wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 6242 > Original Bill
The United States forest service has several options for shared management of federal public lands. However, some of these options were not structured to include revenue sharing agreements. Counties are often given authority to join in these shared stewardship agreements, but do not always have the opportunity to receive proceeds from the work that they do. The legislature finds that counties should also be able to engage with the federal government to manage forestlands for wildfire prevention and wildfire risk management, as well as to aid the counties in receiving revenue to address lost revenues from timber sales and the loss of revenue for rural schools. The legislature finds that the counties may choose to manage lands near roads on federal land as fuel breaks and as an additional revenue source.
The board of county commissioners of each county, in relation to roads and bridges, shall have the power and it shall be its duty to:
Acquire in the manner provided by law property real and personal and acquire or erect structures necessary for the administration of the county roads of such county;
Maintain a county engineering office and keep record of all proceedings and orders pertaining to the county roads of such county;
Acquire land for county road purposes by purchase, gift, or condemnation, and exercise the right of eminent domain as by law provided for the taking of land for public use by counties of this state;
Perform all acts necessary and proper for the administration of the county roads of such county as by law provided;
In its discretion rent or lease any lands, improvements or air space above or below any county road or unused county roads to any person or entity, public or private: PROVIDED, That the said renting or leasing will not interfere with vehicular traffic along said county road or adversely affect the safety of the traveling public: PROVIDED FURTHER, That any such sale, lease or rental shall be by public bid in the manner provided by law: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That nothing herein shall prohibit any county from granting easements of necessity.
Enter into a shared stewardship agreement with any federal agency engaged in land management including, but not limited to, the United States forest service, to maintain and manage fuel breaks on federally owned land up to one mile on either side of any road including interstate highways, intrastate highways, and any other roads that the county chooses to include. The shared stewardship agreement must include a revenue sharing agreement in which the county retains the proceeds from any timber sales.