In order to facilitate flexibility for small forest landowners in the timing of their forest practices activities, the department will receive, and approve or disapprove, long-term forest practices applications. Small forest landowners are eligible to submit long-term applications unless proposing a conversion to a use other than commercial timber production. An approved long-term application will be effective for a term of four to fifteen years at the discretion of the landowner. These applications may contain alternate plans for all or portions of the forest land area included in the long-term application. Alternate plan portions of long-term applications will be reviewed according to the alternate plan process described in WAC 222-12-0401. The process for small forest landowner long-term applications is described in WAC 222-20-016.