By Donelle Mahan, Online Project Manager, Forest Practices Program, Washington Department of Natural Resources, donelle.mahan@dnr.wa.gov
The Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR)’s Forest Practices program administers and enforces the Forest Practices Rules that protect public safety, water quality, and fish and wildlife habitat on the 12 million acres of Washington’s state-owned and private forestlands. The rules include legal standards for logging, road construction, pesticide application, and other forestry-related activities – while maintaining a viable forest products industry. DNR administers and enforces the rules through a permitting process, called a Forest Practices Application/Notification.
DNR’S Forest Practices program is excited to announce the building of a new tool for processing Forest Practices Applications (FPAs)and associated forms required for regulated forest practices. The current system, Forest Practices Application Review System (FPARS), requires landowners to manually submit paper FPAs and fee payments through checks.
The new fpOnline system will provide all landowners with a modern, efficient method to electronically fill out, create or attach a map, sign, and submit FPAs. fpOnline will also provide the option to pay for your FPA electronically. fpOnline will also automatically provide notification to reviewers from city, county, and state agencies and tribes so they can review and track FPAs and other documents. DNR expects to launch fpOnline in January 2025. DNR will continue to offer the paper Forest Practices Application process for applicants once fpOnline goes live.
For more information about fpOnline and how to stay aware of its progress, please visit DNR’s fpOnline website: https://www.dnr.wa.gov/fpOnline-info, and sign up for the newsletter and email alerts or consider joining one of fpOnline’s Forest Landowner Advisory Committees.
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