HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STREAM RESTORATION & SPECIES RECOVERY

January 10, 2001 Hearing Room E

1:00 PM Tapes 1 - 2

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Bob Jenson, Chair

Rep. Jan Lee, Vice-Chair

Rep. Randy Leonard, Vice-Chair

Rep. Jeff Kruse

Rep. Patti Smith

Rep. Al King

Rep. Carolyn Tomei

Rep. Kelley Wirth

MEMBER EXCUSED: Rep. Tim Knopp

STAFF PRESENT: Sandy Thiele-Cirka, Committee Administrator

Linda K. Gatto, Committee Assistant

ISSUES HEARD: Organizational Meeting

Adoption of Committee Rules

Introduction of Committee Members and Staff

Informational Meeting

Invited Testimony - Oregon Plan Overview

Governor’s Natural Resources Office

Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 1, A
004	Chair Jenson	Calls meeting to order at 1:05 p.m.
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING – ADOPTION OF COMMITTEE RULES
009	Rep. Kruse	MOTION: Moves to ADOPT the proposed Committee Rules dated 01/10/01 (EXHIBIT A).
022	Ramona Kenady	Chief Clerk, Oregon House of Representatives. States the House of Representative has adopted the consent calendar into rule. Explains the procedure.
073	Rep. King	Clarifies that it takes four members to remove something from the consent calendar.
	Rep. Kruse	Asks if the four members who are objecting can write one note.
	Kenady	Answers that separate notes or one note with four signatures are acceptable.
	Rep. King	Clarifies that a minority report has to be filed by 5:00 p.m. the same day as the committee meeting.
088	Chair Jenson	Responds that is correct.
		VOTE: 8- 0 AYE: In a roll call vote, all members present vote AYE EXCUSED: 1 – Knopp
100	Chair Jenson	The motion CARRIES.
INTRODUCTIONS
115	Rep. Patti Smith	District 56. States her background is in agriculture and timber.
120	Rep. Al King	District 44.
125	Rep. Jeff Kruse	District 45. States he has been involved with the salmon issue since 1995.
130	Rep. Randy Leonard	District 21. States he is interested in the hazardous waste deposits and sewer overflow issues.
142	Rep. Jan Lee	District 10. States her background is in water, fish, and agriculture issues.
150	Rep. Carolyn Tomei	District 25. States her interest is in protecting the Willamette River and other waterways.
157	Rep. Kelley Wirth	District 35. States her background is in planning and her interest is in the Willamette River and species recovery.
164	Chair Jenson	District 57. States the importance of water in eastern Oregon. Proclaims the goal of institutionalizing the Oregon Plan. Closes the organization meeting and opens informational meeting.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING
OREGON PLAN OVERVIEW
276	Louise Solliday	Governor’s Assistant, Governor’s Natural Resources Office (GNRO). Submits (EXHIBT B). Provides an overview on the oversight groups, state agencies, local groups, outreach teams, and monitoring teams that are involved in the Oregon Plan.
TAPE 2, A
023	Roy Hemmingway	Governor’s Policy Advisor for Salmon and Energy, GNRO. Overhead presentation outlining the Oregon Plan, (EXHIBIT C).
		· SB 924 (1997) · HB 3225 (1999) · Measure 66 (1998) · 4(d) rules, effective January 9, 2001 · Agency actions and local actions · Watershed Councils and Soil and Water Conservation Districts · Forest industry · Independent Multidisciplinary Science Team (IMST) · Outreach teams
399	Rep. Kruse	Comments that Soil and Water Districts are locally elected bodies that have statutory oversight over some state natural resource agencies and have Memorandums of Agreement, (MOA) that give them access to most federal resource agencies. Questions does National Marine Fisheries Service, (NMFS) differentiate between hatchery salmon and wild salmon.
TAPE 1, B
022	Hemmingway	Affirmative. Points out that NMFS does not regard a hatchery raised fish as a listed fish.
025	Rep. Kruse	Asks if NMFS has a wild fish policy.
026	Hemmingway	Answers not that he is aware of.
039	Rep. Leonard	Comments on the definition of a hatchery fish and a wild fish.
088	Solliday	Notes there are three classifications of these fish and suggests that IMST discuss the issue with them.
098	Rep. Leonard	Asks if a large run of hatchery fish is considered recovery.
103	Hemmingway	Answers the conditions vary in each watershed so the fish evolve to meet those conditions.
120	Rep. Leonard	Asks why are those stocks distinct from the native fish.
130	Hemmingway	Answers the fish evolve to succeed in the hatchery.
180	Chair Jenson	Closes the informational meeting and re-opens the organizational meeting to introduce committee staff. Reopens informational meeting.
OREGON WATERSHED ENHANCEMENT BOARD (OWEB)
200	Geoff Huntington	Executive Director, OWEB. Submits (EXHIBIT D).
220	Ken Bierly	Deputy Director, OWEB. Presents an overview of (EXHIBIT D). · History of how the Governor’s Watershed Enhancement Board, (GWEB) evolved into the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, (OWEB).
372	Bierly	· Background on how the watershed councils were formulated.
395	Chair Jenson	Requests description of how the OWEB funds are used.
TAPE 2, B
	Bierly	Answers the funds are used toward the salary and benefits of the coordinator, assessment work, monitoring, and on the ground projects.
006	Bierly	Notes the map of watershed councils, page six (EXHIBIT C).
040	Huntington	States he views the Soil and Water Districts, and Watershed Councils as partners. Discusses funding sources.
068	Rep. King	Comments that the Soil and Water Conservation Districts fund some of the Watershed Councils.
077	Huntington	Concurs. Continues testimony on the grant cycles.
118	Huntington	Discusses the membership of OWEB and current activities.
143	Chair Jenson	Asks what is the link between IMST and OWEB.
156	Huntington	Explains that per HB 3225, OWEB is responsible for managing an investment fund that is primary for research activity. The IMST will be releasing a report on the research activities that would be the most useful. The role of OWEB is to prioritize these activities.
186	Chair Jenson	Asks if IMST evaluates the grant applications.
194	Huntington	Answers that there is a process where IMST assists in drafting the proposals.
203	Rep. Jenson	Notes that the IMST is probably devoting more than 30 percent of their time. Expresses a concern about overloading the team.
233	Huntington	Answers the goal is to compliment the IMST and not increase their workload.
240	Chair Jenson	Comments that the IMST is a critical component of the Oregon Plan.
250	Rep. Kruse	Asks how many people from other agencies are involved in the Oregon Plan.
	Huntington	Answers he does not have that information.
293	Rep. Kruse	Notes that he would like to see the true investment in salmon recovery.
330	Chair Jenson	Concurs there may be hidden costs. Adjourns the meeting at 2:45 p.m.

Submitted By, Reviewed By,

Linda K. Gatto, Sandy Thiele-Cirka,

Committee Assistant Committee Administrator

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A. Committee rules, 01/10/01, staff, 2 pp.

B. The Oregon Plan overview, printed materials, Louise Solliday, 100 pp.

C. The Oregon Plan overview, written materials, Roy Hemmingway, 13 pp.

D. The Oregon Plan overview, written testimony, Geoffrey Huntington, 11 pp.