H-4639.1          _______________________________________________

                            SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2444

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State of Washington              54th Legislature             1996 Regular Session

By House Committee on Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Representatives Brumsickle, Chappell, Buck, Cairnes, Sheldon, Honeyford, McMorris, Morris, Kessler, Delvin, Basich, Fuhrman, Regala, Schoesler, Mastin, Elliot, Johnson, D. Sommers, Boldt, Thompson and McMahan)

Read first time 01/30/96. 

Amending the forest practice act of 1974 regarding federally approved habitat conservation plans.

     AN ACT Relating to habitat conservation plans; and adding a new section to chapter 76.09 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 76.09 RCW to read as follows:

     Forest practices consistent with a habitat conservation plan approved on or before the effective date of this act, by the secretary of the interior or commerce under 16 U.S.C. Sec. 1531 et seq., and the endangered species act of 1973 as amended, shall be exempt from rules and policies under this chapter, provided the proposed forest practices indicated in the application are in compliance with the plan, and provided this exemption applies only to rules and policies adopted primarily for the protection of one or more species, including unlisted species, covered by the plan.  Such forest practices do not have the potential for a substantial impact on the environment but may be found to have the potential for a substantial impact on the environment due to other reasons under RCW 76.09.050.

     Nothing in this section is intended to limit the board's rule-making authority under this chapter.

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