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Senate committee hears bill to create Washington 'Heritage Orchard' program
Summary
Senate Bill 6090 would direct Washington State University to create a Heritage Orchard Program to register and help preserve orchards with historic apple trees and rare varieties; sponsor said the measure is low-cost but a fiscal note was not available at the hearing.
Senate Bill 6090, introduced to the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee, would require Washington State University to establish a Heritage Orchard Program to identify, preserve and propagate historic and rare apple varieties in Washington.
Kelly Gunn, staff to the committee, told lawmakers the bill defines a heritage orchard as either ‘‘an orchard with at least 5 apple trees that are more than 74 years old’’ or ‘‘an orchard with at least 1 tree of a rare or lost apple variety,’’ and would require a registry, preservation resources, and a list of rare cultivars. Gunn said a fiscal note was requested but not available for the hearing.
Sponsor remarks emphasized local agricultural and cultural value. ‘‘It’s a very straightforward bill,’’ said the sponsor who identified himself as John Brown, describing orchards he encountered while traveling and arguing Washington should preserve its apple-growing heritage. The sponsor said he would file an amendment if a fiscal note later required changes.
The committee closed the brief public hearing after questions and moved to a scheduled work session on student complaint systems. No formal vote or committee action on SB 6090 occurred at the hearing.
What’s next: The committee did not record an outcome on SB 6090 at this meeting; the bill remains at the public hearing stage pending further staff work and any required fiscal analysis.
