Amendment ID: S3050-13

Amendment 13

Placing Guardrails on the De-Designation of Forest Reserves

Ms. Creem, Ms. Comerford and Ms. Edwards move that the proposed new draft be amended in line 578, by inserting after the word "land" the following:-

". The department shall achieve no net loss of reserves under any proposal to de-designate forest reserve land by including in any such proposal the designation of new forest reserve land that is proximate to the de-designated land, of equal or greater acreage to the de-designated land, and of substantially similar environmental, ecological, and carbon sequestration value to the de-designated land. The Forest Reserve Science Advisory Committee shall review and issue a report on any proposal to de-designate forest reserve land, and the commissioner shall publish any such proposal for public review and comment for a period of no less than 30 days. Prior to approving or disapproving any de-designation proposal, the council and secretary shall consider the report of the Forest Reserve Science Advisory Committee and any public comments received on the proposal";

and further amended, in line 1892, by inserting after the word "designation" the following:-

". The department shall achieve no net loss of reserves under any proposal to de-designate forest reserve land by including in any such proposal the designation of new forest reserve land that is proximate to the de-designated land, of equal or greater acreage to the de-designated land, and of substantially similar environmental, ecological, and carbon sequestration value to the de-designated land. The Forest Reserve Science Advisory Committee shall review and issue a report on any proposal to de-designate forest reserve land, and the director shall publish any such proposal for public review and comment for a period of no less than 30 days. Prior to approving or disapproving any de-designation proposal, the board and secretary shall consider the report of the Forest Reserve Science Advisory Committee and any public comments received on the proposal".