This bill (S-4274.1 / Senate Bill 6322, 69th Legislature, 2026 Regular Session) adds new sections to chapter 77.12 RCW that direct the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to relocate the Bob Oke game farm to one or more alternate locations selected to avoid material risk of contaminating municipal or residential drinking water. The department, in coordination with the Department of Enterprise Services (DES), must evaluate candidate sites using hydrogeologic assessments, proximity to public water systems, access/infrastructure/zoning, consultation with local governments, tribes, utilities and conservation districts, and cost/timeline/logistics estimates. A joint relocation report is required to the governor and legislative committees by December 31, 2026. The department must begin procurement, site acquisition or leasing, and transition planning within 60 days of the bill’s effective date and complete relocation no later than 36 months after the effective date unless the legislature extends that deadline. The bill establishes procedural and remediation requirements rather than creating a criminal offense. It requires the department, DES, and the Department of Ecology to develop and implement a remediation plan for the existing Bob Oke site including continued groundwater and soil monitoring, measures to prevent further nitrate/nutrient leaching, evaluation of soil treatment and restoration techniques, a schedule to decommission animal rearing infrastructure, and identification of potential future uses compatible with protecting drinking water. During transition the department must prioritize immediate actions to reduce nutrient and manure loading; limited operations at the current site may continue only as necessary for wildlife management and only if compliant with applicable water quality and pollution prevention requirements. Remediation status reports must be submitted every six months until the Department of Ecology determines the site no longer poses a material risk to groundwater. DES may acquire or lease property for the alternate location under chapter 43.19 RCW, the department may accept grants or cooperative agreements, site assessment expenses must be paid from existing appropriations and resources (the provision does not authorize new appropriations for assessment), the Office of Financial Management will help identify budget needs, and capital budget requests are to be submitted for consideration in the 2027 legislative session. Affected entities identified in the bill include the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Enterprise Services, Department of Ecology, Office of Financial Management, Lewis County and the city of Centralia, local governments, water utilities, tribes, conservation districts, public water systems, and legislative committees and members who will receive reports and appropriation requests. Important details not included in the provided text: the bill’s effective date is not specified here, the exact new statutory section numbers added to chapter 77.12 RCW are not shown, the definition of "department" in this chapter is not restated in the excerpt, no specific appropriation amounts or authorizations are provided, and the statutory or regulatory criteria for determining when a site “poses a material risk” to groundwater are not defined in the extracted facts.

If enacted, the Department of Fish and Wildlife will be required to move the Bob Oke pheasant rearing facility off its current Lewis County site and find one or more replacement locations judged not to threaten municipal or residential drinking water. WDFW and the Department of Enterprise Services must evaluate candidate sites (including hydrogeology and proximity to water supplies), start procurement and transition planning quickly (within 60 days of the law taking effect), aim to finish relocation within 36 months, and run a remediation program at the old site with ongoing groundwater and soil monitoring and six‑monthly reports until Ecology says the site is no longer a material risk. Initial site study and transition work must come from existing department and DES budgets, DES can acquire or lease property, WDFW may seek external grants, and a capital funding request will be sent to the 2027 Legislature. The groups most affected are WDFW (new planning, relocation, remediation and reporting duties and likely reallocation of current funds), DES (land acquisition or leasing responsibilities), Ecology (oversight of remediation and safety determinations), and local water systems and nearby communities (potential reduced nitrate risk but also subject to ongoing monitoring and transition activities). Key uncertainties that could affect timing and costs are not specified in the text you provided: the law’s effective date, the criteria for when a site “poses a material risk” to groundwater, and any specific appropriation amounts, so the pace and financial burden on agencies depend on those missing details.