The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:

(a) The forest resources and timberlands of this state, together with the forest products industry, contribute substantially to the health and stability of the state’s economy and environment by providing high quality timber, employment opportunities, regional economic vitality, resource protection, and aesthetic enjoyment.

Terms Used In California Government Code 51101

  • State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Government Code 18
  • Timber: means trees of any species maintained for eventual harvest for forest products purposes, whether planted or of natural growth, standing or down, on privately or publicly owned land, including Christmas trees, but does not mean nursery stock. See California Government Code 51104
  • Timberland: means privately owned land, or land acquired for state forest purposes, which is devoted to and used for growing and harvesting timber, or for growing and harvesting timber and compatible uses, and which is capable of growing an average annual volume of wood fiber of at least 15 cubic feet per acre. See California Government Code 51104

(b) The state’s increasing population threatens to erode the timberland base and diminish forest resource productivity through pressures to divert timberland to urban and other uses and through pressures to restrict or prohibit timber operations when viewed as being in conflict with nontimberland uses.

(c) A continued and predictable commitment of timberland, and of investment capital, for the growing and harvesting of timber are necessary to ensure the long-term productivity of the forest resource, the long-term economic viability of the forest products industry, and long-term stability of local resource-based economies.

(Amended by Stats. 1990, Ch. 1600, Sec. 1.)

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