Washington Revised Code Title 79. Public Lands § 79.13.620. Purpose--Ecosystem standards

(1) It is the purpose of chapter 163, Laws of 1996 that all state agricultural lands, grazing lands, and grazeable woodlands shall be managed in keeping with the statutory and constitutional mandates under which each agency operates. Chapter 163, Laws of 1996 is consistent with section 1, chapter 4, Laws of 1993 sp. sess.

(2) The ecosystem standards developed under chapter 4, Laws of 1993 sp. sess. for state-owned agricultural and grazing lands are defined as desired ecological conditions. The standards are not intended to prescribe practices. For this reason, land managers are encouraged to use an adaptive management approach in selecting and implementing practices that work towards meeting the standards based on the best available science and evaluation tools.

(3) For as long as the chapter 4, Laws of 1993 sp. sess. ecosystem standards remain in effect, they shall be applied through a collaborative process that incorporates the following principles:

(4) The ecosystem standards are to be achieved by applying appropriate land management practices on riparian lands and on the uplands in order to reach the desired ecological conditions.

(5) The legislature urges that state agencies that manage grazing lands make planning and implementation of chapter 163, Laws of 1996, using the coordinated resource management and planning process, a high priority, especially where either multiple ownerships, or multiple use resources objectives, or both, are involved. In all cases, the choice of using the coordinated resource management planning process will be a voluntary decision by all concerned parties including agencies, private landowners, lessees, permittees, and other interests.