Opinion ID: 2575737
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Overview: State Forestry Law

Text: Timber harvesting operations in this state must be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Forest Practice Act. The Act was intended to create and maintain a comprehensive system for regulating timber harvesting in order to achieve two goals ( Sierra Club v. State Bd. of Forestry (1994) 7 Cal.4th 1215, 1226, 32 Cal.Rptr.2d 19, 876 P.2d 505): to restore, enhance, and maintain the productivity of timberlands where feasible; and to achieve the maximum sustained production of high-quality timber products, while giving consideration to values relating to recreation, watershed, wildlife, range and forage, fisheries, regional economic vitality, employment, and aesthetic enjoyment ( ibid.; see § 4513). As originally enacted in 1973, the FPA permitted individual counties to adopt stricter rules and regulations governing timber operations than those provided under the FPA. (Stats.1973, ch. 880, § 4, pp. 1615-1616 [adding former § 4516].) In 1982, the Legislature amended the FPA (Stats.1982, ch. 1561, § 3, pp. 6164-6166) to provide instead that counties may recommend to the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (Board) additional forest practice rules and regulations (§ 4516.5, subds.(a), (b)) but, except with respect to performance bonds or other surety for road protection, counties are forbidden to regulate the conduct of timber operations (§ 4516.5, subd. (d); hereafter section 4516.5(d)). [3] Pursuant to the FPA, timber operations are controlled by means of a site-specific timber harvesting plan that must be submitted to the [state forestry] department before timber operations may commence. [4] (§§ 4581 and 4582.5.) The Legislature has specified that the plan include the name and address of the timber owner and the timber operator, a description of the land upon which the work is proposed to be done, a description of the silviculture methods to be applied, an outline of the methods to mitigate erosion caused by operations performed in the vicinity of a stream, the provisions, if any, to protect any `unique area' within the area of operations, and the anticipated dates for commencement and completion of operations. (§ 4582, subds. (a)-(g).) ( Sierra Club v. State Bd. of Forestry, supra, 7 Cal.4th at p. 1226, 32 Cal.Rptr.2d 19, 876 P.2d 505.) The director of the state forestry department, and the Board on appeal, review timber harvesting plans for compliance with the FPA and applicable regulations. (§ 4582.7.)
The TPA, enacted in 1982 (Stats.1982, ch. 1489, §§ 1-39, pp. 5748-5766), reflects state policy, inter alia, that timber operations conducted in a manner consistent with forest practice rules adopted by the [Board] shall not be or become restricted or prohibited due to any land use in or around the locality of those operations (Gov.Code, § 51102, subd. (b)). [5] The TPA seeks to implement that policy by including all qualifying timberland in timberland production zones. ( Id., § 51103.) Timberland, the Legislature has stated, means privately owned land, or land acquired for state forest purposes, which is devoted to and used for growing and harvesting timber, or for growing and harvesting timber and compatible uses, and which is capable of growing an average annual volume of wood fiber of at least 15 cubic feet per acre. ( Id., § 51104, subd. (f).) In order to accomplish its purposes, the TPA relies on tax incentives and zoning mandates. The TPA restricts land in certain timberland production zones (TPZ's) to the growing and harvesting of timber and compatible uses. (See Gov.Code, §§ 51115, 51118.) In exchange, owners of land in a TPZ benefit by lower property tax valuations that reflect the enforceable statutory restrictions. (See Cal. Const., art. XIII, § 8 [Legislature may tax certain land consistently with use restrictions].) The TPA's predecessor statute (Stats. 1976, ch. 176, § 4.5, p. 305) dictated timberland preserve zoning for certain list A parcels that were assessed for growing and harvesting timber as the highest and best use. (Gov.Code, § 51110.) Exceptions to mandatory zoning of list A properties were permitted where a parcel in fact was not used for timber growing and harvesting, or where the owner contested the zoning and local officials found exclusion to be in the public interest. (Gov.Code, § 51112, subds.(a), (b).) Timberland preserve zoning also was dictated for certain other timberlands, called list B parcels, that were not at that time assessed for growing and harvesting timber as the highest and best use. (Gov.Code, § 51110.1.) [6] Exceptions to mandatory zoning of list B properties were permitted only where local officials found exclusion to be in the public interest. ( Id., § 51112, subd. (c).) Initial determinations as to parcels' placement on list A and list B were to have been completed by 1978. ( Id., subds. (a), (b), (c).) Since 1978, additional timberland production zoning has been initiated by petition of the property owner. (Gov.Code, § 51113.) The TPA also provides for rezoning and for removal of parcels from timberland production zoning. (See id., §§ 51120-51146.)