SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5656

As of February 5, 2003

Title: An act relating to allowing for the limited use of new methods to locate utility rights of way on state lands and forest lands.

Brief Description: Allowing for the limited use of new methods to locate utility rights of way on state lands and forest lands.

Sponsors: Senators Stevens, Reardon, Esser, Doumit, Finkbeiner, T. Sheldon, Schmidt and Oke.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Technology & Communications: 2/10/03.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TECHNOLOGY & COMMUNICATIONS

Staff: William Bridges (786-7424)

Background: About 54 percent of Washington's public lands are non-aquatic lands, called "state lands." The Department of Natural Resources manages more than three million acres of state lands.

The Department of Natural Resources is authorized to grant rights of way on state lands for utility facilities, such as telephone lines. A right of way is limited to an amount necessary to construct and maintain a facility. The minimum width for a right of way is typically ten feet.

An applicant requesting a utility right of way on state lands must submit to the department a survey of the proposed right of way.

Summary of Bill: An applicant requesting a utility right of way on state lands may submit, instead of a survey, engineering drawings with field notes that show the proposed alignment of the facility in relation to existing geographical reference points, if the proposed alignment parallels or is near established geographical reference points, such as roadways, property lines, or existing infrastructure improvements. An as-built survey must be filed, however, for any portion of a project that deviates from the original alignment.

Rights of way are limited to an amount necessary to house the facility. Construction and maintenance easements are calculated separately and are limited to the specific time frames needed for the construction and maintenance of the facility.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

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