California Bill Seeks to Streamline State’s Timber Harvesting Process

Firefighters put out hot spots from the Park Fire along Highway 32 near Forest Ranch, Calif., on July 30, 2024. Nic Coury/AP Photo

A new bill in the California Assembly aims to reduce wildfire risk by streamlining the state’s timber harvesting process.

“California’s current permitting system for timber harvesting is fragmented and cumbersome, creating unnecessary delays that hinder responsible forest management and wildfire prevention efforts,” Assemblyman Chris Ward, who introduced AB 763, said in a statement.

Ward, a Democrat, represents California’s 78th District, which encompasses much of San Diego’s coastal region.

If the legislation is passed, timberland owners would be able to go through a single review system instead of the current process, which involves multiple agencies and departments—for example, CAL Fire, Fish and Wildlife, and regional water boards—each with its own rules and timelines.

California’s permitting process for timber harvesting is overseen by the California Timber Regulations and Environmental Evaluation System, which enables registered professional foresters, licensed timber operators, and landowners to manage their timber harvesting documents.

Addressing Fire Risk

Ward is not the only California elected official looking to reduce fire risks. At a Feb. 25 San Diego County Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Jim Desmond, a Republican representing District 5, plans to introduce a measure designed to prevent wildfires by requiring the clearing of homeless encampments during red flag warnings.

Numerous fires in San Diego County this year started at encampments, including the Friars Fire, Center Fire, and Gilman Fire, Desmond said in a statement. Desmond said his proposal would decrease fire risk when conditions are most dangerous.

SDPD Metro Arson Strike Team (MAST) Lt. William Brown told The Epoch Times last month that the Center Fire in Rancho Bernardo started when a homeless man was attempting to cook food outdoors using a propane tank when it exploded, causing a blaze in the dry conditions.

“It just takes one fire and the wrong conditions in the wrong area, accidentally or deliberately started,” Brown said.

Efforts are also being made at the state level. Gov. Gavin Newsom said in January that the state would conduct more controlled burns as part of increased fire management efforts.

The state will allocate $2.5 billion to carry out the Governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan, accelerating fuel reduction efforts, prescribed burns, and forest health. The state also earmarked $200 million annually through 2028-29 for fire prevention programs.

The state has a much smaller impact when it comes to management or mismanagement because it only owns three percent of California forest land, according to Dr. Joshua Fisher, associate professor of Environmental Science & Policy at Chapman University. The federal government owns 58 percent and the rest is mostly private industry.

Fisher said there are some things the state can do that can mitigate fire risks.

“Prescribed burns, thinning, buffers, treatments, and monitoring,” Fisher told The Epoch Times in an email.

He noted that sustainable timber management itself could be valuable for keeping more forests.

”If timber becomes no longer viable, land is often sold to developers who then deplete the remaining resources,” Fisher said. “So, from a standpoint of maintaining forests, sustainable timber management could be, ironically, quite useful for maintaining trees!”