Washington Administrative Code

(1) Policy. The legislature determined that it is in the public interest to acquire (by purchase or donation) conservation easements on forest lands within unconfined channel migration zones and forest lands containing a critical habitat for threatened or endangered species as de…

(1) Rivers and habitat open space application. An owner or owners of qualifying lands may apply to the department to place the qualifying CMZ lands or qualifying critical habitat lands within the program. The department will accept or reject the program application based on eligi…

(1) Priorities for conveyances and funding. The department shall rate, rank, and fund eligible CMZ applications separately from eligible critical habitat applications based on conservation benefits and landowner management options. See board manual section 18 for the rating, rank…

(1) Conservation easement. Conveyances of a conservation easement shall be through execution by the landowner and the department of a conservation easement in a form acceptable to the department and the landowner. The easement shall be perpetual and not for a term of years. The e…

*(1) A well designed, located, constructed, and maintained system of forest roads is essential to forest management and protection of the public resources. Riparian areas contain some of the more productive conditions for growing timber, are heavily used by wildlife and provide e…

*(1) In order to assure that there is no net loss of wetland function, all road and landing construction near or within wetlands must be conducted so that selection of choices are made in the following order with avoidance being the most preferred and replacement being the least …

(1) Fit the road to the topography so that a minimum of alterations to the natural features will occur.*(2) Except for crossings, new stream-adjacent parallel roads shall not be located within natural drainage channels, channel migration zones, sensitive sites, equipment limitati…

Temporary roads as defined in WAC 222-16-010 shall:(1) Be constructed in a manner to facilitate closure and abandonment when the intended use is completed.(2) Be designed to provide the same level of protection for public resources as provided by the rules during the length of it…

(1) Right of way timber shall be removed or decked in suitable locations where the decks will not be covered by fill material or act as support for the fill or embankment.*(2) In permanent road construction, do not bury:(a) Loose stumps, logs or chunks if they will contribute mor…

*(1) Landing location:Locate landings to prevent potential or actual damage to public resources. Avoid excessive excavation and filling. Landings shall not be located within natural drainage channels, channel migration zones, RMZ core and inner zones, Type Np RMZs, sensitive site…

Landowners contemplating forest practices hydraulic projects related to road construction and maintenance are encouraged to consult with the department and the department of fish and wildlife prior to submitting an application to help ensure that project plans and specifications …

(1) When a department approved water type change causes the location of the break between Type F and Type N Water to be upstream beyond an existing water crossing structure, it must be replaced with a fish passable structure. Replacement is not required if the existing structure …

(1) In Type Sand F Waters, bridges are preferred as water crossing structures in order to ensure free and unimpeded fish passage for adult and juvenile fishes and preserve spawning and rearing habitat. Pier placement waterward of the ordinary high water line shall be avoided wher…

*(1) Bridges over Type Np and Ns Waters. In addition to the applicable general provisions in WAC 222-24-040, the installation, maintenance, and removal of permanent bridges in or across Type Np and Ns Waters are subject to the following:(a) Permanent bridges must not constrict cl…

Temporary bypass culvert, flume, or channel projects shall incorporate mitigation measures as necessary to achieve no-net-loss of productive capacity of fish and shellfish habitat. The following shall apply to temporary bypass culvert, flume, or channel projects:(1) The temporary…

Bioengineering is the preferred method of bank protection where practical. Bank protection projects shall incorporate mitigation measures as necessary to achieve no-net-loss of productive capacity of fish and shellfish habitat. The following shall apply to bank protection project…

The goals for road maintenance are established in WAC 222-24-010. Guidelines for how to meet these goals and standards are in board manual section 3. Replacement will not be required for existing culverts functioning with little risk to public resources or for culverts installed …

All forest roads must be included in an approved road maintenance and abandonment plan by July 1, 2006. This includes all roads that were constructed or used for forest practices after 1974. Inventory and assessment of orphan roads must be included in the road maintenance and aba…

(1) Small forest landowners who own a total of eighty acres or less forest land in Washington state are not required to submit any road maintenance and abandonment plan for any block of forest land that contains twenty contiguous acres or less.(2) Small forest landowners other th…

*(1) Forest roads. Forest roads are defined in WAC 222-16-010. To the extent necessary to prevent potential or actual damage to public resources, the following maintenance shall be conducted on forest roads, except as addressed in subsections *(5) and *(6) of this section:(a) Dra…

Not covered by the Surface Mine Reclamation Act of 1971 (chapter 78.44 RCW).*(1) Location of pits. Except as approved by the department, rock quarries and gravel pits opened after January 1, 1975 shall be located above the 100-year flood level.*(2) Location of spoil disposal area…

*(1) This chapter covers all removal of timber from forest lands in commercial operations, commercial thinning, salvage of timber, relogging merchantable material left after prior harvests, postharvest cleanup, and clearing of merchantable timber from lands being converted to oth…

(1) Preapplication consultation and harvest-related forest practices hydraulic projects.(a) Landowners contemplating forest practices hydraulic projects related to timber harvest are encouraged to consult with the department and the department of fish and wildlife prior to submit…

(Effective until August 31, 2026)These rules apply to all typed waters on forest land in Western Washington, except as provided in WAC 222-30-023. RMZs are measured horizontally from the outer edge of the bankfull width or channel migration zone, whichever is greater, and extend …

(Effective August 31, 2026)These rules apply to all Type Np and Ns Waters on forest land in Western Washington, except as provided in WAC 222-30-023. Riparian management zones (RMZ) are measured horizontally from the outer edge of the bankfull width or channel migration zone, whi…

For eastside forests, riparian management is intended to provide stand conditions that vary over time. It is designed to mimic eastside disturbance regimes within a range that meets functional conditions and maintains general forest health. These desired future conditions are a r…

Note:Compliance with this section does not ensure compliance with the federal Endangered Species Act or the Clean Water Act.On parcels of 20 contiguous acres or less, landowners with total parcel ownership of less than 80 forested acres shall not be required to leave the riparian…

Except as provided in WAC 222-30-110, unit size and timing of timber harvesting by even-aged harvest methods is subject to the following requirements:(1) Timber harvest which would result in an area larger than one hundred twenty acres and smaller than or equal to two hundred for…

*In the RMZ core zone for Type S and F Waters and RMZs for Type Np Waters, the operator shall:(1) Avoid disturbing brush and similar understory vegetation;(2) Avoid disturbing stumps and root systems and any logs embedded in the bank;(3) Leave high stumps where necessary to preve…

*(1) Within the bull trout overlay, all available shade will be retained within 75 feet from the edge of the bankfull width or the outer edge of the CMZ (whichever is greater) along Type S or F Waters. (See board manual, section 1.)*(2) Determination of adequate shade outside the…

Salvage logging within a riparian management zone is based upon the zone (core, inner or outer) in which the tree was originally located, applicable riparian stand requirements and the extent of previous harvest activities in the zone.*(1) Salvage logging within the outer edge of…

*(1) Felling along water.(a) Except when removing or repositioning large woody debris per WAC 222-30-062, no trees will be felled into Type S and F Waters RMZ core zones, sensitive sites, or Type A or B Wetlands except trees which cannot practically and safely be felled outside t…

*(1) Type S and F Waters and sensitive sites. No timber shall be cable yarded in or across Type S or F Waters except where the logs will not materially damage the bed of waters, banks of sensitive sites, or riparian management zones. If yarding across Type S or F Waters is permit…

Large woody debris removal or repositioning projects shall incorporate mitigation measures as necessary to achieve no-net-loss of productive capacity of fish and shellfish habitat. The following shall apply to large woody debris removal or repositioning: (1) Large woody debris re…

(1) Helicopter operations within a SOSEA boundary shall not be allowed within 0.25 mile of a northern spotted owl site center between March 1 and August 31, provided that, this restriction shall not apply if:(a) The landowner demonstrates that the owls are not actively nesting du…

*(1) Typed waters and wetlands.(a) Ground-based equipment shall not be used in Type S or F Water, except with approval by the department. Yarding across Type S or F Waters is limited to cable or other aerial logging methods.(b) Ground-based transport of logs across Type Np and Ns…

Except as approved by the department, the following rules shall be met within 60 days after completion of hauling logs from any landing, or as soon thereafter as practical.*(1) Drainage.(a) Clean any ditches and culverts obstructed by dirt or debris during operation(s).(b) Establ…

Unless the application or notification indicates that the landowner or forest landowner specifically agrees to assume responsibility for compliance with this section, the operator shall leave the site in a condition suitable for reforestation following any clear cutting, or any p…

(1) Slash disposal or prescribed burning are prohibited in the core zone.(2) Slash disposal techniques:*(a) Any conventional method of slash disposal may be used, except in Type A or B Wetlands, wetland management zones, and RMZ core and inner zones, Type Np RMZs, sensitive sites…

On an island:(1) A landowner shall not harvest by clearcut so that more than forty contiguous acres of that landowner's forest land are in a clearcut condition;(2) Forest land harvested by clearcut remains in the clearcut condition until it has reached canopy closure or it has be…

(1) Purpose. A monitoring program will be established to determine the rate of timber harvest so that this information will be available, in combination with other information, for examining the relationship of the rate of timber harvest to sustainability of the timber industry a…

(1) Reforestation - where required. (a) Unless the harvest application indicates that the land will be converted to another use, or the lands are identified in WAC 222-34-050 as having a likelihood of conversion to urban uses, reforestation is required for forest lands harvested …

(1) Reforestation - where required. (a) Unless the harvest application indicates that the land will be converted to another use, or the lands are identified in WAC 222-34-050 as having a likelihood of conversion to urban use, reforestation is required for forest lands harvested a…

(1) Reforestation plans. Reforestation plans must be submitted with the application or notification except where no reforestation is required. The department shall designate difficult regeneration areas utilizing silvicultural information. When a forest practice is proposed for s…

*(1) Heavy equipment. Heavy equipment shall not be used in connection with site preparation or rehabilitation work:(a) When, because of soil moisture conditions or the type of soils, undue compaction or unnecessary damage to soil productivity would occur or erosion would result i…

(1) Those lands which an applicant has declared are to be converted to a nonforest use and are in fact converted within 3 years of completion of harvest.(2) Those lands the department determines should be exempted in whole or in part where the forest land has the likelihood of fu…

*(1) Chemicals perform important functions in forest management. The purpose of these regulations is to regulate the handling, storage and application of chemicals in such a way that the public health, lands, fish, wildlife, aquatic habitat, wetland and riparian management zone v…

*(1) No pesticide leakage, contamination, pollution.Transportation, handling, storage, loading, application, and disposal of pesticides shall be consistent with applicable label requirements and other state and federal requirements.*(2) Mixing and loading areas.(a) Mix pesticides…

*(1) Storage and loading areas. Storage and loading areas should be located where accidental spillage of fertilizers will not enter surface water or wetlands. If any fertilizer is spilled, immediate appropriate procedures shall be taken to contain it.*(2) Riparian management zone…

*(1) Waters and wetlands. Do not allow direct entry of other forest chemicals into any water or Type A or B Wetlands, except segments of Type Np and Ns Waters with no surface water present.*(2) Storage, mixing, and loading areas.(a) Mix other forest chemicals and clean tanks and …