2753-S AMH ORCU CALL 055

SHB 2753 - H AMD TO (2753-S AMD .... CALL 042)

By Representative Orcutt

   On page 1, beginning on line 3 of the amendment, strike the remainder of the amendment and insert the following:

   "NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the department of natural resources manages state forests consistent with the forest practices rules, habitat conservation plans, and under a sustained yield harvest plan. The forest management required by these constraints necessarily means that wood products originating from state forests are managed consistent with advanced principles of sustainable forestry stewardship that meet or exceed the environmental and social standards of most public and private timber growing operations in both the nation and the world. As such, the state of Washington should aggressively market its wood products to end consumers and product manufacturers that are concerned with the forest practices used to grow the timber they are choosing to purchase.

   NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

   (1) "Board" means the board of natural resources.

   (2) "Council" means the evergreen sustainable forestry council created in section 3 of this act.

   (3) "Department" means the department of natural resources.

   (4) "Small forest landowner" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 76.09.450.

   NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The evergreen sustainable forestry council is created.

   (2) The council is comprised of:

   (a) The commissioner of public lands, or the commissioner's designee;

   (b) The governor, or the governor's designee;

   (c) The superintendent of public instruction, or the superintendent's designee;

   (d) A designee representing the state university system, appointed by the governor;

   (e) A designee representing those counties that contain state forest lands, appointed by the governor;

   (f) Two owners or operators of private commercial timberland, appointed by the governor, one being a small forest landowner;

   (g) Two members of the house of representatives from different political parties, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and

   (h) Two members of the senate from different political parties, appointed by the president of the senate.

   (3) Staff to the council shall be provided by the department.

   NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) The council shall designate timber that satisfies the standards of this chapter as "evergreen certified."

   (2) The council shall develop and implement a marketing plan for evergreen certified wood products. The goal of this plan is to:

   (a) Educate wood purchasers about the environmental stewardship and sustainable forest practices involved in the planting, growing, and harvesting of evergreen certified wood;

   (b) Promote evergreen certified wood in the marketplace as an alternative to the recognition of other third-party sustainable forestry certification organizations; and

   (c) Develop a niche market for evergreen certified wood that will bring a premium price to the producers of evergreen certified wood.

   NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) Timber produced on public lands in Washington shall be designated as "evergreen certified" by the council if the timber satisfies the following criteria:

   (a) The timber was managed in compliance with the forest practices rules adopted under chapter 76.09 RCW;

   (b) The timber was managed in compliance with any habitat conservation plan agreed to by the department and the federal government; and

   (c) The timber was harvested pursuant to a sustainable harvest plan adopted by the board under RCW 79.10.320.

   (2) Timber produced on private lands in Washington must be designated as "evergreen certified" by the council if the timber was managed under the forest practices rules adopted under chapter 76.09 RCW.

   NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Sections 1 through 5 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 76 RCW."

   Correct the title.

EFFECT: Creates the Evergreen Sustainable Forestry Council to market "Evergreen Certified" wood products. Evergreen Certified wood is a wood product that originated from private forest lands that were managed pursuant to the Forest Practice Rules, or state-owned forest lands that were managed pursuant to the Forest Practice Rules, a habitat conservation plan, and a sustainable yield harvest rule.