Drafter
Clerk 01/30/2020
title
AN ORDINANCE relating to the merger of the timberland classification with the designated forest land program; amending Ordinance 1076, Section 1, as amended, and K.C.C. 20.36.010, Ordinance 15137, Section 1, as amended, and K.C.C. 20.36.015, Ordinance 1076, Section 2, as amended, and K.C.C. 20.36.020, Ordinance 1076, Section 3, as amended, and K.C.C. 20.36.030, Ordinance 1076, Section 4, as amended, and K.C.C. 20.36.040, Ordinance 1076, Section 7, as amended, and K.C.C. 20.36.060, Ordinance 4462, Section 7, as amended, and K.C.C. 20.36.070, Ordinance 4462, Section 8, as amended, and K.C.C. 20.36.080, Ordinance 1886, Section 10, as amended, and K.C.C. 20.36.090 and Ordinance 10511, Section 7, as amended, and K.C.C. 20.36.100 and repealing Ordinance 2537, Section 2, as amended, and K.C.C. 20.36.110.
body
PREAMBLE:
Current use taxation programs, as defined in chapters 84.33 and 84.34 RCW, offer a property tax reduction to landowners who voluntarily preserve or manage lands within four categories: open space land or land in the public benefit rating system, timberland, designated forestland, and farm and agricultural land. The department of natural resources and parks administers the open space and timberland programs, and the department of assessments administers the designated forestland and farm and agricultural land programs.
The timberland program has long had a minimum acreage requirement of five acres. In 2014, Chapter 137, Laws of Washington 2014 lowered the minimum acreage requirement for the designated forestland program from twenty acres to five acres, in effect making the timberland and designated forestland programs duplicative. Additionally, Chapter 137, Laws of Washington 2014 authorizes a county legislative authority to terminate its timberland classification and merge it with the designated forestland program.
Given the similarities in the timberland and designated forestland programs, administrative efficiencies ...

Click here for full text