Forest Practices Enforcement

Regulation of Forest Practices Activities 

 The Forest Practices Program is the regulatory arm of Washington State Department of Natural Resources for timber harvest and other forest practices activities. Forest Practices staff review submitted forest practices applications (FPA/N), conduct compliance visits on activities subject to forest practices rules, and ensure that the Forest Practices rules are followed on forest land throughout the state. 
This work is vital for protecting public resources. The Forest Practices Program employs a progressive approach to enforcement, meaning that staff begin with the lowest level of enforcement action needed to achieve compliance and only escalate when necessary. 

Reporting Suspected Violations 

The following options are available to people who wish to report concerns about a specific forest practices activity. 

Civil Penalty and Notice of Intent to Disapprove

Civil penalties are generally reserved for more serious or repetitive violations of the Forest Practices Act and Rules. The Forest Practices Program follows a progressive approach to enforcement and encourages the use of informal, practical, results-oriented resolutions to alleged violations. Civil penalties are one of the least used enforcement mechanisms. 
Forest Practices staff most often seek civil penalties when multiple violations have occurred over time, indicating a record of noncompliance, or for especially egregious, willful violations of the Forest Practices Act or Rules.
A Notice of Intent to Disapprove (NOID) is issued to violators who fail to comply with a final order/decision or fail to pay a civil penalty by the due date. While the NOID is in effect, the violator may not serve as a person in charge of, be employed by someone in charge of, manage, or otherwise participate to any degree in forest practices activities. 
Submitted FPA/Ns listing an entity on the NOID list will not be approved. Staff may lift a NOID when the operator or landowner completes the tasks listed on an enforcement order and pays all penalties for which the notice was issued, or one year, whichever is a longer period of time. After the NOID is lifted, a landowner or operator may again engage in forest practices activities.
See below for the current lists, as well as e-subscription links for notifications when the lists are updated:

Forest Practices Enforcement Reporting

Information about current enforcement actions concerning forest practices activities.

Due Process Options

Certain Forest Practices enforcement documents and agency decisions are appealable. The presentation below describes due process options for Forest Practices enforcement documents and decisions. 
Forest Practices Appeals Options