DNR Implements New Rule

Several months ago, one of our member company designers alerted us to a WAC rule changed proposed by the Department of Natural Resources. This state level agency is responsible for management and archiving of all the survey data for the state.

There has long been an issue of mapping topographic features between the OSS designers and Engineers and if showing topographic features within the OSS project footprint was the practice of “surveying” or not. The state DOL (Department of Licensing) for Engineers and Land Surveyor’s board has published their opinion on this matter and have tried to address it with policy from the board for many years.

In early summer, WOSSA met with the DOL Executive Director and board members to discuss the effort that was being put forward by the DNR. There was concern expressed that the proposed language could require that an On-site designers plans and topo maps would have to be reviewed and stamped by a licensed land surveyor. Over the last several months WOSSA has engaged discussion with the DOL and the DNR to get clarification on the intent of the proposed rule and to provide feedback on language clarification that would help define the intent and scope of the proposed rule. In that process, WOSSA distributed the proposed rule to a number of our PE’s, OSS designers and the LHJ’s to get feedback and have had the opportunity to review and make suggestions to the rule for clarification.

WOSSA attended the public meeting held by the DNR and expressed our concerns and provided recommendations for language clarification at that meeting. At a subsequent workgroup meeting in Spokane with the DNR we continued the discussion. Following is the final draft of the proposed rule that will be in effect 31 days after its submission for approval by the DNR.

The rule lays out the minimum requirements for designers and engineers of information and sources for topographic features and was supported by WOSSA. We also note that designer and PE licenses are subject to the requirements under 18.43 and 18.210 RCW first and state agency WAC’s secondarily. The minimums are what we see many LHJ’s requiring in local code for design submissions and the standardization of them on a state-wide basis should finally settle the issue of this area of overlap “incidental” to our onsite design community. If you have comments or questions, please direct them to Chuck Ahrens at the WOSSA office.