S-3362.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6332

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington   57th Legislature        2002 Regular Session

By Senators Poulsen, Jacobsen, Regala and Swecker

Read first time 01/15/2002.  Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Parks & Shorelines.

Allowing counties to increase funding for properties acquired through conservation futures.

    AN ACT Relating to operation and maintenance of open space, agricultural, and timber lands acquired through the conservation futures program; and amending RCW 84.34.230 and 84.34.240.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 84.34.230 and 1995 c 318 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

    For the purposes of acquiring conservation futures as well as other rights and interests in real property pursuant to RCW 84.34.210 and 84.34.220, and for maintaining and operating any property acquired, a county may levy an amount not to exceed ((six and one-quarter)) eleven cents per thousand dollars of assessed valuation against the assessed valuation of all taxable property within the county.  The limitations in RCW 84.52.043 shall not apply to the tax levy authorized in this section.

    Sec. 2.  RCW 84.34.240 and 1971 ex.s. c 243 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

    Any board of county commissioners may establish by resolution a special fund which may be termed a conservation futures fund to which it may credit all taxes levied pursuant to RCW 84.34.230.  Amounts placed in this fund may be used ((solely)) for the purpose of acquiring rights and interests in real property pursuant to the terms of RCW 84.34.210 and 84.34.220, and for the maintenance and operation of any property acquired.  The amount of revenue used for maintenance and operations of parks and recreational facilities may not exceed twenty-five percent of the total amount collected from the tax levied under RCW 84.34.230 in the preceding calendar year.  Revenues from this tax may not be used to supplant existing maintenance and operation funding.  Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting in any manner methods and funds otherwise available to a county for financing the acquisition of such rights and interests in real property.

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