AN ACT Relating to prioritizing lands to receive forest health treatments; amending RCW 79.64.040 and 79.64.110; reenacting and amending RCW 43.30.325 and 43.79A.040; adding new sections to chapter 79.10 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 79.64 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 79.10 RCW to read as follows:

(1)(a) The department shall, to the extent feasible given all applicable trust responsibilities, develop and implement a policy for prioritizing investments on forest health treatments to protect state lands and state forestlands, as those terms are defined in RCW 79.02.010, to: (i) Reduce wildfire hazards and losses from wildfire; (ii) reduce insect infestation and disease; and (iii) achieve cumulative impact of improved forest health and resilience at a landscape scale.

(b) The prioritization policy in (a) of this subsection must consider whether state lands and state forestlands are within an area that is subject to a forest health hazard warning or order pursuant to RCW 76.06.180.

(2)(a) The department's prioritization of state lands and state forestlands must be based on an evaluation of the economic and noneconomic value of:

(i) Timber or other commercial forest products removed during any mechanical treatments;

(ii) Timber or other commercial forest products likely to be spared from damage by wildfire;

(iii) Homes, structures, agricultural products, and public infrastructure likely to be spared from damage by wildfire;

(iv) Impacts to recreation and tourism; and

(v) Ecosystem services such as water quality, air quality, or carbon sequestration.

(b) The department's evaluation of economic values may rely on heuristic techniques.

(3) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section and sections 2 and 3 of this act unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(a) "Forest health" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 76.06.020.

(b) "Forest health treatment" or "treatment" means actions taken by the department to restore forest health including, but not limited to, sublandscape assessment and project planning, site preparation, reforestation, mechanical treatments including timber harvest, road realignment for fire protection and aquatic improvements, and prescribed burning.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 79.10 RCW to read as follows:

(1)(a) Consistent with the prioritization policy developed pursuant to section 1 of this act, and to the extent feasible given all applicable trust responsibilities, the department must identify areas of state lands and state forestlands that would benefit from forest health treatments at the landscape level for the next twenty years, and ones that would benefit the most during the following six years, and prioritize and list specific lands for treatment during the subsequent biennium. The department shall update this list by November 15th of each even-numbered year.

(b) To expedite initial treatments under this act, for the 2017-2019 biennium the department may prioritize and, if funds are appropriated for this purpose, address lands for treatment that are currently identified by the department as pilot treatment projects.

(2) In order to develop a prioritized list that evaluates forest health treatments at a landscape scale, the department should consult with and take into account the land management plans and activities of nearby landowners, if available, including federal agencies, other state agencies, local governments, tribes, and private property owners, in addition to any statewide assessments done by the department. The department may include federally, locally, or privately managed lands on the list. The department may fund treatment on these lands provided that the treatments are funded with nontrust funds, and provided that the treatments produce a net benefit to the health of state lands and state forestlands.

(3) By December 1st of each even-numbered year, the department must submit a report to the legislature consistent with the requirements of RCW 43.01.036, to the office of financial management, and to the board of natural resources. The report must include:

(a) A brief summary of the department's progress towards treating the state lands and state forestlands included on the preceding biennium's prioritization list;

(b) A list of lands prioritized for forest health treatments in the next biennium, including state lands and state forestlands prioritized for treatment pursuant to subsection (1) of this section;

(c) Recommended funding amounts required to carry out the treatment activities for the next biennium, including a summary of potential nontimber revenue sources that could finance specific forest health treatments pursuant to section 1 of this act, including but not limited to ecosystem services such as water and carbon sequestration as well as insurance and fire mitigation; and

(d) A summary of trends in forest health conditions.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 79.64 RCW to read as follows:

(1)(a) The forest health revolving account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from the proceeds of forest health treatment sales as defined in this section and sections 1 and 2 of this act and all legislative transfers, gifts, grants, and federal funds must be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account may be used only for the payment of costs, including management and administrative costs, incurred on forest health treatments necessary to improve forest health as defined in section 1 of this act. Only the commissioner or the commissioner's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The board of natural resources has oversight of the account, and the commissioner must periodically report to the board of natural resources as to the status of the account, its disbursement, and receipts. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

(b) The forest health revolving account is an interest-bearing account and the interest must be credited to the account.

(2) Beginning calendar year 2018, the fund balance attributable to the receipts from the proceeds of forest health treatment sales is subject to the following:

(a) Any unobligated amounts up to ten million dollars at the end of the calendar year are not subject to disbursements to trust beneficiaries, the resource management account, or the forest development account.

(b) Any unobligated amounts exceeding ten million dollars at the end of the calendar year must be disbursed to the appropriate trust beneficiaries as determined by the board of natural resources and these disbursements are not subject to the deductions for the resource management cost account described in RCW 79.64.040 or the forest development account described in RCW 79.64.110.

(c) If the board of natural resources determines that the department has permanently discontinued using the forest health revolving account for the forest health treatments under sections 1 and 2 of this act, the board must disburse all remaining fund balance attributable to the proceeds of forest health treatment sales to the appropriate trust beneficiaries, and these disbursements are not subject to the deductions for the resource management cost account described in RCW 79.64.040 or the forest development account described in RCW 79.64.110.

(3)(a) Except as provided in (b) and (c) of this subsection, expenditures on state lands and state forestlands for forest health treatments by the department from the forest health revolving account must be consistent with the prioritization policy under section 1 of this act and the prioritization list created under section 2 of this act.

(b) The department is not bound to adhere to the list submitted to the legislature under section 1 of this act in the event that emerging information or changed circumstances support a reprioritization of lands consistent with the policy created under section 1 of this act.

(c) The department is not required to apply the prioritization policy of section 1 of this act where doing so would be incompatible with the conditions of funding provided by the federal government or another organization that is contributing funds to forest health treatments involving the department.

Sec. 4.  RCW 43.30.325 and 2003 c 334 s 125 and 2003 c 313 s 9 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) The department shall deposit daily all moneys and fees collected or received by the commissioner and the department in the discharge of official duties as follows:

(a) The department shall pay moneys received as advance payments, deposits, and security from successful bidders under RCW 79.15.100 and 79.11.150 to the state treasurer for deposit under (b) of this subsection. Moneys received from unsuccessful bidders shall be returned as provided in RCW 79.11.150;

(b) The department shall pay all moneys received on behalf of a trust fund or account to the state treasurer for deposit in the trust fund or account after making the deduction authorized under RCW ((79.22.040)) 79.64.110, 79.22.050, 79.64.040, and 79.15.520, except as provided in section 3 of this act;

(c) The natural resources deposit fund is hereby created. The state treasurer is the custodian of the fund. All moneys or sums which remain in the custody of the commissioner of public lands awaiting disposition or where the final disposition is not known shall be deposited into the natural resources deposit fund. Disbursement from the fund shall be on the authorization of the commissioner or the commissioner's designee, without necessity of appropriation;

(d) If it is required by law that the department repay moneys disbursed under (a) and (b) of this subsection the state treasurer shall transfer such moneys, without necessity of appropriation, to the department upon demand by the department from those trusts and accounts originally receiving the moneys.

(2) Money shall not be deemed to have been paid to the state upon any sale or lease of land until it has been paid to the state treasurer.

Sec. 5.  RCW 79.64.040 and 2015 3rd sp.s. c 4 s 972 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The board shall determine the amount deemed necessary in order to achieve the purposes of this chapter and shall provide by rule for the deduction of this amount from the moneys received from all leases, sales, contracts, licenses, permits, easements, and rights-of-way issued by the department and affecting state lands and aquatic lands, except as provided in section 3 of this act, provided that no deduction shall be made from the proceeds from agricultural college lands.

(2) Moneys received as deposits from successful bidders, advance payments, and security under RCW 79.15.100, 79.15.080, and 79.11.150 prior to December 1, 1981, which have not been subjected to deduction under this section are not subject to deduction under this section.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (5) of this section, the deductions authorized under this section shall not exceed twenty-five percent of the moneys received by the department in connection with any one transaction pertaining to state lands and aquatic lands other than second-class tide and shore lands and the beds of navigable waters, and fifty percent of the moneys received by the department pertaining to second-class tide and shore lands and the beds of navigable waters.

(4) In the event that the department sells logs using the contract harvesting process described in RCW 79.15.500 through 79.15.530, the moneys received subject to this section are the net proceeds from the contract harvesting sale.

(5) During the 2013-2015 fiscal biennium, the twenty-five percent limitation on deductions set in subsection (3) of this section may be increased up to thirty percent by the board. During the 2015-2017 fiscal biennium, the board may increase the twenty-five percent limitation up to thirty-two percent.

Sec. 6.  RCW 79.64.110 and 2015 3rd sp.s. c 4 s 973 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Any moneys derived from the lease of state forestlands or from the sale of valuable materials, oils, gases, coal, minerals, or fossils from those lands, except as provided in section 3 of this act, or the appraised value of these resources when transferred to a public agency under RCW 79.22.060, except as provided in RCW 79.22.060(4), must be distributed as follows:

(a) For state forestlands acquired through RCW 79.22.040 or by exchange for lands acquired through RCW 79.22.040:

(i) The expense incurred by the state for administration, reforestation, and protection, not to exceed twenty-five percent, which rate of percentage shall be determined by the board, must be returned to the forest development account created in RCW 79.64.100. During the 2015-2017 fiscal biennium, the board may increase the twenty-five percent limitation up to twenty-seven percent.

(ii) Any balance remaining must be paid to the county in which the land is located or, for counties participating in a land pool created under RCW 79.22.140, to each participating county proportionate to its contribution of asset value to the land pool as determined by the board. Payments made under this subsection are to be paid, distributed, and prorated, except as otherwise provided in this section, to the various funds in the same manner as general taxes are paid and distributed during the year of payment.

(iii) Any balance remaining, paid to a county with a population of less than sixteen thousand, must first be applied to the reduction of any indebtedness existing in the current expense fund of the county during the year of payment.

(iv) With regard to moneys remaining under this subsection (1)(a), within seven working days of receipt of these moneys, the department shall certify to the state treasurer the amounts to be distributed to the counties. The state treasurer shall distribute funds to the counties four times per month, with no more than ten days between each payment date.

(b) For state forestlands acquired through RCW 79.22.010 or by exchange for lands acquired through RCW 79.22.010, except as provided in RCW 79.64.120:

(i) Fifty percent shall be placed in the forest development account.

(ii) Fifty percent shall be prorated and distributed to the state general fund, to be dedicated for the benefit of the public schools, to the county in which the land is located or, for counties participating in a land pool created under RCW 79.22.140, to each participating county proportionate to its contribution of asset value to the land pool as determined by the board, and according to the relative proportions of tax levies of all taxing districts in the county. The portion to be distributed to the state general fund shall be based on the regular school levy rate under RCW 84.52.065 and the levy rate for any maintenance and operation special school levies. With regard to the portion to be distributed to the counties, the department shall certify to the state treasurer the amounts to be distributed within seven working days of receipt of the money. The state treasurer shall distribute funds to the counties four times per month, with no more than ten days between each payment date. The money distributed to the county must be paid, distributed, and prorated to the various other funds in the same manner as general taxes are paid and distributed during the year of payment.

(2) A school district may transfer amounts deposited in its debt service fund pursuant to this section into its capital projects fund as authorized in RCW 28A.320.330.

Sec. 7.  RCW 43.79A.040 and 2016 c 203 s 2, 2016 c 173 s 10, 2016 c 69 s 21, and 2016 c 39 s 7 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) Money in the treasurer's trust fund may be deposited, invested, and reinvested by the state treasurer in accordance with RCW 43.84.080 in the same manner and to the same extent as if the money were in the state treasury, and may be commingled with moneys in the state treasury for cash management and cash balance purposes.

(2) All income received from investment of the treasurer's trust fund must be set aside in an account in the treasury trust fund to be known as the investment income account.

(3) The investment income account may be utilized for the payment of purchased banking services on behalf of treasurer's trust funds including, but not limited to, depository, safekeeping, and disbursement functions for the state treasurer or affected state agencies. The investment income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for payments to financial institutions. Payments must occur prior to distribution of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.

(4)(a) Monthly, the state treasurer must distribute the earnings credited to the investment income account to the state general fund except under (b), (c), and (d) of this subsection.

(b) The following accounts and funds must receive their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period: The 24/7 sobriety account, the Washington promise scholarship account, the Washington advanced college tuition payment program account, the Washington college savings program account, the accessible communities account, the Washington achieving a better life experience program account, the community and technical college innovation account, the agricultural local fund, the American Indian scholarship endowment fund, the foster care scholarship endowment fund, the foster care endowed scholarship trust fund, the contract harvesting revolving account, the Washington state combined fund drive account, the commemorative works account, the county enhanced 911 excise tax account, the toll collection account, the developmental disabilities endowment trust fund, the energy account, the fair fund, the family leave insurance account, the food animal veterinarian conditional scholarship account, the forest health revolving account, the fruit and vegetable inspection account, the future teachers conditional scholarship account, the game farm alternative account, the GET ready for math and science scholarship account, the Washington global health technologies and product development account, the grain inspection revolving fund, the industrial insurance rainy day fund, the juvenile accountability incentive account, the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' plan 2 expense fund, the local tourism promotion account, the multiagency permitting team account, the pilotage account, the produce railcar pool account, the regional transportation investment district account, the rural rehabilitation account, the Washington sexual assault kit account, the stadium and exhibition center account, the youth athletic facility account, the self-insurance revolving fund, the children's trust fund, the Washington horse racing commission Washington bred owners' bonus fund and breeder awards account, the Washington horse racing commission class C purse fund account, the individual development account program account, the Washington horse racing commission operating account, the life sciences discovery fund, the Washington state heritage center account, the reduced cigarette ignition propensity account, the center for childhood deafness and hearing loss account, the school for the blind account, the Millersylvania park trust fund, the public employees' and retirees' insurance reserve fund, and the radiation perpetual maintenance fund.

(c) The following accounts and funds must receive eighty percent of their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period: The advanced right-of-way revolving fund, the advanced environmental mitigation revolving account, the federal narcotics asset forfeitures account, the high occupancy vehicle account, the local rail service assistance account, and the miscellaneous transportation programs account.

(d) Any state agency that has independent authority over accounts or funds not statutorily required to be held in the custody of the state treasurer that deposits funds into a fund or account in the custody of the state treasurer pursuant to an agreement with the office of the state treasurer shall receive its proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period.

(5) In conformance with Article II, section 37 of the state Constitution, no trust accounts or funds shall be allocated earnings without the specific affirmative directive of this section.

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