H-1160.2                  _______________________________________________

                                                      HOUSE BILL 1852

                              _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

By Representatives Ogden, Brumsickle, Basich, Wood, J. Kohl, Kessler, Quall and Jacobsen

Read first time 02/12/93.  Referred to Committee on State Government.

Requiring the identification, recordation, and evaluation of potentially historically significant state-owned or leased facilities.

          AN ACT Relating to historic preservation; adding new sections to chapter 27.34 RCW; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  (1) The legislature finds that:

          (a) The historical, architectural, archaeological, and cultural heritage of Washington is an important asset of the state and that the preservation and maintenance of these resources should be a high priority of state government;

          (b) The state owns numerous significant historic properties and there is a benefit to citizens, communities, and the state in the preservation of these state-owned resources;

          (c) While historic preservation must be balanced with the needs of state agencies, in a time of limited resources preservation of state-owned historic properties is a sound long-term investment for the state.

          (2) It is, therefore, the purpose of this act to give authority to the office of archaeology and historic preservation to identify, record, and evaluate all state-owned facilities to determine which of these facilities may be considered historically significant, to require the office to provide copies of the inventory to departments, agencies, and institutions that have jurisdiction over the buildings and sites listed, and to authorize the office of archaeology and historic preservation to convene a task force of state agencies to develop guidelines for state agencies to identify, evaluate, and protect historic properties.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the following definitions apply throughout sections 3 and 4 of this act.

          (1) "Agency" means the state agency, department, or institution that has ownership of historic property.

          (2) "Historic properties" means those buildings, sites, objects, structures, and districts that are listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

          (3) "Office" means the office of archaeology and historic preservation within the department of community development.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  By January 2, 1994, the office shall provide each agency with a list of the agency's properties currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  By January 2, 1995, agencies that own property shall provide to the office a list of those properties that are either at least fifty years old or that may be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.  If funding is available, the office may provide grants to state agencies to assist in the development of the agency's list.  By June 30, 1995, the office shall compile and disseminate an inventory of state-owned historic properties.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  The office shall provide technical historic preservation training for agency staff involved with the identification and management of historic properties.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.  (1) The office shall convene a task force to develop recommendations on establishing state agency historic preservation guidelines to identify, evaluate, and protect historic properties.  The task force may include but not be limited to representatives of affected state agencies and other interested or affected parties.  Topics the task force shall address include the following:

          (a) Recommendations on long-range management strategies for the protection of state-owned historic properties; and

          (b) Development of a process to review and comment on state agency actions that might affect identified historic properties.

          (2) The task force shall present its recommendations to the governor and the legislature no later than October 31, 1995.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.  Sections 2 through 4 of this act are each added to chapter 27.34 RCW.

                                                           --- END ---