*Exotic forest insect or disease outbreaks.
Forest practices applications or notifications are not required for forest practices conducted to control exotic forest insect or disease outbreaks, when conducted by or under the direction of the department of agriculture in carrying out an order of the governor or director of the state department of agriculture to implement pest control measures as authorized under chapter
17.24 RCW, and are not required when conducted by or under the direction of the department in carrying out emergency measures under a forest health emergency declaration by the commissioner of public lands as provided in RCW
76.06.130.
(1) For the purposes of this section, exotic forest insect or disease has the same meaning as defined in RCW
76.06.020.
(2) In order to minimize adverse impacts to public resources, control measures must be based in integrated pest management, as defined in RCW
17.15.010, and must follow forest practices rules relating to road construction and maintenance, timber harvest, and forest chemicals, to the extent possible without compromising control objectives.
(3) Forest lands where trees have been cut as part of an exotic forest insect or disease control effort under this subsection are subject to reforestation requirements under RCW
76.09.070.
(4) The exemption from obtaining approved forest practices applications or notifications does not apply to forest practices conducted after the governor, the director of the department of agriculture, or the commissioner of public lands has declared that an emergency no longer exists because control objectives have been met, that there is no longer an imminent threat, or that there is no longer a good likelihood of control.
(5) Nothing under this section relieves agencies conducting or directing control efforts from requirements of the federal Clean Water Act as administered by the department of ecology under RCW
98.48.260.
[Statutory Authority: RCW
76.09.040. WSR 05-12-119, ยง 222-20-075, filed 5/31/05, effective 7/1/05.]