Marysville Sound

Development · Mar 25, 2025

Planning Commission was set to weigh city review of Class IV tree-clearing permits

A public hearing was scheduled for March 25, 2025, on code amendments that would shift review of Class IV forest practice applications from the state Department of Natural Resources to Marysville Community Development. 1

What the records say

In materials published ahead of the March 25, 2025, meeting, the record said the Planning Commission was scheduled to hold a public hearing on a Forest Practice Applications Code Amendment. 1 The proposed change would shift review and issuance of Class IV forest practice applications from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to Community Development, according to the meeting materials. 1 The suggested motion for the hearing was to recommend approval of the code amendments to the City Council for adoption by ordinance. 1

  • The Planning Commission was scheduled to hold a public hearing on the Forest Practice Applications Code Amendment on March 25, 2025. 1
  • The suggested motion was to recommend approval of the Forest Practice Applications Code Amendments to the City Council for adoption by ordinance. 1
  • The proposal would make Community Development the reviewer and issuer of Class IV forest practice applications instead of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. 1
  • Class IV forest practice applications are required where sites are proposed to be cleared of trees, with common triggers including selling harvested timber or harvesting 5,000 board feet or more of timber for personal use. 1

Why it matters

The practical effect, if adopted, would be that Class IV forest practice applications in Marysville would be reviewed by city staff rather than the state Department of Natural Resources. 1 Analysis: That could change the permitting path for projects that trigger a Class IV forest practice application, but the record does not establish whether the Planning Commission recommended approval or what the City Council later did.

What changed / what's next

  • The city would take over review and issuance of Class IV forest practice applications from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. 1
  • Whether the Planning Commission recommended approval at the March 25, 2025, hearing, and how the City Council later acted on the ordinance. The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome. 1