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Transfer of Forest
Practices Jurisdiction |
Update: 1st Stakeholder Meeting
PDS held its first Forest Practices stakeholder meeting on November 12, 2008. About twenty-five people attended, including interested citizens, landowners, and representatives from the forest industry, DNR, the Tulalip Tribes, Snohomish County PUD, and Snohomish County Public Works.
- Meeting notes (UPDATED 12/3/08)
- Meeting agenda
- View the PowerPoint presentation (pdf)
- RCW handout (referred to as the "green" handout)
- WAC handout (referred to as the "yellow" handout)
Background
The state Forest Practices Act (RCW 76.09.240) requires Snohomish County to adopt regulations and assume jurisdiction for certain classes of forest practices. In 2007, the state legislature passed HB 1409, which amended the act by:
- Requiring certain local governments to adopt ordinances that allow the authority to approve or disapprove forest practices to be transferred from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to the local government by December 31, 2008.
- Removing the December 31, 2005 deadline for the adoption of ordinances by local governments for approvals of Class IV forest practices.
Updating County Forest Practice Regulations
Under the amended Forest Practices Act, DNR will shift responsibility for some forest practice activities to Snohomish County. Specifically, the County will assume approval authority for the following:
- All Class IV forest practices outside of Urban Growth Areas on (a) lands platted after 1960, (b) lands being converted to a non-forestry use, and (c) lands that will not be reforested because of the likelihood of future urban development.
- All forest practices within Urban Growth Areas, except for activities on contiguous forest land of 20 acres or more where the landowner has documented his or her long-term commitment to forestry.
Before this transfer of authority can occur, Snohomish County must adopt forest practice regulations. The new regulations adopted by the County must:
- Include provisions that require appropriate approvals for all phases of forest land conversion, including land clearing and grading.
- Address the administration and enforcement of Class I, II, III, and IV forest practices.
- Include procedures for the collection of all administrative and permit fees.
- Be in compliance with RCW 36.70A.130 for critical areas and development regulations.
The adopted regulations must also be consistent with other County codes and permit processes, including:
View more information on Snohomish County’s current forest practices application review process.
Public Participation
As Snohomish County develops new forest practice regulations, public input will be an invaluable part of the process and help influence the direction the County takes. At the UDC public forums in May and June 2008, project staff gave presentations that outlined the County’s responsibilities and options under the amended Forest Practices Act. These forums provided stakeholders with the opportunity to ask questions and express concerns about future code provisions.
- View the May 1, 2008 presentation (pdf)
- View the June 5, 2008 presentation (pdf)
Submit Your Own Comments
To comment on this project, please visit our comment page and mention Forest Practices in the first line.
Links to External Information