SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 6149

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

    Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation, January 20, 2000

Title:  An act relating to the sale of specific lands for the purposes of resolving trespass on state forest lands.

Brief Description:  Allowing the disposition of state forest lands without public auction.

Sponsors:  Senators Jacobsen, T. Sheldon and Rasmussen; by request of Commissioner of Public Lands.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation: 1/13/00, 1/20/2000 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, PARKS & RECREATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6149 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Jacobsen, Chair; T. Sheldon, Vice Chair; Hargrove, Morton, Oke, Rossi, Snyder, Spanel and Stevens.

Staff:  Vic Moon (786-7469)

Background:  Methods currently exist to solve encroachment of landowners when they trespass on federally granted state trust land.  The ownership dispute resolution methods used on granted land do not apply to the state legislative created forest board lands, and a complex exchange and sale process must be used.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The Board of Natural Resources is given the authority to sell up to five contiguous acres of forest board land to resolve trespass.  The land must be sold at fair market value and the funds received are deposited in the park land trust revolving account to be used to purchase replacement land in the same county as the property that was sold.  The land appraisal is conducted by the Department of Natural Resources and the cost is added to the sale price.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The Board of Natural Resources may only sell up to five acres to resolve trespass.  The Department of Natural Resources is responsible for the land appraisal which is reimbursed to the department as part of the sale price.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 4, 2000.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The existing process to resolve small trespass and condemnation issues is cumbersome and expensive.  A simple process which protects the public is needed.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Kaleen Cottingham, Deputy Public Lands Commissioner (pro).