HB 91: "An Act relating to the regulatory and administrative standards for managing forest resources."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 91 01 "An Act relating to the regulatory and administrative standards for managing forest 02 resources." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 41.17.060(b) is amended to read: 05 (b) With respect to state, municipal, and private forest land, the following 06 standards apply: 07 (1) to the maximum extent possible, all applicable data and 08 information of applicable disciplines shall be updated and used in making decisions 09 relative to the management of forest resources; 10 (2) environmentally sensitive areas shall be recognized in the 11 development of regulations and best management practices that are designed to 12 implement nonpoint source pollution control measures authorized under this chapter; 13 (3) administration of forest land shall consider marketing conditions 14 and other economic constraints affecting the forest landowner, timber owner, or the
01 operator; 02 (4) to the fullest extent practicable, harvested forest land shall be 03 reforested, naturally or artificially, so as to result in a sustained yield of merchantable 04 timber from that land; if artificial planting is required, silviculturally acceptable 05 seedlings must first be available for planting at an economically fair price in the state; 06 [AND] 07 (5) significant adverse effects of soil erosion and mass wasting on 08 water quality and fish habitat shall be prevented or minimized; 09 (6) threats to public safety within one-half mile of a public road or 10 adjacent to an area of human habitation shall be prevented or minimized; 11 (7) timber harvest and logging operations in or near an area of 12 human habitation shall be subject to strict safety standards to protect human life 13 and property on slopes of greater than 45 percent grade or 24 degree slope angle; 14 when establishing the strict safety standards, the commissioner and the board 15 shall consider factors affecting slope stability and risks to public safety, including 16 (A) soil types, particularly those with low or minimal 17 cohesion, coarse textures and high permeabilities underlain by relatively 18 impervious substrata that inhibit or stop vertical water movement 19 through shallow overburden; 20 (B) ground disturbance and logging debris accumulations 21 that may cause local slumping or formation of debris dams in existing 22 gullies and shallow drainage channels; 23 (C) destruction or reduction of stabilizing root systems; 24 (D) increased potential for uprooting and overthrowing 25 trees by wind because of increased wind exposure resulting from timber 26 harvest or logging operations; 27 (E) the likelihood of higher groundwater levels and soil 28 saturation from rainfall and snowmelt on slopes due to canopy removal 29 and the uprooting and overthrowing of trees because of increased wind 30 exposure; 31 (F) the presence of active and dormant debris flow and
01 debris torrent channels within a proposed harvest area; and 02 (G) the need for or the benefit from a site-specific risk 03 analysis; and 04 (8) the state forester shall give public notice to affected property 05 owners and local governing bodies of potential hazards of timber harvest and 06 logging operations that are subject to safety standards under (7) of this 07 subsection.