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SB 6861 Cabin Owners Bill > Timeline and
Communications Strategy
SB 6861 Yakima Basin Cabin Owners Bill - Timeline and Communication Strategy
On May 19, 2006, Ecology met with leaders of cabin owner groups in the
greater Yakima area. The issues that were discussed included:
- Contributing to the competition for water supplies among surface water
users in the basin
- Ways to meet the objectives of the study bill
- Potential solutions to obtain non-interruptible water rights for all
domestic water users in the basin.
With assistance from the cabin owner groups, a project timeline and
communication strategy has been developed.
June 15, 2006
- Finalize communication strategy.
- Develop website and list serve
- Press release on the goals of the bill
- Press release on July 1st
- Press release on September 1st
- Develop a Survey to meet the goals of the
Bill
- Schedule Four Open Houses (Rimrock, Chinook Pass, Teanaway, Cle Elum)
- Schedule around major holiday weekends or cabin association meetings
- Open houses on-site where maximum attendance can be solicited
- Circulate draft reports for comment to list serve and public (press
release)
- Finalize draft (to list serve)
June 15th to July 1, 2006
July 1, 2006 to August 31, 2006
- Develop and populate excel database of candidate water users with
required fields from the survey:
- USFS (database of special use permits and recreational properties)
- Counties (recreational codes, assessor information) from Benton,
Kittitas and Yakima Counties within study area
- Adjudication (claims denied)
- Internet survey (pro-active users from cabin contacts and press
release)
- Direct contacts/leads from cabin owner groups
September 1, 2006
- Final data collection efforts:
- Develop direct mail survey for water users that meet database
criteria but that have not completed on-line survey.
- Cross-check with adjudication CFO’s by location (where possible) to
complete database
September 30, 2006
- End official data collection period. Any on-line or written
surveys after this point will be tabulated as to number received, and may be
included depending on quantity, budget and timing.
October 1, 2006 to November 15, 2006
- Tabulate and organize data, finalize database, generate tables for
report
- Generate GWIS project and maps
- Write legislative report
- Summarize recommendations with pros/cons for report
November 15, 2006
- Final press release and distribute draft report to list serve (two week
comment period)
December 1, 2006 to December 15, 2006
- Tabulate and review response to draft report. Modify report as
appropriate. Finalize report and distribute to legislature, list serve,
external stakeholders.
December 31, 2006
- Submit report to Legislature
- Publish final report on website and provide copies to public
March 2007
- Ecology and the Bureau of Reclamation sign Memorandum of Understanding.
This lays the framework for a future water bank
May 2007
- Legislature passes funding ($450K) for the transfer of water rights for
camps and cabin owners
June to October 2007
- Bureau of Reclamation and Ecology work toward a Long-Term Water Storage
and Exchange Agreement [contract] that is required to initiate a water bank
- Plan efforts to purchase water rights
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