Title 79 — Title 79 PUBLIC LANDS

(1) Valuable materials situated upon state lands and state forestlands may be sold separate from the land, when in the judgment of the department, it is for the best interest of the state so to sell the same.(2) Sales of valuable materials from any university lands require:(a) Th…

(1) The department shall exercise general supervision and control over the sale of valuable materials.(2) The department shall maintain all reports, data, and information in its records pertaining to a proposed sale.(3) The department may hold a sale in abeyance pending further i…

All sales of valuable materials shall be made subject to the right, power, and authority of the department to prescribe rules or procedures governing the manner of the sale and removal of the valuable materials. Such procedures shall be binding when contained within a purchaser's…

The department may cause valuable materials on state lands and state forestlands to be inspected and appraised and offered for sale when authorized by the board without an application having been filed, or deposit made, for the purchase of the same.[ 2003 c 334 s 341; 1961 c 73 s…

A person desiring to purchase valuable materials may make application to the department on forms provided by the department and accompanied by the fee provided in RCW 79.02.250.[ 2003 c 334 s 312.]Notes:Intent—2003 c 334: See note following RCW 79.02.010.

(1) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, all sales of valuable materials exceeding $25,000 in appraised value must be at public auction or by sealed bid to the highest bidder, provided that on public lands granted to the state for educational purposes sealed bids…

For the purposes of this chapter, "appraisal" means an estimate of the market value of valuable materials. The estimate must reflect the value based on market conditions at the time of the sale or transfer offering. The appraisal must reflect the department's best effort to estab…

(1) For the sale of valuable materials under this chapter, if the board is required by law to appraise the sale, the board must establish a minimum appraisal value that is valid for a period of one hundred eighty days, or a longer period as may be established by resolution. The b…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 2348.SL) ***It is the duty of the department to fix the date, time, and place of sale.(1) All valuable materials shall have been appraised prior to the date fixed for sale as prescribed in RCW 79.15.060.(2) No sale may be conducted on any day that is a…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 2348.SL) ***(1) Sales, other than direct sales, appraised at an amount not exceeding two hundred fifty thousand dollars, when authorized by the board for sale, shall be advertised by publishing not less than ten days prior to sale a notice of such sale…

The advertisement of sales is for informational purposes only, and under no circumstances does the information in the notice of sale constitute a warranty that the purchaser will receive the stated values, volumes, or acreage. All purchasers are expected to make their own measure…

(1) Valuable materials may be sold separately from the land as a "lump sum sale" or as a "scale sale."(a) "Lump sum sale" means any sale offered with a single total price applying to all the material conveyed.(b) "Scale sale" means any sale offered with per unit prices to be appl…

(1) Sales of valuable materials must be conducted under the direction of the department or its authorized representative.(a) Sales of valuable materials, unless otherwise provided in this chapter, shall be at public auction or by sealed bid to the highest bidder, except that, on …

The department shall enter upon its records a confirmation of sale and issue to the purchaser a bill of sale for valuable materials if the following conditions have been met:(1) No fewer than ten days have passed since the auctioneer's report has been filed;(2) No affidavit is fi…

When valuable materials are sold separately from the land and the purchase price is paid in full, the department shall prepare a bill of sale. The bill of sale shall:(1) State the time period for removing the material;(2) Be signed by the commissioner and attested by the seal of …

(1) In the event that the department determines that regulatory requirements or some other circumstance beyond the control of both the department and the purchaser has made a valuable materials contract wholly or partially impracticable to perform, the department may cancel any p…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 2348.SL) ***A sale of valuable materials that has been offered, and for which there are no bids received, shall not be reoffered until it has been readvertised as prescribed in RCW 79.11.130.[ 2003 c 334 s 351.]Notes:Intent—2003 c 334: See note followi…

From time to time timber on state land is damaged by events such as fire, windstorms, and flooding. After such events the timber becomes very susceptible to loss of value and quality due to rot and disease. To obtain maximum value for the state, it is important to sell any damage…

When the department finds valuable materials on state land that are damaged by fire, wind, flood, or from any other cause, it shall determine if the salvage of the damaged valuable materials is in the best interest of the trust for which the land is held, which may include the sa…

(1) The department, upon application by any person, may enter into a contract providing for the sale and removal of rock, gravel, sand, and silt located upon state lands or state forestlands, and providing for payment to be made on a royalty basis.(2) The issuance of a contract s…

(1) Any county, city, or town may file with the department an application to purchase any stone, rock, gravel, or sand upon any state lands or state forestlands to be used in the construction, maintenance, or repair of any public street, road, or highway within such county, city,…

The department may issue licenses to residents of this state to enter upon lands under the administration or jurisdiction of the department for the purpose of removing therefrom, standing or downed timber which is unfit for any purpose except to be used as firewood.[ 2003 c 334 s…

In addition to other matters which may be required to be contained in the application for a license under this chapter the applicant must certify that the wood so removed is to be only for the applicant's own personal use and in his or her own home and that the applicant will not…

The application may be made to the department, and if deemed proper, the license may be issued upon the payment of two dollars and fifty cents which shall be paid into the treasury of the state by the officer collecting the same and placed in the resource management cost account …

Whenever the department determines that it is in the best interest of the state and there will be a benefit to the lands involved or a state program affecting such lands it may designate specific areas and authorize the general public to enter upon lands under its jurisdiction fo…

Any false statement made in the application or any violation of the provisions of RCW 79.15.400 through 79.15.430 shall constitute a gross misdemeanor and be punishable as such.[ 2003 c 334 s 234; 1945 c 97 s 4; Rem. Supp. 1945 s 7797-40d. Formerly RCW 76.20.040.]Notes:Intent—200…

The definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 79.15.500 through 79.15.530 and 79.15.540 unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of public lands.(2) "Contract harvesting" means a timber operation occurring on state forestlands…

(1) The department may establish a contract harvesting program for directly contracting for the removal of timber and other valuable materials from state lands and for conducting silvicultural treatments consistent with RCW 79.15.540.(2) The contract requirements must be compatib…

(1) The contract harvesting revolving account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from the gross proceeds of the sale of logs from a contract harvesting sale must be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account may be used only for the paym…

The board of natural resources must determine whether any special appraisal practices are necessary for logs sold by the contract harvesting processes, and if so, must adopt the special appraisal practices or procedures. In its consideration of special appraisal practices, the bo…

(1) The legislature intends to ensure, to the extent feasible given all applicable trust responsibilities, that trust beneficiaries receive long-term income from timberlands through improved forest conditions and by reducing the threat of forest fire to state trust forestlands.(2…