SENATE 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

Senate Committee on Natural Resources

Senate Hearing Date(s):March 24, 1987

Majority Report:  Do pass.

      Signed by Senators Owen, Chairman; DeJarnatt, Vice Chairman; Barr, Conner, McDonald, Patterson, Peterson, Rasmussen, Stratton.

Senate Staff:Vic Moon (786-7469)

                  March 24, 1987

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, MARCH 24, 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.  The Department also manages 600,000 acres of land for various counties.  Hundreds of thousands of acres managed by the department is in small 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, the Department may make exchanges for four purposes:  (1) to facilitate marketing forest products on state lands; (2) to consolidate and block up state lands; (3) to acquire land with commercial recreational lease potential; and (4) to exchange land with the counties.  In making all 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.  Urban land is defined by the Department to be land which within ten years is expected to be intensively used for locations of buildings or structures, and usually will have urban government services.  In endeavoring to acquire lands for this and other purposes, some potentially beneficial land exchanges could not be made because legislative authority limits the Department's exchange ability. Land exchanged may not be used to reduce the state forest land base.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) may exchange land of equal value for two purposes in addition to those already specified in law:  (1) to acquire urban property with greater income potential or to acquire which could be more efficiently managed by the department, and (2) acquire lands when the exchange is determined to be in the best interest of the trusts by the Board of Natural Resources.  Any urban property acquired must be exchanged for DNR managed urban land.  The Board of Natural Resources must determine prior to the exchanges that each exchange is in the best interest of the specific trust.

Fiscal Note:      available

Senate Committee - Testified: Pat McElroy, Department of Natural Resources