(1) Beginning in January 1998, the department and the department of natural resources shall implement a habitat incentives program based on the recommendations of federally recognized Indian tribes, landowners, the regional fisheries enhancement groups, the timber, fish, and wildlife cooperators, and other interested parties. The program shall allow a private landowner to enter into an agreement with the departments to enhance habitat on the landowner's property for food fish, game fish, or other wildlife species. In exchange, the landowner shall receive state regulatory certainty with regard to future applications for a permit or a forest practices permit on the property covered by the agreement. The overall goal of the program is to provide a mechanism that facilitates habitat development on private property while avoiding an adverse state regulatory impact to the landowner at some future date. A single agreement between the departments and a landowner may encompass up to one thousand acres. A landowner may enter into multiple agreements with the departments, provided that the total acreage covered by such agreements with a single landowner does not exceed ten thousand acres. The departments are not obligated to enter into an agreement unless the departments find that the agreement is in the best interest of protecting fish or wildlife species or their habitat.

(2) A habitat incentives agreement shall be in writing and shall contain at least the following: (a) A description of the property covered by the agreement; (b) an expiration date; (c) a description of the condition of the property prior to the implementation of the agreement; and (d) other information needed by the landowner and the departments for future reference and decisions.

(3) As part of the agreement, the department may stipulate the factors that will be considered when the department evaluates a landowner's application for a permit on property covered by the agreement. The department's identification of these evaluation factors shall be in concurrence with the department of natural resources and affected federally recognized Indian tribes. In general, future decisions related to the issuance, conditioning, or denial of a permit must be based on the conditions present on the landowner's property at the time of the agreement, unless all parties agree otherwise.

(4) As part of the agreement, the department of natural resources may stipulate the factors that will be considered when the department of natural resources evaluates a landowner's application for a forest practices permit under chapter 76.09 RCW on property covered by the agreement. The department of natural resources' identification of these evaluation factors shall be in concurrence with the department and affected federally recognized Indian tribes. In general, future decisions related to the issuance, conditioning, or denial of forest practices permits shall be based on the conditions present on the landowner's property at the time of the agreement, unless all parties agree otherwise.

(5) The agreement is binding on and may be used by only the landowner who entered into the agreement with the department. The agreement shall not be appurtenant with the land. However, if a new landowner chooses to maintain the habitat enhancement efforts on the property, the new landowner and the department and the department of natural resources may jointly choose to retain the agreement on the property.

(6) If the department and the department of natural resources receive multiple requests for agreements with private landowners under the habitat incentives program, the departments shall prioritize these requests and shall enter into as many agreements as possible within available budgetary resources.

Part headings not law—2005 c 146: See note following RCW 77.55.011.

Finding—Intent—1997 c 425: "In an effort to increase the amount of habitat available for fish and wildlife, the legislature finds that it is desirable for the department of fish and wildlife, the department of natural resources, and other interested parties to work closely with private landowners to achieve habitat enhancements. In some instances, private landowners avoid enhancing habitat because of a concern that the presence of fish or wildlife may make future land management more difficult. It is the intent of this act to provide a mechanism that facilitates habitat development while avoiding an adverse impact on the landowner at a later date. The habitat incentives program is not intended to supercede any federal laws." [ 1997 c 425 s 1.]