Rep. Tom Dent legislation to restore collaboration in forest practices receives public hearing
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Rep. Tom Dent legislation to restore collaboration in forest practices receives public hearing
Legislation sponsored by Rep. Tom Dent to repeal and restart the Washington Forest Practices Board, following the recent adoption of the riparian buffer rule, received a public hearing today before the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee.
House Bill 2620 addresses concerns surrounding the adopted riparian buffer rules by requiring the Forest Practices Board to fully evaluate economic impacts and consider reasonable alternatives before moving forward with new regulations.
The board’s decision in November requires large buffers along small, non-fish-bearing streams and takes approximately 200,000 acres of timberland out of production. That equates to about 4-8% of the annual private harvest, wood for 15,000 homes, and 2,000 jobs. According to an economic impact analysis by the University of Washington, the decision will cost landowners $2.8 billion in harvestable timber.
“For decades, the Forests and Fish framework worked because it brought everyone to the table, including environmental interests, tribes, small forest landowners, and the timber industry,” Dent, R-Moses Lake, said. “That collaborative spirit has broken down. There are a lot of folks who want to restore the balance, transparency, and collaboration in Washington’s forest practices rule-making process.”
HB 2620 requires the Forest Practices Board to repeal the adopted Type Np riparian buffer rule and restart the rule-making process only after establishing a measurable standard for the economic viability of Washington’s timber industry. The bill also requires future riparian buffer rules to include analysis of alternatives, minority reports when consensus is lacking, and adherence to the least-burdensome standard under the Administrative Procedure Act.
During the hearing, the committee heard testimony from small forest landowners, rural families, timber workers, and others who expressed concern that the current rule threatens livelihoods without clear evidence of environmental benefit. Supporters emphasized the importance of protecting fish habitat while also ensuring forest management policies remain practical and economically sustainable.
“This bill is not about weakening environmental protections,” Dent said. “It’s about making sure decisions are grounded in sound science, real collaboration, and an honest assessment of how rules affect working forests and the communities that depend on them.”
HB 2620 would also require the board to give significant consideration to recommendations from small forest landowners and, if necessary, conduct additional scientific studies before adopting new riparian buffer rules.
Dent does not expect the committee to act on the bill before Wednesday’s policy committee cutoff deadline. However, he felt it was important to hold a public hearing so the board and state agencies could understand the extent of this decision’s damage to timber-reliant counties. He also wanted to highlight how it has undermined the collaboration that has been in place since the Forests and Fish law was enacted in 1999.
The Legislature adjourns on March 12.
