RCRC supports Assembly Bill 442, authored by Assemblymember Heather Hadwick (R-Alturas). This measure would allow management of private timberlands across multiple watersheds.
Specifically, the Forest Practice Act mandates that a forest management plan must be contained within a single watershed, or hydrologic area. This requirement acts as a barrier to holistic forest resilience management, as a single, connected forest system can cross multiple watersheds. AB 442 would enable landowners to manage their continuous forest systems under one forest management plan, regardless of watershed boundaries, by removing the limitations from the Forest Practice Act.
RCRC member counties contain much of the state’s working forestlands and recognize these lands as a vital part of California’s forest resilience efforts. Private forestland owners are doing crucial work to ensure that their lands are healthy, sustainable, and resistant to wildfire. Many private forestlands are adjacent to publicly managed lands, including USDA Forest System lands, and often have strategic fuel breaks built through partnerships with federal and state land managers. For example, the USFS entered into an agreement in early 2025 with Sierra Pacific Industries for the construction and maintenance of a network of strategically placed fuel breaks across private and federal lands.
RCRC supports AB 442 because the proposed changes to the Forest Practice Act would make forest management more practical, effective, and economically feasible and help better protect the resilience of California’s forestlands.
AB 442 passed the Assembly on January 29th and is pending committee referral in the Senate. RCRC’s most recent letter can be found HERE.
For additional information, contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate Staci Heaton.