The effort to remove fish barriers in Washington could get a boost thanks to a new bipartisan bill from Rep. Kevin Waters. House Bill 2045 would facilitate the removal of fish barriers on lands owned by local governments by creating the “Adopt a Fish Barrier” program, through which local governments may receive private donations.
“Fish barriers continue to be a serious impediment to salmon and steelhead recovery in Washington,” said Waters, R-Stevenson. “Part of the problem is the state has limited financial resources to address all the challenges that come with removing these barriers.
“The good news is there are some community members and businesses that want to help by partnering with the state for the removal of fish barriers on lands owned by local governments. This bill would allow them to donate, which would give the state more resources to combat this issue.”
The legislation would coordinate with current fish barrier programs (namely the Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board) where the donations would be paired with grant applications already in progress. The Recreation and Conservation Office would keep a list of projects suited to receiving private donations so a person could see to which ones they could donate.
Donations of $10,000 or more would be recognized with a sign at the corrected barrier. Donations of $100,000 or more would be recognized with the sign and by a plaque signed by the governor with their name, the location of the project, the amount and year of the donation, and the fish species that are affected by removing the barrier.
“In short, this creates an opportunity for private citizens to donate and partner with local governments to fix fish passage barriers,” said Waters. “That is a win-win for fish and for the state. This bill is a simple but effective way to address this problem without piling on additional costs to the state’s current efforts.”
The 2024 legislative session began on Jan. 8 and is scheduled to end on March 7.
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