House RMAP Hearing on Jan. 22 and Feb. 4

Olympia, WA - 1/20/03 - The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee will be holding a public hearing on HB 1095 on Wednesday, Jan. 22 in the O’Brien building, hearing room B. Chairman of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee Kelli Linville, D-Bellingham, has agreed to continue that hearing to Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 10 a.m. so those who cannot make next week’s hearing on short notice will still have a chance to provide public testimony at the later hearing date.

“We appreciate all of the effort that DNR put into meeting with us to fix the RMAP problems for small forest landowners and our members,” said Hertha Lund, Assistant Director of Government Relations. “However, we still do not have a legislative fix that provides relief for our members and others who have been unintentionally, negatively impacted by the implementation of Forest and Fish.”

From the beginning, Farm Bureau has supported legislation that removes these negative impacts from small forestland owners. Farm Bureau believes that those who cut less than two million board feet per year should not have any planning requirements and should only have to comply with pre-existing rules relating to road maintenance at the time they harvest, and only for the land impacted by that harvest.

To protect your interest and your pocketbook, we suggest the following:

Attend Farm Bureau Legislative Days (Feb. 4-5); which will feature RMAP updates, a breakfast with Senator Bob Morton (chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee), and an RMAP rally preceding the RMAP hearing Feb. 5.

Attend the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee RMAP hearing at 10:00 on Feb. 4 Hearing Room B in the O’Brien Bldng. at the Capitol Campus.

Attend the Senate Agriculture Committee RMAP hearing from 1:30 - 3:30 pm on Feb. 5 Hearing Room 4 in the Cherberg Bldng. at the Capitol Campus. There will be overflow rooms available - let's fill them up! This hearing is a top priority!

For a draft copy of the legislation being prepared for the DNR, send e-mail request to Scott Dilley, policy assistant at the Washington Farm Bureau, at sdilley@wsfb.com. To register for Legislative Days, contact Gary Joiner, director of member relations, at (800) 331-3276 or gjoiner@wsfb.com.