Small Forest Landowner Office
The Small Forest Landowner Office serves as a resource and focal point for small forest landowner concerns and policies. With a mission to promote the economic and ecological viability of small forest landowners, the office will seek to develop policies that conserve Washington's privately owned non-industrial forests. Recognizing the significant contributions small landowners make to protecting Washington's public natural resources, the office will strive to equip landowners with all the necessary tools and information they need to keep their land in forestry use.
Background
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 Office was directed to serve as a "resource and focal point for small forest landowner concerns and policies". With a goal to improve the economic viability and environmental quality of small forestland holdings.
OBJECTIVES
- Promote, implement, and manage the Forestry Riparian Easement Program.
- Promote, implement, and manage theFamily Forest Fish Passage Program.
- Provide expertise in the management of small forest landholdings.
- Provide expertise of government programs applicable to small forest holdings.
- Develop alternative management and harvest plans for small forest holdings.
- Collect demographics on small forest landowners and their land holdings.
- Recommend incentives to improve management of small forest holdings for water quality and other environmental and economic goals.
Small Forest Landowner Advisory Committee
To assist the small forest landowner office in developing policy and recommending rules to the Forest Practices Board, an Advisory Committee was established. The advisory committee consists of seven members, including a representative from the Department of Ecology, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and a tribal representative. Four additional committee members are small forest landowners who were appointed by the Commissioner of Public Lands from a list of candidates submitted by the board of directors of the Washington Farm Forestry Association.