(1) The northeast Washington wolf-livestock management grant is created within the department. Funds from the grant program must be used only for the deployment of nonlethal deterrence resources in any Washington county east of the crest of the Cascade mountain range that shares a border with Canada, including human presence, and locally owned and deliberately located equipment and tools.

(2)(a) A four-member advisory board is established to advise the department on the expenditure of the northeast Washington wolf-livestock management grant funds. Advisory board members must be knowledgeable about wolf depredation issues, and have a special interest in the use of nonlethal wolf management techniques. Board members are unpaid, are not state employees, and are not eligible for reimbursement for subsistence, lodging, or travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as board members. The director must appoint each member to the board for a term of two years. Board members may be reappointed for subsequent two-year terms. The following board members must be appointed by the director in consultation with each applicable conservation district and the legislators in the legislative district encompassing each county:

(i) One Ferry county conservation district board member or staff member;

(ii) One Stevens county conservation district board member or staff member;

(iii) One Pend Oreille conservation district board member or staff member; and

(iv) One Okanogan conservation district board member or staff member.

(b) If no board member or staff member qualifies under this section, the director must appoint a resident of the applicable county to serve on the board.

(c) Board members may not:

(i) Directly benefit, in whole or in part, from any contract entered into or grant awarded under this section; or

(ii) Directly accept any compensation, gratuity, or reward in connection with such a contract from any other person with a beneficial interest in the contract.

(3) The board must help direct funding for the deployment of nonlethal deterrence resources, including human presence, and locally owned and deliberately located equipment and tools. Funds may only be distributed to nonprofit community-based collaborative organizations that have advisory boards that include personnel from relevant agencies including, but not limited to, the United States forest service and the Washington department of fish and wildlife.

(4) To ensure accountability and efficient use of funds between agencies involved in wolf-livestock management, the department must maintain a list of grants awarded under this section and at least annually share the list with the department of fish and wildlife.

Intent—Finding—2019 c 450: See note following RCW 77.12.395.