3540 Department of Forestry & Fire Protection
Program Descriptions

12 - RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

California's state and private forest, range, watershed lands and urban forests provide multiple human and environmental benefits. The objective of this program is to maintain and enhance those benefits and to minimize damage to these resources from natural catastrophes and human development. Objectives are met by regulation of timber harvesting, technical assistance to non-industrial landowners, operation of state demonstration forests, operation of forest nurseries, vegetation management projects and administration of federal forestry assistance programs.

12.10 - Resources Protection and Improvement:
The objective of this program is to improve forest lands. Activities include the detection, evaluation and control of forest pests; growing and sale of tree seedlings from two nurseries for reforestation and soil erosion control; genetic tree improvement; advice and assistance to non-industrial forest landowners on management of forests and improved harvesting practices; the demonstration of sustainable forestry in state forests; implementation of the California Forest Improvement Act of 1978; and demonstration of the use of wood waste and forest growth for increased use of forest products. In the area of vegetation management, assistance is provided to the public and to private landowners to achieve land use objectives by reducing damage from wildland fires, increasing wildlife habitat, increasing productivity of forest and rangelands, improving water yields and air quality and maintaining desirable ecosystems. The Department cooperates with federal, state and local agencies and private property owners to develop and achieve land use objectives. Activities include the removal, rearrangement, conversion or improvement of vegetation using various treatment measures such as prescribed fire and mechanical, manual, biological and chemical methods.

12.30 - Forest Practice Regulations:
The objective of this program is to maximize sustained production of high-quality timber while protecting soil, water, wildlife, recreation and other values associated with forest land. Activities include regulating timber harvesting operations on nonfederal timberlands, carrying out studies of causes and effects of soil erosion, issuing licenses to timber operators and assisting taxing agencies in their administration of taxes on timber and timberland.

12.40 - Forest Resource Inventory and Assessment:
This program provides information to assist in the formulation and analysis of resource policies and practices regarding fire protection, watershed protection and resource management. Activities include assessing forest and range land conditions; developing and maintaining the data and tools used in the California Fire Plan; identifying policy options for improving conditions across all wildland resources; publishing forest and range assessments; designing and conducting inventories to gather forest and range land data; developing a data storage, retrieval and analytical system; producing maps displaying soil and vegetation types; and providing comment on the U.S. Forest Service Resources Planning Act, National Forest Management Act and Soil Conservation Service Resource Conservation Act processes.

12.60 - CalFED Distributed Administration:
The Budget Act of 2006 transferred the administrative function for the CALFED Bay-Delta Program to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. This program continues to provide administrative services for the CALFED Bay-Delta Program, which is under the Resources Agency.