County shared stewardship

AN ACT Relating to granting counties authority to enter into a 1
shared stewardship agreement; amending RCW 36.75.040; and creating a 2
new section. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The United States forest service has 5
several options for shared management of federal public lands. 6
However, some of these options were not structured to include revenue 7
sharing agreements. Counties are often given authority to join in 8
these shared stewardship agreements, but do not always have the 9
opportunity to receive proceeds from the work that they do. The 10
legislature finds that counties should also be able to engage with 11
the federal government to manage forestlands for wildfire prevention 12
and wildfire risk management, as well as to aid the counties in 13
receiving revenue to address lost revenues from timber sales and the 14
loss of revenue for rural schools. The legislature finds that the 15
counties may choose to manage lands near roads on federal land as 16
fuel breaks and as an additional revenue source.17
Sec. 2. RCW 36.75.040 and 1969 ex.s. c 182 s 15 are each amended 18
to read as follows: 19
S-4004.1
SENATE BILL 6242
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators Braun, Boehnke, Goehner, Wagoner, Warnick, and J. Wilson
Read first time 01/20/26. Referred to Committee on Local Government.
p. 1 SB 6242
The board of county commissioners of each county, in relation to 1
roads and bridges, shall have the power and it shall be its duty to:2
(1) Acquire in the manner provided by law property real and 3
personal and acquire or erect structures necessary for the 4
administration of the county roads of such county; 5
(2) Maintain a county engineering office and keep record of all 6
proceedings and orders pertaining to the county roads of such county;7
(3) Acquire land for county road purposes by purchase, gift, or 8
condemnation, and exercise the right of eminent domain as by law 9
provided for the taking of land for public use by counties of this 10
state; 11
(4) Perform all acts necessary and proper for the administration 12
of the county roads of such county as by law provided;13
(5) In its discretion rent or lease any lands, improvements or 14
air space above or below any county road or unused county roads to 15
any person or entity, public or private: PROVIDED, That the said 16
renting or leasing will not interfere with vehicular traffic along 17
said county road or adversely affect the safety of the traveling 18
public: PROVIDED FURTHER, That any such sale, lease or rental shall 19
be by public bid in the manner provided by law: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, 20
That nothing herein shall prohibit any county from granting easements 21
of necessity. 22
(6) Enter into a shared stewardship agreement with any federal 23
agency engaged in land management including, but not limited to, the 24
United States forest service, to maintain and manage fuel breaks on 25
federally owned land up to one mile on either side of any road 26
including interstate highways, intrastate highways, and any other 27
roads that the county chooses to include. The shared stewardship 28
agreement must include a revenue sharing agreement in which the 29
county retains the proceeds from any timber sales.30
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p. 2 SB 6242