In Washington State, No Net Laws

When Washington's efforts to pass comprehensive wetlands protection legislation failed late last year, Governor Booth Gardner, with the support of state resource agencies, adopted a strategy for improving the effectiveness of existing laws and regulations. State agencies are using the force of two executive orders signed by the governor to help achieve stateside comprehensive wetlands management and regulation in the absence of any new statutory authorities. So far, the EOs have helped the state meet both the challenges of a growing population and development pressures to convert new wetland areas.