(Effective August 31, 2026)
These rules apply to all Type Np and Ns Waters on forest land in Western Washington, except as provided in WAC 222-30-023. Riparian management zones (RMZ) are measured horizontally from the outer edge of the bankfull width or channel migration zone, whichever is greater, and extend to the limits as described in this section. See board manual section 7 for guidelines.
(1) An equipment limitation zone is a 30-foot wide zone measured horizontally from the outer edge of the bankfull width of a Type Np or Ns Water where equipment use and other forest practices that are specifically limited by these rules. It applies to all nonfish perennial and seasonal streams.
(a) On-site mitigation is required if any of the following activities exposes the soil on more than 10 percent of the surface area of the zone:
(i) Ground based equipment;
(ii) Skid trails;
(iii) Stream crossings (other than existing roads); or
(iv) Cabled logs that are partially suspended.
(b) Mitigation must be designed to replace the equivalent of lost functions, especially prevention of sediment delivery. Examples include water bars, grass seeding, mulching, etc.
(c) Nothing in this section reduces or eliminates the department's authority to prevent actual or potential material damage to public resources under WAC 222-46-030 or 222-46-040 or any related authority to condition forest practices notifications or applications.
(2) Sensitive site protections along Type Np Waters. Forest practices must be conducted to protect Type Np Water sensitive sites. The sensitive sites must be identified and protected before establishing the Type Np RMZ as required in subsection (3) of this section. Sensitive sites and their protections are detailed below:
(a) No timber harvest is permitted in an area within 50 feet of the outer perimeter of a soil zone perennially saturated from a headwall seep.
(b) No timber harvest is permitted in an area within 50 feet of the outer perimeter of a soil zone perennially saturated from a side-slope seep.
(c) No timber harvest is permitted within a 56-foot radius buffer patch centered on the point of intersection of two or more Type Np Waters.
(d) No timber harvest is permitted within a 56-foot radius buffer patch centered on a headwater spring or, in the absence of a headwater spring, on a point at the upper most extent of a Type Np Water as defined in WAC 222-16-030(3).
(e) No timber harvest is permitted within an alluvial fan.
(3) Riparian management zones (RMZ) protection along Type Np Waters. Forest practices must be conducted to protect Type Np RMZs as detailed below. Where sensitive site protections, as outlined in subsection (2) of this section, exceed the no-harvest RMZ requirements in this subsection (3), the wider no-harvest buffer requirement shall apply.
(a) When the topographic basin in which harvest will occur is larger than 30 acres and 85 percent or more of the basin is planned, or reasonably expected, to be harvested within a five-year period, the landowner must designate a two-sided 75-foot no-harvest buffer along the entire stream reach of each Type Np Water.
(b) For all other topographic basins and harvests, a 75-foot no-harvest buffer will be established along both sides of the Type Np Water for the first 600 feet upstream from the confluence of Type S or F Water or, for Type Np streams without an above-ground confluence to a Type S or F Water, the lowest 600-foot length of the isolated stream. Upstream of the first 600 feet of a Type Np Water, the RMZ will be established based on stream bankfull width, as follows:
(i) For each Type Np stream three feet bankfull width or greater, the landowner must identify either a partial management strategy or no cut strategy:
(A) For partial management strategy, the landowner must designate a two-sided 75-foot RMZ along the entire stream reach in the harvest unit, and establish:
(I) A no-harvest buffer measuring 50 feet wide, or contained within the sensitive site protection area as described in subsection (2)(a) through (d) of this section; and
(II) A managed zone, either 25 feet wide measured from outer edge of the no-harvest buffer, or the remaining width from the outer edge of the sensitive site to the outer edge of the 75-foot RMZ where:
• Up to 50 percent of the trees may be harvested with an evenly-spaced distribution of leave trees; and
• Leave trees shall be representative of diameters found within the managed zone, and shall be representative of the tree species distribution within the managed zone.
(B) For no cut strategy, the landowner must designate a two-sided 65-foot no-harvest buffer along the entire stream reach in the harvest unit.
(ii) For each Type Np stream less than three feet bankfull width, the landowner must identify and protect the sensitive sites as detailed in subsection (2) of this section, then designate a two-sided no-harvest 50-foot buffer along the entire stream reach in the harvest unit. Where the outer edge of sensitive sites protections are less than 50-feet from bankfull width or the alluvial fan, the 50-foot buffer shall apply.
(4) Except for the construction and maintenance of road crossings and the creation and use of yarding corridors, no timber harvest will be allowed in the designated no-harvest buffers. Landowners must leave additional acres equal to the number of acres (including partial acres) occupied by an existing stream-adjacent parallel road within a designated additional buffer.
(5) None of the limitations on harvest in or around Type Np Water RMZs or sensitive sites listed in this section will preclude or limit:
(a) The construction and maintenance of roads for the purpose of crossing streams in WAC 222-24-030 and 222-24-050.
(b) The creation and use of yarding corridors in WAC 222-30-060(1): To the extent reasonably practical, the operation will both avoid creating yarding corridors or road crossings through Type Np Water RMZs or sensitive sites and associated buffers, and avoid management activities which would result in soil compaction, the loss of protective vegetation, or sedimentation in perennially moist areas. Where yarding corridors or road crossings through Type Np Water RMZs or sensitive sites and their buffers cannot reasonably be avoided, the buffer area must be expanded to protect the sensitive site by an area equivalent to the disturbed area or by providing comparable functions through other management-initiated efforts. Landowners must leave additional acres equal to the number of acres (including partial acres) occupied by an existing stream-adjacent parallel road within a Type Np Water RMZs or sensitive site buffer.