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State of Washington News Release - October 18, 2001
OLYMPIA - The governor, state lawmakers and hundreds of people from Washington and several other western states will meet in Tacoma next week to discuss specific proposals for improving the laws that govern the supply and use of water in Washington.
The Joint Executive-Legislative Water Policy Group is hosting a three-day conference on Oct. 23-25 at the Rhodes Meeting & Conference Center, 950 Broadway St., in Tacoma.
The first two days will feature dozens of speakers and panels discussing legislative proposals on four topics: Water for streams (9 a.m. to noon on Oct. 23); water for growing communities (2-5 p.m. on Oct. 23); "use it or lose it" policies on water rights (9 a.m. to noon on Oct. 24); and funding for drinking-water and water-storage projects (2-5 p.m. on Oct. 24).
Gov. Gary Locke will speak at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 23, regarding the funding topic.
The third day, Oct. 25, will involve a series of presentations by various interests recommending how to package the four topics into legislation for the 2002 legislative session. The sessions will run from 8 a.m. to noon and 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Last month, the Water Policy Group held a "listening session" to learn more about specific water problems and needs. People were then asked to submit "white papers" with their suggestions for addressing one or more of the four topics.
More than 50 papers have since been received. They will be the focus of the presentations and discussions at the three-day conference. The papers and other information about the policy group's effort are available at www.waterpolicy.wa.gov. (Link updated Feb. 2, 2004.)
The members of the Water Policy Group are senators Karen Fraser (D-Olympia), Bob Morton (R-Orient), Debbie Regala (D-Tacoma) and Jim Honeyford (R-Sunnyside), and representatives Gary Chandler (R-Moses Lake), Kelli Linville (D-Bellingham), Steve Kirby (D-Tacoma) and Bruce Chandler (R-Zillah). The governor's representatives are Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons, natural-resource advisor Curt Smitch and water-policy advisor Jim Waldo.
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Note: Reporters are welcome to attend the conference.
Media Contacts:
Sandi Peck, Governor's Office, 360-902-2229
Sheryl Hutchison, Dept. of Ecology, 360-407-7004
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
