SENATE BILL REPORT

EHB 1172

BYRepresentatives Belcher, Locke, R. Fisher, Sayan, K. Wilson, Rust, Hine, Miller, Ferguson, Dellwo, Spanel, Fraser and Brough

Revising requirements for natural resources conservation areas.

House Committe on Natural Resources & Parks

Rereferred House Committee on Appropriations

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Senate Hearing Date(s):March 31, 1989

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

      Signed by Senators McDonald, Chairman; Bailey, Bluechel, Cantu, Fleming, Lee, Niemi, Saling, Talmadge, Warnke, Williams, Wojahn.

Senate Staff:Charles Langen (786-7715)

                  April 4, 1989

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS, MARCH 31, 1989

BACKGROUND:

Using authority granted in 1987, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), subject to legislative appropriation, is to purchase and manage certain properties as natural resource conservation areas.  Lands eligible for consideration as natural resource conservation areas shall be highly valued for conservation, natural systems, dispersed recreation, maintaining unique natural areas, ecological communities, or as environmentally significant sites threatened with conversion to an incompatible use.  When any DNR-managed trust land is sold for a conservation management area, the sale proceeds shall be used to purchase replacement property.  Purchases of trust land must be at full fair market value.

Any revenue from the land management activities, such as timber sales on the site, enters into a stewardship account for use solely for management of conservation areas.

The department must develop a management plan for sites designated as conservation areas.  The department administers such areas directly, or through agreement with other state agencies, local governments, or private conservancy corporations.

Seven million, nine hundred thousand dollars was appropriated to obtain for conservation areas land adjoining Mt. Si (King County), property on Cypress Island (Skagit County), property near Woodard Bay (Thurston County), and property near Dishman Hills natural area (Spokane County).

An additional $4 million, to be matched by at least 25 percent from privately raised funds, contributions of real property, or services necessary for nature conservancy, was appropriated to DNR to purchase natural area preserves.  Natural area preserves include properties managed by the Natural Heritage Program of DNR.  These properties are maintained for their natural characteristics and/or to preserve rare or vanishing flora, fauna, geology, natural history, or similar features.

Funding for acquisition of natural resource conservation areas comes from a real estate excise tax surcharge.  An additional 6/100 of 1 percent excise tax ($60 on a $100,000 transaction) is levied.  The proceeds are deposited to the conservation areas' account and used for acquisition of conservation areas.  Authority to collect the additional tax expires June 30, 1989.

SUMMARY:

The additional excise tax (6/100 of 1 percent) is allowed to expire on June 30, 1989.

The purposes for which a natural resource conservation area may be acquired are expanded to include areas containing important archeological, scenic, plant, animal, or geological features.

To acquire new land and to maintain the land base for trust revenue production purposes, DNR may use the sale proceeds from land sold for a natural resource conservation area.  The conservation area trust replacement fund is established for this purpose.

The Commissioner of Public Lands shall appoint a nine member advisory committee to assist in evaluating sites nominated as natural resource conservation areas.  The directors of the Departments of Wildlife and Ecology and of the State Parks and Recreation Commission serve as ex officio members of the advisory committee.  The members prepare a listing of candidate sites for inclusion in the program, based on criteria they develop.  The commissioner may select sites from the list and recommend them to the Legislature for designation.

Several new provisions are added to the existing law for development of rules governing the areas, commissioner-approved management plans, and simplifying language.

Yakima Canyon, extending from the southern boundary of Helen McCabe State Park in Kittitas, from canyon rim to canyon rim is added to the four sites currently authorized for acquisition.  (The Yakima Canyon parcel contains approximately 10,200 acres of federal and private lands and lands held by the Departments of Wildlife and Natural Resources.  The value of the private and DNR lands is estimated between $1 million and $2 million.)

A provision for developing the Wymer Canyon area for water resource use is added.

Appropriation:    $2,000,000 appropriated from conservation area account to Department of Natural Resources.  $400,000 is appropriated from natural resources conservation area stewardship account to Department of Natural Resources.

Revenue:    yes

Fiscal Note:      available

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED SENATE AMENDMENT:

The Yakima Canyon acquisition is removed.

Funding for acquisition of natural resource conservation areas comes from the real estate excise tax surcharge.  An additional 6/100 of 1 percent excise tax ($60 on a $100,000 transaction) is levied, the proceeds to be deposited to the conservation areas' account and used for acquisition of conservation areas.  Authority to collect the additional tax is extended to June 30, 1993.

Senate Committee - Testified: No one