wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 6187 > Original Bill
The forests and fish law was signed into law in 1999 after a rigorous bipartisan stakeholder process. In 2006, the federal government approved the process as part of the habitat conservation plan. This process has been used for over 20 years to make decisions regarding forest practices to protect streams and habitat. The rule making conducted by the forest practices board regarding nonfish bearing streams subverted the intent of the forests and fish process and will result in devastating economic impacts to the timber industry in Washington state with very little benefit to habitat. Small businesses, particularly, were not considered, in contravention of existing law, and as a result, over 200,000 acres will be removed from productive harvest. The adaptive management process utilized by the forest practices board has resulted in thoughtful, considerate rule making in the past. The rule recently adopted by the forest practices board disregards this process as well.
The legislature, thereby, finds that the rule adopted by the forest practices board should be reconsidered and should not be implemented until all alternatives and impacts are properly considered.
The forest practices board shall repeal changes adopted on November 12, 2025, to WAC 222-30-021 and 222-30-0211, and is preempted from adopting any similar rules as provided under section 3 of this act.
The board may not adopt a rule requiring modifications to stream type buffers until an analysis of the minority proposal or additional viable alternative proposals are evaluated and a consensus recommendation is developed that considers economic impacts and impacts to small forest landowners.