SHB 2779 -
By Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation
ADOPTED 03/05/2008
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 A new section is added to chapter 76.48 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person may
sell, or attempt to sell, any amount of raw or unprocessed
huckleberries without first obtaining a specialized forest products
permit as provided in RCW 76.48.060, regardless if the huckleberries
were harvested with the consent of the landowner.
(2) If the possessor of the huckleberries being offered for sale is
able to show that the huckleberries originated on land owned by the
United States forest service, then the requirements of this section may
be satisfied with the display of a valid permit from the United States
forest service that lawfully entitles the possessor to harvest the
huckleberries in question.
(3) Nothing in this section creates a requirement that a
specialized forest products permit is required for an individual to
harvest, possess, or transport huckleberries.
(4) Compliance with this section allows an individual to sell, or
offer for sale, raw or unprocessed huckleberries. Possession of a
specialized forest products permit does not create a right or privilege
to harvest huckleberries. Huckleberries may be harvested only with the
permission of the landowner and under the terms and conditions
established between the landowner and the harvester.
Sec. 2 RCW 76.48.050 and 2005 c 401 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3) of this section,
specialized forest products permits shall consist of properly completed
permit forms validated by the sheriff of the county in which the
specialized forest products are to be harvested. Each permit shall be
separately numbered and the issuance of the permits shall be by
consecutive numbers. All specialized forest products permits shall
expire at the end of the calendar year in which issued, or sooner, at
the discretion of the ((permittor [permitter])) permitter.
(2) A properly completed specialized forest products permit form
shall include:
(((1))) (a) The date of its execution and expiration;
(((2))) (b) The name, address, telephone number, if any, and
signature of the ((permittor [permitter])) permitter;
(((3))) (c) The name, address, telephone number, if any, and
signature of the permittee;
(((4))) (d) The type of specialized forest products to be harvested
or transported;
(((5))) (e) The approximate amount or volume of specialized forest
products to be harvested or transported;
(((6))) (f) The legal description of the property from which the
specialized forest products are to be harvested or transported,
including the name of the county, or the state or province if outside
the state of Washington;
(((7))) (g) A description by local landmarks of where the
harvesting is to occur, or from where the specialized forest products
are to be transported;
(((8))) (h) For cedar products, cedar salvage, and specialty wood,
a copy of a map or aerial photograph, with defined permitted
boundaries, included as an attachment to the permit;
(((9))) (i) A copy of a valid picture identification; and
(((10))) (j) Any other condition or limitation which the
((permittor [permitter])) permitter may specify.
(3) For permits intended to satisfy the requirements of section 1
of this act relating only to the sale of huckleberries, the specialized
forest products permit:
(a) May be obtained from the department of natural resources or the
sheriff of any county in the state;
(b) Must, in addition to the requirements of subsection (2) of this
section, also contain information relating to where the huckleberries
were, or plan to be, harvested, and the approximate amount of
huckleberries that are going to be offered for sale; and
(c) Must include a statement designed to inform the possessor that
permission from the landowner is still required prior to the harvesting
of huckleberries.
(4) Except for the harvesting of Christmas trees, the permit or
true copy thereof must be carried by the permittee and the permittee's
agents and be available for inspection at all times. For the
harvesting of Christmas trees only a single permit or true copy thereof
is necessary to be available at the harvest site.
Sec. 3 RCW 76.48.060 and 2005 c 401 s 3 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) A specialized forest products permit validated by the county
sheriff shall be obtained by a person prior to:
(a) Harvesting from any lands, including his or her own, more than
five Christmas trees, more than five native ornamental trees or shrubs,
more than five pounds of cut or picked evergreen foliage, any cedar
products, cedar salvage, processed cedar products, or more than five
pounds of Cascara bark, or more than five United States gallons of a
single species of wild edible mushroom; or
(b) Selling, or offering for sale, any amount of raw or unprocessed
huckleberries.
(2) Specialized forest products permit forms shall be provided by
the department of natural resources, and shall be made available
through the office of the county sheriff to permittees or ((permittors
[permitters])) permitters in reasonable quantities. A permit form
shall be completed in triplicate for each ((permittor's [permitter's]))
permitter's property on which a permittee harvests specialized forest
products. A properly completed permit form shall be mailed or
presented for validation to the sheriff of the county in which the
specialized forest products are to be harvested.
(3) Before a permit form is validated by the sheriff, sufficient
personal identification may be required to reasonably identify the
person mailing or presenting the permit form and the sheriff may
conduct other investigations as deemed necessary to determine the
validity of the information alleged on the form. When the sheriff is
reasonably satisfied as to the truth of the information, the form shall
be validated with the sheriff's validation stamp.
(4) Upon validation, the form shall become the specialized forest
products permit authorizing the harvesting, possession, or
transportation of specialized forest products and the sale of
huckleberries, subject to any other conditions or limitations which the
((permittor [permitter])) permitter may specify. Two copies of the
permit shall be given or mailed to the ((permittor [permitter]))
permitter, or one copy shall be given or mailed to the ((permittor
[permitter])) permitter and the other copy given or mailed to the
permittee. The original permit shall be retained in the office of the
county sheriff validating the permit.
(5) In the event a single land ownership is situated in two or more
counties, a specialized forest product permit shall be completed as to
the land situated in each county.
(6) While engaged in harvesting of specialized forest products,
permittees, or their agents or employees, must have readily available
at each harvest site a valid permit or true copy of the permit.
Sec. 4 RCW 76.48.085 and 2005 c 401 s 6 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) Buyers who purchase specialized forest products or
huckleberries are required to record:
(((1))) (a) The permit number;
(((2))) (b) The type of forest product purchased, and whether
huckleberries were purchased;
(((3))) (c) The permit holder's name; and
(((4))) (d) The amount of forest product or huckleberries
purchased.
(2) The buyer or processor shall keep a record of this information
for a period of one year from the date of purchase and must make the
records available for inspection upon demand by authorized enforcement
officials.
(3) The buyer of specialized forest products must record the
license plate number of the vehicle transporting the forest products or
huckleberries on the bill of sale, as well as the seller's permit
number on the bill of sale. This section shall not apply to
transactions involving Christmas trees.
(4) This section shall not apply to buyers of specialized forest
products at the retail sales level.
Sec. 5 RCW 76.48.086 and 1995 c 366 s 16 are each amended to read
as follows:
Records of buyers of specialized forest products and huckleberries
collected under the requirements of RCW 76.48.085 may be made available
to colleges and universities for the purpose of research.
Sec. 6 RCW 76.48.110 and 2005 c 401 s 11 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) Whenever any law enforcement officer has probable cause to
believe that a person is harvesting or is in possession of or
transporting specialized forest products, or selling or attempting to
sell huckleberries, in violation of the provisions of this chapter, he
or she may, at the time of making an arrest, seize and take possession
of any specialized forest products or huckleberries found. If the
specialized forest product is a cedar product, cedar salvage, or
specialty wood, at the time of making an arrest the law enforcement
officer may seize and take possession of any equipment, vehicles,
tools, or paperwork. The law enforcement officer shall provide
reasonable protection for the equipment, vehicles, tools, paperwork, or
specialized forest products involved during the period of litigation or
he or she shall dispose of the equipment, vehicles, tools, paperwork,
or specialized forest products at the discretion or order of the court
before which the arrested person is ordered to appear.
(2) Upon any disposition of the case by the court, the court shall
make a reasonable effort to return the equipment, vehicles, tools,
paperwork, huckleberries, or specialized forest products to its
rightful owner or pay the proceeds of any sale of specialized forest
products or huckleberries less any reasonable expenses of the sale to
the rightful owner. If for any reason, the proceeds of the sale cannot
be disposed of to the rightful owner, the proceeds, less the reasonable
expenses of the sale, shall be paid to the treasurer of the county in
which the violation occurred. The county treasurer shall deposit the
same in the county general fund. The return of the equipment,
vehicles, tools, paperwork, or specialized forest products or the
payment of the proceeds of any sale of products seized to the owner
shall not preclude the court from imposing any fine or penalty upon the
violator for the violation of the provisions of this chapter.
Sec. 7 RCW 76.48.120 and 2003 c 53 s 373 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) It is unlawful for any person, upon official inquiry,
investigation, or other authorized proceedings, to offer as genuine any
paper, document, or other instrument in writing purporting to be a
specialized forest products permit, or true copy thereof,
authorization, sales invoice, or bill of lading, or to make any
representation of authority to possess or conduct harvesting or
transporting of specialized forest products, or the sale of
huckleberries, knowing the same to be in any manner false, fraudulent,
forged, or stolen.
(2) Any person who knowingly or intentionally violates this section
is guilty of a class C felony punishable by imprisonment in a state
correctional institution for a maximum term fixed by the court of not
more than five years or by a fine of not more than five thousand
dollars, or by both imprisonment and fine.
(3) Whenever any law enforcement officer reasonably suspects that
a specialized forest products permit or true copy thereof,
authorization, sales invoice, or bill of lading is forged, fraudulent,
or stolen, it may be retained by the officer until its authenticity can
be verified.
Sec. 8 RCW 76.48.200 and 1995 c 366 s 17 are each amended to read
as follows:
Minority groups have long been participants in the specialized
forest products and huckleberry harvesting industry. The legislature
encourages agencies serving minority communities, community-based
organizations, refugee centers, social service agencies, agencies and
organizations with expertise in the specialized forest products and
huckleberry harvesting industry, and other interested groups to work
cooperatively to accomplish the following purposes:
(1) To provide assistance and make referrals on translation
services and to assist in translating educational materials, laws, and
rules regarding specialized forest products and huckleberries;
(2) To hold clinics to teach techniques for effective picking; and
(3) To work with both minority and nonminority permittees in order
to protect resources and foster understanding between minority and
nonminority permittees.
To the extent practicable within their existing resources, the
commission on Asian-American affairs, the commission on Hispanic
affairs, and the department of natural resources are encouraged to
coordinate this effort.
Sec. 9 RCW 76.48.020 and 2007 c 392 s 3 are each amended to read
as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter
unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Authorization" means a properly completed preprinted form
authorizing the transportation or possession of Christmas trees which
contains the information required by RCW 76.48.080, a sample of which
is filed before the harvesting occurs with the sheriff of the county in
which the harvesting is to occur.
(2) "Bill of lading" means a written or printed itemized list or
statement of particulars pertinent to the transportation or possession
of a specialized forest product.
(3) "Cascara bark" means the bark of a Cascara tree.
(4) "Cedar processor" means any person who purchases, takes, or
retains possession of cedar products or cedar salvage for later sale in
the same or modified form following removal and delivery from the land
where harvested.
(5) "Cedar products" means cedar shakeboards, shake and shingle
bolts, and rounds one to three feet in length.
(6) "Cedar salvage" means cedar chunks, slabs, stumps, and logs
having a volume greater than one cubic foot and being harvested or
transported from areas not associated with the concurrent logging of
timber stands (a) under a forest practices application approved or
notification received by the department of natural resources, or (b)
under a contract or permit issued by an agency of the United States
government.
(7) "Christmas trees" means any evergreen trees or the top thereof,
commonly known as Christmas trees, with limbs and branches, with or
without roots, including fir, pine, spruce, cedar, and other coniferous
species.
(8) "Cut or picked evergreen foliage," commonly known as brush,
means evergreen boughs, huckleberry foliage, salal, fern, Oregon grape,
rhododendron, mosses, bear grass, scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius), and
other cut or picked evergreen products. "Cut or picked evergreen
foliage" does not mean cones, berries, any foliage that does not remain
green year-round, or seeds.
(9) "Harvest" means to separate, by cutting, prying, picking,
peeling, breaking, pulling, splitting, or otherwise removing, a
specialized forest product (a) from its physical connection or contact
with the land or vegetation upon which it is or was growing or (b) from
the position in which it is lying upon the land.
(10) "Harvest site" means each location where one or more persons
are engaged in harvesting specialized forest products close enough to
each other that communication can be conducted with an investigating
law enforcement officer in a normal conversational tone.
(11) "Huckleberry" means the following species of edible berries,
if they are not nursery grown: Vaccinium membranaceum, Vaccinium
deliciosum, Vaccinium ovatum, Vaccinium parvifolium, Vaccinium
globulare, Vaccinium ovalifolium, Vaccinium alaskaense, Vaccinium
caespitosum, Vaccinium occidentale, Vaccinium uliginosum, Vaccinium
myrtillus, and Vaccinium scoparium.
(12) "Landowner" means, with regard to real property, the private
owner, the state of Washington or any political subdivision, the
federal government, or a person who by deed, contract, or lease has
authority to harvest and sell forest products of the property.
"Landowner" does not include the purchaser or successful high bidder at
a public or private timber sale.
(13) "Native ornamental trees and shrubs" means any trees or shrubs
which are not nursery grown and which have been removed from the ground
with the roots intact.
(14) "Permit area" means a designated tract of land that may
contain single or multiple harvest sites.
(15) "Person" includes the plural and all corporations, foreign or
domestic, copartnerships, firms, and associations of persons.
(16) "Processed cedar products" means cedar shakes, shingles, fence
posts, hop poles, pickets, stakes, rails, or rounds less than one foot
in length.
(17) "Sheriff" means, for the purpose of validating specialized
forest products permits, the county sheriff, deputy sheriff, or an
authorized employee of the sheriff's office or an agent of the office.
(18) "Specialized forest products" means Christmas trees, native
ornamental trees and shrubs, cut or picked evergreen foliage, cedar
products, cedar salvage, processed cedar products, specialty wood, wild
edible mushrooms, and Cascara bark.
(19) "Specialized forest products permit" means a printed document
in a form printed by the department of natural resources, or true copy
thereof, that is signed by a landowner or his or her authorized agent
or representative, referred to in this chapter as (("permittors
[permitters]")) "permitters" and validated by the county sheriff and
authorizes a designated person, referred to in this chapter as
"permittee," who has also signed the permit, to harvest and transport
a designated specialized forest product from land owned or controlled
and specified by the ((permittor [permitter])) permitter and that is
located in the county where the permit is issued, or sell raw or
unprocessed huckleberries.
(20) "Specialty wood" means wood that is:
(a) In logs less than eight feet in length, chunks, slabs, stumps,
or burls; and
(b) One or more of the following:
(i) Of the species western red cedar, Englemann spruce, Sitka
spruce, big leaf maple, or western red alder;
(ii) Without knots in a portion of the surface area at least
twenty-one inches long and seven and a quarter inches wide when
measured from the outer surface toward the center; or
(iii) Suitable for the purposes of making musical instruments or
ornamental boxes.
(21) "Specialty wood buyer" means the first person that receives
any specialty wood product after it leaves the harvest site.
(22) "Specialty wood processor" means any person who purchases,
takes, or retains possession of specialty wood products or specialty
wood salvage for later sale in the same or modified form following
removal and delivery from the land where harvested.
(23) "Transportation" means the physical conveyance of specialized
forest products outside or off of a harvest site by any means.
(24) "True copy" means a replica of a validated specialized forest
products permit as reproduced by a copy machine capable of effectively
reproducing the information contained on the permittee's copy of the
specialized forest products permit. A copy is made true by the
permittee or the permittee and ((permittor [permitter])) permitter
signing in the space provided on the face of the copy. A true copy
will be effective until the expiration date of the specialized forest
products permit unless the permittee or the permittee and ((permittor
[permitter])) permitter specify an earlier date. A ((permittor
[permitter])) permitter may require the actual signatures of both the
permittee and ((permittor [permitter])) permitter for execution of a
true copy by so indicating in the space provided on the original copy
of the specialized forest products permit. A permittee, or, if so
indicated, the permittee and ((permittor [permitter])) permitter, may
condition the use of the true copy to harvesting only, transportation
only, possession only, or any combination thereof.
(25) "Wild edible mushrooms" means edible mushrooms not cultivated
or propagated by artificial means."
SHB 2779 -
By Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation
ADOPTED 03/05/2008
On page 1, line 1 of the title, after "huckleberries;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "amending RCW 76.48.050, 76.48.060, 76.48.085, 76.48.086, 76.48.110, 76.48.120, 76.48.200, and 76.48.020; and adding a new section to chapter 76.48 RCW."