Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Rural Development, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee
SB 5201
Brief Description: Concerning department of natural resources' timber and land sales.
Sponsors: Senators Van De Wege and Das; by request of Department of Natural Resources.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Modifies the manner in which the Department of Natural Resources is required to publicize certain sales of land and valuable materials.
Hearing Date: 3/12/21
Staff: Robert Hatfield (786-7117).
Background:

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages a number of different categories of land on behalf of the state of Washington, each for a specific purpose and under different management requirements.  The DNR manages approximately 3 million acres of federally granted trust lands that provide revenue for grade schools, state universities, buildings on the capitol campus, and correctional facilities.  The DNR also manages more than 600,000 acres of state forest lands, which were acquired primarily through tax foreclosures in the 1920s and 1930s, and to a lesser extent through purchases by the state or gifts to the state.  State forest lands are managed for the benefit of the counties in which the lands are located.


The DNR has the authority to sell timber and other valuable resources from state lands.  Most sales conducted by the DNR must be done at public auction to the highest bidder.  Before land or valuable materials can be sold, the DNR must give notice of the sale, advertise by newspaper of general circulation located nearest to the property from which the materials are to be sold, and by publishing lists in pamphlet form.
Summary of Bill:

The list of lands and the appraised value thereof that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) must produce for all land sales no longer needs to be in pamphlet form.  The list no longer needs to be maintained for distribution in the DNR's Olympia office.


The requirement that sales of valuable materials take place either at the DNR's applicable regional office or on county property of the county in which the valuable materials are located is changed, to a requirement that such sales take place either at the DNR's applicable region headquarters or at an alternate location designated by the DNR.


The manner in which the DNR must publicize the sale of valuable materials valued at $250,000 or less is modified to allow the DNR to publicize such sales through the DNR's website or through other methods deemed most practical by the DNR.  The DNR is no longer required to publicize such sales at the DNR's Olympia office or at the office of the county auditor of the county in which the materials are located.  The DNR is no longer required to print a paper copy of the list of all valuable materials on public lands to be sold.


A sale of valuable materials that has been offered, but for which no bids have been received, may be reoffered consistent with existing statutory requirements.  
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.