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DNR briefs committee on forest-practices rules, riparian buffers, small-landowner incentives and resilience programs
Summary
Department of Natural Resources staff presented an overview of forest-practices rules, permitting, enforcement, small-landowner incentive programs, the programmatic Habitat Conservation Plan, and forest-resilience work including prescribed fire, Good Neighbor Authority projects and workforce development.
The Department of Natural Resources gave a detailed briefing on Jan. 29 to the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on forest practices, permitting, small-landowner programs and forest resilience.
Saboor Jawad, forest regulation division manager, told the committee that the 1974 Forest Practices Act (chapter 76.09 RCW) directs the Forest Practices Board to adopt forest-practices rules and that DNR implements and enforces those rules. He summarized elements in the rules, including riparian management zones (RMZs) with three subzones and buffers that can extend up to 200 feet from a stream edge in some conditions. Jawad said, "Most applications must be approved within 30 days, and if not approved within 30 days, they automatically get approved." He also provided agency enforcement figures for the most recent fiscal year: DNR processed about 3,555 forest-practices applications statewide and issued 36 notices to comply, 21 stop-work orders and three civil penalties in fiscal year 2024.
Jawad described a long-term,…
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