| |
Kretz bill would inject
accountability to
Salmon Recovery Project funding
Legislation that would
increase accountability in the funding of Washington salmon recovery
projects is moving in Olympia.
House Bill 1598, sponsored by Rep.
Joel Kretz, R-Wauconda, passed the House unanimously and will now be
considered by the Senate.
“This bill would be a first step toward putting a little bit of
accountability into the salmon recovery program,” Kretz said.
“The Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board is asking to spend another
$155 million dollars. I think transparency in how and where the money is
spent is critical. There should be safeguards to make sure taxpayer and
ratepayer money is being used properly.”
The Legislature created the 10-member Salmon Recovery Funding Board in
1999 to provide grants for protecting and restoring salmon habitat
around the state. Since then, millions have been spent on recovery
efforts and other activities purported to aid salmon restoration.
However, there have been times that groups accepting tax dollars for
salmon work have refused to disclose how and where the money was spent,
making legislators like Kretz question if there are enough
measurements to determine whether the projects the money has been used
for have been effective. That, he said, frustrates him and state
taxpayers.
“I know the money is being spent on salmon recovery efforts,” said
Kretz. “My bill simply asks that we create benchmarks in the process
so that we know if a project is working or not. The accountability will
help us determine if we’re meeting our goals or if we need to look at
other methods.”
Kretz added that his bill is not meant to impugn anyone who
accepts salmon recovery funds, but simply put a “sunshine clause” into
the process that allows for better tracking of each project’s progress
and the money spent by groups receiving the state-funded grants.
“Ultimately, we want the public to be well informed of government
actions so they can participate in or learn more about how the state is
spending their money and if it’s making a difference,” Kretz
concluded.
# # #
|
|