Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1973 NO. >

(1) In order to engage in the logging of timber within "shorelines of the state" as that term is used in chapter 90.58 RCW, the Shorelines Management Act of 1971, a person will be required to obtain a permit under RCW 90.58.140 (2) under certain factual circumstances.
 
(2) The Shorelines Management Act of 1971 applies to the activities of the state department of natural resources on state‑owned lands under its administrative jurisdiction where such lands are within the "shorelines of the state."

AGO 1991 NO. 8 >

1.  Laws of 1919, ch. 166, which was repealed in 1949, granted owners of Bush Act tidelands the right to cultivate clams in addition to oysters.  Article 8, sections 5 and 7, of the Washington Constitution, prohibit gifts of public funds.  Under the court's contemporary construction of article 8, sections 5 and 7, Laws of 1919, ch. 166 is not clearly unconstitutional and anyone challenging the law would have a heavy burden of establishing beyond a reasonable doubt that the law is unconstitutional. 2.   Rights acquired under a statute can vest if one substantially changes position in reliance on the statute, even if it is later repealed.  The repeal of Laws of 1919, ch. 166, in 1949, did not extinguish the right to cultivate clams granted by the law for those owners of Bush Act tidelands who were cultivating clams in 1949 when the act was repealed.  3.   When the Legislature repealed Laws of 1919, ch. 166, it did not indicate how long any vested right to cultivate clams might continue.  The Legislature may adopted legislation to eliminate or phase out whatever vested rights remain to cultivate clams, provided that the conditions under which such rights are phased out or discontinued are reasonable.

AGO 1975 NO. 10 >

A certification, approved by the governor under chapter 80.50 RCW, may authorize the withdrawal of such public waters as are required for use in the operation of a thermal power plant.

AGLO 1979 NO. 10 >

The State Department of Natural Resources may not expend monies from the Resource Management Cost Account or the Forest Development Account, over and above payment of fire patrol assessments under RCW 76.04.360, to fund the costs of the Forest Fire Protection Program provided for in chapter 76.04 RCW.

AGO 1996 NO. 11 >

1. The Enabling Act facilitating the admission of Washington into the union (25 Stat. 676) is a limitation on state legislative authority and requires that federal grant lands be held in trust; exercises of legislative authority over federal grant lands will be tested by fiduciary principles. 2.  Common law trust principles are instructive with respect to the administration of federal trust lands by the State, but the Legislature's management decisions are accorded a deference not granted a private trustee because of the presumption of constitutionality that applies to exercises of state legislative authority. 3.  Federal and state laws of general application (such as the Endangered Species Act) apply to federal grant lands administered by the State. 4.  The State's duties as trustee of federal grant lands run separately to each trust; joint administration is permissible where it serves the interests of each trust, so long as each trust is separately accounted for. 5.  The State must separately account for each federal land grant trust, and maintain separate funds or accounts to that end. 6.  The Legislature may lawfully delegate to the Department of Natural Resources and the Commissioner of Public Lands a role in administering forest lands within the State, including federal grant lands, while simultaneously authorizing the same agency and officer to play a role in regulating such lands. 7.  In its administration of federal trust lands, the Department of Natural Resources is not subject to chapters 11.98, 11.100, 11.106 or 11.110 RCW. 8.  The Department of Natural Resources has the authority to satisfy the requirements of the Endangered Species Act by entering into a long-term management plan, so long as the plan does not violate the Department's common law or statutory duties regarding the federal grant land trusts. 9.  The exercise of discretion by the Department of Natural Resources with respect to administration of federal grant lands will be tested against an abuse of discretion standard; as against a trust beneficiary, principles regarding a trustee's exercise of discretion would apply, while as against a non-beneficiary, principles of administrative law would apply. 

AGLO 1977 NO. 15 >

The department of natural resources does not have the legal authority under existing law to permit an upland owner whose land abuts on second class shorelands owned by the state of Washington to construct a private pier on such shorelands without charge.

AGLO 1973 NO. 19 >

When the department of natural resources sells, transfers or exchanges state, tide or shore lands to another governmental agency under the provisions of RCW 39.33.010, the contract of sale and deed does not have to contain the reservations of mineral rights set out in RCW 79.01.224.

AGO 1992 NO. 20 >

1.  RCW 76.09.060(3) provides that a forest practices application shall indicate whether any land covered by the application will be converted or is intended to be converted to a use other than commercial timber production within three years after completion of the forest practices described in it.  If the application does not state conversion is intended, for six years after the date of the application, a local government may deny all applications for permits or approvals relating to nonforestry uses of land subject to the application.  2.  If a prior landowner did not indicate an intention to convert land to a use other than commercial timber production, RCW 76.09.060 empowers a local government to deny application for permits or approvals relating to nonforestry uses of land subject to the application filed by a subsequent owner of the land for six years after the date of the application by the prior landowner. 3.  If a local government does not exercise its authority to deny applications for permits or approvals relating to nonforestry uses of land pursuant to RCW 76.09.060, a new landowner may convert the land to a use incompatible with timber growing, assuming such a change is lawful in other respects.  4.  If a local government does not exercise its authority to deny applications for permits or approvals relating to nonforestry uses of land pursuant to RCW 76.09.060, a new forest practices application is necessary if the activity is a forest practice for which a forest practices application is required.

AGO 1961 NO. 27 >

(1 and 2) The Commissioner of Public Lands and the Board of Natural Resources are not covered by the new state civil service law.(3) Confidential secretaries and administrative assistants in the immediate administrative structure of the office organization of an elected official are not covered by the civil service law.(4) Part time or seasonal help in the Department of Natural Resources who have been determined by the Director to be skilled or unskilled labor employed temporarily on force‑account construction and maintenance projects or employed on temporary seasonal single phases of agricultural production or harvesting are not covered by the civil service law.