Official Text and Analysis.

Removes statistical information from the intent section. Allows counties to provide for freight rail dependent uses in rural areas, rather than requiring counties to do so.

Authorizes cities and towns to adopt development regulations allowing agricultural, forest, and mineral resources lands adjacent to railroads to be developed for freight rail dependent uses.

Removes railroad tracks and freight rail dependent use from the definitions of rural character and rural development. Removes the authority for counties to provide for freight rail dependent uses in the rural element of their comprehensive plans. Limits the counties, and the cities within those counties, that may adopt development regulations permitting development of resource lands adjacent to short line railroads. This authority is limited to those counties located west of the Cascade mountains that have a population of at least 400,000 and border another state. Limits the counties, and the cities within those counties, that may include development of freight rail dependent uses on land adjacent to short line railroads in the transportation element of their comprehensive plans. This authority is limited to those counties located west of the Cascade mountains that have a population of at least 400,000 and border another state.

Permits any county that borders the Cascade mountains and another country and has a population of less than 50,000 people, and the cities within such county, to adopt development regulations to assure resource lands adjacent to short line railroads may be developed for freight rail dependent uses.