S-1600.1                   _______________________________________________

 

                                                     SENATE BILL 5770

                              _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

 

By Senators Fraser and Winsley

 

Read first time 02/12/93.  Referred to Committee on Ecology & Parks.

 

Allowing metropolitan park districts to purchase land for the purpose of creating conservation futures.


          AN ACT Relating to granting conservation futures rights to metropolitan park districts; and amending RCW 84.34.210 and 84.34.220.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

        Sec. 1.  RCW 84.34.210 and 1987 c 341 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

          Any county, city, town, metropolitan park district, metropolitan municipal corporation, nonprofit historic preservation corporation as defined in RCW 64.04.130, or nonprofit nature conservancy corporation or association, as such are defined in RCW 84.34.250, may acquire by purchase, gift, grant, bequest, devise, lease, or otherwise, except by eminent domain, the fee simple or any lesser interest, development right, easement, covenant, or other contractual right necessary to protect, preserve, maintain, improve, restore, limit the future use of, or otherwise conserve, selected open space land, farm and agricultural land, and timber land as such are defined in chapter 84.34 RCW for public use or enjoyment.  Among interests that may be so acquired are mineral rights.  Any county, city, town, metropolitan park district, metropolitan municipal corporation, nonprofit historic preservation corporation as defined in RCW 64.04.130, or nonprofit nature conservancy corporation or association, as such are defined in RCW 84.34.250, may acquire such property for the purpose of conveying or leasing the property back to its original owner or other person under such covenants or other contractual arrangements as will limit the future use of the property in accordance with the purposes of this 1971 amendatory act.

 

        Sec. 2.  RCW 84.34.220 and 1987 c 341 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

          In accordance with the authority granted in RCW 84.34.210, a county, city, town, metropolitan park district, metropolitan municipal corporation, nonprofit historic preservation corporation as defined in RCW 64.04.130, or nonprofit nature conservancy corporation or association, as such are defined in RCW 84.34.250, may specifically purchase or otherwise acquire, except by eminent domain, rights in perpetuity to future development of any open space land, farm and agricultural land, and timber land which are so designated under the provisions of chapter 84.34 RCW and taxed at current use assessment as provided by that chapter.  For the purposes of this 1971 amendatory act, such developmental rights shall be termed "conservation futures".  The private owner may retain the right to continue any existing open space use of the land, and to develop any other open space use, but, under the terms of purchase of conservation futures, the county, city, town, metropolitan park district, metropolitan municipal corporation, nonprofit historic preservation corporation as defined in RCW 64.04.130, or nonprofit nature conservancy corporation or association, as such are defined in RCW 84.34.250, may forbid or restrict building thereon, or may require that improvements cannot be made without county, city, town, metropolitan park district, metropolitan municipal corporation, nonprofit historic preservation corporation as defined in RCW 64.04.130, or nonprofit nature conservancy corporation or association, as such are defined in RCW 84.34.250, permission.  The land may be alienated or sold and used as formerly by the new owner, subject to the terms of the agreement made by the county, city, town, metropolitan park district, metropolitan municipal corporation, nonprofit historic preservation corporation as defined in RCW 64.04.130, or nonprofit nature conservancy corporation or association, as such are defined in RCW 84.34.250, with the original owner.

 


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