BILL REQ. #:  H-3405.2 

READ FIRST TIME 02/04/14.   

     AN ACT Relating to recreational trails; amending RCW 79.10.120 and 79.10.130; adding new sections to chapter 79.10 RCW; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that the citizens of the state will benefit from a coordinated effort to plan recreational trails on land managed by the department of natural resources that are accessible by the greatest number of people and are constructed to standards that are consistent statewide. The legislature recognizes that demand for outdoor recreational opportunities continues to expand while the places to enjoy outdoor recreation has diminished due to changes in private landownership and reduced access to federal lands that resulted from a reduction in federal forest road networks. As a result, the public has greater expectations of state-owned land for recreational use. Therefore, greater emphasis on policies that secure recreational access are needed, for public health and safety, as well as for maintaining protections for the state-owned land that are subject to the recreation so that the interests of current and future generations are afforded the same opportunities.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 79.10 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The department must develop and implement, through an inclusive stakeholder process managed by the department, an official recreational trail policy that is consistent with this section and the management mandate of the department.
     (2)(a) The recreational trail policy developed by the department under this section must provide that recreational trails be developed and managed in a manner that ensures the following principles are satisfied:
     (i) Causing the least impact to the land;
     (ii) Providing environmental and water quality protection; and
     (iii) Maintaining the lowest construction and maintenance costs that are reasonable.
     (b) The department should use trail standards developed by the United States forest service as primary guidelines for trail construction and maintenance. However, the department must develop its own construction standards and best management practices when the primary guidelines are deemed insufficient or inapplicable.
     (c) Trails developed and maintained consistent with a recreational trail policy developed under this section must comply with Title 79 RCW and all applicable state laws and rules, including those administered by the department of ecology.
     (d) After developing the recreational trail policy required in this section, and when developing or assessing recreational trail systems, the department should evaluate existing nondesignated trails for compliance with trail standards and incorporate those trails, when compliant and consistent with the standards, into comprehensive recreational management plans.
     (3) When appropriate, the department should incorporate public input on new and existing trail systems, and if deemed appropriate, the department should support formal or informal public forums to allow members of the local community to share concerns and ideas or organize themselves for volunteer trail maintenance.
     (4)(a) A recreational trail policy developed by the department under this section must also include guidelines for the use of the trails, including guidelines for organized trail events and competitions. These guidelines must promote the influx of local tourism, consider the use of supplemental trails while curtailing the establishment of nondesignated trails, provide protection from overuse, utilize volunteers for trail maintenance, and contain a promotional and public outreach element.
     (b) The use guidelines must allow for appropriate organized group events and competitions on the trails. Organized group competitions may be limited to a set number of events and should be prioritized on areas not generally open for the trail use emphasized in the competition. All group organizers must carry event insurance, share revenue information for the event with the department, and be responsible for maintenance and restoration following the event. The group organizers must, at the discretion of the department, share event revenue with the department based on a gate fee for the event set at a rate of sixty percent of the event's gate fee.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 79.10 RCW to read as follows:
     The department should work with representatives of local governments to find efficiencies in gaining local government permits for the development and maintenance of recreational facilities and trails. If barriers to permitting efficiencies require legislative action to overcome, then the department must provide options for solutions to the appropriate committees of the legislature.

Sec. 4   RCW 79.10.120 and 2003 c 182 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     Multiple uses additional to and compatible with those basic activities necessary to fulfill the financial obligations of trust management may include but are not limited to:
     (1) Recreational areas;
     (2) Recreational trails for both vehicular and nonvehicular uses developed and maintained consistent with section 2 of this act;
     (3) Special educational or scientific studies;
     (4) Experimental programs by the various public agencies;
     (5) Special events;
     (6) Hunting and fishing and other sports activities;
     (7) Nonconsumptive wildlife activities as defined by the board of natural resources;
     (8) Maintenance of scenic areas;
     (9) Maintenance of historical sites;
     (10) Municipal or other public watershed protection;
     (11) Greenbelt areas;
     (12) Public rights-of-way;
     (13) Other uses or activities by public agencies;
     If such additional uses are not compatible with the financial obligations in the management of trust land they may be permitted only if there is compensation from such uses satisfying the financial obligations.

Sec. 5   RCW 79.10.130 and 2013 c 15 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The department is hereby authorized to carry out all activities necessary to achieve the purposes of this section and RCW 79.10.060, 79.10.070, 79.10.100 through 79.10.120, ((79.10.130,)) 79.10.200 through 79.10.330, 79.44.003, and 79.105.050 including, but not limited to:
     (a) Planning, construction, and operation of conservation, recreational sites, areas, roads, and trails developed and maintained consistent with section 2 of this act, by itself or in conjunction with any public agency, nonprofit organization, volunteer, or volunteer organization, including entering cooperative agreements for these purposes;
     (b) Planning, construction, and operation of special facilities for educational, scientific, conservation, or experimental purposes by itself or in conjunction with any other public or private agency, including entering cooperative agreements for these purposes;
     (c) Improvement of any lands to achieve the purposes of this section and RCW 79.10.060, 79.10.070, 79.10.100 through 79.10.120, ((79.10.130,)) 79.10.200 through 79.10.330, 79.44.003, and 79.105.050, including entering cooperative agreements with public agencies, nonprofit organizations, volunteers, and volunteer organizations for these purposes;
     (d) Entering cooperative agreements with public agencies, nonprofit organizations, volunteers, and volunteer organizations regarding the use of lands managed by the department for the purpose of providing a benefit to lands managed by the department, including but not limited to the following benefits: The utilization of such lands for watershed purposes; carrying out restoration and enhancement projects on such lands, such as improving, restoring, or enhancing habitat that provides for plant or animal species protection; improving, restoring, or enhancing watershed conditions; removing nonnative vegetation and providing vegetation management to restore, enhance, or maintain properly functioning conditions of the local ecosystem; and other similar projects on these lands that provide long-term environmental and other land management benefits, provided that the cooperative agreements are consistent with land management obligations;
     (e) Authorizing individual volunteers and volunteer organizations to conduct restoration and enhancement projects on lands managed by the department through cooperative agreements authorized in this section or other arrangements that are consistent with land management obligations and that do not require the volunteers to pay a fee for the cooperative agreement purpose;
     (f) Authorizing the receipt of gifts of personal property, services, and other items of value for the purposes of this section, as well as the exchange of consideration in cooperative agreements authorized under this section;
     (g) The authority to make such leases, contracts, agreements, or other arrangements as are necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section and RCW 79.10.060, 79.10.070, 79.10.100 through 79.10.120, ((79.10.130,)) 79.10.200 through 79.10.330, 79.44.003, and 79.105.050. However, nothing in this section shall affect any existing requirements for public bidding or auction with private agencies or parties, except that agreements or other arrangements may be made with public schools, colleges, universities, governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, volunteers, and volunteer organizations. In addition, nothing in this section is intended to conflict with the department's trust obligations.
     (2) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (a) "Nonprofit organization" means: (i) Any organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)(3)) and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of the internal revenue code; or (ii) any not-for-profit organization that is organized and conducted for public benefit and operated primarily for charitable, civic, educational, religious, welfare, or health purposes.
     (b) "Volunteer" or "volunteer organization" means an individual or entity performing services for a nonprofit organization or a governmental entity who does not receive compensation, other than reasonable reimbursement or allowances for expenses actually incurred, or any other thing of value, in excess of five hundred dollars per year. "Volunteer" includes a volunteer serving as a director, officer, trustee, or direct service volunteer.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   (1) The initial recreational trail policies required under section 2 of this act must be reviewed by the department of ecology and a representative panel of stakeholders and be adopted by October 31, 2015.
     (2) This section expires June 30, 2016.