This week, both Assembly Bill 2142 (Chesbro) and Assembly Bill 1867 (Patterson) passed the Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee. Both bills aim to expand existing exemptions in law from the requirement of Timber Harvest Plans (THPs) for fire prevention-type forestry projects, thereby reducing barriers to increased fuels reduction activities.
AB 2142 would expand last year’s AB 744 (Dahle/Gordon), which was an expansion of the existing Forest Fire Protection Act, authored by then Assembly Member Doug LaMalfa in 2004. The provisions of AB 744 expanded the THP exemption available under the Forest Fire Protection Act to larger diameter trees as well as broadening certain other limitations in the Act, for a pilot program in a few inland California counties. The current bill, AB 2142, extends that pilot program into additional, North Coast counties.
AB 1867 would expand the existing exemption on requiring a THP to those forest landowners wishing to do more than 100 feet of defensible space clearance around a habitable dwelling. The exemption would allow those landowners to sell the timber generated by the fire prevention activities to help offset the costs of that vegetation management work. In some counties, 300 feet of defensible space clearing can cost as much as $20,000, and getting a THP is usually more than $35,000. By eliminating the need for a THP, and allowing for the material to be sold, more landowners will likely perform this urgently needed fire prevention work. The bill was amended in committee to also be a 3-year pilot program as well.
For additional information, please contact RCRC Legislative Advocate Cyndi Hillery at (916) 447-4806 or chillery@rcrcnet.org.