Next week, the Board of Forestry’s Management Committee will meet and continue to discuss amendments to the Forest Practice Rules to address how electric utilities conduct vegetation management work within public rights of way, as well as how public agencies conduct similar work. The discussion will focus on a more controversial request by PG&E to more than double the size of the right-of-way for electric distribution lines under 33KV, and to significantly increase rights-of-way for higher voltage lines and telephone cables/open wires. These changes are expected to substantially impact property owners who have distribution and transmission lines running across their land.
Regarding the changes that would impact public agencies, the Board of Forestry has characterized its intent to largely maintain the status quo and remove controversial proposed changes to “timber operations” and “timberlands” that would have brought maintenance activities within the definition of “timber operations,” and required a Notice of Exemption to be prepared by a Registered Professional Forester.
The Board of Forestry Management Committee will meet on Tuesday, April 9th at 1pm. The meeting can be viewed here.
RCRC requests local government feedback on the draft amendments and urges participation in the upcoming meeting. Responses or questions should be directed to RCRC Senior Policy Advocate John Kennedy.
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