Capitol Building, Olympia., Washington
Capitol Building, Olympia., Washington
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CELP Legislative Comments, 2010
CELP letter to Sen. Phil Rockefeller re: SB 6267. January 15, 2010
CELP letter to Rep. Brian Blake re: HB 2591, HB 2542, HB 2508, HB 2468, HB 2532, HB 2548. Jan. 14, 2010.


Water and the Legislature - 2010
CELP works in all venues to protect Washington’s water resources - and that includes the Washington Legislature.
In 2010 CELP is represented by lobbyist Seth Ballhorn. Our focus will be on promoting exempt well reform, opposing bad bills on exempt wells (of which there are many these days due to our work in the Kittitas and on stockwater issues).
With a terrible budget situation, Ecology’s water resources budget will be slashed - as it was last year.
Ironically, that means there is interest in the private sector to find ways to fund water right processing. CELP has traditionally supported a reformed water rights fee structure.
A water rights fee bill, HB 2591 proposes a set of fees for water right processing that places the cost of water right applications squarely on the private parties who stand benefit from the public’s water. CELP strong supports this bill. For CELP this is not a new issue. In 2005 CELP issued a special report Water is Worth It: Making the Case for a Water Management Fee. CELP’s report remains relevant today. Download and read it here.