market.

Supporters argued the pilot would expand safe, trained prescribed burning at the scale needed to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk and improve ecosystem health. The bill drew bipartisan support in committee testimony; the sponsor, Rep. (last name) Birnbaum, joined the hearing and described the bill as a bipartisan, stakeholder‑driven measure designed to bridge private and public insurance markets.

Committee members did not act on the bill during the hearing.","Substitute House Bill 1563 would create a pilot prescribed‑fire claims fund administered by the Office of Risk Management with DNR cooperation to reimburse losses from certified prescribed fires (up to $2 million) and aims to reduce liability hurdles that currently limit prescribed burning; supporters cited California and Oregon examples.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6127473,"Bill would relax satellite management agency requirement for small Group B water systems",1030,928190,1958655,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2663267-0d9d05b557a1a7bb64675d7b2848fd10&start=928&end=1958","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2663267-0d9d05b557a1a7bb64675d7b2848fd10/thumbnail_928190.jpg","/articles/6127473/Washington/Bill-would-relax-satellite-management-agency-requirement-for-small-Group-B-water-systems","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6127473-ccaa9b7312507ad4cc3cfa04c6b53c5f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142643&Signature=ZAkj4na7MQSoBENgy7nBwTJVUStXSePgD-Qn2nYX4fz82ZH7zr2VLTR-FWmzf8Z9QXJIF1~zHik3zZSc74ElZk0f8HUgBV7d6Yibq3tvxEaZ05Uu~x3702wi6hM1yqgoLRzV-JVaYwtCaqO78WiaP77m75xsqZKtEB5oJzqA8ZJHUOEmhFMps1WLfMFmmwCyZg81PZaEi7A9uPSeS71MkHqpcb1wq3uOBKVx8nXOWfC7sAFt0VLbUkxwjX2ICKsF0667PDhB7j3ubhZTOPlS0AmmZtA8B2pfSGCBQCCTmfVHBBYk0dwv6Mn6WsBHnmqLIXgGwmeT0LbQq~XAMMR4Qg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Agriculture Committee on March 17 heard Substitute House Bill 19 47, which would narrow the state requirement that new public water systems be owned or operated by a satellite management agency (SMA). Under current Department of Health rules, many small Group B systems must be managed by an SMA; the bill would exempt Group B systems unless they meet one of four conditions: provide fire flow, have atmospheric storage, serve 10 or more service connections, or are required to provide treatment to meet water‑quality standards.

Elena Becker, committee staff, said the bill preserves SMA requirements for higher‑risk situations but would remove a blanket SMA mandate for very small, simple Group B systems. Becker noted the bill also allows local boards of health to adopt more stringent requirements.

Rep. Roger Engel, the bill’s sponsor, described his experience as president of a water association and said many rural communities find SMAs difficult or costly to contract with; he said the change would allow families building homes served by shared wells to do so affordably when local health jurisdictions already provide oversight.

Public testimony included Jamie Bowden of the State Association of Local Public Health Officials, who said 22 local health jurisdictions already implement aspects of Group B programs and that many Group B systems have only four connections. Former Stevens County Commissioner West McCart and local public‑health administrator Matt Schuntz urged the committee to defer to local health jurisdictions and described cases where the SMA requirement imposed large, unnecessary costs while providing little operational benefit.

The committee did not act on the bill at the hearing.","Substitute House Bill 19 47 seeks to exempt simple Group B water systems from mandatory satellite management agency (SMA) ownership or operation unless the system provides fire flow, has atmospheric storage, serves 10 or more connections, or requires treatment; supporters said the change reduces costs and restores local flexibility.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6127478,"Bill would bar use of default household counts to reclassify small water systems",1392,696740,2089030,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2663267-0d9d05b557a1a7bb64675d7b2848fd10&start=696&end=2089","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2663267-0d9d05b557a1a7bb64675d7b2848fd10/thumbnail_696740.jpg","/articles/6127478/Washington/Bill-would-bar-use-of-default-household-counts-to-reclassify-small-water-systems","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6127478-9ab5c759977b3b5b491f6a52c6aa3a4b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142643&Signature=Q4Ok~3A9KBhJivuOVVT7a3FVpYkXMxYzFhomUMldeZ8Ejzqn3GInejSszkrP1Xt3MTMP77JoEJ-Vc4-YKHk1ChoN7F~PF4YOiLGxs6EzYR1e6L-tehmMnTTBRp4MRFOoF0GkknCBTjaWgyIvAhLLV40QnGMvz3jPw-18ep0qUKzfqAnhi1sFSBz-ovjSi6z2A8iqTzunieRGoGQ~bZDDtzUCSt06ZLeloFDt-J9H3bHjnOZ4~jzEmQSJ~pri5YUp1SOvcKEqZfAkiDcdzK9s7yweZmActlYtwu1ZSHnM8cOOnYNZ69gukUznbowvRv2-grO1SE3PkSyVO-Ftt6anyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Agriculture Committee heard Substitute House Bill 16 15, which would prevent Department of Health planners and purveyors from using a default population number to reclassify a small public water system from Group B to Group A when that default causes the reclassification.

Elena Becker, committee staff, briefed members on the statutory difference between Group A and Group B water systems: Group A systems meet any of three criteria — 15 or more service connections, an average of at least 25 people per day for 60 days in a year, or serving 1,000 or more people for two or more consecutive days — and are subject to more stringent design, operation and testing rules. By Department of Health rule, purveyors preparing new or expanded Group B system designs must calculate residential population using a default assumption of 2.5 persons per dwelling when estimating population; the bill would bar using such a default where it would cause a system that otherwise would be Group B to be classified as Group A, Becker said. A fiscal note estimated no fiscal impact.

Rep. Michelle Caldier, prime sponsor, said the bill grew from a constituent dispute: a 14‑connection homeowners association faced a projected reclassification that she said would have cost the neighborhood roughly $50,000 and $4,000–$5,000 per home. Caldier described the proposal as a fix to an unfair administrative practice that can impose large, unnecessary costs on small, low‑risk communities.

Public testimony included Jack Dunn, president of the South Head Water Association, who described a 12‑connection system with nine year‑round residents that was treated as a 30‑person system because of the 2.5 default and faced an estimated $50,000 cost to meet Group A requirements. He and local public‑health witnesses argued the bill would restore common‑sense alignment between design assumptions and actual local conditions in many rural systems.

The committee held public testimony and did not take action during the hearing.","Substitute House Bill 16 15 would prohibit using a default occupancy number (2.5 persons per dwelling) to calculate average persons served when that default would bump a Group B public water system into Group A, a change sponsors say would avoid costly reclassification for small communities.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bill would create shellfish pest research board after Ecology denied pesticide request; critics warn of industry influence

Senate committee hears bill to protect agritourism, limit tax penalties on open‑space farms

Committee hears bipartisan bill to create prescribed‑fire claims fund pilot to reduce liability barriers

Bill would relax satellite management agency requirement for small Group B water systems

Bill would bar use of default household counts to reclassify small water systems