HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STREAM RESTORATION

& SPECIES RECOVERY

March 28, 2001 Hearing Room E

1:00 P.M. Tapes 69 – 71

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Bob Jenson, Chair

Rep. Jan Lee, Vice-Chair

Rep. Randy Leonard Vice-Chair

Rep. Tim Knopp

Rep. Jeff Kruse

Rep. Patti Smith

Rep. Al King

Rep. Carolyn Tomei

Rep. Kelley Wirth

STAFF PRESENT: Sandy Thiele-Cirka, Committee Administrator

Stephen Kosiewicz, Committee Assistant

MEASURE HEARD:

HB 3638 Public Hearing

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 69, A
003	Vice Chair Lee	Calls the committee to order at 1:06 p.m. as a subcommittee for the purpose of hearing public testimony. Opens a public hearing on HB 3638.
HB 3638 PUBLIC HEARING
026	Ron Graves	Representing Wasco County Soil and Water Conservation District. Submits written material (EXHIBIT A) and presents a PowerPoint presentation providing background information on conservation districts.
111	Graves	Continues presentation.
170	Rep. King	References the flowchart and questions if there is output coming from the soil and water conservation districts.
183	Graves	Explains that the box in the upper left-hand corner represents the NRCS and conservation district planning process. Notes that the output from the water districts would be down to the diamond-shape decision box in the lower part of the graphic.
191	Rep. King	Asks if there is any output to area wide conservation plans or agricultural land use plans.
195	Graves	Responds that they are not trying to show all of the input.
208	Rep. King	Comments that input into the conservation plans is important and that the districts should be involved with the final conservation plans.
218	Graves	Indicates that Rep. King is correct. Continues presentation.
322	Graves	Continues presentation.
353	Jim Carpenter	Carpenter Design Inc. Submits and reads written testimony in support of HB 3638 (EXHIBIT B).
TAPE 70, A
005	Rep. Lee	Comments in support of district accomplishments.
016	Rep. Tomei	Asks Mr. Carpenter if he has seen the amendments to HB 3638.
018	Carpenter	Responds that he has received them but has not reviewed them.
026	Jeff Rolá	Representing Wy’East RC & D Council. Testifies in support of HB 3638 and reviews the work being done by the Wy’East RC & D Council in the basin.
075	Rep. Lee	Asks how long it took to obtain the $9 million.
077	Rolá	Responds that it was within the last year.
086	Louise Solliday	Governor’s Assistant for Natural Resources. Testifies on the concept and why there may be value to the structure outlined in HB 3638.
168	Chair Jenson	Questions if the local areas would be further ahead if they designed their own plans rather than giving them a standard model.
175	Solliday	Responds that a balance of both would be the most effective.
191	Chair Jenson	Notes that there would be some flexibility on the part of the Governor’s Office if they came up with a bill in relation to this.
195	Rep. Wirth	Asks how HB 3638 relates to SB 433.
197	Solliday	Responds that SB 433 has a section that deals with regional bodies. Notes that it focuses on the Willamette.
218	Monte Graham	Representing Marion Soil and Water Conservation District. Submits written material (EXHIBIT C) and presents the annual report of the Marion SWCD.
338	Graham	Continues discussing successes of the Marion SWCD.
390	Rep. Lee	Asks how many water quality management plans will be implemented in the Willamette Basin.
396	Graham	Responds that he believes there will be nine.
TAPE 69, B
015	Rick Bastasch	Executive Director, Willamette Restoration Initiative (WRI). Submits and reads written testimony in support of HB 3638 (EXHIBIT D).
055	Chair Jenson	Asks when WRI’s recommendations will be presented to the Governor and the legislature.
058	Bastasch	Responds that their recommendations will be sent out next week.
065	Helen Berg	Mayor, City of Corvallis, and member WRI Board of Directors. Testifies in support of HB 3638.
109	Sara Vickerman	West Coast Office Director, Defenders of Wildlife, and member WRI Board of Directors. Testifies in support of HB 3638 and the proposed amendments.
150	John McDonald	Member, WRI Board of Directors. Testifies in support of HB 3638 and notes some concerns.
258	Rep. Lee	Comments on a meeting that was held with watershed councils and districts. Asks for Mr. McDonald’s opinion on the concept of a regional body resources and accomplishments.
276	McDonald	Responds that this is a concept that deserves development.
299	Chair Jenson	Asks Mr. McDonald if the WRI is a bottom-up approach.
306	McDonald	Responds that it involves local stakeholder groups that are assembled to be representation on the WRI.
324	Berg	Notes other entities that were involved in the WRI process.
352	Chair Jenson	States that he sees the WRI as a top-down approach.
365	McDonald	Comments that when he was appointed to the WRI Board of Directors, he felt the same way initially.
TAPE 70, B
001	Rep. Kruse	Comments that HB 3638 is not the right approach to the issue.
015	Rep. Wirth	Asks Mr. McDonald if he has seen the amendment and is he supportive.
017	McDonald	Responds affirmatively and notes that it is an improvement to the bill. Comments that there is not universal excitement about having a regional body throughout the state.
056	Berg	Comments on the urgency of what the citizens of Oregon need to do.
078	Rep. Kruse	Comments that there has been tremendous success in restoring the environment in Oregon over the last 30 years.
099	Debrah Marriott	Director, Lower Columbia River Estuary Program. Submits and reads written testimony on the estuary program (EXHIBIT E).
196	Marriott	Continues reading testimony.
286	Marriott	Continues reading testimony.
329	Geoff Huntington	Executive Director, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT F) and testifies on the role regional watershed entities play in helping Oregon achieve healthier watersheds and recover at-risk fish stocks.
400	Chair Jenson	Asks Mr. Huntington to explain what top-down versus bottom-up.
TAPE 71, A
002	Huntington	Responds that top-down is when an agency, the legislature, or the Governor’s Office looks at a watershed and tells them what they need to do and how to do it.
005	Chair Jenson	Asks if the bill as originally written is a top-down approach.
010	Huntington	Indicates that this was one of his initial thoughts, but that the proposed amendment addresses bottom-up approach.
030	Chair Jenson	Comments on the need to come up with some language to change the top-down approach that seems to be inherent in the bill as written.
059	Huntington	Notes that it is important to have a clear understanding as a group about what needs to be accomplished and how it fits with other entities that are working in the same area.
074	Chair Jenson	Closes the public hearing on HB 3638 and adjourns the committee at 3:00 p.m.

Submitted By, Reviewed By,

Stephen Kosiewicz, Sandy Thiele-Cirka,

Committee Assistant Committee Administrator

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – HB 3638, written material, Ron Graves, 17 pp.

B – HB 3638, written testimony, Jim Carpenter, 1 p

C – HB 3638, written material, Monte Graham, 90 pp.

D – HB 3638, written testimony, Rick Bastasch, 1 p

E – HB 3638, written testimony, Debrah Marriott, 5 pp.

F – HB 3638, written testimony, Geoff Huntington, 1 p