(1) If application is made to purchase or lease any second-class shorelands and the department deems it for the best public interest to offer second-class shorelands for sale or lease, the department shall cause a notice to be served upon the abutting upland owner if the owner is a resident of the state, or if the upland owner is a nonresident of the state, shall mail to the owner's last known post office address, as reflected in the county records a copy of a notice notifying the owner that the state is offering the shorelands for sale or lease, giving a description of the department's appraised fair market value of the shorelands for sale or lease, and notifying the upland owner that he or she has a preference right to purchase, if the purchase is otherwise permitted under RCW 79.125.200, or lease the shorelands at the appraised value for a period of thirty days from the date of the service or mailing of the notice. If at the expiration of the thirty days from the service or mailing of the notice, as provided in this section, the abutting upland owner has failed to exercise the preference right to purchase, as otherwise permitted under RCW 79.125.200, or lease, or to pay to the department the appraised value for sale or lease of the shorelands described in the notice, then in that event, except as otherwise provided in this section, the shorelands may be offered for sale, when otherwise permitted under RCW 79.125.200, or offered for lease, and sold or leased in the manner provided for the sale or lease of state lands, as otherwise permitted under this chapter.

     (2) The department shall authorize the sale or lease, whether to abutting upland owners or others, only if the sale or lease would be in the best public interest and is otherwise permitted under RCW 79.125.200. It is the intent of the legislature that whenever it is in the best public interest, the second-class shorelands managed by the department shall not be sold but shall be maintained in public ownership for the use and benefit of the people of the state.

     (3) In all cases where application is made for the lease of any second-class shorelands adjacent to upland, under the provisions of this section, the shorelands shall be leased per lineal chain frontage.

     (4) If, following an application by the abutting upland owner to either purchase as otherwise permitted under RCW 79.125.200 or to obtain an exclusive lease at appraised full market value or rental, the department deems that the sale or lease is not in the best public interest, or if property rights in state-owned second-class shorelands are at any time withdrawn, sold, or assigned in any manner authorized by law to a public agency for a use by the general public, the department shall within one hundred and eighty days from receipt of the application to purchase or lease, or on reaching a decision to withdraw, sell, or assign such shorelands to a public agency, and: (a) Make a formal finding that the body of water adjacent to the shorelands is navigable; (b) find that the state or the public has an overriding interest inconsistent with a sale or exclusive lease to a private person, and specifically identify the interest and the factor or factors amounting to the inconsistency; and (c) provide for the review of the decision in accordance with the procedures prescribed by chapter 34.05 RCW.

     (5) Notwithstanding subsections (1) through (4) of this section, the department may cause any of the shorelands to be platted as is provided for the platting of first-class shorelands, and when so platted the lands shall be sold, when otherwise permitted under RCW 79.125.200 to be sold, or leased in the manner provided for the sale or lease of first-class shorelands.

[2005 c 155 § 525; 1982 1st ex.s. c 21 § 111. Formerly RCW 79.94.260.]