5574-S2 AMH FUHR BYER 2

2SSB 5574 ‑ H AMD 686 ADOPTED 4/7/95

By Representatives Fuhrman and Buck

On page 1, after line 3, strike all of Section 1 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 state trust lands. Given changes in forest practices, fluctuation in income from the forest board lands, and questions about forest board land management by the department of natural resources, the legislature finds that a legislative study of forest board lands is appropriate.

There is created a joint select committee on county forest board lands. The committee shall be comprised of eight members of the legislature, who shall be appointed to the committee as follows: the president of the senate shall appoint two members, one from each caucus, to represent the senate natural resources committee, and two members, one from each caucus, to represent the senate ways and means committee; the speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint two members, one from each caucus, to represent the house natural resources committee, and two members, one from each caucus, to represent the house capital budget committee. In conducting this study, the committee shall seek input from the department of natural resources, counties with forest board transfer lands, and Grays Harbor county, which manages its own county forest lands. Staff support for the committee shall be provided by senate committee services and the house office of program research."