49-16B-1. Legislative declarations--Public participation in railroad ownership and operation. It is hereby declared:

(1) That there exists within the state a serious emergency as a result of the imminent abandonment by railroads of substantial services which they have provided within the state, and the deteriorated condition of their properties and facilities;

(2) That the abandonment of service and the deteriorated condition of railroad properties and facilities within the state has had and will continue to have a serious adverse effect upon the development of the state's resources and the improvement of its economic facilities and seriously interfere with the flow of commerce within the state, including the production and marketing of agricultural and manufactured commodities;

(3) That the deteriorated condition of railroad properties and facilities and the abandonment of railroad service also places upon the state's highways additional burdens which cannot be sustained by them without irreparable damage;

(4) That neither the improvement of railroad properties and facilities nor the continued provision of abandoned railroad service can be accomplished without public participation in the operation and ownership of railroad properties and facilities and the conduct of railroad services;

(5) That for the foregoing reasons, it is to the economic benefit of the state for the Legislature to foster and encourage public participation in the ownership of railroad properties and facilities and the conduct of railroad services and that measures for such purposes should be adopted to permit such public participation as soon as practicable.Source: SL 1980, ch 323, § 1.