(1) The department is authorized to lease any second-class tidelands or shorelands, whether reserved from sale, or from lease for other purposes, by or under authority of law, or not, except any oyster reserve containing oysters in merchantable quantities, to any person, for booming purposes, for any term not exceeding ten years from the date of the lease, for annual rental and upon terms and conditions as the department may fix and determine, and may also provide for forfeiture and termination of any lease at any time for failure to pay the fixed rental or for any violation of the terms or conditions.

     (2) The lessee of any lands for booming purposes shall receive, hold, and sort the logs and other timber products of all persons requesting the service and upon the same terms and without discrimination, and may charge and collect tolls for the service not to exceed seventy-five cents per thousand feet scale measure on all logs, spars, or other large timber and reasonable rates on all other timber products, and shall be subject to the same duties and liabilities, so far as the duties and liabilities are applicable, as are imposed upon boom companies organized under the laws of the state. However, failure to use any lands leased under the provisions of this section for booming purposes for a period of one year shall work a forfeiture of the lease, and the lands shall revert to the state without any notice to the lessee upon the entry of a declaration of forfeiture in the records of the department.

     (3) At the expiration of any lease issued under the provisions of this section, the lessee shall have the preference right to re-lease the lands covered by the lessee's original lease for a further term, not exceeding ten years, at the rental and upon the terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the department.

[2005 c 155 § 528; 1982 1st ex.s. c 21 § 114. Formerly RCW 79.94.290.]