FINAL BILL REPORT
SHB 1192
C 18 L 89
BYHouse Committee on Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Haugen, Ferguson, Kremen, Winsley, Baugher, Fuhrman, Bristow, Rayburn, Nealey, Cooper, Smith, Raiter, Doty, H. Myers, Rasmussen and Miller)
Authorizing special assessments and a grant program for conservation districts.
House Committe on Local Government
Senate Committee on Agriculture
SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED
BACKGROUND:
Conservation districts are special districts authorized to engage in a variety of activities relating to the conservation of soil, water, and other natural resources. A conservation district is governed by a five-member board of supervisors, three of whom are elected by voters in the district, and two of whom are appointed by the State Conservation Commission. Funds for conservation districts are obtained from state and federal grants, appropriations by the county in which they are located, and charges for services and activities that the districts provide.
SUMMARY:
Activities and programs to conserve natural resources are declared to be of special benefit to land and may be used as the basis upon which special assessments are imposed for conservation districts. The county legislative authority of the county in which a conservation district is located is authorized to impose limited special assessments for the conservation district. Public hearings on the assessments must be held each year by both the conservation district and the county legislative authority. The county legislative authority may accept the system of assessments, or modify and accept the system of assessments, only if it finds the public interest will be served and that the special assessments will not exceed the special benefit that the land will receive from the activities of the district. Provisions are made for posting and publishing notice of the public hearings.
The district and county in establishing a system of assessments classify lands in the conservation district according to benefits to be conferred, determine an annual per acre rate of assessment for each classification, and indicate the total amount of special assessments to be obtained from each classification. Lands deemed not to receive benefit will be placed into a separate class and are not subject to assessments. The assessment rate must be stated either as a uniform rate per acre amount, or a flat fee per parcel plus a uniform per acre amount, or each classification. The maximum per acre rate is not to exceed 10 cents per acre. The maximum per parcel rate is not to exceed $5.
Public land, including land owned by the state, is subject to the special assessments. Forest lands may be subject to the special assessments if the lands benefit from the conservation district activities, but the per acre rate of assessment may not exceed one-tenth of the weighted average per acre rate of special assessments on all other benefited lands. A per parcel charge may not be imposed upon forest land, but up to a three dollar charge on each forest landowner alternatively may be imposed. No more than 10,000 acres of forest lands that are owned by the same entity and that are located in the same conservation district, may be subject to special assessments in any year.
The special assessments may not be imposed if a petition opposing the assessments is filed that has been signed by at least twenty percent of the owners of land subject to the proposed assessments.
The special assessments are collected by the county treasurer along with property taxes. A special assessment will constitute a lien against the land and will be collected in the same manner as delinquent real property taxes.
The State Conservation Commission is authorized to make grants to conservation districts, from moneys that may be appropriated for such purposes. Grants may be made on or before the last day of June of each year. Rules are provided governing grant amounts.
VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:
House 93 0
Senate 44 0
EFFECTIVE:July 23, 1989