LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1504, as amended, Skinner. Forest resources: carbon
sequestration.
(1) The Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973, which
regulates timber harvesting, contains legislative findings and
declarations relative to forest resources, including a declaration
that it is the policy of the state to encourage prudent and
responsible forest resource management calculated to serve the public'
s need for timber and other forest products, while giving
consideration to other specified public needs. The act also states
the Legislature's intent to create and maintain an effective and
comprehensive system of regulation and use of all timberlands to
assure that the goal of maximum sustained production of high quality
timber products is achieved while giving consideration to specified
values.
This bill would include in that list of specified public needs and
that list of specified values sequestration of carbon dioxide. The
bill also would make other legislative findings and declarations
relative to carbon dioxide sequestration as it relates to forests.
(2) The act requires the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to
adopt district forest practice rules and regulations in accordance
with specified policies to, among other things, assure the continuous
growing and harvesting of commercial forest tree species. A willful
violation of the board's rules or regulations is a crime.
This bill would also require the board to ensure that its rules
and regulations that govern the harvesting of commercial forest tree
species consider the capacity of forest resources to sequester carbon
dioxide emissions sufficient to meet or exceed the state's
greenhouse gas reduction requirements for the forestry sector,
consistent with the scoping plan adopted by the State Air Resources
Board pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006
, and would permit fees collected under the
California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 to be used, upon
appropriation by the Legislature, for contracts for related studies
and analyses . Because a willful violation of those rules and
regulations would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated
local program.
(3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse
local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason.
Comments/questions on AB 1504 (Skinner): Forest resources: carbon sequestration.
