The department has the power to accept gifts and bequests of money or other property, made in its own name, or made in the name of the state, to promote generally the interests of reforestation or for a specific named purpose in connection with reforestation, and to acquire in the name of the state, by purchase or gift, any lands which by reason of their location, topography, or geological formation, are chiefly valuable for purpose of developing and growing timber, and to designate such lands and any lands of the same character belonging to the state as state forestlands; and may acquire by gift or purchase any lands of the same character. The department has the power to seed, plant, and develop forests on any lands, purchased, acquired, or designated by it as state forestlands, and shall furnish such care and fire protection for such lands as it shall deem advisable. Upon approval of the board of county commissioners of the county in which the land is located such gift or donation of land may be accepted subject to delinquent general taxes thereon, and upon such acceptance of such gift or donation subject to such taxes, the department shall record the deed of conveyance thereof and file with the assessor and treasurer of the county wherein such land is situated, written notice of acquisition of such land, and that all delinquent general taxes thereon, except state taxes, shall be canceled, and the county treasurer shall thereupon proceed to make such cancellation in the records of the county treasurer. Thereafter, such lands shall be held in trust, protected, managed, and administered upon, and the proceeds therefrom disposed of, under RCW 79.22.040.

Intent—2003 c 334: See note following RCW 79.02.010.