The department shall, to the greatest extent possible, offer to sell or exchange excess real property within one year from the date that it is determined by the department to be excess.

“Excess real property,” for the purposes of this section, means all land and improvements situated outside of calculated highway right-of-way lines not needed or used for highway or other public purposes, including, but not limited to, those leased to public agencies pursuant to Section 104.15, and available for sale or exchange.

The department shall adopt rules and regulations to determine which real property outside of calculated right-of-way lines is no longer needed or used for highway or other public purposes, and which is available for sale or exchange. The department is authorized to lease all real property not presently needed or used for highway purposes pending the sale or exchange of such property.

Excess real property which consists of lands of notable environmental value, such as, but not limited to, lands of extraordinary scenic beauty, lands fronting on waterway, lakes, and marshes, lands within the boundaries of parks, recreational areas, wildlife preserves or refuges, and lands providing wildlife habitat shall first be offered for sale or exchange to public agencies operating parks and recreational areas as follows:

(a) To any park or recreation department of any city within which the land may be situated.

(b) To any park or recreation department of the county within which the land is situated.

(c) To any regional park authority having jurisdiction within the area in which the land is situated.

(d) To the State Resources Agency or any agency which may succeed to its powers.

The public agency desiring to purchase such land for park or recreation use shall notify the department within 60 days of its intent to purchase the land after receipt of the department’s notification of intent to sell the land. If the public agency desiring to purchase the land and the department are unable to arrive at a mutually satisfactory sales price for the land during the 60-day period, the land may be disposed of in the normal manner.

The failure of the department to first offer excess real property which consists of lands of notable environmental value to public agencies operating parks and recreational areas shall not affect the validity of any conveyance of such excess real property to any person or entity unaware of the failure of the department to do so; however, this shall in no way be construed as releasing the department from its responsibility in offering such property to such public agencies first.

(Amended by Stats. 1982, Ch. 681, Sec. 46.5.)