HOUSE BILL REPORT

SHB 522

BYHouse Committee on Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Representatives Meyers, Sutherland, S. Wilson and C. Smith) 

Modifying purposes for which state land may be exchanged.

House Committe on Natural Resources

Majority Report:     The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (16)

     Signed by Representatives Sutherland, Chair; K. Wilson, Vice Chair; Amondson, Basich, Beck, Belcher, Bumgarner, Cole, Fuhrman, Hargrove, R. King, Meyers, Schmidt, C. Smith, Spanel and S. Wilson.

House Staff:Bill Koss (786-7129)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 12, 1987

BACKGROUND:

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages 2.3 million acres of land for trusts which were created at the time of statehood.  It also manages 600,000 acres of land for various counties.  Hundreds of thousands of acres managed by the department occurs in parcels dispersed throughout the state.  Existing land uses include leases for farming, grazing, and commercial purposes as well as the better known timber sales program.

From time to time, DNR exchanges land among the various trusts and with other landowners.  By law, it may make exchanges for three purposes:  (1) to facilitate marketing forest products on state lands, (2) consolidating and blocking up state lands, and (3) acquiring land with commercial recreational lease potentials.  DNR may also make land exchanges with counties.  In making the exchanges, DNR must obtain land of equal value.  The Board of Natural Resources must approve all exchanges.

Recently, DNR began a program of developing urban land in order to diminish the trusts' reliance on timber revenue.  In endeavoring to acquire lands for this and other purposes, some potentially beneficial land exchanges could not be made for lack of legislative authority.

Land exchanged under any of these authorities may not reduce the state forest land base.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) may exchange land for two purposes in addition to those already specified in law:  (1) to acquire urban property with greater income potential or which could be more easily managed by the department, and (2) lands where an exchange is determined to be in the best interests of the trusts.  Any urban property acquired must be exchanged for DNR managed urban land.  The land exchanges must be in the best interests of the trust for which the land is held.  For DNR purposes, urban land means land which within ten years is expected to be intensively used for locations of buildings or structures, and usually will have urban government services.

Fiscal Note:    Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:     Rod Hilden and Pat McElroy, Department of Natural Resources.

House Committee - Testified Against: None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:     The revision clarifies the purposes for which DNR may exchange land and adds two purposes.  These additions make the law broad enough to accommodate current and expected exchange situations.

House Committee - Testimony Against: None Presented.