AB 1006
Fees charged to qualified lake associations for certain permits to control aquatic plants

Oppose: Failed to pass.

The state requires permits to be issued for aquatic plant removal or destruction because of the importance of a viable native plant community to a healthy lake, the difficulty for most people, including licensed chemical spray applicators and mechanical harvesting people, to identify native plants and/or invasive plants, and the susceptibility of lakes to invasives if native plants are destroyed. The permit process means that a person trained and experienced in lake ecology will review the proposed activity and assure that the activity is necessary and desirable for a given lake. This process is essential for lake protection.

Permit fees under discussion in the proposed bill are based on the acreage to be treated, as the entire area to be treated needs to be evaluated for applicability of the proposed treatment. The permit fees should only cover the costs of this review and any after treatment follow up. And while permit fees may be large if the size of the treatment area is large, the cost of the permit is relatively low when compared to the total costs of treatment.

Some lake organizations are qualified lake associations, some are not qualified lake associations, and others are lake districts. Every year many of these organizations are involved with developing management plans to help prevent the infestation and/or spread of invasive species into or within the lakes around which they reside, and to manage native plant species. In addition, many tribes, county governments, and town governments spend their own resources managing aquatic plants in lakes. Qualified lake associations and lake districts as well as county and local government organizations often receive grants from the water resources account - a state account funded by sales tax receipts on the sale of gasoline for use in motor boats. These groups must match 50% of grant funds received out of their own pockets and volunteer time to help protect the public waters of the state.

But, if a lake organization is to be exempt from permit fees for aquatic invasive species management, funding should come from some place to cover the cost of administering the permits, and not necessarily from grants intended for control of invasive plants.

Finally, we would ask that permit fees be reviewed to determine if they do indeed cover the actual cost of review of the proposed treatment and post treatment follow