Plain English Breakdown
The effective date is not provided in the official source material.
AB-442: Changes to Forest Management Plan Rules
This bill increases the maximum land size allowed for certain forest management plans, removes a rule about harvest areas staying in one water zone, and ends an exemption for a specific coastal region.
What This Bill Does
- Increases the maximum acreage limit for nonindustrial tree farmers from 2,500 to 4,000 acres.
- Raises the maximum acreage limit for working forest landowners from 10,000 to 15,000 acres.
- Removes the rule that requires harvest areas in management plans to stay within a single hydrological area.
- Eliminates the exemption currently given to the Southern Subdistrict of the Coast Forest District.
Who It Names or Affects
- Nonindustrial tree farmers who manage timberlands under state rules.
- Working forest landowners who operate on approved management plans.
- The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, which reviews these plans.
- Landowners in the Southern Subdistrict of the Coast Forest District.
Terms To Know
- Nonindustrial tree farmer
- A person who owns or manages timberland under a plan currently limited to 2,500 acres.
- Working forest landowner
- A person who owns or manages larger amounts of timberland under a plan currently limited to 10,000 acres.
- Hydrological area
- A specific geographic region defined by water flow and drainage patterns where harvest areas must stay under current rules.
Limits and Unknowns
- The official source does not state when these changes will take effect.
- It is unclear if other exemptions for different regions exist outside the Southern Subdistrict mentioned in this bill.