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Washington: State Certification Effort Continues
Washington State will have a Senate Labor, Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee hearing next Thursday Feb 12th at 3:30 in a continuing effort to attain a state-level certification program for both soil scientists and wetland scientists (soilscientistlicensing.com).
Please send letters of support to committee members and, for Washington residents, also to your representatives and senators. Here are our bill sponsors for the Senate bill: (Labor, Commerce and Consumer Protection) Additional information provided below)
Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D) (Kohl-Welles.Jeanne@leg.wa.gov) Labor, Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee chair and co-sponsor
Sen. Ed Murray (D) (murray.edward@leg.wa.gov) prime sponsor, sits on Ways and Means Committee
Sen. Jerome Delvin (R) (delvin.jerome@leg.wa.gov), co-sponsor, sits on Economic Development, Trade & Innovation and Environment, Water & Energy Committees
Here are our bill sponsors for the House bill (HB1881) , which is running parallel, but as yet has no hearing date: (Commerce and Labor Committee)
Rep. Brendan Williams (Williams.brendan@leg.wa.gov) Commerce and Labor Committee, prime sponsor
Rep. Alex Wood (Wood.Alex@leg.wa.gov) Commerce and Labor Committee, co-sponsor
Rep. Sam Hunt (Hunt.sam@leg.wa.gov) Commerce and Labor Committee, co-sponsor
Rep. Jeff Morris (Morris.jeff@leg.wa.gov) Ecology and Parks and Rules Committees, Speaker Pro tempore, co-sponsor
(Source)
NSCSS Letter of Support
Letter.pdf
A copy of this letter was sent to me by President Larry Baldwin:
DATE: February 8, 2009
SUBJECT: State of Washington legislation (SB-5698 and HB-1881) to certify the professions of soil scientist and wetland scientist.
TO: Mr. Toby Rodgers & Ms. Lisa Palazzi
Washington Society of Professional Soil Scientists
P.O. Box 881
Newman Lake, WA 99025 - 0881
and
All Concerned Parties
The National Society of Consulting Soil Scientists, Inc (NSCSS) fully supports the efforts of all parties to approve SB-5698 & HB-1881 within the State of Washington. These acts will establish the proper education, training, experience, and certification of individuals professionally consulting as “soil scientists” or “wetland scientists” within the State of Washington.
Certification or licensing is a giant step for any occupation or profession, as it establishes standards for individuals professing to be competent in a particular field of expertise. More importantly, the public’s expectations and need for a standard of care, responsibility, liability, and ethical standards are fulfilled. National organizations (SSSA; NSCSS; SWS) and several States have already established professional soils licensing or certification to meet the public’s demand for competency in the practice of soil science or wetland science.
Prior to 1970, soil science and land quality evaluations were for the most part agriculturally based. There was little need for soils certification / licensing, as poor estimates or evaluations did not affect the public as a whole. Since 1970, multiple environmental land-use policies and regulations evolved with soil and land as critical base factors: ---404 wetlands; ---401 wetlands; ---on-site waste treatment; ---soil & erosion control; ---stormwater control; ---coastal management acts; ---conservation overlays; ---planning & zoning; and etc. Land value, its’ potential or limitation, and sometimes legal ownership may hinge on whether the soil or land is hydric, wet, dry, impermeable, rocky, steep sloped, salic, “Waters of the U.S. or State”, or usable / unusable for a specified use.
Individuals professing to have the educational requirements, minimum experience, and adherence to recognized policies should be held to established State or National standards. The general public should expect to have a pool of professionals to choose from, that exceeds minimum standards of competence, and are responsible for their works both ethically and legally.
We hope you find this information helpful in your efforts to establish certification or licensing of “soil scientists” and “wetland scientists” within the State of Washington. The NSCSS fully supports the State of Washington’s current legislation SB-5698 and HB-1881 to certify the professions of soil scientist and wetland scientist.
Larry F. Baldwin, CPSS/Sc
NSCSS President 2008
CSSC Board of Director
NCLSS #1040; ARCPACS #2183
Supporter
I am writing in support of SB5698 (HB1881), an act relating to soil and
wetland scientists such as myself. This law would, with some very
practical exceptions, make it unlawful for a person to use the title
soil scientist, soil classifier, wetland scientist, wetland delineator,
wetland biologist, or wetland ecologist, unless the person has received
the appropriate certification from Washington State.
SB5698 does not prevent non-soil scientists or non-wetland scientists
from practicing in these areas, but it does prevent them from
representing themselves as a peer among professionals qualified in these
areas. This regulation is necessary to protect the public from
unreliable soil and wetland characterization