OLYMPIA—Legislation by Rep. Steve Tharinger (D-Port Townsend) would remove a financial barrier when it comes to local or state governments buying forest land.
“The Department of Natural Resources testified in committee about how absurd things are today,” Tharinger said. “To buy a piece of land from a private landowner, they’d have to pay the equivalent 250 years worth of property taxes. That’s crazy, and this law fixes that problem.”
House Bill 1818 addresses what’s called the compensating tax, which local and state governments pay when buying private forest land. If another private landowner purchased that same land, they’re exempt from that tax.
“This affects cities and local governments, not just DNR,” Tharinger said. “We want to encourage community forests, which are working forests that provide tax revenue for infrastructure while also offering opportunities for hiking and outdoor recreation. This legislation helps them expand their forests without these huge and unnecessary taxes.”
The bill passed on a strong bipartisan vote of 97-0 on Jan. 17. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.