The Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practices Act of 1973 prohibits a person from conducting timber operations, as defined, unless a timber harvesting plan prepared by a registered professional forester has been submitted to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The act authorizes the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to exempt from some or all of those provisions of the act a person engaging in specified forest management activities, including the cutting or removal of trees in compliance with existing law relating to defensible space. In this regard, the act authorizes, until 3 years after the effective date of regulations adopted by the board, the Forest Fire Prevention Pilot Project Exemption if specified conditions are met, including that only trees less than 24 inches in stump diameter, measured at 8 inches above ground level, shall be removed and the activities shall be conducted in those portions of 21 counties designated as the Sierra Nevada Region, as defined, in any part of 7 other counties, or in any combination of these areas. Existing law authorizes a registered professional forester in an emergency to file, on behalf of a timber owner or operator, a specified emergency notice with the department that allows for the immediate commencement of timber operations.
California AB 2029 (20152016) — Timber harvesting plans: exemptions.
The Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practices Act of 1973 prohibits a person from conducting timber operations, as defined, unless a timber harvesting plan prepared by a registered professional forester has been submitted to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The act authorizes the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to exempt from some or all of those provisions of the act a person engaging in specified forest management activities, including the cutting or removal of trees in compliance with existing law relating to defensible space. In this regard, the act authorizes, until 3 years after the effective date of regulations adopted by the board, the Forest Fire Prevention Pilot Project Exemption if specified conditions are met, including that only trees less than 24 inches in stump diameter, measured at 8 inches above ground level, shall be removed and the activities shall be conducted in those portions of 21 counties designated as the Sierra Nevada Region, as defined, in any part of 7 other counties, or in any combination of these areas. Existing law authorizes a registered professional forester in an emergency to file, on behalf of a timber owner or operator, a specified emergency notice with the department that allows for the immediate commencement of timber operations.
Version chain
The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.
AB 2029 DAHLE Assembly Third Reading — 80–0 (pass) · lower
Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] — 7–0 (pass) · upper
Sponsors
Dahle — primary (person)
Gordon — author (person)
Wood — author (person)
Timeline
The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.
2016-02-16 Read first time. To print. reading-1
2016-02-17 From printer. May be heard in committee March 18.
2016-03-17 Referred to Com. on NAT. RES. referral-committee
2016-03-18 From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Read second time and amended. reading-2, amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, reading-1
2016-03-28 Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES. referral-committee
2016-04-19 From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 18). amendment-introduction, committee-passage, amendment-passage
2016-04-20 Read second time and amended. amendment-passage, reading-2, reading-1
2016-04-21 Re-referred to Com. on APPR. referral-committee
2016-05-04 In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file. referral-committee
2016-05-27 From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 20. Noes 0.) (May 27). amendment-introduction, committee-passage, amendment-passage
2016-05-27 Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading. amendment-passage, reading-2, reading-1
2016-05-31 Read second time. Ordered to third reading. reading-2, reading-1
2016-06-01 Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 80. Noes 0. Page 5096.) reading-3, passage, reading-1
2016-06-02 In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. reading-1
2016-06-09 Referred to Com. on N.R. & W. referral-committee
2016-08-01 From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 28). amendment-introduction, committee-passage, amendment-passage
2016-08-02 Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. referral-committee, reading-2, amendment-passage, reading-1
2016-08-08 Referred to APPR. suspense file. referral-committee
2016-08-15 From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (August 11). amendment-introduction, committee-passage, amendment-passage
2016-08-16 Read second time and amended. Ordered to third reading. amendment-passage, reading-2, reading-1
2016-08-23 Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 5304.). reading-3, passage, reading-1
2016-08-24 In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. May be considered on or after August 26 pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.
2016-08-29 Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 80. Noes 0. Page 6388.). committee-passage-favorable, amendment-passage
2016-09-07 Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 12 p.m.
2016-09-24 Approved by the Governor. executive-signature
2016-09-24 Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 563, Statutes of 2016.
Source
OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/68acd885-17b8-420c-b943-590b4e73a14e. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).
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