HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 42

(By Delegates Shaver, Amores, Anderson, Azinger, Beach, Beane, Boggs, Border, Browning, Butcher, Cann, Canterbury, Caputo, Carmichael, Compton, Craig, Dempsey, Doyle, Ellem, Ennis, Evans, Fahey, Faircloth, Ferrell, Flanigan, Fleischauer, Fletcher, Fox, Fragale, Frederick, Givens, Hatfield, Hrutkay, Hubbard, Keener, Kominar, Leggett, Louisos, Mahan, Manchin, Manuel, Marshall, Martin, McGraw, Mezzatesta, Morgan, Overington, Paxton, Perry, Pethtel, Pino, Poling, Proudfoot, Romine, Schadler, Shaver, Smirl, J. Smith, L. Smith, Spencer, Stalnaker, Staton, Stemple, Susman, Swartzmiller, R. M. Thompson, Trump, Tucker, Varner, Walters, Warner, Webb, Webster, C. White, G. White, H. White, Wright and Yeager)


[Introduced February 22, 2002; referred to the

Committee on Rules.]


Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to make a study of the impact of the diminishing tax base and loss of revenue that occurs when federal and state parks and forests located within the state geographically expand and to, additionally, study alternative sources of revenue local governments may look toward when private lands are converted to public lands within the boundaries of parks and forests.

Whereas, When federal and state parks and forests expand their boundaries to include once private lands within their boundaries, counties and local governments lose tax revenue associated with property and other taxes previously imposed while the property was held privately; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to review, examine and study the impact of the diminishing tax base and loss of revenue that occurs when federal and state parks and forests located within the state geographically expand and to, additionally, study alternative sources of revenue local governments may look toward when private lands are converted to public lands within the boundaries of parks and forests; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2003, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from the legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.

NOTE: The purpose of this study resolution is to require a study to determine the impact of a diminishing tax to local governments when private lands are converted to state or federal parks or forests.