(1) A specialized forest products permit validated by the county sheriff shall be obtained by a person prior to harvesting from any lands, including his or her own, more than five Christmas trees, more than five native ornamental trees or shrubs, more than five pounds of cut or picked evergreen foliage, any cedar products, cedar salvage, processed cedar products, or more than five pounds of Cascara bark, or more than five United States gallons of a single species of wild edible mushroom.

     (2) Specialized forest products permit forms shall be provided by the department of natural resources, and shall be made available through the office of the county sheriff to permittees or permittors [permitters] in reasonable quantities. A permit form shall be completed in triplicate for each permittor's [permitter's] property on which a permittee harvests specialized forest products. A properly completed permit form shall be mailed or presented for validation to the sheriff of the county in which the specialized forest products are to be harvested.

     (3) Before a permit form is validated by the sheriff, sufficient personal identification may be required to reasonably identify the person mailing or presenting the permit form and the sheriff may conduct other investigations as deemed necessary to determine the validity of the information alleged on the form. When the sheriff is reasonably satisfied as to the truth of the information, the form shall be validated with the sheriff's validation stamp.

     (4) Upon validation, the form shall become the specialized forest products permit authorizing the harvesting, possession, or transportation of specialized forest products, subject to any other conditions or limitations which the permittor [permitter] may specify. Two copies of the permit shall be given or mailed to the permittor [permitter], or one copy shall be given or mailed to the permittor [permitter] and the other copy given or mailed to the permittee. The original permit shall be retained in the office of the county sheriff validating the permit.

     (5) In the event a single land ownership is situated in two or more counties, a specialized forest product permit shall be completed as to the land situated in each county.

     (6) While engaged in harvesting of specialized forest products, permittees, or their agents or employees, must have readily available at each harvest site a valid permit or true copy of the permit.

[2005 c 401 § 3; 1995 c 366 § 5; 1992 c 184 § 2; 1979 ex.s. c 94 § 5; 1977 ex.s. c 147 § 5; 1967 ex.s. c 47 § 7.]

NOTES:

     Severability -- 1995 c 366: See note following RCW 76.48.020.