Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 564 of the Regular Session
1 State of Arkansas
2 93rd General Assembly A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2021 HOUSE BILL 1694
4
5 By: Representatives Hollowell, Murdock
6 By: Senator Caldwell
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO PRESERVE PUBLIC PROPERTY; TO PRESERVE THE
10 PINE TREE RESEARCH STATION; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY;
11 AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
12
13
14 Subtitle
15 TO PRESERVE PUBLIC PROPERTY; TO PRESERVE
16 THE PINE TREE RESEARCH STATION; AND TO
17 DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
18
19
20 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
21
22
23 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 64, Subchapter 7, is amended
24 to add an additional section to read as follows:
25 6-64-718. Preservation of Pine Tree Research Station.
26 (a) The Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas shall not sell
27 the property commonly known as the Pine Tree Research Station, located in St.
28 Francis County, Arkansas acquired by the Board of Trustees of the University
29 of Arkansas from the United States of America, acting through the United
30 States Forest Service in 1978 to a private entity or individual.
31 (b) The Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas may sell the
32 property commonly known as the Pine Tree Research Station, located in St.
33 Francis County, Arkansas acquired by the Board of Trustees of the University
34 of Arkansas from the United States of America, acting through the United
35 States Forest Service in 1978 to a nonprofit corporation:
36 (1) Organized with the primary mission to keep the land open to
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 HB1694
1 the public and available for public use; and
2 (2) Organized and operated for a minimum of five (5) years.
3 (c) The property commonly known as the Pine Tree Research Station,
4 located in St. Francis County, Arkansas acquired by the Board of Trustees of
5 the University of Arkansas from the United States of America, acting through
6 the United States Forest Service in 1978, shall remain open to the public for
7 public use, including without limitation:
8 (1) Public fishing;
9 (2) Public hunting;
10 (3) Biking;
11 (4) Bird watching; and
12 (5) Hiking.
13 (d) All property commonly known as the Pine Tree Research Station,
14 located in St. Francis County, Arkansas acquired by the Board of Trustees of
15 the University of Arkansas from the United States of America, acting through
16 the United States Forest Service in 1978, used for row crop cultivation in
17 the year 2020, is exempt from subsection (c) of this section.
18
19 SECTION 2. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the
20 General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that state lands are held and
21 managed for the benefit of the citizens of Arkansas; that the public has a
22 right to continue to enjoy state lands used for public purposes; that a sale
23 of Pine Tree Research Station would damage the trust of the citizens in the
24 state and disrupt the public peace; and that this act is immediately
25 necessary because a sale of the property to a private entity would
26 discontinue the public's right to use and enjoy the state lands. Therefore,
27 an emergency is declared to exist, and this act being immediately necessary
28 for the preservation of the public peace, health, and safety shall become
29 effective on:
30 (1) The date of its approval by the Governor;
31 (2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor,
32 the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the
33 bill; or
34 (3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is
35 overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto.
36 APPROVED: 4/5/21
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