WRIA 62 WMP 032305 - Washington State Department of Ecology

March, 2005 -91- 023-1289-003.3040
6. Requires the Department of Health to develop conservation regulations and to adopt
comprehensive rules by December 2005. To fund the development and
implementation of the conservation program, the bill allows the Department of
Health to collect additional operating permit fees equivalent to 25 cents per
residential service connection per year through June 2007.
7. Requires the Department of Health to consult annually with Ecology, Fish and
Wildlife, and Community, Trade and Economic Development, regarding
coordination of water system plans and watershed plans.
8. Requires watershed implementation plans to address the future use of inchoate water
rights.
9. Prioritizes existing instream flow funding to areas where the exercise of inchoate
rights may greatly affect streamflows.
10. Clarifies requirements for consideration of water reuse when preparing water supply
and wastewater treatment plans.
11. Allows inchoate (authorized but never used) surface water rights to be moved outside
of the authorized service area if instream flows are addressed, or in cases of public
health emergencies.
12. Authorizes a pilot watershed agreement to allow water right holders to gain
additional flexibility and certainty in exchange for contributin g to watershed
objectives.
5.3.5 Forest Practice Rules and Forest and Fish Report
The 1974 Forest Practices Act (Chapter 76.09 RCW) defines a plan to protect public resources while
assuring that Washington continues to be a productive timber growing area. The Act regulates
activities related to growing, harvesting or processing timber on all local government, state and
private forest lands. Practices related to growing, harvesting or processing timber, including, but not
limited to, road construction and maintenance, thinning, salvage, harvesting, reforestation, brush
control, and using fertilizers or pesticides are regulated under the act and its corresponding rules
(Forest Practice Rules, Chapter 222 WAC).
The Forest Practice Rules were updated in 2001 according to needs described in the 1999 Forest and
Fish Report (and are now often called the “Forest and Fish Rules”). The 1999 Forest and Fish Report
contained recommendations on the development and implementation of rules statutes and programs
intended to:
• Provide compliance with the Endangered Species Act for aquatic and riparian-dependent
species on non-federal forest lands;
• Restore and maintain riparian habitat on non-federal forest lands to support a harvestable
supply of fish;
• Meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act for water quality on non-federal forest
lands; and,
• Keep the timber industry economically viable in the State of Washington.
The 2001 Forest Practice Rules contain directives for adaptive management, road construction and
maintenance, forest practices in aquatic and riparian areas, watershed analysis, and other facets of
WRIA 62 WMP 032305