H-1810.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1017

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By House Committee on Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Representatives Sehlin, Anderson, Koster, Quall, Huff, L. Thomas and Dunn)

Read first time 02/13/97.

Exchanging state-owned aquatic lands with privately owned lands.

    AN ACT Relating to exchanges of state-owned aquatic lands with privately owned lands under the public interest standard; adding a new section to chapter 43.300 RCW; creating new sections; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that the department of fish and wildlife manages a large amount of public land and that the department may have opportunities to improve the quality of its land holdings by participating in an exchange with private landowners or other public entities.  The legislature declares that it is in the public interest to allow the department to exchange land with private landowners or with public entities if the exchange would provide significant fish and wildlife habitat or public access to the state's waterways.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  (1) Ownership of the following lands is withdrawn from the department of natural resources and transferred to the department of fish and wildlife:  That portion of the unplatted first class tidelands of Stanwood lying in front of and abutting Government Lot 2, Section 24, Township 32 North Range 3 East, W.M., Snohomish county.  The department of fish and wildlife has full responsibility for management and control of the tidelands transferred by this section.

    (2) For the purposes of this section, "W.M." means Willamette Meridian.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 43.300 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The department of fish and wildlife may exchange the tidelands and shorelands it manages with private or public landowners if the exchange is in the public interest.

    (2) As used in this section, an exchange of tidelands and shorelands is in the public interest if the exchange would provide significant fish and wildlife habitat or public access to the state's waterways.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  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 takes effect immediately.

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