Forest practices: timber harvesting plans.

(1) The Z'Berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973 prohibits a person from conducting timber operations, as defined, unless a timber harvesting plan prepared by a registered professional forester has been submitted to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and approved. The act provides that a timber harvesting plan is effective for a period of not more than 3 years, unless extended as specified. The act provides that a timber harvesting plan, on which work has commenced but not been completed, may be extended by amendment for a one-year period in order to complete the work, up to a maximum of 2 one-year extensions if 2 requirements are met. The act requires the notice of extension to include the circumstances that prevented a timely completion of the work under the plan and an agreement to comply with the specified law, rules, and regulations as they exist on the date the extension notice is filed. The act allows, until January 1, 2012, an extension of a timber harvesting plan, on which timber operations have commenced but not been completed, by amendment for up to a maximum of 4 one-year extensions, if those 2 requirements are met, and in addition, the plan expired in 2008 or 2009, and the notice of extension includes written certification by a registered professional forester that listed species have not been discovered in the logging area of the plan since approval of the plan and significant physical changes to the harvest area or adjacent areas have not occurred since the plan's cumulative impacts were originally assessed. This bill would, in addition, allow up to a maximum of 4 one-year extensions, including any other extension granted prior to January 1, 2010, under those same conditions for a plan that was extended in 2008 or 2009. (2) The act allows, until January 1, 2012, a timber harvesting plan that is approved on or after January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2011, inclusive, to be extended by amendment for a 2-year period in order to complete the timber operations, up to a maximum of 2 2-year extensions, if the plan complies with certain requirements. This bill would remove the sunset date for the extension of these plans. (3) Existing law, beginning January 1, 2012, provides that a timber harvesting plan is effective for a period of not more than 3 years, unless extended. This bill would instead provide that, beginning January 1, 2012, a plan approved on or after January 1, 2012, is effective for a period not more than 3 years, unless extended. (4) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.