OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced three open house meetings around the state to discuss improvements and changes to the selection process for the Forestry Riparian Easement Program (FREP). DNR will take the input from these meetings to draft recommendations that it will present to the state legislature by October 1, 2010.
The Forestry Riparian Easement Program (FREP) compensates eligible small forest landowners for 50 percent to 80 percent of the marketable timber that they must leave unharvested due to state forest practices rules that protect forests and fish. The landowner still owns the property and retains full access, but has “leased” the trees and their important riparian functions, such as clean water and fish habitat, to the state.
Two of the meetings will discuss eligibility and prioritization requirements of the Forestry Riparian Easement Program (FREP).
The date, time and location of the initial input meetings are:
Open House Meetings
August 4, 2010 – Spokane
When: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Location: WSU Extension - Spokane County Extension building
222 North Havana Street
Spokane, Washington
August 9, 2010 – Centralia
When: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Location: Centralia Community College Science Center, Room NSC 121
600 Centralia College Blvd.
Centralia, Washington
DNR will take input from these meetings to draft a set of recommendations that will be reviewed at a third open house meeting, scheduled for late August.
Open House meeting to review recommendations
A third meeting will provide an opportunity to review and supply comment on the draft recommendations that were generated from the input meetings. DNR will deliver a final set of recommendations to the legislature by October 1, 2010.
The date, time and location of the review meeting is:
August 30, 2010, Olympia
When: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Natural Resources Building, Room 172
1111 Washington Street, Olympia, WA
(Follow sign from visitors parking level P-1 to the meeting room).
Send comments to FREP@dnr.wa.gov or by phone at 360-902-1400.
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