In the Senate, SB 434 passed out of committee last week (2/5/2016) and was approved by the Joint Finance Committee on Thursday.  It now is awaiting scheduling for a full Senate vote.  Read more.

On Thursday, January 14, the Senate Forestry Committee passed an amended MFL bill, making it now available for a vote by the full Senate.  Read more.      

Although most responses to updating the MFL have been positive or neutral, there has recently been some opposition by the general public.  Comments made include “this is just another big tax break for wealthy landowners which then puts a bigger burden on … Continued

WAFO, along with two dozen other individuals and groups, publicly testified before the Assembly Committee on Environment and Forestry on Dec. 8 in favor of AB 559.  This bill, sponsored by Rep, Mary Czaja, would once again allow landowners to receive … Continued

WAFO invites you to review our testimony to be presented at the December 8 public Assembly hearing. Please join us to cast your ballot in favor of rescinding the leasing ban in State Capitol room 412 E at 12 pm.

Hearings are scheduled to be held on Tuesday, December 8th on AB 559 related to rescinding the ban on leasing of lands in the Managed Forest Law and on AB 561  related to changes to the MFL. The Assembly Environment and Forestry … Continued

The draft bill currently being developed to update the Managed Forest Law DOES NOT include language to rescind the ban on the leasing of private lands in the program.  Read the language that WAFO offered to the bill to rescind the … Continued

WAFO strongly supports adding language that would provide more certainty for landowners who enroll in the MFL. Under current law, landowners who enroll in the MFL do so not as a contract, but as an Agreement with the State of … Continued

Hearings could begin as soon as October 21st for a new bill that would provide extensive changes to the Managed Forest Law (MFL). Representative Jeff Mursau announced to the Council on Forestry on September 30th that a bill is being … Continued

As a first step to revise the Managed Forest Law, a bill has been drafted which eliminates the restriction on leasing land designated as Managed Forest Land (MFL).  The bill also clearly states that owners of closed MFL can enter into … Continued