Upcoming Public Scoping Meeting for Carbon Sink Act (AB1504) Implementation

UPCOMING PUBLIC/STAKEHOLDER MEETING
SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

 The Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has initiated the development of an analysis work plan in response to the “Carbon Sink Act” (Assembly Bill 1504, Skinner 2010). The Carbon Sink Act amends the Z'Berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973 (PRC § 4512.5) to require that the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection' (BOF) regulations governing commercial timber harvesting take into account the capacity of forests to sequester carbon dioxide and meet the greenhouse-gas (GHG) emission-reduction goals mandated for the state's forestry sector by California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 32, 2006).
 
Under this legislation the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection is to assess the capacity of its forest and rangeland regulations and non-regulatory forestry programs to meet or exceed the state's greenhouse gas reduction goals.  At a minimum the BOF must consider:

• Whether relevant statutory or regulatory requirements governing a timber harvesting plan, sustained yield plan or its equivalent, non-industrial timber management plan, or any other discretionary approval for timber harvesting are sufficient to ensure a net reduction or sequestration of carbon emissions from primary forest carbon sources, sinks or reservoirs.
• Whether regulations governing conversion of timberland and forestland to non-timber and non-forest uses are sufficient to offset lost sequestration capacity and carbon emissions associated with the non-timber use.
• Whether forest growth, harvest and conversion information obtained through the BOF's regulatory and non-regulatory programs and other local, state and federal sources is sufficient and reliable to track changes in carbon stocks, including net emissions and reductions, across the state's forested landscape.

 
The BOF is requesting public and stakeholder input on the scope and analysis methodologies to help guide the BOF response to the Carbon Sink Act of 2010. At this meeting the project team will provide the public and stakeholders with the background and scope of the effort; will outline opportunities to provide feedback and; seek input on specific technical issues.
 
The California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection requests public and stakeholder comment on the following technical questions:

• Which forest practice regulations affect carbon sequestration processes and trends?
• What forest carbon measurement and reporting frequency should be considered?
• What time duration for measuring the effect of forest practice regulations should be considered?
• What are the appropriate spatial scales needed to measure carbon sequestration trends?
• Which data sources can be used to quantify forest sector greenhouse gas emissions?
• Should forest growth models be used to understand effects of forest practice regulations on carbon sequestration? If so, which models should be considered?
• Which climate models are recommended?   
• What other analytical methods and tools are recommended to assess the effects of forest practice regulations on carbon sequestration. 

The public and stakeholders are encouraged to comment on any item on the agenda in writing. Submit written comments to the project webpage at:

For further information about the project, please go to the following link: http://ucanr.edu/carbonsinkact

PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals who, because of a disability, need special assistance to attend or participate in a State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection Meeting, may request assistance at the Board Office, 1416 Ninth Street, Room 1506-14, Sacramento, California or by calling (916) 653-8007. Requests should be made one week in advance whenever possible. These facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities.