Restoration Act heralds dawn of new forestry paradigm in state

A.B. 875 establishes pilot projects to establish new forest practice rules!

For too long across the state's forested watersheds, poorly conceived and executed logging projects have led to sedimentation, rising water temperatures, and pollution in numerous streams and lakes, imperiling fish and wildlife and harming forest values that Californians hold dear.

Finding solutions has proved politically and practically daunting. Now help is on the way in the form of Forests Forever-sponsored Assembly Bill 875, introduced in February by Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast).  More than ever, your support will count toward real solutions.

Help us to move this important legislation onto the Governor's desk!

As Forests Forever and Chesbro have long sought, the bill will require the California Board of Forestry (BOF) to conduct pilot projects aimed at developing consistent standards for forestry and restoration practices across watersheds, taking into account the cumulative impacts of multiple logging projects in those watersheds.

Funding and personnel for the pilot projects would come from existing agencies that oversee forest practices. And all documents that form the basis of the projects would be posted on the California Dept. of Forestry website. Moreover, as Forests Forever has long advocated, the BOF would move to assure that all public records relating to timber harvest regulations and inspections would be available to any interested party via Internet.

The target date for completion of the first pilot project, or set of projects, is Jan. 1, 2017; the rules and process changes resulting from the projects by Jan. 1, 2018 or sooner.

The sooner the projects wrap up and reforms are in place, the sooner fish, wildlife and forest communities will rebound from having taken a beating for so long.

Please write to Assemblymember Chesbro, thanking him for introducing A.B. 875! 

Make a generous donation today!

To view the bill's language, status and history click on http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/ then click on "Bill Information: and search on bill number "AB875."

Forests Forever published an educational feature on the need for internet posting of timber harvest plans and on cumulative watershed effects in its Summer 2009 newsletter.  To read it click on https://www.forestsforever.org/WtrshdSUM09.FINAL.pdf and go the article starting on page three.

We also ran a profile of Forests Forever Advisory Council member Richard Gienger, a respected watershed restorationist, in our Summer 2010 newsletter.  Gienger is one of the leading advocates pressing for passage of AB 875.  Click on https://www.forestsforever.org/WtrshdSummer2010-FINAL.pdf and go to page six.