2753-S.E AMS NR S5030.1

ESHB 2753 - S COMM AMD

By Committee on Natural Resources, Energy & Water

Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that trust beneficiaries, rural communities, and sustainable forest harvest management may benefit if wood produced on state-owned forests can be certified as sustainable and marketed as such. It is the intent of this legislation to provide the legislature, the board of natural resources, and other interested parties with the information that will allow for an informed decision on this policy question.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The department of natural resources shall prepare a report for the legislature and the board of natural resources that identifies:

(a) What changes to the current state forest management practices, including the provisions of any applicable habitat conservation plans, need to be implemented for state-managed forests to achieve third-party sustainable forestry certification under the standards of up to two major sustainable forestry certification organizations;

(b) What added changes in operational costs would be associated with the changes in management practices necessary to achieve certifications;

(c) Whether and how the preferred sustainable harvest level alternative identified by the board of natural resources would satisfy the state's responsibilities;

(d) How the preferred sustainable harvest level calculation identified by the board of natural resources increases or decreases the cost of compliance with the standards of major sustainable forestry certification organizations; and

(e) Both the long-term and short-term costs and benefits to each of the federally granted trusts and to the legislatively created state forest lands.

(2) The department of natural resources shall complete its report and submit it to the board of natural resources and the appropriate standing committees of the legislature no later than January 1, 2005.

(3) The department of natural resources shall make copies of the report available to any interested party who wishes to review and comment on the report.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. This act expires July 1, 2005."

ESHB 2753 - S COMM AMD

By Committee on Natural Resources, Energy & Water

On page 1, line 1 of the title, after "land;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "creating new sections; and providing an expiration date."

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