FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 2865

                     Synopsis as Enacted

                         C 184 L 92

Brief Description:  Regulating the harvest of wild mushrooms.

By House Committee on Natural Resources & Parks (originally sponsored by Representatives Sheldon, Belcher, P. Johnson, Jacobsen, Fraser, Nelson, Scott, Winsley, Bowman and Anderson).

House Committee on Natural Resources & Parks

Senate Committee on Environment & Natural Resources

Background:  Wild edible mushrooms are harvested in Washington as both a recreational pursuit and, in some areas, a commercial enterprise.  Before 1988, there was no mechanism for keeping accurate data on quantities harvested to determine whether overharvesting might be occurring.

In 1988, the Legislature enacted the Wild Mushroom Harvesting and Processing Act to gather data on the commercial harvest.  The act created a licensing program for the commercial mushroom industry.  Under the act, mushroom buyers and dealers are required to be licensed and report the quantity of mushrooms purchased by species to the Washington State Department of Agriculture.  The act also encourages recreational harvesters to report their harvesting voluntarily.  The reporting system has no enforcement mechanism, but depends on the willingness of buyers to comply.

Mushrooms are not treated as specialized forest products.  Specialized forest products include christmas trees, native ornamental trees and shrubs, evergreen foliage, cedar products, cedar salvage, processed cedar products, and cascara bark.  Harvest, possession, or transportation of specialized forest products over specified minimum levels requires a permit.  Permits must be signed by the landowner and validated by the county sheriff.  The county sheriff has primary responsibility for enforcement of these provisions.

Summary:  Wild edible mushrooms are included under the definition of specialized forest products.  A specialized forest products permit is required for harvest of more than three U.S. gallons of a single species of wild edible mushroom and not more than an aggregate total of nine U.S. gallons of wild edible mushrooms, plus one wild edible mushroom.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  92   0

Senate 44   0    (Senate amended)

House  96   0    (House concurred)

Effective:    June 11, 1992