469 



1 STATE OP WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES - EXHIBIT C 



2 today (l). 



3 Though a taxpayer not an economist^ converting 



4 2650 miles to feet and multiply this by $100 (which is neither 



5 the highest or lowest price for which marine waterfront now 



6 sells) gives the rather substantial figure of about 1.4 



7 billion dollars as the present value of Washington's water- 

 g front property. This estimated value is exclusive of com- 

 9 mercial oyster or clam lands, development tracts offering 



10 "beach rights" or waterfront improvements such as dwellings, 



11 docks and bulkheads. 



12 Since waterfront is in limited supply I 



13 think it is fair to assume that the value of this type of 



14 property will increase over time. The increasing value 



15 

 16 



of waterfront has not gone unnoticed by our tax collectors. 



In at least one county of the area being considered today 

 17 (Mason), waterfront property is receiving special tax con- 

 Ig sideration under the assumption that if you can buy water- 

 15 front you can pay higher taxes. Other counties and even 



20 the state, in casting about for additional revenue, are 



21 looking on waterfront property as a possible source of 



22 additional revenue. My tax this year was $79.^3 for 100' 



23 of unimproved property (2). I would like to stress that this 



24 $80 tajc is on logged off, unimproved property on a dirt 



25 road without water, electricity or tidelands. A little 



