RCW 76.09.020 Definitions.

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Adaptive management" means reliance on scientific methods to test the results of actions taken so that the management and related policy can be changed promptly and appropriately.

(2) "Appeals board" means the pollution control hearings board created by RCW 43.21B.010.

(3) "Application" means the application required pursuant to RCW 76.09.050.

(4) "Aquatic resources" includes water quality, salmon, other species of the vertebrate classes Cephalaspidomorphi and Osteichthyes identified in the forests and fish report, the Columbia torrent salamander (Rhyacotriton kezeri), the Cascade torrent salamander (Rhyacotriton cascadae), the Olympic torrent salamander (Rhyacotriton olympian), the Dunn's salamander (Plethodon dunni), the Van Dyke's salamander (Plethodon vandyke), the tailed frog (Ascaphus truei), and their respective habitats.

(5) "Board" means the forest practices board created in RCW 76.09.030.

(6) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of public lands.

(7) "Contiguous" means land adjoining or touching by common corner or otherwise. Land having common ownership divided by a road or other right-of-way shall be considered contiguous.

(8) "Conversion to a use other than commercial timber operation" means a bona fide conversion to an active use which is incompatible with timber growing and as may be defined by forest practices rules.

(9) "Date of receipt" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 43.21B.001.

(10) "Department" means the department of natural resources.

(11) "Ecosystem services" means the benefits that the public enjoys as a result of natural processes and biological diversity.

(12) "Ecosystem services market" means a system in which providers of ecosystem services can access financing or market capital to protect, restore, and maintain ecological values, including the full spectrum of regulatory, quasiregulatory, and voluntary markets.

(13) "Fill" means the placement of earth material or aggregate for road or landing construction or other similar activities.

(14) "Fish passage barrier" means any artificial instream structure that impedes the free passage of fish.

(15) "Forestland" means all land which is capable of supporting a merchantable stand of timber and is not being actively used for a use which is incompatible with timber growing. Forestland does not include agricultural land that is or was enrolled in the conservation reserve enhancement program by contract if such agricultural land was historically used for agricultural purposes and the landowner intends to continue to use the land for agricultural purposes in the future. As it applies to the operation of the road maintenance and abandonment plan element of the forest practices rules on small forestland owners, the term "forestland" excludes:

(a) Residential home sites, which may include up to five acres; and

(b) Cropfields, orchards, vineyards, pastures, feedlots, fish pens, and the land on which appurtenances necessary to the production, preparation, or sale of crops, fruit, dairy products, fish, and livestock exist.

(16) "Forestland owner" means any person in actual control of forestland, whether such control is based either on legal or equitable title, or on any other interest entitling the holder to sell or otherwise dispose of any or all of the timber on such land in any manner. However, any lessee or other person in possession of forestland without legal or equitable title to such land shall be excluded from the definition of "forestland owner" unless such lessee or other person has the right to sell or otherwise dispose of any or all of the timber located on such forestland.

(17) "Forest practice" means any activity conducted on or directly pertaining to forestland and relating to growing, harvesting, or processing timber, including but not limited to:

(a) Road and trail construction, including forest practices hydraulic projects that include water crossing structures, and associated activities and maintenance;

(b) Harvesting, final and intermediate;

(c) Precommercial thinning;

(d) Reforestation;

(e) Fertilization;

(f) Prevention and suppression of diseases and insects;

(g) Salvage of trees; and

(h) Brush control.

"Forest practice" shall not include preparatory work such as tree marking, surveying and road flagging, and removal or harvesting of incidental vegetation from forestlands such as berries, ferns, greenery, mistletoe, herbs, mushrooms, and other products which cannot normally be expected to result in damage to forest soils, timber, or public resources.

(18) "Forest practices hydraulic project" means a hydraulic project, as defined under RCW 77.55.011, that requires a forest practices application or notification under this chapter.

(19) "Forest practices rules" means any rules adopted pursuant to RCW 76.09.040.

(20) "Forest road," as it applies to the operation of the road maintenance and abandonment plan element of the forest practices rules on small forestland owners, means a road or road segment that crosses land that meets the definition of forestland, but excludes residential access roads.

(21) "Forest trees" does not include hardwood trees cultivated by agricultural methods in growing cycles shorter than fifteen years if the trees were planted on land that was not in forest use immediately before the trees were planted and before the land was prepared for planting the trees. "Forest trees" includes Christmas trees, but does not include Christmas trees that are cultivated by agricultural methods, as that term is defined in RCW 84.33.035.

(22) "Forests and fish report" means the forests and fish report to the board dated April 29, 1999.

(23) "Operator" means any person engaging in forest practices except an employee with wages as his or her sole compensation.

(24) "Person" means any individual, partnership, private, public, or municipal corporation, county, the department or other state or local governmental entity, or association of individuals of whatever nature.

(25) "Public resources" means water, fish and wildlife, and in addition shall mean capital improvements of the state or its political subdivisions.

(26) "Small forestland owner" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 76.09.450.

(27) "Timber" means forest trees, standing or down, of a commercial species, including Christmas trees. However, "timber" does not include Christmas trees that are cultivated by agricultural methods, as that term is defined in RCW 84.33.035.

(28) "Timber owner" means any person having all or any part of the legal interest in timber. Where such timber is subject to a contract of sale, "timber owner" shall mean the contract purchaser.

(29) "Unconfined channel migration zone" means the area within which the active channel of an unconfined stream is prone to move and where the movement would result in a potential near-term loss of riparian forest adjacent to the stream. Sizeable islands with productive timber may exist within the zone.

(30) "Unconfined stream" means generally fifth order or larger waters that experience abrupt shifts in channel location, creating a complex floodplain characterized by extensive gravel bars, disturbance species of vegetation of variable age, numerous side channels, wall-based channels, oxbow lakes, and wetland complexes. Many of these streams have dikes and levees that may temporarily or permanently restrict channel movement.

[ 2012 1st sp.s. c 1 § 212. Prior: 2010 c 210 § 19; 2010 c 188 § 6; prior: 2009 c 354 § 5; 2009 c 246 § 4; 2003 c 311 § 3; 2002 c 17 § 1; prior: 2001 c 102 § 1; 2001 c 97 § 2; 1999 sp.s. c 4 § 301; 1974 ex.s. c 137 § 2.]

NOTES:

Reviser's note: The definitions in this section have been alphabetized pursuant to RCW 1.08.015(2)(k).

Finding—Intent—Limitation—Jurisdiction/authority of Indian tribe under act—2012 1st sp.s. c 1: See notes following RCW 77.55.011.

Authority of department of fish and wildlife under act—2012 1st sp.s. c 1: See note following RCW 76.09.040.

Intent—Effective dates—Application—Pending cases and rules—2010 c 210: See notes following RCW 43.21B.001.

Findings—Intent—2010 c 188: See note following RCW 76.44.070.

Finding—Intent—2009 c 354: See note following RCW 84.33.140.

Findings—2003 c 311: "(1) The legislature finds that chapter 4, Laws of 1999 sp. sess. strongly encouraged the forest practices board to adopt administrative rules that were substantially similar to the recommendations presented to the legislature in the form of the forests and fish report. The rules adopted pursuant to the 1999 legislation require all forestland owners to complete a road maintenance and abandonment plan, and those rules cannot be changed by the forest practices board without either a final order from a court, direct instructions from the legislature, or a recommendation from the adaptive management process. In the time since the enactment of chapter 4, Laws of 1999 sp. sess., it has become clear that both the planning aspect and the implementation aspect of the road maintenance and abandonment plan requirement may cause an unforeseen and unintended disproportionate financial hardship on small forestland owners.

(2) The legislature further finds that the commissioner of public lands and the governor have explored solutions that minimize the hardship caused to small forestland owners by the forest road maintenance and abandonment requirements of the forests and fish law, while maintaining protection for public resources. This act represents recommendations stemming from that process.

(3) The legislature further finds that it is in the state's interest to help small forestland owners comply with the requirements of the forest practices rules in a way that does not require the landowner to spend unreasonably high and unpredictable amounts of money to complete road maintenance and abandonment plan preparation and implementation. Small forestland owners provide significant wildlife habitat and serve as important buffers between urban development and Washington's public forest landholdings." [ 2003 c 311 § 1.]

Effective date—2003 c 311: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately [May 14, 2003]." [ 2003 c 311 § 13.]

Part headings not law—1999 sp.s. c 4: See note following RCW 77.85.180.