SB 688 — Authorizing director of Division of Forestry to contract and manage forest land

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION IntroducedCommittee Substitute for Senate Bill 688 ByBYSENATORSW SenatorsOODRUM, Woodrum,MITH, Smith,WOPE,ANDNELSON Swope,[Originating andin Nelsonthe [IntroducedCommittee Februaryon 7,Economic 2024;Development;

referredreported toFebruary the15, Committee2024] onCS Economicfor Development] Intr SB 2024R3609688 A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §20-3-4a, relating to authorizing the Director of the Division of Forestry and the Director of the Division of Natural Resources to contract for the management of state-ownedstate- owned and leased-leased forests and wooded lands for purposes of preventing forest fires;

andproviding authorizingfor theproceeds directorfrom contracts to directlybe awardpaid ato contracttreasurer underand certaincredited circumstancesto whenthe necessaryappropriate division for ancertain economicpurposes; development project.

and authorizing either director to directly award a contract under certain circumstances when necessary for an economic development project.

Authority of directorDirector of divisionthe Division of forestryForestry and Director of the Division of Natural Resources to contract and manage forest land.

(a) The directorDirector of the Division of Forestry and the Director of the Division of Natural Resources may, with the approval in writing of the Secretary of Commerce, contract for the management of state-owned or leased-leased forests, natural and scenic areas, wildlife management areas, and other lands under thetheir respective jurisdiction and control of the directordirectors for the limited purposes of protecting, preservingpreserving, and maintaining such lands from forestwildfires. fire.

Before entering into a contract, the directordirectors shall receive sealed bids therefor, after notice by publication as a Class I legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of §59-3-1 et seq.

of this code, and the publication area for such publication shall be each county in which the affected lands are located, and on the Division’srespective division’s main website for a period of at least 14 days prior to entering into any contract pursuant to this section.

Any such contract shall be awarded to the highest responsible bidder with experience managing at least 60,000 acres of forested and mountainous terrain, who shall give bond for the proper performance of the contract as theeither director shall designate;

but theeither director may reject any and all bids and re-advertise for bids.

Nothing in this section prohibits theCS Divisionfor SB 688 either division from including provisions in any such land management contract for the disposition of any and all forest biomass.biomasses.

The proceeds arising from any such contract shall be paid to the Treasurer of the State ofTreasurer West Virginia and shall be credited to the Divisionappropriate division and used exclusively for the purposes of this chapter.

Intr SB 2024R3609 (b) Notwithstanding the competitive bidding process established in subsection (a),(a) theof this section, either director may, with the approval in writing of the Secretary of the Department of Commerce, directly award such a contract when the Secretary of the Department of Commerce and the Secretary of the Department of Economic Development certifiescertify in writing to the respective director that the leasecontract is a necessary component of an economic development project:

NOTE:

The purpose of this bill is to authorize the director of the Division of Forestry to enter into contracts for management of state forests and wooded areas for the purposes of preventing forest fires.

This is a new section;

therefore, underscoring and strike-throughs have been omitted.