2004 Legislation
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HOUSE BILL NO. 844 – Rights-of-way, federally granted

HOUSE BILL NO. 844

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H0844.....................................................by WAYS AND MEANS
FEDERALLY-GRANTED RIGHTS-OF-WAY - Adds to existing law relating to roads
and rights-of-way to grant ordinance authority to a board of county
commissioners to establish a process and conditions for the purpose of
determining the status, regulation and location of federally-granted
rights-of-way asserted to exist within the jurisdiction of the county; to
provide exclusive jurisdiction of county commissioners with an exception;
to provide a procedure; to provide for recording a determination; to
provide for judicial review; to provide for duties and procedures regarding
physical barriers and blocked access; to authorize the state board of land
commissioners to make an independent determination of the existence of a
federally-granted right-of-way on state endowment lands; to provide for
criminal and civil trespass; to define "federally-granted right-of-way"; to
provide for reporting to the Legislature; and to provide funding.
                                                                        
03/19    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
    Rpt prt - to Loc Gov

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-seventh Legislature                 Second Regular Session - 2004
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                                                        
                                     HOUSE BILL NO. 844
                                                                        
                                BY WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO ROADS AND RIGHTS-OF-WAY; AMENDING CHAPTER 2, TITLE 40, IDAHO CODE,
  3        BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 40-204B, IDAHO CODE, TO  GRANT  ORDINANCE
  4        AUTHORITY  TO  A  BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO ESTABLISH A PROCESS AND
  5        CONDITIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING THE STATUS, REGULATION AND LOCA-
  6        TION OF FEDERALLY-GRANTED  RIGHTS-OF-WAY  ASSERTED  TO  EXIST  WITHIN  THE
  7        JURISDICTION  OF  THE  COUNTY, TO PROVIDE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF COUNTY
  8        COMMISSIONERS WITH AN EXCEPTION, TO PROVIDE A PROCEDURE,  TO  PROVIDE  FOR
  9        RECORDING  A  DETERMINATION,  TO  PROVIDE  FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW, TO PROVIDE
 10        DUTIES AND PROCEDURES REGARDING PHYSICAL BARRIERS AND BLOCKED  ACCESS,  TO
 11        AUTHORIZE  THE  STATE  BOARD  OF LAND COMMISSIONERS TO MAKE AN INDEPENDENT
 12        DETERMINATION OF THE EXISTENCE  OF  A  FEDERALLY-GRANTED  RIGHT-OF-WAY  ON
 13        STATE  ENDOWMENT  LANDS,  TO  PROVIDE  FOR CRIMINAL AND CIVIL TRESPASS, TO
 14        DEFINE "FEDERALLY-GRANTED RIGHT-OF-WAY," TO PROVIDE FOR REPORTING  TO  THE
 15        LEGISLATURE  AND TO PROVIDE FUNDING; PROVIDING A SUNSET CLAUSE AND PROVID-
 16        ING FOR EFFECT OF AN ORDINANCE ADOPTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF  THIS  SEC-
 17        TION; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
                                                                        
 18    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
 19        SECTION  1.  That  Chapter  2,  Title  40, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
 20    hereby amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and  des-
 21    ignated as Section 40-204B, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
                                                                        
 22        40-204B.  ORDINANCE  AUTHORITY GRANTED TO BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS --
 23    PROCESS AND CONDITIONS ESTABLISHED -- REPORTING REQUIRED -- FUNDING. The pres-
 24    ervation of public access to public lands and inholdings as granted under fed-
 25    eral law being declared a necessary public duty, the legislature of the  state
 26    of  Idaho hereby declares that the board of county commissioners of any county
 27    with a population of eight thousand (8,000) or less as determined by the  2000
 28    census,  may  adopt an ordinance as provided herein, for the purpose of deter-
 29    mining the status, regulation and location of federally-granted  rights-of-way
 30    asserted to exist within the jurisdiction of the county. Any ordinance adopted
 31    as authorized herein shall adhere to the process and conditions established as
 32    follows:
 33        (1)  Exclusive jurisdiction of county commissioners. Except as provided in
 34    subsection  (6)  of  this section, federally-granted rights-of-way, whether or
 35    not formally acknowledged and indexed as provided in subsection  (3)  of  this
 36    section, fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the county in which they are
 37    located,  irrespective  of any highway district serving the area, unless prior
 38    to the effective date of this act, they have been affirmatively recognized and
 39    made a part of a highway system. The board of county commissioners shall  call
 40    upon  the  highway  district  commissioners  in  the county where a federally-
 41    granted right-of-way has been asserted, to participate in a determination pro-
 42    ceeding, and further, may require the involvement of the commissioners as nec-
 43    essary in any subsequent management of a federally-granted right-of-way deter-
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1    mined to exist within the jurisdiction of one (1) or more highway districts in
  2    the county.
  3        (2)  Procedure by county commissioners to determine status, regulation and
  4    location.
  5        (a)  Any member of the public, the state of Idaho and any of its political
  6        subdivisions, any agency of the federal government, or the board of county
  7        commissioners itself may initiate proceedings  to  determine  the  status,
  8        regulation  and  location  of any right-of-way, or group of rights-of-way,
  9        including parts thereof, within the county, asserted to  be  a  federally-
 10        granted  right-of-way  by  requesting the board to make a determination of
 11        the existence of a federally-granted right-of-way. No board of county com-
 12        missioners shall be authorized to charge a fee to the requesting party for
 13        the conduct of a public hearing; provided however, a fee may be charged if
 14        the board discovers the request for a  determination  was  frivolous.  Any
 15        party who requests a determination by the board shall provide all informa-
 16        tion available to the requester in support of the request to the board for
 17        its  consideration  in  determining  the  existence of a federally-granted
 18        right-of-way.
 19        (b)  Upon receipt of a request, the board of county commissioners shall:
 20             (i)   Establish a hearing date  or  dates  to  make  a  determination
 21             regarding the asserted federally-granted right-of-way;
 22             (ii)  Prepare  a public notice stating its intention to hold a public
 23             hearing to make said determination which shall be made  available  to
 24             the  public  not later than thirty (30) days prior to any hearing and
 25             mailed to any person requesting a copy not more than three (3)  work-
 26             ing days after any such request; and
 27             (iii) At least thirty (30) days prior to any hearing scheduled by the
 28             board,  mail notice to owners of record of land abutting the asserted
 29             federally-granted right-of-way at their addresses  as  shown  on  the
 30             county  assessor's  tax rolls and shall publish notice of the hearing
 31             at least two (2) times if in a weekly newspaper or three (3) times if
 32             in a daily newspaper, the last notice to be published at  least  five
 33             (5) days and not more than twenty-one (21) days before the hearing.
 34        (c)  At the hearing, the board shall accept all information bearing on the
 35        establishment,  pursuant  to  subsection  (2)(e)  of  this section, of the
 36        federally-granted right-of-way. Any person, including the state  of  Idaho
 37        or  any  of its subdivisions, or any agency of the federal government, may
 38        appear and give testimony.
 39        (d)  A transcribable record of the hearing shall be made and maintained by
 40        the board of county commissioners.
 41        (e)  All of the said rights-of-way shall be shown to have been created  at
 42        a time when the right-of-way crossed federal public land and in any event,
 43        prior to October 21, 1976, or to predate the removal of land through which
 44        they  transit from the public domain for other public purposes. Documenta-
 45        tion may take the form of a map, an affidavit,  surveys,  books  or  other
 46        historic  and  competent  information. The state recognizes that the first
 47        use and actions of members of the public, or public  officials,  or  both,
 48        which  are  consistent with local customs, laws or decisions of the courts
 49        of the state of Idaho constitute the acceptance of the grant given to  the
 50        public  for  federally-granted  rights-of-way, and that once acceptance of
 51        the grant has been established, the grant shall be for the perpetual  term
 52        granted  by  the  congress of the United States. The provisions of section
 53        40-203, Idaho Code, and its predecessors do not apply to federally-granted
 54        rights-of-way. Neither the mere passage of time nor the frequency of  use,
 55        which  may include nonuse, nor the extent, or even lack of, public mainte-
                                                                        
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  1        nance shall be considered a justification for considering these rights-of-
  2        way to have been relinquished.
  3        (f)  Within ninety (90) days from receipt of the request  which  initiated
  4        the  proceeding,  unless  the board finds, for good cause, that additional
  5        time is necessary, the board shall make a determination as  to  whether  a
  6        federally-granted right-of-way exists within the meaning of the definition
  7        of a federally-granted right-of-way as provided in  subsection (8) of this
  8        section.  Such  determination  shall  be written and shall be supported by
  9        findings of fact and conclusions of law.
 10        (g)  Except as otherwise provided in subsection (6) of  this  section,  if
 11        the  board  of  county  commissioners  determines that a right-of-way is a
 12        federally-granted right-of-way, it may,  in  order  to  protect  community
 13        interests  and  the  interests  of private property owners affected by the
 14        right-of-way, place special conditions or restrictions on public access as
 15        appropriate.
 16        (h)  In order to accommodate both the public and private  property  owners
 17        in  the  vicinity of a federally-granted right-of-way, the board of county
 18        commissioners shall be authorized to relocate portions of the right-of-way
 19        within the boundaries of the  affected  property  through  agreement  with
 20        property  owners.  Provided  however, if a county road is located within a
 21        reasonable distance to the portion of the  federally-granted  right-of-way
 22        which lies within the boundaries of the affected private property, and the
 23        county  road provides reasonable alternative access to or through the same
 24        lands as does the federally-granted right-of-way  and  the  owner  of  the
 25        affected  private property so requests, the county commissioners may relo-
 26        cate such portion of the federally-granted right-of-way which lies  within
 27        the  boundaries  of the affected private property to the county road. Such
 28        relocation shall not be made without the written and recorded  consent  of
 29        the  owner or owners of the properties through which the relocated portion
 30        of the right-of-way must pass to connect to the county  road.  The  county
 31        commissioners  shall  cause such action to be recorded with legal descrip-
 32        tion in the  index  maintained  by  the  county  recorder.  The  relocated
 33        federally-granted right-of-way shall retain its status irrespective of any
 34        such relocation.
 35        (i)  If  the board determines that a federally-granted right-of-way termi-
 36        nates in private land, that segment contained entirely within private land
 37        is hereby relinquished and shall be recorded as such in  the  index  main-
 38        tained by the county recorder.
 39        (3)  Determination  recorded.  If the board determines a federally-granted
 40    right-of-way exists, the board shall cause such determination to  be  recorded
 41    in the county records and the official map of the highway system to be amended
 42    as affected by the determination. The county recorder shall record acknowledg-
 43    ments  including  any  supporting documentation, and enter a federally-granted
 44    right-of-way in the index as provided in section 40-204A, Idaho Code.
 45        (4)  Judicial review. The decision of the state board of land  commission-
 46    ers  or  a  board  of  county  commissioners  regarding the determination of a
 47    federally-granted right-of-way pursuant to the provisions of this  section  is
 48    subject to judicial review as provided in section 40-208, Idaho Code.
 49        (5)  Physical  barriers and blocked access. There shall be no placement of
 50    a physical barrier by a public agency or private landowner that blocks  access
 51    to  or through public lands or a private inholding such that it creates a lack
 52    of use or denies use, until a determination has been made by the  county  com-
 53    missioners as provided in this section. If any barrier exists on the effective
 54    date of the enactment of a county ordinance as authorized by the provisions of
 55    this  section,  the  county  commissioners shall conduct a hearing as provided
                                                                        
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  1    herein, to determine if a federally-granted right-of-way is involved. No phys-
  2    ical barrier shall be deemed to be a  relinquishment  of  a  federally-granted
  3    right-of-way.  The failure of the county commissioners to conduct such a hear-
  4    ing where such a barrier exists as of the effective date of the enactment of a
  5    county ordinance as authorized by the provisions of this  section,  shall  not
  6    be  deemed  a  relinquishment  of any federally-granted right-of-way which may
  7    exist and such failure may be rectified at any time by the holding of a  hear-
  8    ing at the request of any person or on the commissioners' own initiative.
  9        (6)  Endowment  lands. Pursuant to section 8, article IX, of the constitu-
 10    tion of the state of Idaho, the state board of land commissioners is given the
 11    duty to provide for the location, protection, sale or rental of  state  endow-
 12    ment lands.
 13        (a)  With  respect to any assertion of a federally-granted right-of-way on
 14        state endowment lands, a board of county commissioners may  initiate  pro-
 15        ceedings  to determine whether such right-of-way exists. If a county board
 16        determines that a federally-granted right-of-way exists on state endowment
 17        land, the county board shall, within thirty  (30)  days,  forward  to  the
 18        state  board  of  land commissioners all information that the county board
 19        relied upon in making its determination, as well as the  precise  delinea-
 20        tion  of  such  right-of-way.  The state board of land commissioners shall
 21        then conduct an investigation as to whether such right-of-way exists, make
 22        its own independent determination of the existence of  such  right-of-way,
 23        and  within  ninety  (90)  days,  report the results of its determination,
 24        along with all information relied upon by it in making its  determination,
 25        as  well  as the precise delineation of such right-of-way, to the board of
 26        county commissioners.
 27        (b)  The state board of land commissioners shall make the final determina-
 28        tion following a public hearing in the affected county as to the existence
 29        of such right-of-way on endowment land. The county board  or  other  party
 30        aggrieved may seek judicial review of the determination of the state board
 31        of  land  commissioners  under  this subsection in accordance with section
 32        40-208, Idaho Code.
 33        (c)  The state board of land commissioners shall call upon  the  board  of
 34        county  commissioners  in the county where the federally-granted right-of-
 35        way is situated for advice and recommendations regarding management of the
 36        federally-granted right-of-way.
 37        (7)  Trespass. Any person or entity who interferes with the right to use a
 38    federally-granted right-of-way, or any person who leaves  a  right-of-way  and
 39    enters  onto the private property through which a right-of-way passes, or acts
 40    in a manner inconsistent with the  purpose  of  a  right-of-way  which  passes
 41    through private property, may be subject to either or both a criminal or civil
 42    trespass  action  pursuant  to  the  provisions of chapter 70, title 18, Idaho
 43    Code, or chapter 2, title 6, Idaho Code. Provided however, that an owner, fam-
 44    ily member, agent of the owner, or any person authorized by the owner of  pri-
 45    vate land over which a federally-granted right-of-way may exist, which has not
 46    been  determined to exist under the provisions of this section or as otherwise
 47    provided by law, who interferes with the right to pass shall not be subject to
 48    civil or criminal action if, as soon as is reasonable  and  practicable  after
 49    blocking an apparent road or right-of-way, such person or the owner of private
 50    property brings the matter to the attention of the commissioners of the county
 51    in  which  the private land is located and requests a determination under this
 52    section. If such determination is sought, until a determination is  made  that
 53    such a right-of-way exists, the owner of the property and his agent, family or
 54    other  person authorized by the owner, may continue to prevent or prohibit use
 55    of the alleged right-of-way without being subject to legal action.
                                                                        
                                           5
                                                                        
  1        (8)  Definition. For the  purposes  of  this  section,  "federally-granted
  2    rights-of-way"  means  rights-of-way  on  federal  land  within the context of
  3    Revised Statute 2477, codified as 43 United States Code 932, and shall be con-
  4    sidered to be any road, trail, access or way upon which construction has  been
  5    carried  out  to  the standard in which public rights-of-way were built within
  6    historic context. These rights-of-way may include, but  are  not  limited  to,
  7    horse paths, cattle trails, wagon roads, jeep trails, logging roads, homestead
  8    roads,  mine  to  market  roads  and  all other ways. Nothing shall in any way
  9    affect the use or existence of rights-of-way granted under other provisions of
 10    federal law, including rights-of-way granted for irrigation canals,  laterals,
 11    ditches,  pipelines  or  other means of water transmission and their attendant
 12    access for maintenance.
 13        (9)  Reporting requirements. The legislature  hereby  directs  any  county
 14    which  adopts  an  ordinance  under the provisions of this section to submit a
 15    report to the president pro tempore of the senate and to the  speaker  of  the
 16    house  of representatives not less than once in every twelve (12) month period
 17    after the effective date of adoption of  such  county  ordinance.  The  report
 18    shall include:
 19        (a)  An  enumeration  of  the number of assertions submitted to the county
 20        for a determination;
 21        (b)  The classifications of persons or entities requesting a determination
 22        and the purpose for which it was requested;
 23        (c)  The number of assertions recorded in the county records as  a  result
 24        of the process;
 25        (d)  A  description  of special conditions that were placed on the regula-
 26        tion or location of successful assertions;
 27        (e)  The number and results of assertions that were referred to the  state
 28        board of land commissioners pursuant to subsection (6) of this section;
 29        (f)  Any  known criminal or civil trespass actions occurring subsequent to
 30        a successful assertion of a federally-granted right-of-way under the  pro-
 31        visions of this section;
 32        (g)  An  analysis of the strengths and weaknesses regarding implementation
 33        of the process and conditions required by the provisions of this  section;
 34        and
 35        (h)  Any other information deemed pertinent by the board of county commis-
 36        sioners.
 37        (10) Funding.  There  is  hereby  appropriated to the Idaho transportation
 38    department one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000)  from  the  constitu-
 39    tional  defense council fund to provide financial assistance to those counties
 40    which adopt an  ordinance  pursuant  to  this  section  and  incur  additional
 41    expenses  in implementing the provisions of the ordinance. The Idaho transpor-
 42    tation department is hereby authorized to receive moneys  from  the  constitu-
 43    tional  defense  council  fund  and  to  allocate the moneys to those eligible
 44    boards of county commissioners who request financial assistance.
                                                                        
 45        SECTION 2.  (1)  The provisions of Section 1 of this act  shall  be  null,
 46    void and of no force and effect on and after July 1, 2007.
 47        (2)  Any  ordinance  adopted  by a board of county commissioners under the
 48    provisions of this act from the effective date of this act  through  June  30,
 49    2007,  shall continue in effect until such time as the board of county commis-
 50    sioners repeals such ordinance.
                                                                        
 51        SECTION 3.  An emergency existing  therefor,  which  emergency  is  hereby
 52    declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its
 53    passage and approval.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
                             RS 14287

This legislation provides for a 2477 pilot project allowing
counties under 8000 populations to pass an ordinance instituting
a procedure for decision and documentation on Federally granted
2477 rights-of-way within their counties.


                          FISCAL IMPACT

No fiscal impact.




Contact
Name: Rep. JoAn Wood 
Phone: (208) 332-1000





STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                    H 844