BILL REQ. #: S-1262.1
| State of Washington | 59th Legislature | 2005 Regular Session |
Read first time 02/08/2005. Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation.
AN ACT Relating to the state granted lands sales program; and adding a new chapter to Title 79 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that, at statehood,
the federal government granted approximately three million acres of
land to Washington state to support education, state government, and
various social services. The state subsequently sold a portion of its
granted lands to provide for the support of these enumerated interests.
Approximately two million two hundred thousand acres of granted lands
remain, of which approximately one million five hundred thousand acres
are forest lands.
The legislature, as a trustee, finds that the state holds these
granted lands in trust for the purposes for which the lands were
granted. There has been a decline in prices for forest products in
recent years in addition to increasing challenges in forest and land
management. As a result of these events, investment options outside of
forest and land management may present greater revenue opportunities
for the trust beneficiaries.
Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to establish a
program that will allow the public sale of the state's granted lands,
ensure the permanent use of the conveyed lands for working forestry,
grazing, and agriculture, and fully compensate the trust beneficiaries
for their interest in these lands.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 (1) The state granted lands sales program is
created. The program consists of the appraisal of the state's granted
lands managed for forestry, grazing, and agricultural purposes, the
development of a plan for the sale of these lands, and the public sale
of these lands over a period not to exceed fifty years.
(2) Granted lands managed for forestry, grazing, and agricultural
purposes sold under this program may not be used for purposes other
than working forestry, grazing, and agriculture.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 Beginning no later than December 31, 2006,
and by December 31, 2010, the department of natural resources shall
update appraisals of the fair market value of state lands managed for
forestry, grazing, and agricultural purposes and held for the benefit
of the following trusts:
(1) Common school, indemnity, and escheat;
(2) Agricultural school;
(3) Scientific school;
(4) University;
(5) Normal school;
(6) Charitable, educational, penal, and reformatory institutions;
and
(7) Capitol building.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4 (1) The department, in cooperation with the
office of financial management, shall develop a plan for the public
sale of granted lands managed for forestry, grazing, and agricultural
purposes and held for the benefit of the trusts set forth in section 3
of this act over a period not to exceed fifty years. In developing
this plan, the department must seek to maximize the revenue from
granted lands sales for each trust beneficiary. The plan must include
methods for:
(a) Prioritizing the parcels to be sold annually within each trust;
(b) Determining the quantity of parcels, but not less than two
percent, to be sold annually from each trust;
(c) Periodically reappraising granted lands, or portions thereof,
to provide current information for planning purposes;
(d) Balancing the expedient sales of granted lands with economic
factors affecting the value of the granted lands and other similar
lands available on the real estate market; and
(e) Ensuring that granted lands that are sold are permanently used
for working forestry, grazing, and agriculture.
(2) The department shall present the plan set forth in subsection
(1) of this section to the appropriate committees of the house of
representatives and senate by December 31, 2006.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5 (1) The department shall implement the plan
set forth in section 4 of this act beginning no later than December 31,
2007.
(2) The department shall sell granted lands pursuant to the
procedures set forth in chapter 79.11 RCW. Sales under this chapter
are exempt from the appraisal requirements of RCW 79.11.100.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6 (1) All revenues from the sale of granted
lands must be deposited in the appropriate permanent funds for the
trusts set forth in section 3 of this act. No deduction shall be made
for the department's resource management costs under RCW 79.64.040.
The department may recover reasonable costs to implement the state
granted lands sales program from amounts appropriated to the state
granted lands sales management account, created in section 8 of this
act.
(2) Each trust account must be compensated for any amounts by which
the appraised market value of a trust land parcel sold exceeds the sale
price of the parcel. These amounts must be deposited into the
appropriate permanent fund using funds appropriated to the state
granted lands sales account, created in section 7 of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7 The state granted lands sales account is
created in the state treasury. All receipts from amounts appropriated
to the account must be deposited in the account. Moneys in the account
may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account
may be used only to compensate trust beneficiaries for any granted
lands sold for less than appraised market value.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8 The state granted lands sales management
account is created in the state treasury. All receipts from amounts
appropriated to the account must be deposited in the account. Moneys
in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures
from the account may be used only for the management of the state
granted lands sales program.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 9 Sections 1 through 8 of this act constitute
a new chapter in Title