4660-4664
PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE
SECTION 4660-4664
4660. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the state to establish and preserve an intensively managed, multifaceted research forest which is representative of forest activities as a living forest in Santa Cruz County within northern California's coastal redwood belt. The coast redwoods, as the dominant tree species in this area, are a valuable natural resource and are unique in North America for their beauty, abundance, diversity, and public accessibility, and their extreme beauty and economic value requires special measures for their protection for the use, enjoyment, and education of the public. It is the intent of the Legislature, in establishing the Soquel Demonstration State Forest, to provide an environment that will do all of the following: (a) Provide watershed protection for local communities and base-line monitoring and studies of the hazards, risks, and benefits of forest operations and watersheds to urban areas. (b) Provide public education and examples illustrating compatible rural land uses, including sustained yield timber production, as well as the historic development of timbering and forestry machinery, within the context of local community protection and nearby pressures. (c) Provide a resource for the public, environmental groups, elected officials, environmental planners, the educational community, and the media as an open environment for the inspection and study of environmental education, forestry practices, and effects thereof. (d) Protect old growth redwood trees. 4661. The department may permit a limited amount of commercial timber operations on the property within the Soquel Demonstration State Forest in order to provide funds for the maintenance and operation of the state forest and to allow fulfillment of the objectives of Section 4660. Income from the state forest property shall sustain all costs of operation and provide income for research and educational purposes. 4662. The department is responsible for the establishment and development of the Soquel Demonstration State Forest and for ongoing maintenance and operations. The director shall appoint an advisory committee to assist the department in planning future management of the forest. The advisory committee shall include representatives of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Forest of Nisene Marks Advisory Committee, and the Department of Fish and Game. 4663. The department, in coordination with the advisory committee, shall adopt a general plan for the state forest which reflects the long-range development and management plans to provide for the optimum use and enjoyment of the living forest, as provided in Section 4660, as well as the protection of its quality and the watershed within the Santa Cruz area. The advisory committee shall approve the general plan prior to adoption by the department. 4664. The duties and authority of the department pursuant to this article shall only arise if the state acquires the property comprising the Soquel Demonstration State Forest.