(1) The department may establish a contract harvesting program for directly contracting for the removal of timber and other valuable materials from state lands and for conducting silvicultural treatments consistent with RCW 79.15.540.

(2) The contract requirements must be compatible with the office of financial management's guide to public service contracts.

(3) The department may not use contract harvesting for more than twenty percent of the total annual volume of timber offered for sale. However, volume removed primarily to address an identified forest health issue under RCW 79.15.540 may not be included in calculating the annual limit of contract harvesting sales. Forest biomass resulting from harvesting to address an identified forest health issue under RCW 79.15.540 may be utilized in accordance with chapter 79.150 RCW.

Findings—Intent—2009 c 418: "The legislature finds that it is in the best interest of the trust beneficiaries to capture additional revenues while providing for additional environmental protection and improving forest health on state trust lands. Further, the legislature finds that contract harvesting is one method to achieve these desired outcomes while also providing the department of natural resources with the ability to offer opportunities to merchandise high value wood. The legislature intends that the department of natural resources should have the ability to expand their contract sales in areas where other sales do not generate as much revenue or provide resource management benefits. The legislature further intends that the department of natural resources distribute the increased contract harvest authority across all trusts and markets." [ 2009 c 418 s 1.]

Effective date—2004 c 218: See note following RCW 76.06.140.

Findings—Severability—2003 c 313: See notes following RCW 79.15.500.