(1) The board must amend the forest practices rules relating to road maintenance and abandonment plans that exist on May 14, 2003, to reflect the following:

     (a) A forest landowner who owns a total of eighty acres or less of forest land in Washington is not required to submit a road maintenance and abandonment plan for any block of forest land that is twenty contiguous acres or less in area;

     (b) A landowner who satisfies the definition of a small forest landowner, but who does not qualify under (a) of this subsection, is only required to submit a checklist road maintenance and abandonment plan with the abbreviated content requirements provided for in subsection (3) of this section, and is not required to comply with annual reporting and review requirements; and

     (c) Existing forest roads must be maintained only to the extent necessary to prevent damage to public resources.

     (2) The department must provide a landowner who is either exempted from submitting a road maintenance and abandonment plan under subsection (1)(a) of this section, or who qualifies for a checklist road maintenance and abandonment plan under subsection (1)(b) of this section, with an educational brochure outlining road maintenance standards and requirements. In addition, the department must develop a series of nonmandatory educational workshops on the rules associated with road construction and maintenance.

     (3)(a) A landowner who qualifies for a checklist road maintenance and abandonment plan under subsection (1)(b) of this section is only required to submit a checklist, designed by the department in consultation with the small forest landowner office advisory committee created in RCW 76.13.110, that confirms that the landowner is applying the checklist criteria to forest roads covered or affected by a forest practices application or notification. When developing the checklist road maintenance and abandonment plan, the department shall ensure that the checklist does not exceed current state law. Nothing in this subsection increases or adds to small forest landowners' duties or responsibilities under any other section of the forest practices rules or any other state law or rule.

     (b) A landowner who qualifies for the checklist road maintenance and abandonment plan is not required to submit the checklist before the time that he or she submits a forest practices application or notification for final or intermediate harvesting, or for salvage of trees. The department may encourage and accept checklists prior to the time that they are due.

     (4) The department must monitor the extent of the checklist road maintenance and abandonment plan approach and report its findings to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 31, 2008, and December 31, 2013.

     (5) The board shall adopt emergency rules under RCW 34.05.090 by October 31, 2003, to implement this section. The emergency rules shall remain in effect until permanent rules can be adopted. The forest practices rules that relate to road maintenance and abandonment plans shall remain in effect as they existed on May 14, 2003, until emergency rules have been adopted under this section.

     (6) This section is only intended to relate to the board's duties as they relate to the road maintenance and abandonment plan element of the forests and fish report. Nothing in this section alters any forest landowner's duties and responsibilities under any other section of the forest practices rules, or any other state law or rule.

[2003 c 311 § 4.]

NOTES:

     Findings -- Effective date -- 2003 c 311: See notes following RCW 76.09.020.