Revised Code of Washington
Chapter 70A.65 - Greenhouse Gas Emissions—Cap and Invest Program.
70A.65.190 - Small forestland owner work group.

RCW 70A.65.190
Small forestland owner work group. (Expires July 1, 2023.)

(1) The department of natural resources must contract with an eligible entity capable of providing public value to the state through the establishment and implementation of a small forestland owner work group. The purpose of the work group is to forward the goals and implementation of this chapter by identifying possible carbon market opportunities including, but not limited to, the provision of offset credits that qualify under RCW 70A.65.170, and other incentive-based greenhouse gas reduction programs that Washington landowners may be able to access, including compliance markets operated by other jurisdictions, voluntary markets, and federal, state, and private programs for forestlands that can be leveraged to achieve carbon reductions.
(2) The work group established by the eligible entity under this section must:
(a) Provide recommendations for the implementation and funding of a pilot program to develop an aggregator account that will pursue carbon offset projects for small forestland owners in Washington state, including recommendations based on programs established in other jurisdictions;
(b) Coordinate with the department on the development of offset protocols related to landowners under RCW 70A.65.170(4)(d);
(c) Develop a framework and funding proposals for establishing a program to link interested small forestland owners with incentive-based carbon reducing programs that facilitate adoption of forest practices that increase carbon storage and sequestration in forests and wood products. The framework may include:
(i) Identifying areas of coordination and layering among state, federal, and private landowner incentive programs and identifying roadblocks to better scalability;
(ii) Assisting landowners with access to feasibility analyses, market applications, stand inventories, pilot project support, and other services to reduce the transaction costs and barriers to entry to carbon markets or carbon incentive programs; and
(iii) Sharing information with private and other landowners about best practices employed to increase carbon storage and access to incentive programs; and
(d) Recommend policies to support the implementation of incentives for participation in carbon markets.
(3) The work group must transmit a final report to the department by December 1, 2022, that provides recommendations for incentives, the implementation of incentives, and payment structures necessary to support small forest landowners and any recommendations around extending the work group or making the work group permanent. The department must submit the final report to the legislature, in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, by December 31, 2022.
(4) For the purposes of this section, "eligible entity" means a nonprofit entity solely based in Washington that can demonstrate a membership of at least 1000 small forestland owners and that has, as part of its mission, the promotion of the sustainable stewardship of family forestlands.
(5) This section expires July 1, 2023.

[ 2021 c 316 § 21.]