CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2424
Chapter 260, Laws of 2024
68th Legislature
2024 Regular Session
COOPERATIVE FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT—CONFEDERATED
TRIBES OF THE COLVILLE RESERVATION
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 6, 2024
Passed by the House March 6, 2024 CERTIFICATE
Yeas 93 Nays 3
I, Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the
House of Representatives of the
LAURIE JINKINS State of Washington, do hereby
Speaker of the House of certify that the attached is
Representatives SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2424 as
passed by the House of
Representatives and the Senate on
the dates hereon set forth.
Passed by the Senate March 1, 2024
Yeas 49 Nays 0
BERNARD DEAN
DENNY HECK Chief Clerk
President of the Senate
Approved March 26, 2024 9:22 AM FILED
March 27, 2024
Secretary of State
JAY INSLEE State of Washington
Governor of the State of Washington
 SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2424
AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
Passed Legislature - 2024 Regular Session
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session
By House Agriculture and Natural Resources (originally sponsored by
Representatives Kretz, Lekanoff, Springer, Schmick, Dent, and
Chapman)
READ FIRST TIME 01/31/24.
1 AN ACT Relating to updating cooperative agreements between the
2 state and federally recognized tribes for the successful
3 collaborative management of Washington's wildlife resources; and
4 creating new sections.
5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
6 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that the
7 Washington state department of fish and wildlife has entered into
8 cooperative agreements with various tribal governments in the state,
9 including the confederated tribes of the Colville reservation, to
10 work on a government-to-government basis to collaboratively manage
11 the state's fish and wildlife. The legislature further finds that the
12 cooperative agreement between the confederated tribes of the Colville
13 reservation and the Washington state department of fish and wildlife,
14 as ratified by the fish and wildlife commission representing the
15 state in the government-to-government cooperative process, addresses
16 cooperative wildlife management on a portion of land ceded to the
17 United States by the Colville tribes, often referred to as "the north
18 half." The cooperative agreement recognizes that resource protection,
19 tribal rights, and recreational opportunities of the general public
20 are maximized through cooperative management of wildlife and habitats
21 on the north half. The cooperative agreement provides that the
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 1 department and the tribe will work together to protect, preserve, and
2 enhance wildlife populations on the reservation and the north half
3 through: Joint and cooperative surveying of wildlife populations,
4 sharing population and harvest statistics, and development of a joint
5 wildlife habitat protection and enhancement strategy. The agreement
6 further provides that the department and tribe will work together to
7 develop protocols and provide solutions for managing dangerous
8 wildlife and/or wildlife depredation and will work cooperatively to
9 reduce violations of state and tribal fish and game laws including
10 procedures for joint patrols and investigations. The legislature
11 finds that the department of fish and wildlife has broad authority
12 under the cooperative agreement to work cooperatively with the
13 Colville tribes. The cooperative agreement established the policy
14 committee, which is composed of representatives of the tribe and the
15 department, to facilitate cooperative action and resolve disputes
16 that may arise under the agreement. The agreement stipulates that the
17 policy committee review the agreement annually and recommend
18 modifications as to which the parties may mutually agree pursuant to
19 approval by the confederated tribes and ratification by the
20 commission in the government-to-government process.
21 (2) It is the intent of the legislature to affirm the goals and
22 provisions established in the 1998 cooperative agreement between the
23 department and the confederated tribes of the Colville Indian
24 Reservation, and to direct the department to review and recommend
25 modifications as necessary to the policies and practices implemented
26 under the cooperative agreement, including management of the gray
27 wolf in the "north half."
28 NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The department shall, upon approval of
29 a plan of engagement by the commission that includes elements in
30 subsection (2) of this section to be considered in the engagement,
31 engage on a government-to-government basis with the confederated
32 tribes of the Colville reservation for the purpose of identifying
33 potential updates to management practices under, and recommended
34 modifications to the 1998 cooperative fish and wildlife management
35 agreement.
36 (2) The department must submit the agreed upon recommendations
37 for updates or modifications to the agreement to the commission for
38 their approval that identifies:
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 1 (a) Recommended updates or modifications to existing management
2 strategies;
3 (b) Recommended updates or modifications to the "Wildlife
4 Protection and Preservation" section of the cooperative agreement;
5 (c) Challenges to implementing the "Problem Wildlife" section of
6 the cooperative agreement and recommended protocols to provide
7 solutions for landowners with problems involving either dangerous
8 wildlife or wildlife depredation, or both; and
9 (d) Recommendations for management of gray wolf and other species
10 listed under the state endangered species act since adoption of the
11 1998 agreement as practiced by the tribe and the department.
12 (3) Subsequent to approval by the confederated tribes of the
13 Colville and ratification by the commission, the department must
14 report to the legislature, in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, on
15 updates to or modifications to the 1998 cooperative fish and wildlife
16 management agreement.
17 (4) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this
18 section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
19 (a) "Commission" means the Washington state fish and wildlife
20 commission.
21 (b) "Department" means the Washington state department of fish
22 and wildlife.
23 (c) "The north half" means the portion of land that was
24 originally part of the Colville Indian reservation that the tribes
25 ceded to the federal government in 1892.
Passed by the House March 6, 2024.
Passed by the Senate March 1, 2024.
Approved by the Governor March 26, 2024.
Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 27, 2024.
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