SENATE BILL REPORT

                  ESB 5011

              As Passed Senate, February 22, 1995

Title:  An act relating to forest products.

Brief Description:  Concerning specialized forest product permits.

Sponsors:  Senator Owen.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Natural Resources:  1/12/95, 1/24/95 [DPA].

Passed Senate, 2/22/95, 48-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended. 

  Signed by Senators Drew, Chair; Spanel, Vice Chair; A. Anderson, Hargrove, Haugen, Morton, Oke, Owen, Strannigan and Swecker.

Staff:  Vic Moon (786-7469)

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 over-harvest 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 over-harvest at the present time but that issue can be addressed in the future with adequate reporting methods.  Transactions involving Christmas trees, cedar products or cedar salvage are covered by different provisions of current law.

Summary of Bill:  The specialized forest products statute is updated.

Provisions of the Specialized Forest Products Act must 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 show a Social Security number and driver's license or picture identification.  The sheriff's office will verify the Social Security number when the permit is validated by the sheriff's office.  The permit or true copy must be carried by the picker and available for inspection at all times.  All persons harvesting 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 permitee's name, 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.  The 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. 

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 permits.  Records collected concerning forest products may be available to colleges and universities for the purpose of research and to law enforcement officials to enforce the act.

The Asian-American Affairs Commission and the Hispanic Affairs Commission may, in cooperation with refugee centers, Asian community organizations, Hispanic community organizations and other interested minority groups, and the Department of Natural Resources shall assist in obtaining understanding of the act.

Pine cones and seeds are exempt from the act.

A severability clause is included.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The act is needed to regulate an unruly industry.

Testimony Against:  We don't need more laws on the books.

Testified:  PRO:  Karl Dennison, National Forest Service; Mike Nitsch, Joe Simpson, Simpson Timber Company; David Della, Commission on Asian Affairs; Mark Savage, DNR; Barbara Roman, citizen; Mary Bell, citizen; Ralph Hayford; CON:  Dave Wood.

House Amendment(s):  The House amendment eliminates legumes and all grasses except bear grass from being considered under the act.  Forest service officers and employees of the Department of Natural Resources will not be able to enforce the act.  Providing information on the purchase price will not be required and the license plate number of the vehicle transporting the products will not be recorded.