"Department" means the Washington state department of agriculture.

"Disclosure" means inspection or copying.

"Public records" include any writing containing information relating to the conduct of government or the performance of any governmental or proprietary function prepared, owned, used, or retained by the department regardless of physical form or characteristics.

"Writing" means handwriting, typewriting, printing, photostating, telefaxing, photographing, and every other means of recording any form of communication or representation including, but not limited to, letters, words, pictures, sounds or symbols, or combination thereof, and all papers, maps, magnetic or paper tapes, photographic films and prints, motion picture, film and video recordings, magnetic or punched cards, discs, drums, diskettes, sound recordings, and other documents, including existing data compilations from which information may be obtained or translated.