HOUSE BILL ANALYSIS
HB 2625
Title:An act relating to the sale of specific lands for the purposes of resolving trespass on state forest lands.
Brief Description:Allowing the disposition of state forest lands without public auction.
Sponsors:Representatives Regala, Pennington, Anderson, Dunshee and Stensen; by request of Commissioner of Public Lands.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL
RESOURCES
Meeting Date: January 25, 2000.
Bill Analysis Prepared by:Josh Weiss, Counsel (786-7129)
Background:The Department of Natural Resources manages approximately 620,000 acres of forest board transfer trust and forest board purchase lands. Transfer trust lands were logged forest lands that appeared on county tax foreclosure inventories. They were transferred to the state and are now managed for the benefit of the counties they are located in. Purchase lands were logged forest lands purchased by the state to maintain a long-term forest resource base. After management expenses, the income from purchase lands is split between the counties they are located in, and the state general fund for the support of common schools. Together the forest board transfer trust lands and forest board purchase lands are referred to as the forest board lands, which are distinguished from the federal trust lands the department also manages.
The department may dispose of trust lands in order to resolve trespass and property ownership disputes when it is in the best interest of the state, for fair market value, and after an appraisal.
There is no expedited method to dispose of forest board lands to resolve trespass and property ownership disputes. Forest board lands are specifically reserved from sale. These lands may be exchanged for other land, but only to consolidate the holdings of the state, county, municipality, or federal government. Forest board lands may be transferred back to the county in which they are located, but only for public park purposes.