State forest fuel reduction bill advances

As federal officials have cited a high fuel load as one of the reasons they're bracing for what could be a dangerous wildfire season, the state Legislature appears to be preparing to tackle the problem.

Senate Bill 1541 by Sen. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, which maintains an exemption for smaller property owners from timber harvest plan requirements and allows them to harvest smaller trees in order to pay for fuel reduction, faces a May 7 hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee after passing the Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday with unanimous support.

LaMalfa explains in a news release:

“This exemption has allowed thousands of acres to be made fire-safe at little or no cost to property owners or taxpayers,” said LaMalfa. “Cutting red tape and enabling property owners to make their lands fire-safe themselves is a much better approach than simply raising taxes on rural residents.”

LaMalfa originally authored the Forest Fire Protection Exemption in 2004 in the form of Assembly Bill 2420, but the exemption is set to expire in January of 2013. The exemption allows the harvest of smaller trees in order to fund the removal of dead trees, brush and other debris that would fuel a forest fire’s spread. Property owners using this option are exempted from filing cumbersome Timber Harvest Plans, which generally cost thousands of dollars to prepare.

“The state should be working toward smart forest management practices that promote forest health and fire safety, not the default approach of increasing taxes,” LaMalfa added. “In addition to fire prevention benefits, allowing trees to be cut for lumber and other uses helps fuel our state’s economy. California still needs wood products, and we simply can’t import them all from other states or even other countries.”