BILL REQ. #:  Z-0719.1 

Read first time 01/11/2006.   Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Ecology & Parks.

     AN ACT Relating to disposal of unneeded park land; and amending RCW 79A.05.175.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 79A.05.175 and 1999 c 249 s 601 are each amended to read as follows:
     Whenever the commission finds that any land under its control cannot advantageously be used for park purposes, it is authorized to dispose of such land by the method provided in this section or by the method provided in RCW 79A.05.170. If such lands are school or other grant lands, control thereof shall be relinquished by resolution of the commission to the proper state officials. If such lands were acquired under restrictive conveyances by which the state may hold them only so long as they are used for park purposes, they may be returned to the donor or grantors by the commission. All other such lands may be either sold by the commission to the highest bidder or exchanged for other lands of equal value by the commission, and all conveyance documents shall be executed by the governor. All such exchanges shall be accompanied by a transfer fee, to be set by the commission and paid by the other party to the transfer; such fee shall be paid into the parkland acquisition account established under RCW 79A.05.170. Sealed, electronic, or bonus bids on all sales shall be solicited at least twenty days in advance of the sale date by an advertisement appearing at least once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the land to be sold is located. If the commission feels that no bid received adequately reflects the fair value of the land to be sold, it may reject all bids, and may call for new bids. All proceeds derived from the sale of such park property shall be paid into the park land acquisition account. All land considered for exchange shall be evaluated by the commission to determine its adaptability to park usage. The equal value of all lands exchanged shall first be determined by the appraisals to the satisfaction of the commission. No sale or exchange of state park lands shall be made without the unanimous consent of the commission.