(1) The outdoor education and recreation grant program is hereby created, subject to the availability of funds in the outdoor education and recreation account. The commission shall establish and implement the program by rule to provide opportunities for public agencies, private nonprofit organizations, formal school programs, nonformal after-school programs, and community-based programs to receive grants from the account. Programs that provide outdoor education opportunities to schools shall be fully aligned with the state's essential academic learning requirements.

(2) The program shall be phased in beginning with the schools and students with the greatest needs in suburban, rural, and urban areas of the state. The program shall focus on students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, who are most likely to fail academically, or who have the greatest potential to drop out of school.

(3) The director shall set priorities and develop criteria for the awarding of grants to outdoor environmental, ecological, agricultural, or other natural resource-based education and recreation programs considering at least the following:

(a) Programs that contribute to the reduction of academic failure and dropout rates;

(b) Programs that make use of research-based, effective environmental, ecological, agricultural, or other natural resource-based education curriculum;

(c) Programs that contribute to healthy life styles through outdoor recreation and sound nutrition;

(d) Various Washington state parks as venues and use of the commission's personnel as a resource;

(e) Programs that maximize the number of participants that can be served;

(f) Programs that will commit matching and in-kind resources;

(g) Programs that create partnerships with public and private entities;

(h) Programs that provide students with opportunities to directly experience and understand nature and the natural world;

(i) Programs that include ongoing program evaluation, assessment, and reporting of their effectiveness; and

(j) Programs that utilize veterans for at least fifty percent of program implementation or administration.

(4) The director shall create an advisory committee to assist and advise the commission in the development and administration of the outdoor education and recreation program. The director should solicit representation on the committee from the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the department of fish and wildlife, the business community, outdoor organizations with an interest in education, and any others the commission deems sufficient to ensure a cross section of stakeholders. When the director creates such an advisory committee, its members shall be reimbursed from the outdoor education and recreation program account for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

(5) The outdoor education and recreation program account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. Funds deposited in the outdoor education and recreation program account shall be transferred only to the commission to be used solely for the commission's outdoor education and recreation program purposes identified in this section including the administration of the program. The director may accept gifts, grants, donations, or moneys from any source for deposit in the outdoor education and recreation program account. Any public agency in this state may develop and implement outdoor education and recreation programs. The director may make grants to public agencies and contract with any public or private agency or person to develop and implement outdoor education and recreation programs. The outdoor education and recreation program account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

Intent—2007 c 176: "It is the intent of the legislature to establish an outdoor education and recreation program to provide a large number of underserved students with quality opportunities to directly experience the natural world. It is the intent of the program to improve students' overall academic performance, self-esteem, personal responsibility, community involvement, personal health, and understanding of nature. Further, it is the intent of the program to empower local communities to engage students in outdoor education and recreation experiences." [ 2007 c 176 s 1.]