Forest practices: resource conservation standards.

The Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973 prohibits a person from conducting timber operations on timberland unless a timber harvesting plan has been prepared by a registered professional forester and has been submitted to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and approved by the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection or the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. Existing law establishes minimum acceptable stocking standards and provides that an area covered by a timber harvesting plan is considered acceptably stocked if either one of 2 conditions are met within 5 years after completion of timber operations: (1) that the area contains an average point count of 300 per acre, as provided, or (2) that the average residual basal area is at least 85 square feet per acre, as provided. Existing law requires the board to adopt stocking standards for each district, after a public hearing, that are equal to or stricter than the minimum standards. Existing law, notwithstanding the stocking conditions relating to areas with an average point count of 300 per acre, authorizes the board to adopt alternative stocking standards if those alternative standards reasonably address variables in forest characteristics and achieve suitable resource conservation, as provided. This bill would extend the authorization to adopt alternative stocking standards notwithstanding the stocking conditions relating to the average residual basal area, as provided.