(1)(a) The department may, in collaboration with educational institutions, municipalities, corporations, the technical advisory committee created in RCW 76.15.080, state and national service organizations, and environmental organizations, conduct a prioritized statewide inventory of community and urban forests.

     (b) For purposes of efficiency, existing data and current inventory technologies must be utilized in the development of the inventory. Statewide data must be maintained and periodically updated by the department and made available to every municipality in the state.

     (c) The criteria established for the statewide community and urban forest inventory must support the planning needs of local governments.

     (d) The criteria for the statewide community and urban forest inventory may include but not be limited to: Tree size, species, location, site appropriateness, condition and health, contribution to canopy cover and volume, available planting spaces, and ecosystem, economic, social, and monetary value.

     (e) In developing the statewide community and urban forest inventory, the department shall strive to enable Washington cities' urban forest managers to access carbon markets by working to ensure the inventory developed under this section is compatible with existing and developing urban forest reporting protocols designed to facilitate access to those carbon markets.

     (2) The department may, in collaboration with a statewide organization representing urban and community forestry programs, and with the evergreen communities partnership task force established in RCW 35.105.110, conduct a community and urban forest assessment and develop recommendations to the appropriate committees of the legislature to improve community and urban forestry in Washington.

     (3) The inventory and assessment in this section must be capable of supporting the adoption and implementation of evergreen community management plans and ordinances described in RCW 35.105.050.

     (4) The department may, in collaboration with municipalities, the technical advisory committee created in RCW 76.15.080, and a statewide organization representing urban and community forestry programs, develop an implementation plan for the inventory and assessment of the community and urban forests in Washington.

     (5)(a) The criteria and implementation plan for the statewide community and urban forest inventory and assessment required under this section must be completed by December 1, 2008. Upon the completion of the criteria and implementation plan's development, the department shall report the final product to the appropriate committees of the legislature.

     (b) An initial inventory and assessment, consisting of the community and urban forests of the willing municipalities located in one county located east of the crest of the Cascade mountains and the willing municipalities located in one county located west of the crest of the Cascade mountains must be completed by June 1, 2010.

     (6) The requirements of this section are subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for the specific purposes of this section.

[2008 c 299 § 4.]

NOTES:

     Short title -- 2008 c 299: See note following RCW 35.105.010.