The following definitions apply to this chapter:

(1) "Completion of harvest" means that the trees within the area under an approved forest practices application have been harvested and further entry into that area by any type of logging or slash treating equipment or method is not expected.

(2) "Easement premises" means the geographic area designated in a forestry riparian easement including areas in which qualifying timber is located.

(3) "Forestry riparian easement" means a conservation easement covering qualifying timber granted voluntarily to the state by a qualifying small forest landowner.

(4) "Forests and fish rules" means the rules adopted by the board in accordance with RCW 76.09.055, 76.09.370, and the amendments to those rules.

(5) "Hazardous substances" includes, but is not limited to, hazardous substances as defined in RCW 70.102.010 and 70.105D.020, and solid waste as defined in RCW 70.95.030.

(6) "Qualifying small forest landowner" means an owner of forest land with qualifying timber meeting all of the criteria in (a)(i) through (iv) of this subsection as of the date the department receives a forest practices application associated with a proposed forestry riparian easement, and the date the department offers compensation for the easement.

(a) A qualifying small forest landowner:

(i) Is an individual, partnership, corporation, or other nongovernmental for-profit legal entity. If a landowner grants timber rights to another entity for less than five years, the landowner may still be a qualifying small forest landowner under this chapter;

(ii) Has a fee interest in the land and timber or has rights to harvest the timber to be included in the forestry riparian easement that extend at least fifty years from the date the completed forestry riparian easement application is submitted to and received by the small forest landowner office;

(iii) Has no outstanding violations of chapters 76.09 or 76.13 RCW or any associated forest practices rules;

(iv) Has harvested or expects to harvest from his or her forest lands in this state as follows:

(A) No more than the average volume that would qualify the landowner as a "small harvester" under RCW 84.33.035 during the three years prior to the year the department receives a complete forest practices application associated with the easement, and certifies that he or she does not expect to exceed that average timber volume during the ten years following the date of the offer of compensation for the easement; or

(B) If the landowner can establish to the satisfaction of the small forest landowner office that those harvest limits were or will be exceeded to raise funds to pay estate taxes or other equally compelling and unexpected obligations such as court-ordered judgments or extraordinary expenses, the landowner may still be a qualifying small forest landowner.

(b) To be eligible for a forestry riparian easement, a qualifying small forest landowner must have submitted a forest practices application covering qualifying timber to the appropriate region office, and the department must have approved the application or disapproved it because of forests and fish rule restrictions. See WAC 222-21-032 for more information about easement eligibility.

(7) "Qualifying timber" means forest trees that meet criteria (a) through (c) of this subsection:

(a) Are covered by a forest practices application.

(b) Fit one of the following situations:

(i) The timber is required to be left unharvested because of forests and fish rule restrictions and is within, immediately adjacent to, or physically connected to a commercially reasonable harvest unit under an approved forest practices application; or

(ii) The timber cannot be approved for harvest under a forest practices application because of forests and fish rule restrictions.

(i) Riparian or other sensitive aquatic areas;

(ii) Channel migration zones; or

(iii) Areas of potentially unstable slopes or landforms, verified by the department, that have the potential to deliver sediment or debris to a public resource or threaten public safety and are immediately adjacent to or physically connected to other qualifying timber that is located within riparian or other sensitive aquatic areas.

Qualifying timber may also mean forest trees that do not meet criteria (b) or (c) of this subsection if they are uneconomic to harvest as determined under WAC 222-21-032(6).

(8) "Small forest landowner office" means an office within the department of natural resources. The office is a resource and focal point for small forest landowner concerns and policies, and has expertise regarding the management of small forest holdings and government programs applicable to such holdings. The office manages the forestry riparian easement program.

PDFWAC 222-21-010

Definitions.