WA HB2620

Invalidates the western Washington type nonfish bearing stream water buffer rule adopted by the Forest Practices Board on November 12, 2025, which the legislature finds removed over 200,000 acres of productive forestland from use and was approved by only 7 of 13 board members

Requires the Forest Practices Board to establish a quantifiable standard for timber industry economic viability by January 1, 2027, including metrics for small forest landowner market share and timber harvest levels needed to maintain operational mills

Mandates the board restart riparian buffer rulemaking by April 1, 2027, with reevaluation of whether underlying scientific studies demonstrated actual long-term decline in aquatic resources

Imposes new requirements for future riparian buffer rules: must propose and analyze reasonable alternatives including a no-action baseline when consensus is lacking, and must meet both least burdensome alternative and economic viability standards

Declared an emergency measure taking effect immediately, prohibiting adoption of substantially similar riparian buffer rules until the new economic viability standard is established and procedural requirements are met