5574-S2 AMH BUCK H3152.3

2SSB 5574 - H AMD  915 Adopted 4-23-95

By Representative Buck

     Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

     "NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that in the early 1900's and up through the 1930's, counties took possession of a number of forest land parcels as a result of tax delinquencies.  In many cases, the timber had already been harvested from these lands prior to the forfeiture of the property to the counties.  Since that time, the department of natural resources has reforested and managed these lands in conjunction with the state trust lands.  Given changes in forest practices, recent fluctuation in income from the forest board lands, and questions about the management of the department of natural resources, the legislature directs that a study of the policies and an analysis of economic elements of the management of state forest board lands be conducted by the legislative budget committee, in consultation with the Washington state members of western states legislatures forestry task force and the chairs of the senate and house of representatives committees on natural resources.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  The study under section 1 of this act shall include elements such as the following:

     (1) The role of forest board lands in the state's sustained yield calculations and the effect of removing all or part of those lands on income, yield, and management policies;

     (2) The economic and forest practice implications of separating the forest board lands from the total lands managed by the department of natural resources;

     (3) The effects of a transfer on public access, recreation, and the management of other public and private lands;

     (4) A comparison of forest management procedures and costs between Grays Harbor county and similar forest board and state trust lands; and

     (5) An examination of the best possible methods and procedures to transfer board lands to the counties.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  The findings of the study, along with recommendations to the legislature, shall be submitted to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature by December 31, 1996.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill number, is not provided by June 30, 1995, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void."

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