WAC 222-22-080   *Approval of watershed analysis.  (1) Upon receipt of the recommended prescriptions and management strategies resulting from a level 2 assessment under WAC 222-22-060 or a level 1 assessment under WAC 222-22-050 where a level 2 assessment will not be conducted, the department shall select prescriptions. The department shall circulate the draft watershed analysis to the departments of ecology, fish and wildlife, affected Indian tribes, local government entities, forest land owners in the WAU, and the public for review and comment. The prescriptions recommended by the field managers' team shall be given substantial weight. Within thirty days of receipt of the prescriptions and management strategies, the department shall review comments, revise the watershed analysis as appropriate, and approve or disapprove the watershed analysis for the WAU.

     *(2) The department should notify any governmental agency or Indian tribe having jurisdiction over activities which are not regulated under chapter 76.09 RCW but which are identified in the draft analysis as having a potential for an adverse impact on identified fish, water, capital improvements of the state or its political subdivisions, and cultural resources.

     *(3) The department shall approve the draft watershed analysis unless it finds:

     (a) For any level 1 assessment or level 2 assessment, that:

     (i) The team failed in a material respect to apply the methodology, indices of resource condition, or checklists set forth in the manual; or

     (ii) A team meeting the criteria promulgated by the department and using the defined methodologies, indices of resource conditions, and checklists set forth in the manual could not reasonably have come to the conclusions identified in the draft level 1 or level 2 assessment; and

     (b) For the prescriptions, that they will not accomplish the purposes and policies of this chapter and of the Forest Practices Act, chapter 76.09 RCW.

     (c) In making its findings under this subsection, the department shall take into account its ability to revise assessments under WAC 222-22-090(3).

     *(4) If the department does not approve the draft watershed analysis, it shall set forth in writing a detailed explanation of the reasons for its disapproval.

     (5) All watershed analyses must be reviewed under SEPA on a nonproject basis. SEPA review may take place concurrently with the public review in subsection (1) of this section. (See WAC 222-10-035.)

     (6) The department will not review or approve cultural resource management strategies because their implementation is voluntary.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 76.09.040. 05-12-119, § 222-22-080, filed 5/31/05, effective 7/1/05. Statutory Authority: Chapter 34.05 RCW, RCW 76.09.040, [76.09.]050,[76.09.]370 , 76.13.120(9). 01-12-042, § 222-22-080, filed 5/30/01, effective 7/1/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 76.09.040 and chapter 34.05 RCW. 97-24-091, § 222-22-080, filed 12/3/97, effective 1/3/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 76.09.040, 76.09.170 and chapter 34.05 RCW. 94-01-134, § 222-22-080, filed 12/20/93, effective 1/1/94. Statutory Authority: RCW 76.09.040, 76.09.050 and chapter 34.05 RCW. 92-15-011, § 222-22-080, filed 7/2/92, effective 8/2/92.]