Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024
(a) Each approved application shall be ranked
based upon the extent to which it satisfies the following selection criteria:
(1) The nature of the environmental values
proposed for protection, and whether they can be managed and monitored
efficiently and effectively.
(2)
Whether the parcels are likely to become isolated from other areas maintained
for key forest resources by development on adjacent parcels.
(3) The parcel's proximity to other protected
lands.
(4) Whether the landowner's
management goal for his or her parcel is compatible with the resource
protections he or she is proposing.
(5) Whether a nonprofit land trust
organization, public agency, or other suitable organization has expressed an
interest in working with the Department and the landowner to establish and/or
monitor the easement.
(6) Whether
other sources of funding for easement acquisition, closing costs, monitoring,
and other costs, are available.
(b) Where Federal funding for an application
is sought, ranking shall be in accordance with the criteria specified in the
Federal "Project Scoring Guidance" (rev. June 2010), herein incorporated by
reference.
(c) Preferential ranking
shall be given to those applications with one or more of the following
selection criteria:
(1) Applications that
have timber harvesting which is utilized for economic purposes, delivered to
mills or cogeneration biomass plants, and generates revenue and
employment.
(2) Applications with
rangeland forage cover that is utilized for commercial grazing
operations.
(3) Applications that
produce forest product yields on a continuous/periodic basis, and have
long-term harvesting plans.
(4)
Applications that harvest and utilize forest products such that actions reduce
fire hazard, mortality from pests and disease, increases total carbon storage,
and provides biomass for purposes of offsetting fossil fuel use.
(5) Applications that have fewer limitations
or exclusions to commercial timber harvesting or rangeland forage
grazing.
(6) Applications that
include restocking of underutilized forests and improve growth rates on the
forest land.
(7) Applications with
land zoned as Timber Production Zones.
(8) Applications which include improvement of
livestock forage conditions and reduction of non-native invasive species that
adversely affect forage conditions and other natural species
habitats.
(9) Applications with
high site productivity for production of timber or livestock grazing
forage.
(d) Other
relevant considerations may be established by the Director on a case-by-case
basis.
1. New
section filed 4-29-2011; operative 4-29-2011 pursuant to Government Code
section
11343.4
(Register 2011, No. 17).
Note: Authority cited: Section
12249,
Public Resources Code. Reference: Section
12260,
Public Resources Code.
