SMALL FOREST LANDOWNER OFFICE LEGISLATION
In 1999, Legislation created the Small Forest Landowner Office (SFLO) to serve as a resource and focal point for small forest landowner concerns and policies. The SFLO now administers several programs that have also been created by the Legislature including the Family Forest Fish Passage Program, Forestry Riparian Easement Program, Long-Term Forest Practices Application, and Alternate Plans for Small Forest Landowners. The SFLO Legislation website provides links to reports created by the SFLO and to the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) and Washington Administrative Code (WAC) sections pertaining to the creation of the SFLO, the SFLO programs, and other pertinent Forest Practices documents.
SFLO Demographic Reports
The following reports were compiled to describe demographic information about small forest landowners in Washington and to recommend incentive-based resource management policies on family forestland. RCW 76.13.110 requires the Small Forest Landowner Office to submit a small forest landowner demographic report to the legislature with updates every 4 years.
• 2008 SFLO Demographic Report
• 2004 SFLO Demographic Report
• 2002 SFLO Demographic Report
• 2000 SFLO Demographic Report
Forest Practices HCP Reporting
In 2006 Washington State completed the Forest Practices Habitat Conservation Plan (FPHCP) for aquatic and riparian-dependent species on over nine million acres of state and private forestlands. The state is committed under the FPHCP to submit an annual report to the Federal Services describing the implementation activities. The Small Forest Landowner Office is discussed in chapter 5.
• 2008 Forest Practices HCP SFLO Chapter 5
• 2008 Forest Practices HCP Annual Report
• 2007 Forest Practices HCP SFLO Chapter 5
• 2007 Forest Practices HCP Annual Report
Road Maintenance & Abandonment Plan Implementation Reports
The Department of Natural Resources is required by law to submit a report to the Legislature and the Forest Practices Board regarding the forest practices checklist Road Maintenance and Abandonment Plan (RMAP) implementation.
• 2008 RMAP Implementation Report
Family Forest Fish Passage Program Implementation Reports
The Family Forest Fish Passage Program (FFFPP) repairs barriers to fish passage on the streams of small forest landowners.
• 2008 FFFPP Implementation Report
• 2007 FFFPP Implementation Report
• 2005 FFFPP Implementation Report
SFLO & Forest Practices Laws (RCWs & WACs)
The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) contains several chapters pertaining to natural resources statutes. Title 76 contains statutes that cover Forest Practices and Small Forest Landowners.
• Chapter 76.09 Forest Practices Act
• Chapter 76.13 Stewardship of Non-industrial Forests and Woodlands
The Washington Administrative Code ( WAC) contains regulations that pertain to Forest Practices:
• Title 222 WAC Forest Practices Board
In 1999, the Washington State Legislature responded to the Endangered Species Act listing of several salmon species by passing the Salmon Recovery Act, which authorized the Forest Practices Board to adopt rules for salmon recovery. These rules increased the size of riparian buffers and created further measures to protect water quality and restore salmon habitat. Recognizing that these rules would have a disproportionate effect on small, family-owned forests, the legislature also authorized a Small Forest Landowner Office to be created within the Department of Natural Resources to begin assessing ways in which policies could be crafted to support small landowners.
The Forest and Fish Report from 1999 was written to recommend biologically sound and economically practical solutions to improve and protect riparian habitat on non-federal forest lands in the State of Washington.