Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 20, 1997
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Locke announces cabinet to resolve state's water crisis

OLYMPIA - Gov. Gary Locke today announced a major step toward solving the state's growing water crisis with the formation of a Joint Natural Resources Cabinet that includes Public Lands Commissioner Jennifer Belcher and 12 other top state and regional officials. The cabinet will work to formulate comprehensive natural resource policies that balance the need to preserve our state's economic vitality and our quality of life by protecting the environment.


"This cabinet will help get our state's natural resource house in order," Locke said. "It will move state agencies into a new era of cooperation and communication that can result in a comprehensive statewide approach to water and Endangered Species Act issues."


The Joint Natural Resources Cabinet will focus immediately on water issues, the Endangered Species Act, Columbia and Snake River issues and watershed based management. The National Marine Fisheries Service has proposed listing three types of Washington steelhead for protection under the Endangered Species Act this fall and also is expected to propose several types of salmon for protection in our state's waters in the next two years.


Gov. Locke made the announcement and introduced members of the new Joint Natural Resources Cabinet as he took action on several controversial pieces of legislation dealing with water use in Washington.


One of the most highly publicized bills signed by the governor was a measure lifting the moratorium on processing Columbia River water right applications. Before signing the bill, Gov. Locke cautioned that his action does not mean new water use permits would be issued. "Before decisions can be made for new water withdrawals, we must first establish how much water is needed to protect salmon."


Locke said the process of determining how much water is needed is a regional effort requiring the continued participation of states in the Columbia River basin, federal agencies, the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, The Northwest Power Planning Council and the Bonneville Power Administration.


Prime sponsor of the bill, Rep. Gary Chandler, (R-Moses Lake), wrote the governor saying he understood that lifting the moratorium would not automatically mean new permits would be issued, "I am not expecting that its removal...will result in an approval of all of the applications for the use of Columbia River water that have been filed with the department and held since December, 20, 1991.


The governor also signed, with a partial veto, House Bill 2054 that will support local watershed planning. While Locke agreed with legislators on the need for watershed planning at the local level, he vetoed the parts of the bill that created an overly rigid and inflexible process.


The Joint Natural Resources Cabinet will be led by Gov. Locke's Executive Policy Director Ann Daley. In addition to Commissioner Belcher, members who signed a Memorandum of Agreement establishing the Cabinet are: Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Bern Shanks, Secretary of Transportation Sid Morrison; Parks and Recreation Commission Director Cleve Pinnix; Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team Chairwoman Nancy McKay; Director of the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation Laura Eckert Johnson; Conservation Commission Executive Director Steve Meyer; Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons; Agriculture Director Jim Jesernig; Health Secretary Bruce Miyahara; Community, Trade and Economic Development Director Tim Douglas, and the Washington members of the Northwest Power Planning Council, Ken Casavant and Mike Kreidler.

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