BILL NUMBER: AB 1958 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 583
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 24, 2016
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 24, 2016
PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 23, 2016
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 29, 2016
AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 19, 2016
AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 4, 2016
AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 2, 2016
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 21, 2016
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 7, 2016
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 29, 2016
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Wood
FEBRUARY 12, 2016
An act to amend Sections 4584 and 4621 of, and to add and repeal
Section 4589 of, the Public Resources Code, relating to forestry.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1958, Wood. Forestry: timberlands: restoration and conservation
forest management activities.
The Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973 prohibits a person
from conducting timber operations, as defined, unless a timber
harvesting plan prepared by a registered professional forester has
been submitted to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The
act authorizes the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to
exempt from some or all of those provisions of the act a person
engaging in specified forest management activities. Existing law
authorizes a registered professional forester in an emergency to
file, on behalf of a timber owner or operator, a specified emergency
notice with the department that allows for the immediate commencement
of timber operations.
This bill would also, until January 1, 2024, authorize the board
to exempt from some or all of those provisions of the act a person
cutting or removing trees in specified areas to restore and conserve
California black or Oregon white oak woodlands and associated
grasslands, as specified. The bill would require the department and
board to review and submit a report to the Legislature on the trends
in the use of, compliance with, and effectiveness of the above
exemptions and emergency notice provision and specified regulations.
Existing law requires a person who owns timberlands that are to be
devoted to uses other than the growing of timber to file an
application for conversion with the board and requires the board to
establish a system of graduated timberland conversion permit fees.
This bill would define "growing of timber," for these purposes, to
include restoration and conservation forest management activities,
which may include the removal of commercial species, if necessary to
achieve specific forest health and ecological goals, that are not
conducted in conjunction with the cutting or removal of trees or
other forest products during the conversion of timberlands to other
uses.
This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 4584 of
the Public Resources Code proposed by AB 2029 that would become
operative if this bill and AB 2029 are enacted and this bill is
enacted last.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 4584 of the Public Resources Code is amended to
read:
4584. Upon determining that the exemption is consistent with the
purposes of this chapter, the board may exempt from this chapter, or
portions of this chapter, a person engaged in forest management whose
activities are limited to any of the following:
(a) The cutting or removal of trees for the purpose of
constructing or maintaining a right-of-way for utility lines.
(b) The planting, growing, nurturing, shaping, shearing, removal,
or harvest of immature trees for Christmas trees or other ornamental
purposes or minor forest products, including fuelwood.
(c) The cutting or removal of dead, dying, or diseased trees of
any size.
(d) Site preparation.
(e) Maintenance of drainage facilities and soil stabilization
treatments.
(f) Timber operations on land managed by the Department of Parks
and Recreation.
(g) (1) The one-time conversion of less than three acres to a
nontimber use. A person, whether acting as an individual, as a member
of a partnership, or as an officer or employee of a corporation or
other legal entity, shall not obtain more than one exemption pursuant
to this subdivision in a five-year period. If a partnership has as a
member, or if a corporation or other legal entity has as an officer
or employee, a person who has received this exemption within the past
five years, whether as an individual, as a member of a partnership,
or as an officer or employee of a corporation or other legal entity,
then that partnership, corporation, or other legal entity is not
eligible for this exemption. "Person," for purposes of this
subdivision, means an individual, partnership, corporation, or other
legal entity.
(2) (A) Notwithstanding Section 4554.5, the board shall adopt
regulations that do all of the following:
(i) Identify the required documentation of a bona fide intent to
complete the conversion that an applicant will need to submit in
order to be eligible for the exemption in paragraph (1).
(ii) Authorize the department to inspect the sites approved in
conversion applications that have been approved on or after January
1, 2002, in order to determine that the conversion was completed
within the two-year period described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph
(2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1104.1 of Title 14 of the
California Code of Regulations.
(iii) Require the exemption pursuant to this subdivision to expire
if there is a change in timberland ownership. The person who
originally submitted an application for an exemption pursuant to this
subdivision shall notify the department of a change in timberland
ownership on or before five calendar days after a change in
ownership.
(iv) The board may adopt regulations allowing a waiver of the
five-year limitation described in paragraph (1) upon finding that the
imposition of the five-year limitation would impose an undue
hardship on the applicant for the exemption. The board may adopt a
process for an appeal of a denial of a waiver.
(B) The application form for the exemption pursuant to paragraph
(1) shall prominently advise the public that a violation of the
conversion exemption, including a conversion applied for in the name
of someone other than the person or entity implementing the
conversion in bona fide good faith, is a violation of this chapter
and penalties may accrue up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for
each violation pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with Section 4601).
(h) An easement granted by a right-of-way construction agreement
administered by the federal government if timber sales and operations
within or affecting the area are reviewed and conducted pursuant to
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 4321 et
seq.).
(i) (1) The cutting or removal of trees in compliance with
Sections 4290 and 4291 that eliminates the vertical continuity of
vegetative fuels and the horizontal continuity of tree crowns for the
purpose of reducing flammable materials and maintaining a fuel break
for a distance of not more than 150 feet on each side from an
approved and legally permitted structure that complies with the
California Building Standards Code, when that cutting or removal is
conducted in compliance with this subdivision. For purposes of this
subdivision, an "approved and legally permitted structure" includes
only structures that are designed for human occupancy and garages,
barns, stables, and structures used to enclose fuel tanks.
(2) (A) The cutting or removal of trees pursuant to this
subdivision is limited to cutting or removal that will result in a
reduction in the rate of fire spread, fire duration and intensity,
fuel ignitability, or ignition of the tree crowns and shall be in
accordance with any regulations adopted by the board pursuant to this
section.
(B) Trees shall not be cut or removed pursuant to this subdivision
by the clearcutting regeneration method, by the seed tree removal
step of the seed tree regeneration method, or by the shelterwood
removal step of the shelterwood regeneration method.
(3) (A) Surface fuels, including logging slash and debris, low
brush, and deadwood, that could promote the spread of wildfire shall
be chipped, burned, or otherwise removed from all areas of timber
operations within 45 days from the date of commencement of timber
operations pursuant to this subdivision.
(B) (i) All surface fuels that are not chipped, burned, or
otherwise removed from all areas of timber operations within 45 days
from the date of commencement of timber operations may be determined
to be a nuisance and subject to abatement by the department or the
city or county having jurisdiction.
(ii) The costs incurred by the department, city, or county, as the
case may be, to abate the nuisance upon a parcel of land subject to
the timber operations, including, but not limited to, investigation,
boundary determination, measurement, and other related costs, may be
recovered by special assessment and lien against the parcel of land
by the department, city, or county. The assessment may be collected
at the same time and in the same manner as ordinary ad valorem taxes,
and shall be subject to the same penalties and the same procedure
and sale in case of delinquency as is provided for ad valorem taxes.
(4) All timber operations conducted pursuant to this subdivision
shall conform to applicable city or county general plans, city or
county implementing ordinances, and city or county zoning ordinances.
This paragraph does not authorize the cutting, removal, or sale of
timber or other solid wood forest products within an area where
timber harvesting is prohibited or otherwise restricted pursuant to
the rules or regulations adopted by the board.
(5) (A) The board shall adopt regulations, initially as emergency
regulations in accordance with subparagraph (B), that the board
considers necessary to implement and to obtain compliance with this
subdivision.
(B) The emergency regulations adopted pursuant to subparagraph (A)
shall be adopted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act
(Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3
of Title 2 of the Government Code). The adoption of emergency
regulations shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the
immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, or
general welfare.
(6) (A) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the board may exempt from
this chapter, or portions of this chapter, a person engaged in forest
management whose activities are limited to the cutting or removal of
trees on the person's property in compliance with Sections 4290 and
4291 that eliminates the vertical continuity of vegetative fuels and
the horizontal continuity of tree crowns for the purpose of reducing
flammable materials and maintaining a fuel break for a distance of
not more than 300 feet on each side from an approved and legally
permitted habitable structure, when that cutting or removal is
conducted in compliance with this subdivision and all of the
following conditions are met:
(i) The notice of exemption is prepared, signed, and submitted by
a registered professional forester to the department.
(ii) For the areas between 150 and 300 feet from the habitable
structure, the operations meet all of the following provisions:
(I) The residual stocking standards are consistent with Sections
913.2, 933.2, and 953.2 of Title 14 of the California Code of
Regulations, as appropriate.
(II) Activities within this area will increase the quadratic mean
diameter of the stand.
(III) The residual stand consists primarily of healthy and
vigorous dominant and codominant trees from the preharvest stand,
well distributed through the harvested area.
(IV) Postharvest slash treatment and stand conditions will lead to
more moderate fire behavior in the professional judgment of the
registered professional forester who submits the notice of exemption.
(V) Any additional guidance for slash treatment and postharvest
stand conditions and any other issues deemed necessary that are
consistent with this section, as established by the board.
(B) For purposes of this paragraph, "habitable structure" means a
building that contains one or more dwelling units or that can be
occupied for residential use. Buildings occupied for residential use
include single family homes, multidwelling structures, mobile and
manufactured homes, and condominiums. For purposes of this paragraph
"habitable structure" does not include commercial, industrial, or
incidental buildings such as detached garages, barns, outdoor
sanitation facilities, and sheds.
(C) The department shall evaluate the effects of this paragraph
and shall report its recommendations, before the paragraph becomes
inoperative, to the Legislature based on that evaluation. The report
shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
Code.
(D) The board shall adopt regulations to implement this paragraph
no later than January 1, 2016.
(E) This paragraph shall become inoperative three years after the
effective date of regulations adopted by the board pursuant to
subparagraph (D) but no later than January 1, 2019.
(j) (1) The harvesting of trees, limited to those trees that
eliminate the vertical continuity of vegetative fuels and the
horizontal continuity of tree crowns, for the purpose of reducing the
rate of fire spread, duration and intensity, fuel ignitability, or
ignition of tree crowns.
(2) The board may authorize an exemption pursuant to paragraph (1)
only if the tree harvesting will decrease fuel continuity and
increase the quadratic mean diameter of the stand, and the tree
harvesting area will not exceed 300 acres.
(3) Except as provided in paragraph (11), the notice of exemption,
which shall be known as the Forest Fire Prevention Exemption, may be
authorized only if all of the conditions specified in paragraphs (4)
to (10), inclusive, are met.
(4) A registered professional forester shall prepare the notice of
exemption and submit it to the director, and include a map of the
area of timber operations that complies with the requirements of
paragraphs (1), (3), (4), and (7) to (12), inclusive, of subdivision
(x) of Section 1034 of Title 14 of the California Code of
Regulations.
(5) (A) The registered professional forester who submits the
notice of exemption shall include a description of the preharvest
stand structure and a statement of the postharvest stand stocking
levels.
(B) The level of residual stocking shall be consistent with
maximum sustained production of high-quality timber products. The
residual stand shall consist primarily of healthy and vigorous
dominant and codominant trees from the preharvest stand. Stocking
shall not be reduced below the standards required by any of the
following provisions that apply to the exemption at issue:
(i) Clauses 1 to 4, inclusive, of subparagraph (A) of paragraph
(1) of subdivision (a) of Section 913.3 of Title 14 of the California
Code of Regulations.
(ii) Clauses 1 to 4, inclusive, of subparagraph (A) of paragraph
(1) of subdivision (a) of Section 933.3 of Title 14 of the California
Code of Regulations.
(iii) Clauses 1 to 4, inclusive, of subparagraph (A) of paragraph
(1) of subdivision (a) of Section 953.3 of Title 14 of the California
Code of Regulations.
(C) If the preharvest dominant and codominant crown canopy is
occupied by trees less than 14 inches in diameter at breast height, a
minimum of 100 trees over four inches in diameter at breast height
shall be retained per acre for Site I, II, and III lands, and a
minimum of 75 trees over four inches in diameter at breast height
shall be retained per acre for Site IV and V lands.
(6) (A) The registered professional forester who submits the
notice shall include selection criteria for the trees to be harvested
or the trees to be retained. In the development of fuel reduction
prescriptions, the registered professional forester should consider
retaining habitat elements, where feasible, including, but not
limited to, ground level cover necessary for the long-term management
of local wildlife populations.
(B) All trees that are harvested or all trees that are retained
shall be marked or sample marked by, or under the supervision of, a
registered professional forester before felling operations begin. The
board shall adopt regulations for sample marking for this section in
Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. Sample marking shall
be limited to homogenous forest stand conditions typical of
plantations.
(7) (A) The registered professional forester submitting the
notice, upon submission of the notice, shall provide a confidential
archaeology letter that includes all the information required by any
of the following provisions that apply to the exemption at issue:
(i) Paragraphs (2) and (7) to (11), inclusive, of subdivision (c)
of Section 929.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations,
and include site records if required pursuant to subdivision (g) of
that section or pursuant to Section 929.5 of Title 14 of the
California Code of Regulations.
(ii) Paragraphs (2) and (7) to (11), inclusive, of subdivision (c)
of Section 949.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations,
and include site records if required pursuant to subdivision (g) of
that section or pursuant to Section 949.5 of Title 14 of the
California Code of Regulations.
(iii) Paragraphs (2) and (7) to (11), inclusive, of subdivision
(c) of Section 969.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of
Regulations, and include site records if required pursuant to
subdivision (g) of that section or pursuant to Section 969.5 of Title
14 of the California Code of Regulations.
(B) The director shall submit a complete copy of the confidential
archaeological letter and two copies of all required archaeological
or historical site records to the appropriate Information Center of
the California Historical Resource Information System within 30 days
from the date of notice submittal to the director. Before submitting
the notice to the director, the registered professional forester
shall send a copy of the notice to Native Americans, as defined in
Section 895.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.
(8) Only trees less than 18 inches in stump diameter, measured at
eight inches above ground level, may be removed. However, within 500
feet of a legally permitted structure, or in an area prioritized as a
shaded fuel break in a community wildfire protection plan approved
by a public fire agency, if the goal of fuel reduction cannot be
achieved by removing trees less than 18 inches in stump diameter,
trees less than 24 inches in stump diameter may be removed if that
removal complies with this section and is necessary to achieve the
goal of fuel reduction. A fuel reduction effort shall not violate the
canopy closure regulations adopted by the board on June 10, 2004,
and as those regulations may be amended.
(9) (A) This subparagraph applies to areas within 500 feet of a
legally permitted structure and in areas prioritized as a shaded fuel
break in a community wildfire protection plan approved by a public
fire agency. The board shall adopt regulations for the treatment of
surface and ladder fuels in the harvest area, including logging slash
and debris, low brush, small trees, and deadwood, that could promote
the spread of wildfire. The regulations adopted by the board shall
be consistent with the standards in the board's "General Guidelines
for Creating Defensible Space" described in Section 1299.03 of Title
14 of the California Code of Regulations. Postharvest standards shall
include vertical spacing between fuels, horizontal spacing between
fuels, maximum depth of dead ground surface fuels, and treatment of
standing dead fuels, as follows:
(i) Ladder and surface fuels shall be spaced to achieve a vertical
clearance distance of eight feet or three times the height of the
postharvest fuels, whichever is the greater distance, measured from
the base of the live crown of the postharvest dominant and codominant
trees to the top of the surface fuels.
(ii) Horizontal spacing shall achieve a minimum separation of two
to six times the height of the postharvest fuels, increasing spacing
with increasing slope, measured from the outside branch edges of the
fuels.
(iii) Dead surface fuel depth shall be less than nine inches.
(iv) Standing dead or dying trees and brush generally shall be
removed. That material, along with live vegetation associated with
the dead vegetation, may be retained for wildlife habitat when
isolated from other vegetation.
(B) This subparagraph applies to all areas not described in
subparagraph (A).
(i) The postharvest stand shall not contain more than 200 trees
over three inches in diameter per acre.
(ii) Vertical spacing shall be achieved by treating dead fuels to
a minimum clearance distance of eight feet measured from the base of
the live crown of the postharvest dominant and codominant trees to
the top of the dead surface fuels.
(iii) All logging slash created by the timber operations shall be
treated to achieve a maximum postharvest depth of nine inches above
the ground.
(C) The standards required by subparagraphs (A) and (B) shall be
achieved on approximately 80 percent of the treated area. The
treatment shall include chipping, removing, or other methods
necessary to achieve the standards. Ladder and surface fuel
treatments, for any portion of the exemption area where timber
operations have occurred, shall be done within 120 days from the
start of timber operations on that portion of the exemption area or
by April 1 of the year following surface fuel creation on that
portion of the exemption area if the surface fuels are burned.
(10) Timber operations shall comply with the requirements of
paragraphs (1) to (10), inclusive, of subdivision (b) of Section 1038
of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. Timber operations
in the Lake Tahoe region shall comply instead with the requirements
of paragraphs (1) to (16), inclusive, of subdivision (f) of Section
1038 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.
(11) A notice of exemption, which shall be known as the Forest
Fire Prevention Pilot Project Exemption, may be authorized if all of
the following conditions are met:
(A) The conditions specified in paragraphs (2), (4), (6), (7), and
(10) are met.
(B) Only trees less than 24 inches in stump diameter, measured at
eight inches above ground level, may be removed. A fuel reduction
effort shall not violate the canopy closure regulations adopted by
the board on June 10, 2004, and as those regulations may be amended.
(C) (i) The registered professional forester who submits the
notice of exemption shall include a description of the preharvest
stand structure and a statement of the postharvest stand stocking
levels.
(ii) The level of residual stocking shall be consistent with
maximum sustained production of high-quality timber products. The
residual stand shall consist primarily of healthy and vigorous
dominant and codominant trees from the preharvest stand. Where
present prior to operations, the overstory canopy closure for trees
greater than 12 inches in diameter at breast height shall not be
reduced below 50 percent. Stocking shall be met with the largest
trees available prior to harvest and shall not be reduced below the
standards required by any of the following provisions that apply to
the exemption at issue:
(I) Clauses 1 to 4, inclusive, of subparagraph (A) of paragraph
(1) of subdivision (a) of Section 913.3 of Title 14 of the California
Code of Regulations.
(II) Clauses 1 to 4, inclusive, of subparagraph (A) of paragraph
(1) of subdivision (a) of Section 933.3 of Title 14 of the California
Code of Regulations.
(III) Clauses 1 to 4, inclusive, of subparagraph (A) of paragraph
(1) of subdivision (a) of Section 953.3 of Title 14 of the California
Code of Regulations.
(iii) If the preharvest dominant and codominant crown canopy is
occupied by trees less than 14 inches in diameter at breast height, a
minimum of 100 trees over four inches in diameter at breast height
shall be retained per acre for Site I, II, and III lands, and a
minimum of 75 trees over four inches in diameter at breast height
shall be retained per acre for Site IV and V lands. The retained
trees shall be the largest trees available prior to harvest.
(D) The activities conducted pursuant to this paragraph occur in
the Sierra Nevada Region as defined in subdivision (f) of Section
33302, in Modoc, Siskiyou, or Trinity Counties, or in any combination
of these areas.
(E) All activities conducted pursuant to this paragraph occur
within the most recent version of the department's Fire Hazard
Severity Zone Map in the moderate, high, and very high fire threat
zones.
(F) The department shall maintain records regarding the use of the
exemption granted in this paragraph in order to evaluate the impact
of the exemption on fuel reduction and natural resources in areas
where the exemption has been used.
(G) This paragraph shall become inoperative three years after the
effective date of regulations adopted by the board implementing this
paragraph.
(12) After the timber operations are complete, the department
shall conduct an onsite inspection to determine compliance with this
subdivision and whether appropriate enforcement action should be
initiated.
(k) The cutting or removal of trees to restore and conserve
California black or Oregon white oak woodlands and associated
grasslands, if all of the following requirements are met:
(1) A registered professional forester shall prepare the notice of
exemption and submit it to the director. The notice shall include
all of the following:
(A) A map of the area of timber operations that complies with the
requirements of paragraphs (1), (3), (4), (7) to (11), inclusive, and
(14) of subdivision (x) of Section 1034 of Title 14 of the
California Code of Regulations.
(B) A certification signed by the registered professional forester
that a minimum of 35 square feet of basal area per acre of
California black or Oregon white oak, or both, occupy the proposed
treatment area at the time the notice is prepared and the timber
operation is designed to restore and conserve California black and
Oregon white oak woodlands and associated grasslands.
(C) A description of the preharvest stand structure and a
statement of the postharvest stand stocking levels.
(2) No tree larger than 26 inches in diameter at stump height
shall be harvested for commercial purposes, which includes use for
saw logs, posts and poles, fuel wood, biomass, or other forest
products.
(3) Only conifers within 300 feet of a California black or Oregon
white oak that are at minimum four inches in diameter at breast
height may be harvested.
(4) The total area exempted pursuant to this subdivision shall not
exceed 300 acres per property per five-year period.
(5) Conifer shall be reduced to less than 25 percent of the
combined hardwood and conifer postharvest stand stocking levels.
(6) No more than 20 percent of the total basal area of preexisting
oak stock shall be cut or removed during harvest and a minimum of 35
square feet of basal area per acre of California black or Oregon
white oak, or both, shall be maintained postharvest.
(7) The registered professional forester submitting the notice,
upon submission of the notice, shall provide a confidential
archaeology letter that includes all the information required by
paragraphs (2) and (7) to (11), inclusive, of subdivision (c) of
Section 929.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, and
site records if required pursuant to subdivision (g) of that section
or pursuant to Section 929.5 of Title 14 of the California Code of
Regulations.
(8) All slash created by the timber operations shall be treated to
achieve a maximum postharvest depth of 18 inches above the ground
within 24 months of the date of the director receiving the notice.
Slash shall be configured so as to minimize the risk of fire
mortality to the remaining oak trees.
(9) Timber operations shall comply with the requirements of
paragraphs (1) to (10), inclusive, of subdivision (b) of Section 1038
of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.
(10) On or before January 1, 2018, the board shall adopt
regulations to implement this subdivision.
(11) This subdivision shall not apply to the Southern Subdistrict
of the Coast Forest District, as defined in Section 895.1 of Title 14
of the California Code of Regulations, or the Southern Forest
District, as defined in Section 909 of Title 14 of the California
Code of Regulations.
(12) This subdivision shall become inoperative on January 1, 2024.
SEC. 1.5. Section 4584 of the Public Resources Code is amended to
read:
4584. Upon determining that this exemption is consistent with the
purposes of this chapter, the board may exempt from this chapter, or
portions of this chapter, a person engaged in forest management
whose activities are limited to any of the following:
(a) The cutting or removal of trees for the purpose of
constructing or maintaining a right-of-way for utility lines.
(b) The planting, growing, nurturing, shaping, shearing, removal,
or harvest of immature trees for Christmas trees or other ornamental
purposes or minor forest products, including fuelwood.
(c) The cutting or removal of dead, dying, or diseased trees of
any size.
(d) Site preparation.
(e) Maintenance of drainage facilities and soil stabilization
treatments.
(f) Timber operations on land managed by the Department of
Parks and Recreation.
(g) (1) The one-time conversion of less than three acres to a
nontimber use. A person, whether acting as an individual, as a member
of a partnership, or as an officer or employee of a corporation or
other legal entity, shall not obtain more than one exemption pursuant
to this subdivision in a five-year period. If a partnership has as a
member, or if a corporation or other legal entity has as an officer
or employee, a person who has received this exemption within the past
five years, whether as an individual, as a member of a partnership,
or as an officer or employee of a corporation or other legal entity,
then that partnership, corporation, or other legal entity is not
eligible for this exemption. "Person," for purposes of this
subdivision, means an individual, partnership, corporation, or other
legal entity.
(2) (A) Notwithstanding Section 4554.5, the board shall adopt
regulations that do all of the following:
(i) Identify the required documentation of a bona fide intent to
complete the conversion that an applicant will need to submit in
order to be eligible for the exemption in paragraph (1).
(ii) Authorize the department to inspect the sites approved in
conversion applications that have been approved on or after January
1, 2002, in order to determine that the conversion was completed
within the two-year period described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph
(2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1104.1 of Title 14 of the
California Code of Regulations.
(iii) Require the exemption pursuant to this subdivision to expire
if there is a change in timberland ownership. The person who
originally submitted an application for an exemption pursuant to this
subdivision shall notify the department of a change in timberland
ownership on or before five calendar days after a change in
ownership.
(iv) The board may adopt regulations allowing a waiver of the
five-year limitation described in paragraph (1) upon finding that the
imposition of the five-year limitation would impose an undue
hardship on the applicant for the exemption. The board may adopt a
process for an appeal of a denial of a waiver.
(B) The application form for the exemption pursuant to paragraph
(1) shall prominently advise the public that a violation of the
conversion exemption, including a conversion applied for in the name
of someone other than the person or entity implementing the
conversion in bona fide good faith, is a violation of this chapter
and penalties may accrue up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for
each violation pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with Section 4601).
(h) An easement granted by a right-of-way construction agreement
administered by the federal government if timber sales and operations
within or affecting the area are reviewed and conducted pursuant to
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 4321 et
seq.).
(i) (1) The cutting or removal of trees in compliance with
Sections 4290 and 4291 that eliminates the vertical continuity of
vegetative fuels and the horizontal continuity of tree crowns for the
purpose of reducing flammable materials and maintaining a fuel break
for a distance of not more than 150 feet on each side from an
approved and legally permitted structure that complies with the
California Building Standards Code, when that cutting or removal is
conducted in compliance with this subdivision. For purposes of this
subdivision, an "approved and legally permitted structure" includes
only structures that are designed for human occupancy, garages,
barns, stables, and structures used to enclose fuel tanks.
(2) (A) The cutting or removal of trees pursuant to this
subdivision is limited to cutting or removal that will result in a
reduction in the rate of fire spread, fire duration and intensity,
fuel ignitability, or ignition of the tree crowns and shall be in
accordance with any regulations adopted by the board pursuant to this
section.
(B) Trees shall not be cut or removed pursuant to this subdivision
by the clearcutting regeneration method, by the seed tree removal
step of the seed tree regeneration method, or by the shelterwood
removal step of the shelterwood regeneration method.
(3) (A) Surface fuels, including logging slash and debris, low
brush, and deadwood, that could promote the spread of wildfire shall
be chipped, burned, or otherwise removed from all areas of timber
operations within 45 days from the date of commencement of timber
operations pursuant to this subdivision.
(B) (i) All surface fuels that are not chipped, burned, or
otherwise removed from all areas of timber operations within 45 days
from the date of commencement of timber operations may be determined
to be a nuisance and subject to abatement by the department or the
city or county having jurisdiction.
(ii) The costs incurred by the department, city, or county, as the
case may be, to abate the nuisance upon a parcel of land subject to
the timber operations, including, but not limited to, investigation,
boundary determination, measurement, and other related costs, may be
recovered by special assessment and lien against the parcel of land
by the department, city, or county. The assessment may be collected
at the same time and in the same manner as ordinary ad valorem taxes,
and shall be subject to the same penalties and the same procedure
and sale in case of delinquency as is provided for ad valorem taxes.
(4) All timber operations conducted pursuant to this subdivision
shall conform to applicable city or county general plans, city or
county implementing ordinances, and city or county zoning ordinances.
This paragraph does not authorize the cutting, removal, or sale of
timber or other solid wood forest products within an area where
timber harvesting is prohibited or otherwise restricted pursuant to
the rules or regulations adopted by the board.
(5) (A) The board shall adopt regulations, initially as emergency
regulations in accordance with subparagraph (B), that the board
considers necessary to implement and to obtain compliance with this
subdivision.
(B) The emergency regulations adopted pursuant to subparagraph (A)
shall be adopted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act
(Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3
of Title 2 of the Government Code). The adoption of emergency
regulations shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the
immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, or
general welfare.
(6) (A) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the board may exempt from
this chapter, or portions of this chapter, a person engaged in forest
management whose activities are limited to the cutting or removal of
trees on the person's property in compliance with Sections 4290 and
4291 that eliminates the vertical continuity of vegetative fuels and
the horizontal continuity of tree crowns for the purpose of reducing
flammable materials and maintaining a fuel break for a distance of
not more than 300 feet on each side from an approved and legally
permitted habitable structure, when that cutting or removal is
conducted in compliance with this subdivision and all of the
following conditions are met:
(i) The notice of exemption is prepared, signed, and submitted by
a registered professional forester to the department.
(ii) For the areas between 150 and 300 feet from the habitable
structure, the operations meet all of the following provisions:
(I) The residual stocking standards are consistent with Sections
913.2, 933.2, and 953.2 of Title 14 of the California Code of
Regulations, as appropriate.
(II) Activities within this area will increase the quadratic mean
diameter of the stand.
(III) The residual stand consists primarily of healthy and
vigorous dominant and codominant trees from the preharvest stand,
well distributed through the harvested area.
(IV) Postharvest slash treatment and stand conditions will lead to
more moderate fire behavior in the professional judgment of the
registered professional forester who submits the notice of exemption.
(V) Any additional guidance for slash treatment and postharvest
stand conditions and any other issues deemed necessary that are
consistent with this section, as established by the board.
(B) For purposes of this paragraph, "habitable structure" means a
building that contains one or more dwelling units or that can be
occupied for residential use. Buildings occupied for residential use
include single family homes, multidwelling structures, mobile and
manufactured homes, and condominiums. For purposes of this paragraph
"habitable structure" does not include commercial, industrial, or
incidental buildings such as detached garages, barns, outdoor
sanitation facilities, and sheds.
(C) The department shall evaluate the effects of this paragraph
and shall report its recommendations, before the paragraph becomes
inoperative, to the Legislature based on that evaluation. The report
shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
Code.
(D) The board shall adopt regulations to implement this paragraph
no later than January 1, 2016.
(E) This paragraph shall become inoperative three years after the
effective date of regulations adopted by the board pursuant to
subparagraph (D) but no later than January 1, 2019.
(j) (1) The harvesting of trees, limited to those trees that
eliminate the vertical continuity of vegetative fuels and the
horizontal continuity of tree crowns, for the purpose of reducing the
rate of fire spread, duration and intensity, fuel ignitability, or
ignition of tree crowns.
(2) The board may authorize an exemption pursuant to paragraph (1)
only if the tree harvesting will decrease fuel continuity and
increase the quadratic mean diameter of the stand, and the tree
harvesting area will not exceed 300 acres.
(3) Except as provided in paragraph (11), the notice of exemption,
which shall be known as the Forest Fire Prevention Exemption, may be
authorized only if all of the conditions specified in paragraphs (4)
to (10), inclusive, are met.
(4) A registered professional forester shall prepare the notice of
exemption and submit it to the director, and include a map of the
area of timber operations that complies with the requirements of
paragraphs (1), (3), (4), and (7) to (12), inclusive, of subdivision
(x) of Section 1034 of Title 14 of the California Code of
Regulations.
(5) (A) The registered professional forester who submits the
notice of exemption shall include a description of the preharvest
stand structure and a statement of the postharvest stand stocking
levels.
(B) The level of residual stocking shall be consistent with
maximum sustained production of high-quality timber products. The
residual stand shall consist primarily of healthy and vigorous
dominant and codominant trees from the preharvest stand. Stocking
shall not be reduced below the standards required by any of the
following provisions that apply to the exemption at issue:
(i) Clauses 1 to 4, inclusive, of subparagraph (A) of paragraph
(1) of subdivision (a) of Section 913.3 of Title 14 of the California
Code of Regulations.
(ii) Clauses 1 to 4, inclusive, of subparagraph (A) of paragraph
(1) of subdivision (a) of Section 933.3 of Title 14 of the California
Code of Regulations.
(iii) Clauses 1 to 4, inclusive, of subparagraph (A) of paragraph
(1) of subdivision (a) of Section 953.3 of Title 14 of the California
Code of Regulations.
(C) If the preharvest dominant and codominant crown canopy is
occupied by trees less than 14 inches in diameter at breast height, a
minimum of 100 trees over four inches in diameter at breast height
shall be retained per acre for Site I, II, and III lands, and a
minimum of 75 trees over four inches in diameter at breast height
shall be retained per acre for Site IV and V lands.
(6) (A) The registered professional forester who submits the
notice shall include selection criteria for the trees to be harvested
or the trees to be retained. In the development of fuel reduction
prescriptions, the registered professional forester should consider
retaining habitat elements, where feasible, including, but not
limited to, ground level cover necessary for the long-term management
of local wildlife populations.
(B) All trees that are harvested or all trees that are retained
shall be marked or sample marked by, or under the supervision of, a
registered professional forester before felling operations begin. The
board shall adopt regulations for sample marking for this section in
Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. Sample marking shall
be limited to homogenous forest stand conditions typical of
plantations.
(7) (A) The registered professional forester submitting the
notice, upon submission of the notice, shall provide a confidential
archaeology letter that includes all the information required by any
of the following provisions that apply to the exemption at issue:
(i) Paragraphs (2) and (7) to (11), inclusive, of subdivision (c)
of Section 929.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations,
and include site records if required pursuant to subdivision (g) of
that section or pursuant to Section 929.5 of Title 14 of the
California Code of Regulations.
(ii) Paragraphs (2) and (7) to (11), inclusive, of subdivision (c)
of Section 949.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations,
and include site records if required pursuant to subdivision (g) of
that section or pursuant to Section 949.5 of Title 14 of the
California Code of Regulations.
(iii) Paragraphs (2) and (7) to (11), inclusive, of subdivision
(c) of Section 969.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of
Regulations, and include site records if required pursuant to
subdivision (g) of that section or pursuant to Section 969.5 of Title
14 of the California Code of Regulations.
(B) The director shall submit a complete copy of the confidential
archaeological letter and two copies of all required archaeological
or historical site records to the appropriate Information Center of
the California Historical Resource Information System within 30 days
from the date of notice submittal to the director. Before submitting
the notice to the director, the registered professional forester
shall send a copy of the notice to Native Americans, as defined in
Section 895.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.
(8) Only trees less than 18 inches in stump diameter, measured at
eight inches above ground level, may be removed. However, within 500
feet of a legally permitted structure, or in an area prioritized as a
shaded fuel break in a community wildfire protection plan approved
by a public fire agency, if the goal of fuel reduction cannot be
achieved by removing trees less than 18 inches in stump diameter,
trees less than 24 inches in stump diameter may be removed if that
removal complies with this section and is necessary to achieve the
goal of fuel reduction. A fuel reduction effort shall not violate the
canopy closure regulations adopted by the board on June 10, 2004,
and as those regulations may be amended.
(9) (A) This subparagraph applies to areas within 500 feet of a
legally permitted structure and in areas prioritized as a shaded fuel
break in a community wildfire protection plan approved by a public
fire agency. The board shall adopt regulations for the treatment of
surface and ladder fuels in the harvest area, including logging slash
and debris, low brush, small trees, and deadwood, that could promote
the spread of wildfire. The regulations adopted by the board shall
be consistent with the standards in the board's "General Guidelines
for Creating Defensible Space" described in Section 1299.03 of Title
14 of the California Code of Regulations. Postharvest standards shall
include vertical spacing between fuels, horizontal spacing between
fuels, maximum depth of dead ground surface fuels, and treatment of
standing dead fuels, as follows:
(i) Ladder and surface fuels shall be spaced to achieve a vertical
clearance distance of eight feet or three times the height of the
postharvest fuels, whichever is the greater distance, measured from
the base of the live crown of the postharvest dominant and codominant
trees to the top of the surface fuels.
(ii) Horizontal spacing shall achieve a minimum separation of two
to six times the height of the postharvest fuels, increasing spacing
with increasing slope, measured from the outside branch edges of the
fuels.
(iii) Dead surface fuel depth shall be less than nine inches.
(iv) Standing dead or dying trees and brush generally shall be
removed. That material, along with live vegetation associated with
the dead vegetation, may be retained for wildlife habitat when
isolated from other vegetation.
(B) This subparagraph applies to all areas not described in
subparagraph (A).
(i) The postharvest stand shall not contain more than 200 trees
over three inches in diameter per acre.
(ii) Vertical spacing shall be achieved by treating dead fuels to
a minimum clearance distance of eight feet measured from the base of
the live crown of the postharvest dominant and codominant trees to
the top of the dead surface fuels.
(iii) All logging slash created by the timber operations shall be
treated to achieve a maximum postharvest depth of nine inches above
the ground.
(C) The standards required by subparagraphs (A) and (B) shall be
achieved on approximately 80 percent of the treated area. The
treatment shall include chipping, removing, or other methods
necessary to achieve the standards. Ladder and surface fuel
treatments, for any portion of the exemption area where timber
operations have occurred, shall be done within 120 days from the
start of timber operations on that portion of the exemption area or
by April 1 of the year following surface fuel creation on that
portion of the exemption area if the surface fuels are burned.
(10) Timber operations shall comply with the requirements of
paragraphs (1) to (10), inclusive, of subdivision (b) of Section 1038
of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. Timber operations
in the Lake Tahoe region shall comply instead with the requirements
of paragraphs (1) to (16), inclusive, of subdivision (f) of Section
1038 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.
(11) A notice of exemption, which shall be known as the Forest
Fire Prevention Pilot Project Exemption, may be authorized if all of
the following conditions are met:
(A) The conditions specified in paragraphs (2), (4), (6), (7), and
(10) are met.
(B) Only trees less than 26 inches in stump diameter, measured at
eight inches above ground level, may be removed. A fuel reduction
effort shall not violate the canopy closure regulations adopted by
the board on June 10, 2004, and as those regulations may be amended.
(C) (i) The registered professional forester who submits the
notice of exemption shall include a description of the preharvest
stand structure and a statement of the postharvest stand stocking
levels.
(ii) The level of residual stocking shall be consistent with
maximum sustained production of high-quality timber products. The
residual stand shall consist primarily of healthy and vigorous
dominant and codominant trees from the preharvest stand. Where
present prior to operations, the overstory canopy closure for trees
greater than 12 inches in diameter at breast height shall not be
reduced below 50 percent. Stocking shall be met with the largest
trees available prior to harvest and shall not be reduced below the
standards required by any of the following provisions that apply to
the exemption at issue:
(I) Clauses 1 to 4, inclusive, of subparagraph (A) of paragraph
(1) of subdivision (a) of Section 913.3 of Title 14 of the California
Code of Regulations.
(II) Clauses 1 to 4, inclusive, of subparagraph (A) of paragraph
(1) of subdivision (a) of Section 933.3 of Title 14 of the California
Code of Regulations.
(III) Clauses 1 to 4, inclusive, of subparagraph (A) of paragraph
(1) of subdivision (a) of Section 953.3 of Title 14 of the California
Code of Regulations.
(iii) If the preharvest dominant and codominant crown canopy is
occupied by trees less than 14 inches in diameter at breast height, a
minimum of 100 trees over four inches in diameter at breast height
shall be retained per acre for Site I, II, and III lands, and a
minimum of 75 trees over four inches in diameter at breast height
shall be retained per acre for Site IV and V lands. The retained
trees shall be the largest trees available prior to harvest.
(D) The activities conducted pursuant to this paragraph occur in
Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno,
Humboldt, Inyo, Kern, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Modoc,
Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sonoma,
Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, or Yuba Counties, or in any
combination of these areas.
(E) All activities conducted pursuant to this paragraph occur
within the most recent version of the department's Fire Hazard
Severity Zone Map in the moderate, high, and very high fire threat
zones.
(F) The department shall maintain records regarding the use of the
exemption granted in this paragraph in order to evaluate the impact
of the exemption on fuel reduction and natural resources in areas
where the exemption has been used.
(G) The amendments made to this paragraph by the act that added
this subparagraph during the 2015-16 Regular Legislative Session
shall become operative on January 1, 2018, or when the report
described in Section 4589 is submitted to the Legislature, whichever
occurs first.
(H) This paragraph shall become inoperative on January 1, 2021.
(12) After the timber operations are complete, the department
shall conduct an onsite inspection to determine compliance with this
subdivision and whether appropriate enforcement action should be
initiated.
(k) The cutting or removal of trees to restore and conserve
California black or Oregon white oak woodlands and associated
grasslands, if all of the following requirements are met:
(1) A registered professional forester shall prepare the notice of
exemption and submit it to the director. The notice shall include
all of the following:
(A) A map of the area of timber operations that complies with the
requirements of paragraphs (1), (3), (4), (7) to (11), inclusive, and
(14) of subdivision (x) of Section 1034 of Title 14 of the
California Code of Regulations.
(B) A certification signed by the registered professional forester
that a minimum of 35 square feet of basal area per acre of
California black or Oregon white oak, or both, occupy the proposed
treatment area at the time the notice is prepared and the timber
operation is designed to restore and conserve California black and
Oregon white oak woodlands and associated grasslands.
(C) A description of the preharvest stand structure and a
statement of the postharvest stand stocking levels.
(2) No tree larger than 26 inches in diameter at stump height
shall be harvested for commercial purposes, which includes use for
saw logs, posts and poles, fuel wood, biomass, or other forest
products.
(3) Only conifers within 300 feet of a California black or Oregon
white oak that are at minimum four inches in diameter at breast
height may be harvested.
(4) The total area exempted pursuant to this subdivision shall not
exceed 300 acres per property per five-year period.
(5) Conifer shall be reduced to less than 25 percent of the
combined hardwood and conifer postharvest stand stocking levels.
(6) No more than 20 percent of the total basal area of preexisting
oak stock shall be cut or removed during harvest and a minimum of 35
square feet of basal area per acre of California black or Oregon
white oak, or both, shall be maintained postharvest.
(7) The registered professional forester submitting the notice,
upon submission of the notice, shall provide a confidential
archaeology letter that includes all the information required by
paragraphs (2) and (7) to (11), inclusive, of subdivision (c) of
Section 929.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, and
site records if required pursuant to subdivision (g) of that section
or pursuant to Section 929.5 of Title 14 of the California Code of
Regulations.
(8) All slash created by the timber operations shall be treated to
achieve a maximum postharvest depth of 18 inches above the ground
within 24 months of the date of the director receiving the notice.
Slash shall be configured so as to minimize the risk of fire
mortality to the remaining oak trees.
(9) Timber operations shall comply with the requirements of
paragraphs (1) to (10), inclusive, of subdivision (b) of Section 1038
of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.
(10) On or before January 1, 2018, the board shall adopt
regulations to implement this subdivision.
(11) This subdivision shall not apply to the Southern Subdistrict
of the Coast Forest District, as defined in Section 895.1 of Title 14
of the California Code of Regulations, or the Southern Forest
District, as defined in Section 909 of Title 14 of the California
Code of Regulations.
(12) This subdivision shall become inoperative on January 1, 2024.
SEC. 2. Section 4589 is added to the Public Resources Code, to
read:
4589. (a) On or before December 31, 2017, the department and
board shall review and submit a report to the Legislature on the
trends in the use of, compliance with, and effectiveness of the
exemptions and emergency notice provisions described in Sections 4584
and 4592 of this code and Sections 1038 and 1052 of Title 14 of the
California Code of Regulations. The report shall also include
recommendations to improve the use of those exemptions and emergency
notice provisions.
(b) The Department of Fish and Wildlife, regional water quality
control boards, and the public shall be provided opportunities to
participate in the review and the development of the report.
(c) The report shall be submitted pursuant to Section 9795 of the
Government Code.
(d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2019, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends
that date.
SEC. 3. Section 4621 of the Public Resources Code is amended to
read:
4621. (a) A person who owns timberlands that are to be devoted to
uses other than the growing of timber shall file an application for
conversion with the board. The board shall, by regulation, prescribe
the procedures for, and the form and content of, the application. An
application for a timberland conversion permit shall be accompanied
by an application fee,
payable to the department, in an amount determined by the board
pursuant to subdivision (b).
(b) The board shall establish, by regulation, a system of
graduated timberland conversion permit fees to finance the cost of
administering this article.
(c) For purposes of this section, "growing of timber" shall
include restoration and conservation forest management activities,
which may include the removal of commercial species, if necessary to
achieve specific forest health and ecological goals, including the
restoration and conservation of oak woodlands, grasslands, wet
meadows, and other ecologically important or unique habitats, that
are not conducted in conjunction with the cutting or removal of trees
or other forest products during the conversion of timberlands for
other uses, including, but not limited to, residential or commercial
developments, production of other agricultural crops, recreational
developments, ski developments, water development projects, and
transportation projects.
SEC. 4. Section 1.5 of this bill incorporates amendments to
Section 4584 of the Public Resources Code proposed by both this bill
and Assembly Bill 2029. It shall only become operative if (1) both
bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2017,
(2) each bill amends Section 4584 of the Public Resources Code, and
(3) this bill is enacted after Assembly Bill 2029, in which case
Section 1 of this bill shall not become operative.
SEC. 5. Section 2 of this bill shall not become operative if
Assembly Bill 2029 is enacted and becomes effective on or before
January 1, 2017, and that bill adds Section 4589 to the Public
Resources Code.