SENATE BILL REPORT

                            SB 6566

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, FEBRUARY 4, 1994

Brief Description:  Modifying requirements for specialized forest product permits.

SPONSORS: Senator Owen

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6566 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass. 

     Signed by Senators Owen, Chairman; Hargrove, Vice Chairman; Erwin, Franklin, Haugen, Oke, Sellar, L. Smith, Snyder and Spanel.

Staff:  Vic Moon (786‑7469)

Hearing Dates: February 4, 1994

BACKGROUND:

Specialized forest products harvest in the state of Washington is a major industry.  It includes products such as floral greens, holiday greens, wild edible plants, medicinal plants, native landscaping plants, plants used for mitigation projects to replace wetlands, and wild mushrooms. 

There has been concern that there is overharvest of some plants and that there is a problem of trespass in the forests.  There is not adequate information available to assess the question of overharvest at the present time but that issue can be addressed in the future with adequate reporting methods.

SUMMARY:

The specialized forest products statute is updated so that the statute is using modern wording. 

The definition of "sheriff" is changed so that a specialized forest product permit may be issued by a sheriff or an authorized employee of the sheriff's office or the sheriff's agent.

The statute is modified so that provisions of the Specialized Forest Products Act will be strictly enforced by all agencies.  Each permit will be separately numbered and the permits will be issued by consecutive numbers.  The person applying for a permit must list his Social Security number or green card work permit number.  The sheriff's office will verify the Social Security number or green card number when the permit is validated by the sheriff's office.  The permit must be carried by the picker and available for inspection at all times.  All pickers of specialized forest products are required to have the permit, if they are picking commercial quantities of specialized forest products.

Buyers of specialized forest products may not purchase any product without recording the permit number, the type of forest product purchased, the amount of the product purchased, and the purchase price.  The buyer will keep a record of this information for a period of one year.  They buyer of specialized forest products must record the license plate number of the vehicle transporting the forest products on the bill of sale as well as the seller's permit number on the bill of sale.  Transactions involving Christmas trees, cedar products or cedar salvage are exempt from the act.

County sheriffs may contract to allow other entities such as the United State Forest Service or the Department of Natural Resources to issue the specialized forest product picker permits.  Records collected concerning forest products may be available to colleges and universities for the purpose of research.

The Asian-American Affairs Commission and the Hispanic Affairs Commission shall, in cooperation with DSHS, refugee centers, Asian community organizations, Hispanic community organizations and other interested minority groups, adopt policies and rules to accomplish the following:

1.A publication of laws, rules and educational materials in those languages used by a majority of the nonspeaking pickers will be developed;

2.The commissions may hold clinics to teach techniques for effective picking; and

3.The work of both minority and nonminority pickers will be coordinated to help protect resources.  Attention will be given to helping to provide understanding between minority and nonminority pickers.

A severability clause is included.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:

Christmas tree growers permit provisions are simplified.  Additional language is added to clarify what information will be required on a permit application.  Law enforcement officials will have access to records.  The remainder of the original bill is left unchanged.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

TESTIMONY FOR:

Much work has produced this bill and we will all continue to perfect the bill before it is heard by the full Senate.  This is a good step to solve a massive problem which affects many areas of the state.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  PRO:  Brad Schaver, Continental Floral; Dick Rasich, Hiawatha; Rod Reid, Alpine Evergreen; Karl Denison, Jay Webster, USDA FS; Barbara Roman, Floral Evergreen Harvesting; Stan Biles, Dept. of Natural Resources; David Della, Commission on Asian American Affairs; Ana Rojas, Hispanic Affairs Commission; Ralph Hayford, Mycological Societies; Steve Taylor, Puget Sound Mycological Society