Timber sale process

AN ACT Relating to updating timber sale process efficiencies and 1
adopting consistent language for the department's land sales; 2
amending RCW 79.15.070, 79.15.080, 79.15.150, and 79.11.340; and 3
reenacting and amending RCW 79.11.130. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
Sec. 1. RCW 79.11.130 and 2003 c 381 s 4 and 2003 c 334 s 346 6
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows: 7
(1) The department shall give notice of the sale by advertisement 8
published not fewer than two times during a four-week period prior to 9
the time of sale in at least one newspaper of general circulation in 10
the county in which the whole, or any part of any lot, block, or 11
tract of land to be sold is situated, and by posting a copy of the 12
notice ((in a conspicuous place in )) on the department's ((Olympia 13
office,)) public website and in the region headquarters administering 14
such sale ((, and in the office of the county auditor of such 15
county)). The notice shall specify the place, date, and time of sale, 16
the appraised value of the land, describe with particularity each 17
parcel of land to be sold, and specify that the terms of sale will be 18
available in the region headquarters and the department's ((Olympia 19
office)) public website. 20
Z-0631.1
SENATE BILL 6216
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators Shewmake, Short, Nobles, and Saldaña; by request of
Department of Natural Resources
Read first time 01/19/26. Referred to Committee on Agriculture &
Natural Resources.
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(2) The advertisement is for informational purposes only, and 1
under no circumstances does the information in the notice of sale 2
constitute a warranty that the purchaser will receive the stated 3
values, volumes, or acreage. All purchasers are expected to make 4
their own measurements, evaluations, and appraisals.5
(3) The department shall print a list of all public lands and the 6
appraised value thereof, that are to be sold. This list should be 7
((published in a pamphlet form to be issued )) made available at least 8
four weeks prior to the date of any sale of the lands. The list 9
should be organized by county and by alphabetical order, and provide 10
sale information to prospective buyers. The department shall retain 11
for free distribution in ((the Olympia office and the )) region 12
offices sufficient copies of the ((pamphlet)) list, to be kept in a 13
conspicuous place, and, when requested so to do, shall mail copies of 14
the ((pamphlet)) list as issued to any requesting applicant. The 15
department may seek additional means of publishing the information in 16
the ((pamphlet)) list, such as on the internet, to increase the 17
number of prospective buyers. 18
(((4) The sale of valuable materials appraised at an amount not 19
exceeding two hundred fifty thousand dollars, as described in RCW 20
79.01.200 and as authorized by the board of natural resources, are 21
exempt from the requirements of subsection (3) of this section.))22
Sec. 2. RCW 79.15.070 and 2003 c 334 s 350 are each amended to 23
read as follows: 24
It is the duty of the department to fix the date, time, and place 25
of sale. 26
(1) All valuable materials shall have been appraised prior to the 27
date fixed for sale as prescribed in RCW 79.15.060.28
(2) No sale may be conducted on any day that is a legal holiday.29
(3) Sales must be held between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 30
p.m. If all sales cannot be offered within this time period, the sale 31
must continue on the following day between the hours of 10:00 a.m. 32
and 4:00 p.m. 33
(4) Sales must take place((:34
(a) At)) at the department's ((regional office )) region 35
headquarters having jurisdiction over the respective sale((; or36
(b) On county property designated by the board of county 37
commissioners or county legislative authority of the county in which 38
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the whole or majority of valuable materials are situated )) or at an 1
alternate location designated by the department. 2
Sec. 3. RCW 79.15.080 and 2006 c 42 s 2 are each amended to read 3
as follows: 4
(1) Sales, other than direct sales, appraised at an amount not 5
exceeding two hundred fifty thousand dollars, when such sales have 6
been authorized by the board for sale, shall be advertised by 7
publishing not less than ten days prior to sale a notice of such sale 8
in either a newspaper of general circulation ((located nearest to the 9
property from which the valuable material is to be sold )), the 10
department's public website, or another method deemed most practical 11
by the department. 12
(2) Except as provided in RCW 79.15.050 and for sales described 13
in subsection (1) of this section , all other proposed sales of 14
valuable materials must be advertised through individual notice of 15
sale and publication of a statewide list of sales.16
(a) The notice of sale: 17
(i) Must specify the place, date, and time of sale, the appraised 18
value thereof, and describe with particularity each parcel of land 19
from which valuable materials are to be sold. The estimated volume 20
will be identified and the terms of sale will be available in the 21
region headquarters and the department's Olympia office;22
(ii) May prescribe that the bid deposit required in RCW 79.15.110 23
be considered an opening bid; 24
(iii) May be advertised by newspaper or by other means of 25
publishing the information such as on the ((internet)) department's 26
public website; and 27
(iv) Must be posted in a conspicuous place in ((the department's 28
Olympia office and in )) the region headquarters administering the 29
sale((, and in the office of the county auditor of the county where 30
the material is located)). 31
(b) The department shall ((print)) make available a list of all 32
valuable material on public lands that are to be sold. The list 33
should be organized by county and by alphabetical order.34
(i) The list should be ((published in a pamphlet form, issued )) 35
made available upon request at least four weeks prior to the date of 36
any sale and provide sale information to prospective buyers.37
(ii) The department must retain for free distribution in ((the 38
Olympia office and )) the region headquarters offices sufficient 39
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copies of the ((pamphlet)) list, to be kept in a conspicuous place, 1
and((, when requested to do so, must mail copies of the pamphlet as 2
issued to any requesting applicant)) made available upon request.3
(iii) The department may seek additional means of publishing the 4
information in the ((pamphlet)) list, such as on the ((internet)) 5
department's public website and other means of communication , to 6
increase the number of prospective buyers. 7
(3) The department is authorized to expend any sum in additional 8
advertising of the sales as it deems necessary. 9
Sec. 4. RCW 79.15.150 and 2003 c 334 s 351 are each amended to 10
read as follows: 11
A sale of valuable materials that has been offered, and for which 12
there are no bids received, ((shall not be reoffered until it has 13
been readvertised as prescribed in RCW 79.11.130)) may be reoffered 14
consistent with RCW 79.15.060 and 79.15.080(2)(a).15
Sec. 5. RCW 79.11.340 and 2023 c 383 s 11 are each amended to 16
read as follows: 17
(1) Except as provided in RCW 79.10.030(2), the department shall 18
manage and control all lands acquired by the state by escheat, deed 19
of sale, gift, devise, or under RCW 79.19.010 through 79.19.110, 20
except such lands that are conveyed or devised to the state for a 21
particular purpose. 22
(2) Except as provided in RCW 79.19.030(4), when the department 23
determines to sell or transfer the lands, they may ((initially)) , 24
with approval of the board of natural resources:25
(a) Initially be offered for sale either at public auction 26
((or));27
(b) Offer the lands for direct transfer to public agencies as 28
provided in RCW 79.17.200 or this chapter((.29
(3) The department may, with)); and30
(c) With approval of the board, market and sell the lands at 31
auction through persons licensed under chapter 18.85 RCW or through 32
other commercially feasible means at a price not lower than the 33
land's appraised value. 34
(3) The lands to be sold or transferred under subsection (2) of 35
this section shall be sold or transferred only after appraisal and 36
for at least fair market value, and only if such transaction is in 37
the best interest of the state or affected trust.38
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(4) Necessary marketing costs may be paid from the sale proceeds. 1
For the purpose of this subsection, necessary marketing costs include 2
reasonable costs associated with advertising the property and paying 3
commissions. 4
(5) Proceeds of the sale shall be deposited into the appropriate 5
fund in the state treasury unless the grantor in any deed or the 6
testator in case of a devise specifies that the proceeds of the sale 7
be devoted to a particular purpose. 8
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