H-3800              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 2778

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Representatives Zellinsky, Schmidt, R. Meyers, Miller, Belcher, Ferguson, Pruitt, Van Luven, Haugen, Holland, Phillips, S. Wilson, Locke, R. King, Peery, Todd, Brough, Anderson, Rasmussen, Nutley, Tate, Silver, Nelson, Cantwell, G. Fisher, Heavey, Sprenkle, Sayan,R. Fisher, Prentice, Jones, Jesernig, Gallagher, Walker, Dorn, K. Wilson, Brekke, May, Bennett, Spanel, Jacobsen, Cooper, Crane, Betrozoff, Valle, Leonard, Morris, H. Myers, P. King, Winsley, Ebersole, O'Brien, Cole, D. Sommers, Hine, Dellwo, Horn, Rector, Rust, Fraser, Fuhrman, Basich, Ballard, Kremen, Rayburn, Wood, Day and Scott

Read 1/19/90; referred to Committees on Natural Resources & Parks/ Appropriations.

AN ACT Relating to transfer and management of certain common school trust lands; adding a new section to chapter 79.68 RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     Certain Washington common school trust lands are no longer suitable for traditional forest practices, such as harvesting, or the value of the land has appreciated greatly.  By statute, such lands must be managed by the department of natural resources to maximize the return to the school trust for school construction purposes.

          As the department, acting on behalf of the trust, moves to realize the highest and best use of these properties, loss of valuable urban and suburban open space unique to their respective areas is possible.  Citizens are concerned about the loss of habitat, recreational opportunities, and watershed recharge areas in their communities.  Growth and population pressures in the state make conservation of these locally significant areas all the more important.

          To answer these concerns, the legislature authorizes the transfer of certain common school trust lands for the purposes specified in sections 2 and 3 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The sum of .......... dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, from the general fund to the department of natural resources for the purposes specified in this section and section 3 of this act.

          The appropriation in this section is subject to the conditions and limitations specified in section 3 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 79.68 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) Common school trust lands identified in section 1 of this act shall be trust properties identified by a process approved by the board of natural resources using, but not limited to, the following criteria:

          (a) Parcels shall be evaluated in light of current value to communities as buffers, air and water recharge areas, wetlands, wildlife habitat, recreation usage and educational value.

          (b) Properties located in the Puget Sound region shall be given priority.

          (2) The land and timber shall be appraised and transferred at full market value.

          (3) Transfer of the acquired property to another public agency is contingent upon an interlocal agreement between the department and an authorized local government entity, such as a park district or county government.  Such an agreement will relieve the department of any and all future liability or responsibility for management.

          (4) The proceeds of the sales of timber shall be deposited by the department in the same manner as timber revenues from other common school trust lands except that no deductions shall be made for the resource management cost account under RCW 79.64.040.

          (5) The proceeds of the transfer of land shall be used by the department to acquire income-generating properties of equal value to be managed as common school trust land.