The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
RCW 77.135.010
Findings- 2014 c 202 : "The legislature finds that:
(1) The state's fish, wildlife, and habitat are exceptionally valuable environmental resources for the state's citizens.
(2) The state's fish, wildlife, and habitat also provide exceptionally valuable economic, cultural, and recreational resources. These include hydroelectric power, agriculture, forests, water supplies, commercial and recreational fisheries, aquaculture, and public access to outdoor recreational opportunities.
(3) Invasive species pose a grave threat to these environmental and economic resources, especially to salmon recovery and state and federally listed threatened and endangered species. Because of the significant harm invasive species can cause, invasive species constitute a public nuisance.
(4) If allowed to become established, invasive species can threaten human health and cause environmental and economic disasters affecting not only our state, but other states and nations.
(5) The risk of invasive species spreading into Washington increases as travel and commerce grows in volume and efficiency.
(6) Prevention of invasive species is a cost-effective, successful, and proven management strategy. Prevention is the state's highest management priority with an emphasis on education and outreach, inspections, and rapid response.
(7) The integrated management of invasive species through pathways regulated by the department is critical to preventing the introduction and spread of a broad range of such species, including plants, diseases, and parasites.
(8) Washington's citizens must work together to protect the state from invasive species.
(9) Public and private partnerships, cooperative agreements, and compacts are important for preventing new arrivals and managing existing populations of invasive species, and coordinating these actions on local, state, national, and international levels.
(10) The department requires authority for this mission to effectively counter the unpredictable nature of invasive species' introductions and spread, enable the utilization of new advances in invasive ecology science, and implement applicable techniques and technology to address invasive species.
(11) An integrated management approach provides the best way for the state to manage invasive species and includes opportunities for creating an informed public, encouraging public involvement, and striving for local, regional, national, and international cooperation and consistency on management standards. An integrated management approach also applies sound science to minimize the chance that invasive species used for beneficial purposes will result in environmental harm.
(12) This chapter provides authority for the department to effectively address invasive species using an integrated management approach.
(13) The department of fish and wildlife currently has sufficient statutory authority to effectively address invasive species risks posed through discharge of ballast water under chapter 77.120 RCW and by private sector shellfish aquaculture operations regulated under chapter 77.115 RCW. The programs developed by the department under these chapters embody the principles of prevention as the highest priority, integrated management of pathways, public-private partnerships, clean and drain principles, and rapid response capabilities." [2014 c 202 s 101.]