SB 5273-S - DIGEST

(DIGEST AS ENACTED)

     Declares that, recognizing that the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century establishes a national "scenic byway" program that could benefit state and local roadways, the Washington state scenic byway designation program is revised to address state and local transportation routes.

     Declares that the city, town, county, regional transportation planning organization, federal agency, federally recognized tribe, or any other such party that nominates a roadway not located on a state-owned right of way for designation as a scenic-byway shall bear all costs relating to the nomination and designation of the byway, such as costs for developing, maintaining, planning, designing, and constructing the scenic byway.

     Requires the department, in consultation with the department of community, trade, and economic development, the department of natural resources, the parks and recreation commission, affected cities, towns, and counties, federally recognized tribes, regional transportation planning organizations, state-wide bicycling organizations, and other interested parties, to develop by December 31, 1999, criteria for assessing scenic byways and heritage tour routes and an appropriate method of nomination and application for the designation and removal of the designation of the byways.

     Provides that the commission may remove the designation of a route if it no longer possesses the intrinsic qualities or fails to meet the criteria that supported its designation.

     Declares that the criteria must not impose nor require regulation of privately owned lands or property rights.

     Repeals RCW 47.39.070.