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IN SB0305
Bill
AI Summary
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Timber removal permit applicants must secure written approval from all counties where trucks will be driven during the removal operation before receiving a permit, lease, or contract from the Department of Natural Resources.
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DNR must prepare and publish a cost-benefit analysis on its website at least 30 days before advertising or soliciting bids for merchantable timber removal from state forests.
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The cost-benefit analysis must follow USDA Forest Service methodology (technical report PNW-GTR-361, March 1996) and include six categories: department costs/benefits, other government costs/benefits, habitat impacts, environmental impacts, recreational impacts, and timber industry impacts.
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State forester investigations must now consider potential damage to county roads from truck traffic, and inspections must verify that timber removal protects county roads in addition to topsoil and surrounding growths.
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Effective date: July 1, 2019.
Legislative Description
Timber management. Requires that, before a permit, lease, or contract is issued to a person to remove merchantable timber, the person must secure a written approval from all counties in which any truck to be used in the removal operation is to be driven. Requires the department of natural resources (department) to prepare and publish on the department's Internet web site a cost-benefit analysis concerning the removal of merchantable timber from state forests. Provides that the department may not advertise or solicit bids for the removal of merchantable timber from a state forest until the cost-benefit analysis has been published on the department's Internet web site for at least 30 days.
Last Action
First reading: referred to Committee on Natural Resources
1/7/2019