The bill grants counties in Washington the authority to enter into shared stewardship agreements with federal agencies, specifically the United States Forest Service, for the management of federally owned lands. This includes the maintenance and management of fuel breaks within one mile of any road, including highways. A key aspect of these agreements is the inclusion of revenue sharing, ensuring that counties can retain proceeds from timber sales, which is intended to help address lost revenues from timber sales and support rural schools.

To implement this, the bill amends RCW 36.75.040 by adding a new provision that explicitly allows counties to engage in these shared stewardship agreements. This addition aims to enhance the counties' ability to manage forestlands effectively for wildfire prevention and risk management while also providing a financial benefit through revenue sharing from timber sales.

Statutes affected:
Original bill: 36.75.040