HomeMy WebLinkAboutres2019-012Whatcom County COUNTY COURTHOUSE
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Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
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Agenda Bill Master Report
File Number: AB2019-133
File ID: AB2019-133 Version: 1 Status: Approved
File Created: 02/11/2019 Entered by: DBrown@co.whatcom.wa.us
Department: Council Office File Type: Resolution
First Assigned to: Council Natural Resources Committee
Agenda Date: 02/26/2019 Next Mtg. Date: Hearing Date:
TITLE FOR AGENDA ITEM:
Resolution requesting support for Washington State House and Senate bills related to: pollution
prevention; increasing habitat and fish abundance; protection of southern resident orca whales from
vessels; and improving the safety of oil transportation
SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE:
Resolution requesting support for Washington State House and Senate bills related to: pollution
prevention; increasing habitat and fish abundance; protection of southern resident orca whales from
vessels; and improving the safety of oil transportation
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE FILE
Date: Acting Body:
Action:
Sent To:
02/12/2019 Council
HELD IN COUNCIL
Council
02/26/2019 Council Natural Resources Committee
RECOMMENDED FOR
APPROVAL
02/26/2019 Council
APPROVED
Attachments: Resolution - Orca Recovery Local Government, Related House and Senate Bills - Orca Recovery
Resolution
Final Action:
02/26/2019
Enactment Date:
02/26/2019
Enactment #:
RES 2019-012
Whatcom County
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PROPOSED BY: BROWNS
INTRODUCTION DATE: FEBRUARY 12, 2019
RESOLUTION NO. 2019-012
REQUESTING SUPPORT FOR WASHINGTON STATE HOUSE AND SENATE
BILLS RELATED TO: POLLUTION PREVENTION; INCREASING HABITAT AND
FISH ABUNDANCE; PROTECTION OF SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCA WHALES
FROM VESSELS; AND IMPROVING THE SAFETY OF OIL TRANSPORTATION
WHEREAS, in March 2018, Governor Inslee issued Executive Order 18-02 which
directed state agencies to take immediate actions to help the endangered southern
resident orca population and established the Southern Resident Orca Task Force to
develop a long-term plan for recovering orcas: and
WHEREAS, the Task Force includes nearly 50 members representing a wide
range of sectors including state agencies, the legislature, and state, tribal, federal and
local governments, as well as private sector and non-profit organizations; and
WHEREAS, southern resident orcas primarily consume Chinook salmon,
bioaccumulate toxics in their blubber, and communicate underwater with members of
the pod; and
WHEREAS, there are currently 74 southern resident orcas, down from a healthy
population of about 200; and
WHEREAS, the orcas are struggling to survive as a result of declining Chinook
and other salmon runs, high -mortality rates due to relying upon their toxic blubber
reserves to sustain them, and increasing vessel traffic impairing their ability to
communicate amongst themselves while they hunt; and
WHEREAS, the Southern Resident Orca Task Force focused on addressing the
above three key problems: prey availability (through habitat, hydropower, hatcheries,
harvest, and forage fish), toxics in the water, and noise disturbance from boats and
vessels; and
WHEREAS, during the Southern Resident Orca Task Force's deliberations last
summer, Tahlequah (335) carried her dead calf for 17 days around the Salish Sea in
mourning and drew attention to the endangered population from around the world; and
WHEREAS, the declining population of the southern resident orcas is an
indication of noise pollution interfering with the Orca's sonar used to find prey, the poor
health of our salmon runs and the environment; and
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2 WHEREAS, on November 16, 2018, the Southern Resident Orca Task Force
3 released their final 36 recommendations to Governor Inslee; and
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5 WHEREAS, Governor Inslee and the Legislature have introduced the following
6 pieces of legislation based on recommendations from the Southern Resident Orca Task
7 Force:
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9 • HB 1194 preventing toxic pollution that affects public health or our environment.
10 • HB 1579, Implementing recommendations of the southern resident killer whale
11 task force related to increasing chinook abundance, and SB 5580, implementing
12 recommendations of the southern resident killer whale task force related to
13 increasing habitat and forage fish abundance.
14 • HB 1580 and SB 5577, concerning the protection of southern resident orca
15 whales from vessels.
16 • HB 1578 and SB 5578, Reducing threats to southern resident killer whales by
17 improving the safety of oil transportation.
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19 NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Whatcom County Council will
20 forward this resolution in support of the above legislation to our 40th and 42nd
21 Legislators and members of the Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks,
22 Senate Environment, Energy & Technology, House Environment & Energy, and House
23 Rural Development, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Committees.
24®�
25 ADOPITE(b th day of February , 2019.
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31 [ na 13 0 , Vi ,-Cleric of the Council Rud rowne, Council Chair
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34 WHATCOM COUNTY EXECUTIVE
35 APPR(7ED AS TO FOR
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39 Civil Deputy Prosecutor
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