House Panel Hears Flood Prevention Bill

Members of the House Agriculture and Ecology Committee heard testimony Thursday on a bill that would give property owners and the state more authority to try to prevent devastating floods.

HB1177 would ease environmental permitting requirements for construction or improvement of dikes and levees.

It also would direct the Fish and Wildlife Department to take flood protection into account when it processes dredging permits, would require counties to complete flood plans by 1998, and require them to encourage removal of gravel that washes down from mountains into stream beds.