RCW 79.155.010 Findings. (1) The legislature finds that since the 1980s, about seventeen percent of Washington’s commercial forests have been converted to other land uses. (2) The legislature further finds that as these forests vanish, so do the multiple benefits they provide to our communities such as local timber jobs, clean air and water, carbon […]
RCW 79.155.020 Community forestland trust—Department authorized to create and manage. (1) If deemed practicable by the commissioner, the department is authorized to create and manage, consistent with the provisions of this chapter, a discrete category of natural resource lands in a nonfiduciary community forestland trust. The department is authorized to assemble, hold title to, and […]
RCW 79.155.030 Identification of lands—Minimum program management principles. (1) The department must identify lands for inclusion into the community forest trust, and manage the resulting community forest trust lands, in furtherance of goals that must be identified by the department prior to the creation of a community forest. (2) In addition to any goals for […]
RCW 79.155.040 Department’s authority. (1)(a) Except as limited by RCW 79.155.070, the department is authorized to acquire by purchase, gift, donation, grant, transfer, or other means other than eminent domain fee interest or a partial interest, including conservation easements, in lands or other real property suitable for management as part of the community forest trust […]
RCW 79.155.050 Criteria for identification and prioritization of forestlands suitable for potential inclusion in the community forest trust. (1) The department shall, if it establishes a community forest trust program, develop criteria to be used for the identification and prioritization of forestland that is suitable for potential inclusion in the community forest trust due to […]
RCW 79.155.060 Prioritized list identifying nominated parcels of state land or state forestland. (1) The department shall, if it establishes a community forest trust program, submit biennially to the office of financial management and the appropriate committees of the legislature a prioritized list that identifies nominated parcels of state land or state forestland that are […]
RCW 79.155.070 Local community must commit to preserving land as a working forest—Financial contribution. (1) The department must, prior to using the authority provided in RCW 79.155.040 to acquire land for inclusion in a community forest, obtain from the local community a commitment to preserving the land as a working forest. (2) Following initial agreement […]
RCW 79.155.080 Postacquisition management plan. (1) All lands transferred into community forest trust status must be managed in accordance with a postacquisition management plan developed by the department consistent with this section. (2) After exercising the authority provided in RCW 79.155.040 to acquire land for inclusion in a community forest, the department must establish a […]
RCW 79.155.090 Use of revenue produced on community forest trust lands. (1) Any revenue produced on community forest trust lands must be allocated as follows: (a) All costs incurred by the department in managing the parcel must be fully reimbursed; and (b) After the department’s management costs are reimbursed, any remaining revenue must then be […]
RCW 79.155.100 Periodic review and update of community forest trust program. By September 1, 2014, and periodically, but at least once every ten years thereafter, the department shall provide to the board a review and update of the community forest trust program. The review must include updates on the performance of the community forest trust […]
RCW 79.155.110 Statewide advisory committee. (1) The commissioner may establish and maintain a statewide advisory committee to assist the department in the implementation of this chapter. (2) If a statewide advisory committee is established, the commissioner shall appoint a balanced representation of interests on the committee, including representatives of state fiduciary trust land beneficiaries, tribal […]
RCW 79.155.120 Establishing community forest districts/local working forest districts—Technical assistance grants. (1) The commissioner may, if deemed practicable and beneficial by the commissioner, cooperate with interested local governments in establishing community forest districts or local working forest districts that are compatible with the goals identified in this chapter for the community forest trust. Cooperative districts […]
RCW 79.155.130 Authority to manage state lands—Authority to develop management procedures. The authorities granted under Title 79 RCW for the management of state lands apply to the community forest trust to the extent consistent with the purposes of chapter 216, Laws of 2011. The department may develop management procedures deemed necessary by the department to […]
RCW 79.155.140 Distribution of an amount in lieu of real property taxes. The state treasurer, on behalf of the department, must distribute to counties for all lands acquired from private landowners for the purposes of this chapter an amount in lieu of real property taxes equal to the amount of tax that would be due […]
RCW 79.155.150 Community forest trust account. The community forest trust account is created in the state treasury. All moneys received for the acquisition, sale, management, and administration of the department’s duties under this chapter for community forest trust lands including, but not limited to, proceeds from the sale of valuable materials from community forest trust […]
