Why Do Plans Cost So Much?

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) mandates that projects, such as commercial timber management, consider a broad range of potential impacts. The document normally required to fulfill CEQA is an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). A THP or NTMP, however, has been determined in the state court system to be the functional equivalent of an EIR, thus fulfilling CEQA requirements. The detailed information required by the California Forest Practice Rules in THPs and NTMPs is necessary to meet CEQA and other state and federal laws designed to protect the envi-ronment. The work described here is required under the Forest Practice Rules.

• Notification of Native American tribes. Letters and maps are sent to all the local Native American Indian tribes, requesting information they have on archaeological sites on or within 100 feet of your proposed project boundaries.
• Notification of all 1,000-foot downstream landowners. Maps and letters are sent to all of your neighbors within 1,000 feet of the project boundary who might receive runoff from your property. They are asked to report any domestic water source they have that might be adversely impacted by timber operations.
• Spotted owl database request. A map of the area of and adjacent to the project is prepared, which is part of a formal request for information about any known spotted owls in that area.
• Archaeological records check. We prepare a map and formal request for any archaeological surveys or sites known on or within 100 feet of the project area.
• Adjacent landowners. A list is compiled of the names and addresses of all landowners within 300' of your project boundaries.
• Maps and air photos. We obtain maps and aerial photographs of your property or project area. Maps are scanned so that future maps can be reproduced electronically. Your property lines are established on the topographic maps and transferred to the air photos.
• Public notice. This notice appears in the local newspaper. It describes the project area and requests information on domestic water sources.

• Cruise of the property. In many, but not all, cases it is necessary to do a cruise of the property. Using a systematic random sample, we walk through areas of your property that will be included in the plan. We gather data on tree species, age, height, diameter, health and vigor, rate of growth, spacing, etc. This cruise data helps us determine the silvicultural system appropriate for your land. For an NTMP, this cruise data is needed to conduct the Growth and Yield analysis.
• Watercourse classification. The management plan must adequately protect all water supplies in your forest. Seeps, springs, seasonal and year-round streams must be evaluated by an RPF who classifies them as a I (capable of supporting fish), II (capable of supporting aquatic life), or III (capable of transporting sediment to a class I or II). All water sources and watercourses must be appropriately flagged in the field. Often this means flagging buffer zones of 50 to 150 feet on either side of a creek.
• Truck road and tractor road inventory. An RPF must classify the truck and tractor roads on your property and ensure they are accurately mapped.
• Truck road and tractor road evaluation. The RPF ensures that roads meet certain drainage standards that protect both the road and water resources. The RPF sizes culverts, designs temporary and permanent crossings, decides where new culverts or rolling dips should be placed, proposes rocking or abandoning certain roads, proposes exceptions to standard rules for roads near watercourses or on steep slopes, and designs new roads.
• Flagging. A tremendous amount of time is spent "flagging", or hanging ribbons. Flagging, combined with the plan, is how the RPF communicates with the equipment operators and regulators. Different color flags have different meanings. The following are typically flagged: road points where work is needed, watercourse crossings, centerlines or buffer zones, springs, wet areas, new roads, exceptions to the standard rules, silvicultural boundaries, yarding boundaries, archaeological site boundaries, unstable areas, harvest plan boundaries, areas where equipment is prohibited, and spotted owl call locations.
• Spotted owl surveys. Because the spotted owl is listed as an endangered species, special owl surveys must be conducted to determine if any owls are present on or near your project area. We conduct 6 separate surveys, primarily at night, to "hoot" on and around your property for these birds.
• Archaeological survey. We investigate all likely locations for archaeological sites. If a site is located, we collect information about what we observe on the ground surface. We do not conduct "digs", and often timber operations in site areas are permitted if properly mitigated.
• Sample mark. Individual trees must be marked with paint to show the regulators a sample of what the RPF intends to happen in your forest. Either the harvest trees or the leave trees can be painted. Generally, 10% of the area up to 20 acres must be sample marked. Additionally, all harvest trees in watercourse buffer zones must be marked. The entire plan area must usually be marked before the logger can operate; the sample mark is what must be completed before the plan is submitted to CDF.

• Cruise data manipulation. The data collected during the cruise is entered into a computer. The data is analyzed, and the results help determine what silvicultural system is most appropriate. Because the Forest Practice Rules specifies exact standards for trees that must remain after harvest, the data analysis serves to prove that your lands will meet those strict requirements after the harvest.
• Mapping. Our detailed maps are used by loggers, regulators and you to understand the plan and ensure operations are performed as planned. Taking data from the air photos and our cruise, we add to your computerized topographic map the following data: truck roads, tractor roads, watercourses, springs, seeps, timber management type, yarding method, erosion hazard rating, structures, sites where road work is needed, sites where there are exceptions to the standard rules, archaeological sites, unstable areas, and the location of our archaeological survey.
• Required information. For THPs and NTMPs, dozens of pieces of information are described, such as the legal description of your parcels, the forest district in which your property is located, harvesting and yarding methods, etc. Sections I and II of the plan are the operational guide for the logger. Other sections provide other and more detailed required information.
• Exceptions to the standard rules. An "exception" is something not normally permitted by the Forest Practice Rules, such as using an existing road within 75 feet of a fish-bearing watercourse. Each exception requires a detailed description of the exception, a justification of why it is the best alternative, and what will be done to mitigate any adverse impacts.
• Wildlife and botanical species discussion. A number of state and federal lists exist of species that have special protection and may not be harmed or harassed by timber operations. In your plan, we list the species that might be present and research their habitat requirements. A discussion is included for each species that addresses how it will be adequately protected.
• Growth and Yield analysis (NTMPs only). The cruise data is input into a special forestry modeling program. The program provides information about current and future harvestable volume, remaining volume, and species composition. The Forest Practice Rules require this analysis to be done for a 100-year period to demonstrate that harvest will not exceed growth in any 10-year interval.
• Cumulative effects. One section of the write-up is devoted to cumulative effects of your proposed harvest in your watershed. This analysis considers the impacts of previous and future harvests as well as detailed consideration of a wide range of issue addressing the watershed, watercourses, water quality, soil productivity, wildlife habitat, as well as timber resources.
• Soil Erosion Hazard. For each soil type on your property, a numeric Erosion Hazard Rating is calculated.
• Archaeological survey report. After conducting the field survey, a formal archaeological report is compiled. This report ranges from 10-100 pages and includes detailed maps, any sites that were discovered, and previous survey informa-tion.
• Spotted owl no-take certificate. Using our owl survey data, we obtain for you from the Department of Fish and Game a "no-take" certificate. This is an assurance that your activities will no result in a "take" of this endangered species.
• Alternatives. The plan includes a discussion of alternatives that you, the landowner, have in addition to harvesting timber.

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