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.