AN ACT Relating to Class IV forest practices in urbanizing areas; and amending RCW 76.09.050 and 76.09.240.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 76.09.050 and 1997 c 173 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The board shall establish by rule which forest practices shall be included within each of the following classes:

Class I: Minimal or specific forest practices that have no direct potential for damaging a public resource and that may be conducted without submitting an application or a notification except that when the regulating authority is transferred to a local governmental entity, those Class I forest practices that involve timber harvesting or road construction within "urban growth areas," designated pursuant to chapter 36.70A RCW, are processed as Class IV forest practices, but are not subject to environmental review under chapter 43.21C RCW;

Class II: Forest practices which have a less than ordinary potential for damaging a public resource that may be conducted without submitting an application and may begin five calendar days, or such lesser time as the department may determine, after written notification by the operator, in the manner, content, and form as prescribed by the department, is received by the department. However, the work may not begin until all forest practice fees required under RCW 76.09.065 have been received by the department. Class II shall not include forest practices:

(a) On lands platted after January 1, 1960, as provided in chapter 58.17 RCW or on lands that have or are being converted to another use;

(b) Which require approvals under the provisions of the hydraulics act, RCW ((~~75.20.100~~)) 77.55.100;

(d) Excluded from Class II by the board; or

(e) Including timber harvesting or road construction within "urban growth areas," designated pursuant to chapter 36.70A RCW, which are Class IV;

Class III: Forest practices other than those contained in Class I, II, or IV. A Class III application must be approved or disapproved by the department within thirty calendar days from the date the department receives the application. However, the applicant may not begin work on that forest practice until all forest practice fees required under RCW 76.09.065 have been received by the department;

Class IV: Forest practices other than those contained in Class I or II: (a) On lands platted after January 1, 1960, as provided in chapter 58.17 RCW, (b) on lands that have or are being converted to another use, (c) on lands which, pursuant to RCW 76.09.070 as now or hereafter amended, are not to be reforested because of the likelihood of future conversion to urban development, (d) ((~~except on those lands~~)) involving timber harvesting or road construction on lands that are contained within "urban growth areas," designated pursuant to chapter 36.70A RCW, except where the forest landowner provides: (i) A written statement of intent signed by the forest landowner not to convert to a use other than commercial forest product operations for ten years, accompanied by either a written forest management plan acceptable to the department or documentation that the land is enrolled under the provisions of chapter 84.33 RCW; or (ii) a conversion option harvest plan approved by the local governmental entity and submitted to the department as part of the application, and/or (e) which have a potential for a substantial impact on the environment and therefore require an evaluation by the department as to whether or not a detailed statement must be prepared pursuant to the state environmental policy act, chapter 43.21C RCW. Such evaluation shall be made within ten days from the date the department receives the application: PROVIDED, That nothing herein shall be construed to prevent any local or regional governmental entity from determining that a detailed statement must be prepared for an action pursuant to a Class IV forest practice taken by that governmental entity concerning the land on which forest practices will be conducted. A Class IV application must be approved or disapproved by the department within thirty calendar days from the date the department receives the application, unless the department determines that a detailed statement must be made, in which case the application must be approved or disapproved by the department within sixty calendar days from the date the department receives the application, unless the commissioner of public lands, through the promulgation of a formal order, determines that the process cannot be completed within such period. However, the applicant may not begin work on that forest practice until all forest practice fees required under RCW 76.09.065 have been received by the department.

Forest practices under Classes I, II, and III are exempt from the requirements for preparation of a detailed statement under the state environmental policy act.

(2) Except for those forest practices being regulated by local governmental entities as provided elsewhere in this chapter, no Class II, Class III, or Class IV forest practice shall be commenced or continued after January 1, 1975, unless the department has received a notification with regard to a Class II forest practice or approved an application with regard to a Class III or Class IV forest practice containing all information required by RCW 76.09.060 as now or hereafter amended. However, in the event forest practices regulations necessary for the scheduled implementation of this chapter and RCW 90.48.420 have not been adopted in time to meet such schedules, the department shall have the authority to regulate forest practices and approve applications on such terms and conditions consistent with this chapter and RCW 90.48.420 and the purposes and policies of RCW 76.09.010 until applicable forest practices regulations are in effect.

(3) Except for those forest practices being regulated by local governmental entities as provided elsewhere in this chapter, if a notification or application is delivered in person to the department by the operator or the operator's agent, the department shall immediately provide a dated receipt thereof. In all other cases, the department shall immediately mail a dated receipt to the operator.

(4) Except for those forest practices being regulated by local governmental entities as provided elsewhere in this chapter, forest practices shall be conducted in accordance with the forest practices regulations, orders and directives as authorized by this chapter or the forest practices regulations, and the terms and conditions of any approved applications.

(5) Except for those forest practices being regulated by local governmental entities as provided elsewhere in this chapter, the department of natural resources shall notify the applicant in writing of either its approval of the application or its disapproval of the application and the specific manner in which the application fails to comply with the provisions of this section or with the forest practices regulations. Except as provided otherwise in this section, if the department fails to either approve or disapprove an application or any portion thereof within the applicable time limit, the application shall be deemed approved and the operation may be commenced: PROVIDED, That this provision shall not apply to applications which are neither approved nor disapproved pursuant to the provisions of subsection (7) of this section: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That if seasonal field conditions prevent the department from being able to properly evaluate the application, the department may issue an approval conditional upon further review within sixty days: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That the department shall have until April 1, 1975, to approve or disapprove an application involving forest practices allowed to continue to April 1, 1975, under the provisions of subsection (2) of this section. Upon receipt of any notification or any satisfactorily completed application the department shall in any event no later than two business days after such receipt transmit a copy to the departments of ecology and fish and wildlife, and to the county, city, or town in whose jurisdiction the forest practice is to be commenced. Any comments by such agencies shall be directed to the department of natural resources.

(6) For those forest practices regulated by the board and the department, if the county, city, or town believes that an application is inconsistent with this chapter, the forest practices regulations, or any local authority consistent with RCW 76.09.240 as now or hereafter amended, it may so notify the department and the applicant, specifying its objections.

(7) For those forest practices regulated by the board and the department, the department shall not approve portions of applications to which a county, city, or town objects if:

(a) The department receives written notice from the county, city, or town of such objections within fourteen business days from the time of transmittal of the application to the county, city, or town, or one day before the department acts on the application, whichever is later; and

(b) The objections relate to lands either:

(i) Platted after January 1, 1960, as provided in chapter 58.17 RCW; or

(ii) On lands that have or are being converted to another use.

The department shall either disapprove those portions of such application or appeal the county, city, or town objections to the appeals board. If the objections related to subparagraphs (b)(i) and (ii) of this subsection are based on local authority consistent with RCW 76.09.240 as now or hereafter amended, the department shall disapprove the application until such time as the county, city, or town consents to its approval or such disapproval is reversed on appeal. The applicant shall be a party to all department appeals of county, city, or town objections. Unless the county, city, or town either consents or has waived its rights under this subsection, the department shall not approve portions of an application affecting such lands until the minimum time for county, city, or town objections has expired.

(8) For those forest practices regulated by the board and the department, in addition to any rights under the above paragraph, the county, city, or town may appeal any department approval of an application with respect to any lands within its jurisdiction. The appeals board may suspend the department's approval in whole or in part pending such appeal where there exists potential for immediate and material damage to a public resource.

(9) For those forest practices regulated by the board and the department, appeals under this section shall be made to the appeals board in the manner and time provided in RCW 76.09.220(8). In such appeals there shall be no presumption of correctness of either the county, city, or town or the department position.

(10) For those forest practices regulated by the board and the department, the department shall, within four business days notify the county, city, or town of all notifications, approvals, and disapprovals of an application affecting lands within the county, city, or town, except to the extent the county, city, or town has waived its right to such notice.

(11) For those forest practices regulated by the board and the department, a county, city, or town may waive in whole or in part its rights under this section, and may withdraw or modify any such waiver, at any time by written notice to the department.

Sec. 2. RCW 76.09.240 and 1997 c 173 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) By December 31, ((~~2001~~)) 2005, each county and each city shall adopt ordinances or promulgate regulations setting standards for those Class IV forest practices regulated by local government. The regulations shall: (a) Establish minimum standards for Class IV forest practices; (b) set forth necessary administrative provisions; and (c) establish procedures for the collection and administration of forest practices and recording fees as set forth in this chapter.

(2) Class IV forest practices regulations shall be administered and enforced by the counties and cities that promulgate them.

(3) The forest practices board shall continue to promulgate regulations and the department shall continue to administer and enforce the regulations promulgated by the board in each county and each city for all forest practices as provided in this chapter until such time as, in the opinion of the department, the county or city has promulgated forest practices regulations that meet the requirements as set forth in this section and that meet or exceed the standards set forth by the board in regulations in effect at the time the local regulations are adopted. Regulations promulgated by the county or city thereafter shall be reviewed in the usual manner set forth for county or city rules or ordinances. Amendments to local ordinances must meet or exceed the forest practices rules at the time the local ordinances are amended.

(a) Department review of the initial regulations promulgated by a county or city shall take place upon written request by the county or city. The department, in consultation with the department of ecology, may approve or disapprove the regulations in whole or in part.

(b) Until January 1, ((~~2002~~)) 2006, the department shall provide technical assistance to all counties or cities that have adopted forest practices regulations acceptable to the department and that have assumed regulatory authority over all Class IV forest practices within their jurisdiction.

(c) Decisions by the department approving or disapproving the initial regulations promulgated by a county or city may be appealed to the forest practices appeals board, which has exclusive jurisdiction to review the department's approval or disapproval of regulations promulgated by counties and cities.

(4) For those forest practices over which the board and the department maintain regulatory authority no county, city, municipality, or other local or regional governmental entity shall adopt or enforce any law, ordinance, or regulation pertaining to forest practices, except that to the extent otherwise permitted by law, such entities may exercise any:

(a) Land use planning or zoning authority: PROVIDED, That exercise of such authority may regulate forest practices only: (i) Where the application submitted under RCW 76.09.060 as now or hereafter amended indicates that the lands have been or will be converted to a use other than commercial forest product production; or (ii) on lands which have been platted after January 1, 1960, as provided in chapter 58.17 RCW: PROVIDED, That no permit system solely for forest practices shall be allowed; that any additional or more stringent regulations shall not be inconsistent with the forest practices regulations enacted under this chapter; and such local regulations shall not unreasonably prevent timber harvesting;

(b) Taxing powers;

(d) Authority granted by chapter 90.58 RCW, the "Shoreline Management Act of 1971".