BILL REQ. #:  S-3801.2 

Read first time 01/09/2006.   Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation.

     AN ACT Relating to the timber land revitalization board; and adding a new chapter to Title 76 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that more than half of the state's forty-two and one-half million acres are forest lands and that the majority of these lands are available for harvest. However, many of the state's forest lands are threatened by conversion to nonforest uses, mostly from commercial and residential development. In addition, worldwide fiber commodity prices, increased environmental regulations, and changing patterns in corporate and individual ownership of forest lands are also contributing to the declines in working forest lands in the state. Therefore, it is the intent of this chapter to provide greater state financial assistance to revitalize and maintain forest lands in the state, through creation of a funding board to make grants on a competitive basis that support protection of the forest land base and that assist in developing innovative strategies for supporting economically and environmentally healthy forests and forest-dependent communities.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (1) "Board" means the timber land revitalization board created in section 3 of this act.
     (2) "Department" means the department of natural resources.
     (3) "Priority needs areas" means the geographic areas identified by the department for priority lands to be addressed under the forest legacy program.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) The timber land revitalization board is created. The board is composed of five members, of whom four members must be appointed by the governor. The commissioner of public lands shall serve ex officio as a voting member of the board. In making appointments, the governor shall provide for representation of the interests of industrial forest landowners, nonindustrial forest landowners, local governments, and nonprofit citizen organizations involved with the revitalization of timber lands and protection of the state's forest land base. The governor shall solicit and give substantial consideration to nominations provided by organizations representing these interests. Appointments to the board by the governor are subject to senate confirmation.
     (2) The governor shall select a chair from among the members of the board.
     (3) Board members serve four-year terms, except that the governor shall designate two of the initial appointments to serve for a term of two years. The terms commence January 1, 2007.
     (4) Staff support to the board shall be provided by the department. For administrative purposes, the board shall be located within the department.
     (5) Members of the board shall be compensated as provided by RCW 43.03.250, and reimbursed for travel expenses as provided by RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   (1) The board is responsible for making grants and loans for the revitalization of timber lands consistent with the procedures and criteria of section 5 of this act, from the amounts appropriated to the board for this purpose. To accomplish this purpose, the board may:
     (a) Provide assistance to grant applicants regarding the procedures and criteria for grant and loan awards;
     (b) Make and execute all manner of contracts and agreements with public and private parties as the board deems necessary, consistent with the purposes of this chapter;
     (c) Accept any gifts, grants, or loans of funds, property, or financial or other aid in any form from any other source on any terms that are not in conflict with this chapter;
     (d) Adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW as necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter; and
     (e) Do all acts necessary or convenient to carry out the powers expressly granted or implied under this chapter.
     (2) The department shall provide all necessary grant and loan administration assistance to the board, and shall distribute and account for funds appropriated or provided to the board for the purposes of this chapter.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   (1) During each fiscal biennium, the board's total grants and loans are subject to the following limitations:
     (a) Not less than thirty percent and not more than forty percent of the total must be awarded for projects and activities that sustain the forest land base and strengthen the connection between economic health and conservation of forests in Washington. Such activities may include but are not limited to:
     (i) Programs or projects to support small timber landowners including such strategies as group timber certification, group habitat conservation plans, group cash flow pools, stewardship collaboration, and technical support;
     (ii) Programs or projects that test methods for recreation access and cost-share programs;
     (iii) Programs or projects that test methods to assist forest landowners in providing carbon sequestration, water recharge, and other natural resource services; and
     (iv) Programs or projects that test methods to support forest landowners' efforts at cost control, such as law enforcement, road gates, and cleanup of illegal dumping.
     (b) Not less than thirty percent and not more than forty percent of the total must be awarded for projects and activities that preserve forest lands over the long term for working forestry. Such activities may include but are not limited to:
     (i) The acquisition of interests in forest lands for the purpose of protecting the lands for working forestry;
     (ii) Developing and implementing cooperative agreements with forest landowners for maintaining working forestry; and
     (iii) Other activities using conservation techniques such as clustering development rights, transfer of development rights, and land exchanges.
     (c) Not less than thirty percent and not more than forty percent of the total must be awarded for planning, research, and policy development related to revitalizing working forests in the state.
     (2) The board shall adopt guidelines for the amount of nonstate resources that must be committed for grants or loans from the categories established by the board. The amount may not be less than ten percent of the amount of the grant or loan from the board.
     (3) The board shall also adopt guidelines that limit the amount of a grant or loan that may be allocated to administrative or other expenses of a grant or loan recipient that are not directly applied to the working forestry revitalization activities of the grant or loan.
     (4) The board shall accord additional weight to applications that address forest lands within priority needs areas.
     (5) During each fiscal year commencing July 1, 2007, and ending June 30, 2016, the board shall establish a goal of disbursing a minimum of twenty-five percent of the total funds awarded by the board in the form of low-interest loans. However, if the board determines that there are not sufficient applications for eligible projects to meet this goal, the board may award a lesser amount as loans, or may hold funds until the next funding cycle to encourage a greater number of loan applications.

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