Bill > AB442

This bill amends the Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973 to remove the requirement that a working forest management plan's harvest area must be contained within a single hydrological area. Currently, working forest management plans for timberlands owned by landowners with less than 10,000 acres must keep their harvest areas within one hydrologic region as defined by the State Water Resources Control Board. The bill eliminates this geographic restriction, which may provide more flexibility for forest management planning. Additionally, the bill would exempt prescribed fire, thinning, and fuel reduction projects in communities with only one evacuation route from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review process. This exemption is intended to streamline wildfire prevention and forest management efforts in vulnerable communities with limited escape routes. The bill also includes a provision stating that local agencies are not entitled to state reimbursement for implementing these changes, as they have the authority to levy fees or assessments to cover the costs. The overall goal appears to be supporting more adaptive and efficient forest management practices while potentially improving community wildfire preparedness.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB442