BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  AB 2351
          Author:   Chesbro (D)
          Amended:  4/15/10 in Assembly
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE :  5-1, 6/9/10
          AYES:  Pavley, Kehoe, Lowenthal, Padilla, Wolk
          NOES:  Cogdill
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Hollingsworth, Huff, Simitian

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  8-0, 6/28/10
          AYES:  Kehoe, Cox, Alquist, Corbett, Leno, Price, Wolk, Yee
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Denham, Walters, Wyland

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  55-18, 5/6/10 - See last page for vote


           SUBJECT  :    Forest resources:  demonstration state forests:  
          campgrounds:  
                      user fees

           SOURCE  :     Department of Forestry and Fire


           DIGEST  :    This bill authorizes the California Department  
          of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) to assess  
          recreational user fees for overnight camping and group  
          activities on a demonstration state forest.  These fees  
          must be deposited in the Forest Resources Improvement Fund  
          to reimburse CDF's costs of maintaining and improving  
          campground facilities, associated recreational facilities,  
          the natural environment,
                                                           CONTINUED





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           ANALYSIS  :    

           Existing law
           
          1. Authorizes CDF, in accordance with plans approved by the  
             Board of Forestry, to acquire, manage, protect, and  
             reforest state forests.

          2. Creates the Forest Resource Improvement Fund (FRIF) in  
             the State Treasury, for the deposit of revenues from the  
             sale of forest products from state forests to support  
             the management of these forests, including restoration  
             activities.  Any balance in the FIRF must be deposited  
             in the General Fund.

          This bill:

          1. Authorizes CDF to charge and collect recreational user  
             fees for overnight camping and reserved group activities  
             on a demonstration state forest.  CDF is prohibited from  
             charging a fee that exceeds the amount necessary to  
             reimburse CDF's costs for maintenance and improvement of  
             campground facilities, associated recreational  
             facilities, natural environment and access thereto.
                 
          2. Requires CDF to deposit all recreational user fees into  
             the FRIF on a monthly basis to be used, upon  
             appropriation by the Legislature, to reimburse the CDF's  
             cost of maintaining and improving the campground  
             facilities, associated recreational facilities, natural  
             environment, and access thereto.

           Background
           
          According to CDF's Website, as of September 2006, "[CDF]  
          operates eight Demonstration State Forests totaling 71,000  
          acres.  The forests represent the most common forest types  
          in the state.  The State Forests grow approximately 75  
          million board feet yearly and harvest an average of 30  
          million board feet of timber each year, enough to build  
          3,000 single-family homes.  In addition, the forests  
          provide research and demonstration projects on forest  
          management, while providing public recreation  







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          opportunities, fish and wildlife habitat, and watershed  
          protection."  The eight state forests are: Jackson  
          (Mendocino County), Boggs Mountain (Lake County), Latour  
          (Shasta County), Mountain Home (Tulare County), Soquel  
          (Santa Cruz County), Las Posadas (Napa County), Mount Zion  
          (Amador County), and Ellen Pickett (Trinity County).   
          Jackson State Forest, at over 50,000 acres, is the largest  
          state forest.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  No

          According to the Senate Appropriations Committee analysis:

                          Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions                2009-10     2010-11     
           2011-12   Fund  
          New fee revenues                        ($80) to ($120) per  
          year                                    Special *

          *Forest Resources Improvement Fund

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  6/29/10)

          Department of Forestry and Fire (source)
          California Licensed Foresters Association
          California Native Plant Society
          County of Mendocino, Board of Supervisors


           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    According to the author's office,  
          "Since camping on the Demonstration State Forests has been  
          free of charge, law enforcement, campground access, and  
          maintenance and improvements to the campgrounds has been  
          funded by timber sales.  In economic recessions, when  
          timber revenues are low and recreational use increases, the  
          financial and environmental impact on the Demonstration  
          State Forests can be significant."

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  : 
          AYES:  Adams, Ammiano, Arambula, Beall, Blakeslee,  
            Blumenfield, Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero,  
            Charles Calderon, Carter, Chesbro, Cook, Coto, Davis, De  







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            La Torre, De Leon, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fong, Fuentes,  
            Furutani, Galgiani, Hall, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill,  
            Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Lieu, Bonnie Lowenthal,  
            Ma, Monning, Nava, Niello, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino,  
            Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Skinner, Solorio, Audra  
            Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran,  
            Villines, Yamada, John A. Perez
          NOES:  Anderson, Bill Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Conway,  
            DeVore, Emmerson, Fletcher, Gaines, Garrick, Hagman,  
            Knight, Logue, Miller, Nestande, Nielsen, Norby, Silva,  
            Smyth
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Bass, Block, Fuller, Gilmore, Harkey,  
            Mendoza, Vacancy


          CTW:do  6/29/10   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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