BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2351|
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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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