Dent Small Forest Landowners Legislation Heads To Governor’s Desk

Representative Tom Dent says his Small Forest landowners Legislation, now headed to Governor Jay Inslee for his signature, will help property owners stave off catastrophic wildfire.

The Moses Lake Republican says livestock owners across the state looking to clear property of ladder fuels, those that can make a small wildfire large, ran into red tape.  First he says if farm laborers were hired to remove brush and downed trees, the land owner would need to get a farm labor contractors license, which he said was very expensive.  His legislation eliminates that requirement.

“You can hire up to two farm laborers without being a contactor, so that will be a savings there for people who are on a tighter budget,” Dent said.

In addition, House Bill 1924 requires DNR to streamline the permitting process.

“And they are committee to doing that for me,  I feel real confident this will happen and we’ll have a new answer on that by the fall.  So, it’s going to be a good bill for our small forested land owners.”

HB 1924 is one of four bills sponsored by Representative Dent going on to Jay Inslee for his signature.

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