The Puget Sound partnership adopts these procedures under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), RCW 43.21C.120 and the SEPA rules, WAC 197-11-904.

The partnership hereby adopts by reference the following sections of the 1984 SEPA rules, chapter 197-11 of the Washington Administrative Code.

"Director" means the executive director of the partnership as established in RCW 90.71.240.

"Ecosystem coordination board" or "ECB" means the representative group that advises and assists the leadership council as established in RCW 90.71.250.

"Leadership council" means the seven-member group appointed by the governor as established in RCW 90.71.220.

"Partnership" means the agency of the Puget Sound partnership consisting of the seven-member leadership council, an executive director, an ecosystem coordination board, and a Puget Sound science panel and/or agency staff.

"Science panel" means the group that advises and assists the leadership council as established in RCW 90.71.270.

There shall be established at the offices of the partnership a file containing all official partnership SEPA documents. Agencies and the public shall have access to this file.

When these rules require notice to be given under this section, the partnership shall inform the public and other agencies that an environmental document is being prepared or is available, and public hearing(s), if any, will be held by the following notice procedures:

(1) Publish notice in at least one newspaper of general circulation in each county, city, or general area in which the proposal is located or which the proposal affects;

(2) Notifying the news media via news releases, public service announcements and personal contact; and

(3) Sending notice to the official partnership mailing list. The official partnership list shall be kept on file and be available for inspection by the public. Individual members of the partnership's advisory bodies shall receive notice.

(4) Any other of the notice procedures listed in WAC 197-11-510, as appropriate.

There shall be no administrative appeals of partnership SEPA determinations. Any person may informally request, either orally or in writing, the responsible official to reconsider a determination. The official shall reconsider the determination and provide a response, but as this is not a formal appeal as described by RCW 43.21C.075 and WAC 197-11-680, the official is not required to make a record or furnish reasons for the decision. Any informal request to reconsider a partnership SEPA determination shall be made within thirty days of the determination.

The partnership adopts by reference the state environmental policy as set forth in SEPA, RCW 43.21C.020. To carry out this policy, the partnership will use all practicable means consistent with other essential considerations of state policy to improve and coordinate plans, functions, and resources, and to mitigate adverse impacts resulting from proposals to the end that the state and its citizens may:

(1) Fulfill the responsibilities of each generation as trustee of the environment for succeeding generations;

(2) Assure for all people of Washington safe, healthful, productive, and aesthetically and culturally pleasing surroundings;

(3) Attain the widest range of beneficial uses of the environment without degradation, risk to health or safety, or other undesirable or unintended consequences;

(4) Preserve important historic, cultural, and natural aspects of our national heritage;

(5) Maintain, wherever possible, an environment which supports diversity and variety of individual choice;

(6) Achieve a balance between population and resource use which will permit high standards of living and a wide sharing of life's amenities;

(7) Enhance the quality of renewable resources and approach the maximum attainable recycling of depletable resources.

The partnership's director, or the director's designee, shall serve as the responsible official.

If any provisions of this chapter or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of this chapter, or the application of the provision to other person or circumstances, shall not be affected.