Description/Purpose
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regulates forest practices on private and state forest land. A permit is not required for every forest practice, but the forest practice rules must be followed when conducting all forest practices activities. Some counties and cities issue permits for harvests converting forest land to other uses. DNR permits for forest conversions are not required in: Clark, Cowlitz, King, Kitsap, Mason Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston and Whatcom counties and the cities of: Arlington, Bonney Lake, Bothell, Everett, Federal Way, Lacey, Lake Stevens, Mill Creek, Monroe, Mt. Vernon, Olympia, Port Townsend, Poulsbo, Tumwater and University Place.
Triggers and activities which would require this permit
Forest Practices that may require a permit include: harvesting timber, salvaging standing and down wood, constructing forest roads, opening or expanding a rock pit on forest land for forestry use, operating in or over any typed water and applying forest chemicals with an aircraft.
Explanation/Description of costs/fees, including statutory, regulatory, or other legal authority for fees
Fees vary between $0 and $1500 depending on activity (see notes). The DNR application fee is due at the time of application. Make the check payable to "Department of Natural Resources".
Notes / Comments
Forest Practices fees are charged only if timber harvesting is proposed, including salvage of snags, down wood, dying trees, or stumps. Make checks payable to "Department of Natural Resources."
The fee is $150 for harvesting timber, salvaging wood, or selling wood and you are not converting the land to a use incompatible with growing timber.
The fee is $150 for renewing an approved application or notification.
The fee is $100 for small forest landowners that have harvested no more than an average volume of two million board feet per year during the previous three years, AND if the forest practices application/notification is for a single contiguous ownership of one or more parcels. See FPA/N question 3 instructions for more information.
The fee is $1500 if you are harvesting timber, and
- Converting the land to a use incompatible with growing timber; OR
- The forest land is located inside city limits or urban growth boundary.
EXCEPT the fee is $150 if the landowner provides:
- A letter signed by the landowner stating that the landowner will not convert the land to a non-commercial forestry use for 10 years AND a written forest management plan approved by DNR; OR
- A Conversion Option Harvest Plan (COHP) approved and signed by the city or county.
The fee is $0 if your forest practices permit does not involve harvesting timber, salvaging wood, or selling wood.
Application/Notification fees are no longer refundable. The fee will be charged again when resubmitting an FPA/N more than 45 days after the application has been withdrawn.
Beginning December 30, 2013, forest landowners will only need one permit instead of two to conduct their hydraulic projects on forest lands. Hydraulic projects are those carried out in water, like the construction, removal, or replacement of a culvert or bridge.
Hydraulic Project Approvals (HPAs) will no longer be necessary for such projects if they are on forest land. Forest landowners planning to conduct these hydraulic projects are strongly encouraged to:
Reference: RCW 76.09.065 and 76.09.450