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 by advertising in the newspaper of general circulation located nearest to the property from which the materials are to be sold and by publishing lists in pamphlet form.
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 DNR no longer needs to maintain copies of the list in its 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 required to make available, rather than print, a 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.
(In support) This is a process improvement bill. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) identified a number of areas where there are more efficient ways of doing business, including barriers to advertising and conducting sales of land and valuable materials. The bill helps the DNR be more efficient and more responsive to the needs of the market.
(Opposed) None.