(1) The department shall:
(a) Encourage and support the establishment of cooperative agreements for the development and operation of cooperative food fish, shellfish, game fish, game bird, game animal, and nongame wildlife projects, and projects which provide an opportunity for volunteer groups to become involved in resource and habitat-oriented activities. All cooperative projects shall be fairly considered in the approval of cooperative agreements;
(b) Identify regions and species or activities that would be particularly suitable for cooperative projects providing benefits compatible with department goals;
(c) Determine the availability of rearing space at operating facilities or of net pens, egg boxes, portable rearing containers, incubators, and any other rearing facilities for use in cooperative projects, and allocate them to volunteer groups as fairly as possible;
(d) Make viable eggs available for replenishing fish runs, and salmon carcasses for nutrient enhancement of streams. If a regional fisheries enhancement group, lead entity, volunteer cooperative group, federally approved tribe in Washington, or a governmental hatchery in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho requests the department for viable eggs, the department must include the request within the brood stock document prepared for review by the regional offices. The eggs shall be distributed in accordance with the priority established in RCW 77.95.210 if they are available. A request for viable eggs may only be denied if the eggs would not be useful for propagation or salmon recovery purposes, as determined under RCW 77.95.210;
(e) Exempt volunteer groups from payment of fees to the department for activities related to the project;
(f) Publicize the cooperative program;
(g) Not substitute a new cooperative project for any part of the department's program unless mutually agreeable to the department and volunteer group;
(h) Not approve agreements that are incompatible with legally existing land, water, or property rights.
(2) The department may, when requested, provide to volunteer groups its available professional expertise and assist the volunteer group to evaluate its project. The department must conduct annual workshops in each administrative region of the department that has fish stocks listed as threatened or endangered under the federal endangered species act, 16 U.S.C. Sec. 1531 et seq., in order to assist volunteer groups with egg rearing, share information on successful salmon recovery projects accomplished by volunteers within the state, and provide basic training on monitoring efforts that can be accomplished by volunteers in order to help determine if their efforts are successful.
[ 2001 c 337 § 3; 1987 c 505 § 73; 1984 c 72 § 4. Formerly RCW 75.52.040.]