BP BHEAD INT S [atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to publicly owned lands; amending RCW 43.98A.010; adding new sections to chapter 43.98A RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. After December 31, 1997, state agencies shall not acquire wildlife and recreation lands in counties in which over fifty percent of the total land area in the county is publicly owned, as determined by the interagency committee for outdoor recreation. The committee shall determine, using existing and available data and in consultation with the Washington association of county officials, the percentage of land in each county that is publicly owned and shall publish these percentages by November 30, 1997. The percentage of publicly owned land in each county published by the committee shall be considered the operational percentage for the purposes of this section until the inventory of all publicly owned lands under section 2 of this act is complete.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The interagency committee for outdoor recreation shall develop, in consultation with the Washington association of county officials, an inventory of all publicly owned lands in the state of Washington. The inventory must be developed in a computer data base format and must include, at a minimum, the following information for each publicly owned land parcel: Owner, location, acreage, assessed value, and principal use or purpose.

(2) The inventory must be developed in two phases. Phase one includes all lands owned by state and federal government agencies and must be completed by December 31, 1998. Phase two includes all publicly owned lands, including lands owned by state and federal government agencies, local governments, and Indian tribes, and must be completed by December 31, 1999.

(3) The inventory must be updated biennially.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The committee shall develop an assessment system to measure the quality, effectiveness, and significance of state-owned wildlife and recreation lands. The assessment system must be developed by December 31, 1998, and assessment results must be recorded in the inventory data base created pursuant to section 1 of this act by December 31, 1999.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The committee shall submit a progress report on the inventory and assessment system to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature by January 1, 1998. The report must include recommendations on ways to maximize the quality and effectiveness of state-owned wildlife and recreation lands without reducing the taxable land base.

Sec. 5. RCW 43.98A.010 and 1990 1st ex.s. c 14 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

The definitions set forth in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1) "Acquisition" means the purchase on a willing seller basis of fee or less than fee interests in real property. These interests include, but are not limited to, options, rights of first refusal, conservation easements, leases, and mineral rights.

(2) "Committee" means the interagency committee for outdoor recreation.

(3) "Critical habitat" means lands important for the protection, management, or public enjoyment of certain wildlife species or groups of species, including, but not limited to, wintering range for deer, elk, and other species, waterfowl and upland bird habitat, fish habitat, and habitat for endangered, threatened, or sensitive species.

(4) "Local agencies" means a city, county, town, tribe, special purpose district, port district, or other political subdivision of the state providing services to less than the entire state.

(5) "Natural areas" means areas that have, to a significant degree, retained their natural character and are important in preserving rare or vanishing flora, fauna, geological, natural historical, or similar features of scientific or educational value.

(6) "Special needs populations" means physically restricted people or people of limited means.

(7) "State agency" means every state department, division, office, board, and commission.

(8) "Trails" means public ways constructed for and open to pedestrians, equestrians, or bicyclists, or any combination thereof, other than a sidewalk constructed as a part of a city street or county road for exclusive use of pedestrians.

((~~(8)~~)) (9) "Urban wildlife habitat" means lands that provide habitat important to wildlife in proximity to a metropolitan area.

((~~(9)~~)) (10) "Water access" means boat or foot access to marine waters, lakes, rivers, or streams.

(11) "Wildlife and recreation lands" means lands acquired for the purpose of providing or preserving parks, critical habitat, natural areas, trails, urban wildlife habitat, and water access.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Sections 1 through 3 of this act are each added to chapter 43.98A RCW.