Background
The Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation (IAC) was established by voter initiative in 1964. The Committee is composed of five citizens appointed by the Governor and directors or designees of the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and State Parks and Recreation Commission. The Committee originally administered a boating grant program funded by marine fuel tax and a recreation grant program supported by federal Land and Water Conservation Fund money.
Since its creation in 1964, the Legislature has assigned IAC and its staff:
- 8 new grant programs, from providing funding for local parks to protecting some of the state's most important habitat land.
- 4 boards (Salmon Recovery Funding Board, Washington Biodiversity Council, Forum on Monitoring Salmon Recovery and Watershed Health, and Washington Invasive Species Council).
- Numerous task forces and studies, such as the Public Land Inventory and the Comprehensive Monitoring Strategy for Watershed Health and Salmon Recovery.
Problems with current name
- It's confusing to the public because it doesn't reflect the work of the committee and the office.
- The name is cumbersome - hard to say, hard to remember, often misquoted.
- People never know if we are talking about IAC the board or IAC the office
Process for Public Input
When the Committee was formed 40 years ago, the name was meant to be temporary. The Committee has been trying for 15 years to change the name (2-3 different attempts at the request of different board members and staff).
This time, the Committee:
- Worked with a professional consultant.
- Invited naming options (three pages, single spaced list of possible names).
- Went through methodical process to lay out options, including discussion at several Committee meetings open to the public.
- Sought feedback from important partners.
Same Great Service
The Legislature made no substantive policy changes in the roles of the Committee, office, or any of the programs. Nothing changed but the name.
