Long-Term Applications
Small forest landowners own 5.7 million acres of Washington's forests and other associated rural lands - about half of the private forestland in the state. These privately owned forests provide fish and wildlife habitat, clean water, and green landscapes, while producing valuable wood products. Landowners must have an approved forest practices application to harvest timber, build roads, or conduct other forest practices activities. Standard approved applications are valid for two years and the application process can be complex and time consuming. As an incentive especially for small forest landowners to keep their land in forestry use, the Forest Practices Board authorized a long-term application that is valid for up to 15 years. Now, a small forest landowner has the option of submitting the standard application or the long-term application. For more information, contact your local DNR region office.
Who is eligible for a long-term application?
You may submit a long-term forest practices application if you harvest less than two million board feet of timber each year from lands you own in Washington and you are not converting your land to a non-forestry use.
Benefits
- An approved long-term forest practice application is valid from 3-15 years (determined by landowner request).
Having a long-term application
- Reduces the amount of paperwork over the long-term.
- Allows you more flexibility to react quickly to changing markets and unforseen forest health problems or windthrow.
- Encourages long-term planning.
Before you get started
Download necessary forms to submit a Long-Term Application. Contact your local DNR region office if you have questions about the forms or process. Landowners who need assistance in planning their long term management and identifying sensitive areas should contact a Private Forestry Consultant.
How the process works
A long-term forest practices application is submitted and reviewed in two steps:
Step 1
Inventory and classify all the natural features such as streams, wetlands, springs, and steep slopes within the application area. Also, assess road condition to identify work needed to keep soil from entering water. Submit the resource and road information to the Department of Natural Resources(DNR) Region Office. DNR foresters then review the information with help from other agency and tribal staff. When the DNR forester determines that all of the required features are identified and properly classified, then you submit Step 2 of the application form.
Step 2
Describe all of the activities that may be done over the request time period. Show the location of the proposed activities on maps. You may propose an alternate plan as part or all of the application. DNR personnel will review the proposal and either approve, approve with conditions, or disapprove the application. It takes a minimum of 90 days to receive approval for a long-term application.