Washington State House of Representatives	BILL ANALYSIS
Transportation Committee

HB 2288

Brief Description:  Facilitating perpetual management of environmental mitigation sites.

Sponsors:  Representatives Fisher, Mitchell, Rockefeller, Wood and Esser; by request of Department of Transportation.

Brief Summary of Bill

$Department of Transportation may convey environmental sites to groups which will maintain them.

Hearing Date:  1/22/02

Staff:  Gene Baxstrom (786‑7303).

Background:

Through the local, state and federal permitting process, the Department of Transportation is required to conduct ecological restoration and enhancement activities to compensate for transportation activity impacts to environmentally sensitive areas.

The department, in many cases, purchases properties for the mitigation sites.  Because some mitigation sites are distant from the highway right of way, site maintenance can be more difficult.  The department would like to release these sites to parties charged with land management.

State law now requires that the transfer of department property be at fair‑market value.

Summary of Bill:

The Department of Transportation is authorized to convey to another party properties which serve as environmental mitigation sites.  These conveyances may be to governmental agencies or private, nonprofit groups organized for environmental conservation purposes, as consideration for those agencies or groups assuming maintenance and operation obligations required to maintain the site in perpetuity.

The conveyances must be by quitclaim deed and restrict use of the property to a mitigation site.  Reversion to the department is required if the site is not used as a mitigation site or is not maintained to legal requirements.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not Requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.