The Washington Forest Protection Association (WFPA) and Washington Farm Forestry Association (WFFA) announced Aug. 27 that they would appeal a Thurston County Superior Court decision upholding the state’s expanded requirements for buffers along non-fish-bearing streams.
The rule, which took effect Aug. 31, expands no-harvest buffers around certain non-fish-bearing perennial streams, with buffers ranging from 50 to 75 feet depending on the stream and location.
The landowner groups said the rule could reduce timber available for harvest and affect rural communities, according to a WFPA press release.
WFPA and WFFA argued the state did not demonstrate that existing protections were failing to protect fish and water quality before expanding the requirements. They also said the new buffers could reduce harvestable forestland, increase road and planning costs and affect the value of private timberland.
The groups’ concerns extend beyond landowners, as Washington mills rely heavily on timber from private forests. The challenge was supported by 16 counties, ports, school districts, fire and emergency service districts and local business organizations in an amicus brief citing potential effects on local jobs, tax revenue and public services.
“This is not a conservation win if the state’s own record shows limited fish benefits, and immense harm to working forests and rural communities,” Jason Spadaro, executive director of WFPA, said in the release.
The groups said the appeal seeks to balance aquatic habitat protections with the economic needs of working forests. The American Forest Resource Council also separately challenged the rule, citing concerns about timber supply and wildfire risk.
