City of Seattle

City Light Department

DEPARTMENT POLICY & PROCEDURE

Subject Number

DPP 500 P III-133

DISPOSITION OF DANGER TREES GROWING ON Effective

CITY OWNED PROPERTY UNDER JURISDICTION OF THE

SEATTLE CITY LIGHT DEPARTMENT 5/11/00 Supersedes

Approved

Page 1 of 4

1.0 PURPOSE

1.1 To establish Department policy on the disposition of danger trees or other timber resources growing on property owned by the City under the jurisdiction of the Seattle City Light Department.

1.2 Disposition of danger trees growing on property not owned by the City or owned by the City, but not under the jurisdiction of the Department, is guided by other City policies and procedures and is excluded from this Department Policy and Procedure (DPP).

2.0 ORGANIZATIONS AFFECTED

2.1 North Electric Services Division.

2.2 South Electric Services Division.

2.3 Generation Plant Operations Division.

2.4 Facilities Management Division.

3.0 REFERENCES

3.1 City Light Department Real Property Use Guidelines.

3.2 State Accountancy Act (RCW 43.09.210).

3.3 City Light Department DPP 500 P I-506: Maintenance of the Transmission Rights-of-Way.

3.4 Washington State Forest Practices Act (RCW 76.09).

3.5 Washington State Log Export Regulations (WAC 240-15).

4.0 POLICY

The City has acquired and possesses, under jurisdiction of the Department, fee simple title to lands on which timber and other vegetation grow which may or do present a hazard to the Department's electric transmission and distribution systems (danger trees). The Department is responsible for managing the transmission and distribution systems by eliminating or removing all hazards, including danger trees. The Department is also responsible for managing and preserving the property under its jurisdiction, including timber resources, to achieve its mission of providing reliable, safe and low cost power in an environmentally sound manner to meet its customer's needs now and in the future. It is the policy of the Department that danger trees growing on lands owned by the City under the jurisdiction of the Department, will be appraised prior to cutting, may only be sold with ordinance authority of the City Council, and if sold will be sold to the highest qualified bidder.

5.0 DEFINITIONS

5.1 Department. The City Light Department of the City of Seattle.

5.2 City. The City of Seattle.

5.3 Real Estate Services Manager. The manager of the Real Estate Services Unit of the Facilities Management Division of the City Light Department.

5.4 Electric Transmission System. Transmission towers, conductors and appurtenances used or useful for the transmission of electrical energy.

5.5 Electric Distribution System. Towers, poles, lines, conductors and appurtenances used or useful for the distribution of electric energy to electric service customers.

5.6 Danger Tree. Any tree within or outside the transmission line right of way, or an electric distribution corridor, which, by falling could endanger the electric transmission or distribution system.

5.7 Timber Sale. Any sale of danger trees or other timber resources owned by the City on land under the jurisdiction of the Department.

5.8 Timber Sale Contract. Any agreement for the sale of danger trees or other timber resources owned by the City on land under the jurisdiction of the Department.

5.9 Timber Operator. Any person or persons, company or organization authorized to conduct logging or timber harvesting operations under the Washington State Forest Practices Act (RCW Chapter 76.09).

5.10 Qualified Bidder. Any Timber Operator, other than a current City employee or employees or entity in which any City employee holds a controlling interest, willing and able to meet all the Department's conditions of sale, including, but not limited to, bonding and liability insurance requirements. City employees or any entity which is controlled directly or indirectly by a City employee are not Qualified Bidders.

6.0 RESPONSIBILITIES

6.1 The appropriate Departmental divisions responsible for the operation and maintenance of the electric transmission and distribution systems shall be responsible for:

6.1.1 Identifying all danger trees consistent with Departmental vegetation management and environmental policies;

6.1.2 Determining if Departmental resources can remove the danger trees;

6.1.3 Determining the means or method of safely falling and economically disposing of all danger trees; which may include leaving them on the ground;

6.1.4 Notifying the Real Estate Services Unit if it determined that Departmental resources are not sufficient to remove the danger trees.

6.2 The Real Estate Services Unit shall be responsible for:

6.2.1 Obtaining all timber appraisals or timber cruises necessary to establish stumpage value of all danger trees;

6.2.2 Obtaining authorization by Ordinance of the City Council if any danger trees are to be sold.

6.2.3 Initiating the bid process.

6.2.4 Arranging with the Executive Services Department, Public Works and Consultant Contracting Section for the opening of all bids, and awarding of all timber harvesting service contracts or all timber sales contracts;

6.2.5 Reviewing all bids for timber harvesting service contracts or timber sales contracts;

6.2.6 Maintaining records of all timber sales contracts.

7.0 PROCEDURES

7.1 Any danger trees identified as growing on or along transmission line rights of way or distribution system corridors on land owned by the City under the Department's jurisdiction shall be marked by the Generation Plant Operations Division or the Vegetation Management Unit for falling and/or disposal.

7.2 The Real Estate Services Unit shall have any danger trees or other timber resources on land owned by the City under the Department's jurisdiction which are to be sold under any form of timber sale contract appraised and/or cruised prior to being felled, to determine their stumpage value.

7.3 A contract for services for harvesting of any danger trees to be harvested, but not removed from the possession of the Department, shall be awarded to the lowest qualified bidder, through a competitive bid process jointly administered by the Department and the Public Works and Consultant Contracting Section of the Executive Services Department. Any danger trees to be sold by the Department, shall be sold to the highest qualified bidder, through a competitive bid process jointly administered by the Department and the Public Works and Consultant Contracting Section of the Executive Services Department.

7.4 The Department divisions responsible for the operation and maintenance of the electric transmission or distribution system affected shall be responsible for monitoring the work of employees felling danger trees or Timber Operators hired to remove danger trees.

7.5 The Real Estate Services Unit shall draft all timber harvesting services contracts and all timber sales contracts. The sale contracts shall include all of the timber sale contract requirements of WAC 240-15-20(4).

8.0 APPENDIX

8.1 Distribution: All Department Policy and Procedure Manuals.

DISPOSITION OF DANGER TREES GROWING ON

CITY OWNED PROPERTY UNDER JURISDICTION OF THE

SEATTLE CITY LIGHT DEPARTMENT Page 4 of 4

DPP 500 P III-133 5/11/00