H-4329

AN ACT Relating to funding for the acquisition of critical outdoor recreation property; amending 1991 sp.s. c 14 s 26 (uncodified); adding new sections to chapter 43.98A RCW; creating a new section; making an appropriation; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the acquisition of critical recreational properties is necessary to meet the goals of the 1990 legislation providing for the purchase of lands for habitat conservation and outdoor recreation. This legislation created a deliberative process for identifying lands to be purchased and added to the state's publicly owned recreation properties.

The 1990 legislation did not clearly provide for circumstances when, in order to prevent development, lands must be purchased quickly. Such a situation is imminent within the perimeter of Larrabee State Park.

The legislature finds that immediate action is necessary to acquire lands abutting Larrabee State Park. This is Washington's oldest state park, having been established in 1915. It has been expanded through the trust land transfer program enacted in 1991. This addition increased the park acreage from roughly two thousand acres to two thousand five hundred acres. There is now an opportunity to acquire privately owned lands in the center and north end of the park totaling one thousand two hundred acres. This acreage is now planned to be developed for residential use. If such development were to occur, it would drastically alter the natural state of the park and surrounding public lands.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.98A RCW to read as follows:

The department of natural resources and the state parks and recreation commission shall work with local governmental entities and private interests to convert one thousand two hundred acres on Chuckanut Hill to public ownership for park and recreational use.

Sec. 3. 1991 sp.s. c 14 s 26 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:

FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION: TIMBERLAND PURCHASES AND COMMON SCHOOL PURCHASES

The appropriation in this section is subject to the following conditions and limitations:

(1) This appropriation is provided to the state parks and recreation commission ("commission") solely to acquire trust lands that have been identified by the department of natural resources ("department") as appropriate for state park use and development. Except as specifically otherwise provided in this section, the commission shall acquire the following parcels:

(a) Lord Hill, in Snohomish county, west of Monroe;

(b) Beacon Rock, in Skamania county, adjacent to Beacon Rock State Park;

(d) South Whidbey, in Island county, adjacent to South Whidbey State Park;

(e) Wallace Falls Addition, in Snohomish county, adjacent to Wallace Falls State Park;

(f) Soleduck corridor, in Clallam county, on the Soleduck river at Sappho;

(g) Dugualia Bay property, in Island county, on the northeast shore of Whidbey Island;

(h) Rasar property, in Skagit county, west of Birdsview, near the Skagit river;

(i) Wallace Falls Addition (Northwest) property, in Snohomish county, adjacent to the northwestern side of the designated park property;

(j) Wallace Falls Addition (Southwest) property, in Snohomish county, adjacent to the southwestern side of Wallace Falls State Park;

(k) Hoypus Hill in Island county south of Hoypus Point Natural Forest Area at Deception Pass State Park;

(l) Lake Easton in Easton in Kittitas county west of Lake Easton State park near the town of Easton;

(m) Diamond Point, in Clallam county, on the Strait of Juan de Fuca; ((~~and~~))

(n) Skykomish river property, along Highway 2, near Index; and

(o) Chuckanut Hill property within and abutting Larrabee State Park.

(2) The commission may expend moneys from this appropriation for acquisition of the Skykomish river property under subsection (1)(n) of this section only to the extent that moneys remain available after the commission has made all reasonable efforts to acquire the other properties identified in this subsection.

(3) To achieve the purposes of this section, intergrant exchanges between common school trust lands and parcels of noncommon school trust lands shall occur on an equal-value basis.

(4) Proceeds from the transfer of the timber shall be deposited by the department in the same manner as timber revenues from other common school trust lands. No deduction may be made for the resource management cost account under RCW 79.64.040. The proceeds from the transfer of the land shall be used by the department to acquire timber land of equal value to be managed as common school trust land and to maintain a sustainable yield.

(5) The department shall attempt to maintain an aggregate ratio of approximately 85:15 timber-to-land value in these transactions. If the aggregate value of timber-to-land varies by more than plus or minus five percent of that ratio, individual land acquisitions may be dropped in order to maintain the approximate ratio.

(6) It is the intent of the legislature that, insofar as feasible, the full parcels identified in subsection (1) of this section be acquired for park purposes. However, to the extent authorized by the commission, the boundaries of the Diamond Point property under subsection (1)(m) of this section may vary from the property boundaries as described in the joint study conducted by the commission and the department under section 4, chapter 163, Laws of 1985.

(7) Five hundred thousand dollars of the appropriation in this section shall be spent to begin the purchase of the Chuckanut Hill property abutting Larrabee State Park.

Appropriation:

St Bldg Constr Acct........................... $ ((~~50,000,000~~))

50,500,000

Prior Biennia (Expenditures)........................ $ 0

Future Biennia (Projected Costs).................... $ 0

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TOTAL................................... $ ((~~50,000,000~~))

50,500,000

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 43.98A RCW to read as follows:

Subject to this chapter, and approval of the Chuckanut Hill acquisition by the interagency commission for outdoor recreation and the governor, the legislature hereby approves the expenditure of up to five hundred thousand dollars allocated from funds reserved by RCW 43.98A.050(1)(e). This represents approval as required by RCW 43.98A.080.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.