Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Keeley's office told me yesterday that the vote on CA Forestry Reform Bills AB 717 and AB 748 has been postponed till next Wednesday. Contact info and sample letters follow. The timber companies have reaped enormous profits at the expense of our natural trust resources. They have ignored the Forest Practice Act mandate to log sustainably to produce continuous, high quality yield. They have reduced the ancient forest in Mendocino, which once occupied a million acres, to a few thousand at best.
Serious reform is long overdue to save the little that s left.
AB 717 is a good first step toward creating some balance between commercial and environmental goals in our forests. AB 748 saves the State money by making timber companies pay for their permits like everyone else.