SENATE RESOLUTION

                         1992-8740

By Senator Metcalf

     WHEREAS, The federal general land office surveys, now referred to as the public land survey system, were performed more than a hundred years ago; and

     WHEREAS, All private and public lands in the state of Washington were created and originally patented from the federal land office; and

     WHEREAS, A majority of the land base in the state of Washington is still legally described and title is transferred with reference to the public land survey system corners and subdivisions thereof; and

     WHEREAS, A significant portion of the original corners of the public land survey system have not been perpetuated and maintained and are lost or obliterated; and

     WHEREAS, A smaller but still significant portion of the original federal surveys were either poorly executed or not monumented on the ground; and

     WHEREAS, Private landowners, entities and public bodies of whatever nature in an attempt to identify their ownership on the ground find themselves in conflict with each other; and

     WHEREAS, This landownership conflict creates conflicts of title, right-of-way and access problems, delays in local government approvals of plats and building permits and the inability of public entities and timber companies to properly and effectively manage their lands;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the Senate of the state of Washington, That the natural resource committee conduct a study on the adequacy of state laws to assist the public, private entities, and state and local governments to resolve these conflicts in an expedient, cost effective and friendly manner.

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the study should develop recommendations and propose legislation to the next session of the Washington State legislature.