Title: An act relating to the sale of logs and wood from state-owned aquatic lands.

Brief Description: Requiring that certain moneys from the sale of logs or wood from aquatic lands be used to fund the Thomas Burke Memorial Museum.

Sponsors: Senators Jacobsen, Thibaudeau and Shin.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation: 1/19/06, 2/1/06 [DPS-WM].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, OCEAN & RECREATION

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5017 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.Signed by Senators Jacobsen, Chair; Doumit, Vice Chair; Oke, Ranking Minority Member; Fraser, Morton, Spanel, Stevens and Swecker.

Staff: Curt Gavigan (786-7437)

Background: The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, founded in 1885, is located on the University of Washington campus in Seattle, Washington. The mission of the Burke Museum is to create a better understanding of the world and our place in it. The museum is responsible for Washington State collections of natural history and cultural heritage.

When the state receives revenue from the sale of valuable material from state-owned aquatic lands, funds are first deducted for the Department of Natural Resources' aquatic lands management costs and for any payments owed to towns. The remainder of the revenue from such sales is deposited into the aquatic lands enhancement account within the State Treasury. After appropriation, funds in the aquatic lands enhancement account may only be used for: aquatic lands enhancement projects; for the purchase, improvement, or protection of aquatic lands for public purposes; for providing and improving access to such lands; and for volunteer cooperative fish and game projects.

Summary of Substitute Bill: The Department of Natural Resources is required to identify monies deposited into the aquatic lands enhancement account that are derived from the sales of logs or other wood material from the state-owned aquatic lands of Lake Washington in which the sales were conducted for the principal purpose of deriving revenue. Not less than biennially, the State Treasurer must transfer such monies from the aquatic lands enhancement account to the Board of Regents of the University of Washington to be used exclusively for the operation of the Burke Museum.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: The scope of the bill is narrowed from covering the sales of logs and wood from state owned aquatic lands in general to covering only such sales from Lake Washington, in King County. Technical changes are made in light of the recodification of this statute in 2005.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

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

Testimony For: The Burke Museum holds Washington State collections of natural history and would benefit greatly from any funds that could be provided from the sales of submerged logs and wood. It is sensible that monies from the sales of historical wood from the bottom of Lake Washington go towards funding natural history collections.

Testimony Other: Diverting monies from the sale of valuable materials located on aquatic lands away from nonaquatic programs would set a precedent that could impact programs and activities funded through the aquatic lands enhancement account.

Who Testified: PRO: Julie Stein, Burke Museum.

OTHER: Fran McNair, DNR.