OLYMPIA – This week, Rep. Adam Bernbaum (D-Port Angeles) celebrates two bills signed into law by Governor Bob Ferguson.
House Bill 1563 increases oversight and safety for prescribed wildfire burns. For thousands of years, local tribes managed our forests with prescribed burns to prevent out-of-control wildfires. The bill creates a pilot program to increase support for prescribed burns. The bill passed both houses and was signed into law on Monday, April 21.
“More Washingtonians are at risk every year as wildfire season gets longer and climate change increases the damage done to property and homes across the state,” said Rep. Bernbaum. “Prescribed fire is one of the most effective tools we can use to keep our forests healthy and protect our communities.”
House Bill 1389 keeps Washington’s timber market fair and transparent by continuing to collect and use timber harvesting data to set accurate, fair stumpage prices.
“This bill maintains a partnership between government and industry that has been successful for more than two decades,” said Rep. Adam Bernbaum, the bill’s prime sponsor. “Keeping the process fair and transparent is essential for longevity.”
The bill extends the sunset on data reporting requirements from 2025 through September 30, 2029 on the program that has been used to set fair market value for timber since 2001.
In Washington, standing timber isn’t taxed until it’s harvested—once it’s cut and removed, a 5% excise tax is applied to the value of the timber. Stumpage value tables from the Department of Revenue help determine how much the wood is worth based on species and region.
Large timber purchasers (those buying more than 200,000 board feet) must report sale details to the DOR to help keep stumpage values up-to-date and reflective of current market value and conditions.
“Washington is a timber rich state, and that should be reflected in our economy,” Rep. Bernbaum said. “This system works – let’s keep it going.”
###