SECTIONS 4660-4664 - California Statutes

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.