On June 6, 2025, the Washington Forest Practices Board (FPB) took a consequential vote that will reshape how water is classified and protected under the state’s Forest Practices Rules. The Board adopted a new Water Typing System rule and an associated Board Manual section (BM 23), marking the culmination of years of debate, modeling, and negotiation over how best to define and map fish streams in Washington’s managed forests. These decisions are a direct outgrowth of the state’s landmark Forests & Fish Law, and while they reflect progress in some areas, they also raise questions about implementation and future impacts on working forests.