Amended
IN
Assembly
January 15, 2020 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
January 06, 2020 |
Introduced by |
February 22, 2019 |
(1)Existing law declares that a thriving in-state forest products sector provides public benefits, including employment opportunities in both rural and urban areas, and economic development for rural communities. Existing law establishes the Forest Management Task Force pursuant to a specified executive order issued by the Governor, and requires the task force or its successor entity, on or before July 1, 2020, in consultation with specified entities, to develop recommendations for the siting of additional wood product manufacturing facilities in the state. Existing law declares that it is the intent of the Legislature, in developing those recommendations, that the location and activities of the mass timber production facilities, among other things, be located in, or be proximate
to, areas that are near the locations of large landscape fires, as specified, and in areas identified as federal opportunity zones or in areas that have an average household income of at least 5% below the state’s median household income.
This bill would recast the median household income threshold from at least 5% below to at or below 5% of the state’s median household income.
(2)Existing
(a)On or before July 1, 2020, the Forest Management Task Force or its successor entity shall, in consultation with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, the Joint Institute for Wood Products Innovation in the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, private industry, investors, and other stakeholders it deems appropriate, develop recommendations for the siting of additional wood product manufacturing facilities in the state. These recommendations shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
(1)A financially viable proposal for the development and construction of at least one new mass timber production facility that can manufacture mass timber panels that can be cross or dowel laminated or use similar mass timber technology.
(2)The identification and proposal of the necessary incentives needed to attract private investment to construct a mass timber production facility in California.
(3)The identification of other former manufacturing or wood processing sites that may be suitable for future investment.
(b)In developing the recommendations pursuant to subdivision (a), it is the intent of the Legislature that the location and activities of the mass timber production facilities, to the extent feasible, meet all of the following:
(1)Be adjacent to a high or very high fire hazard severity zone, as identified by the department, and be capable of processing materials generated as a result of fuel treatments or other forest management practices.
(2)Generate mass timber workforce training and job creation opportunities.
(3)Be located in, or be proximate to, areas that are near the locations of large landscape fires of greater than 50,000 acres that have occurred since 2005 and in areas identified as federal opportunity zones or in areas that have an average household income at or below 5 percent of the state’s median household income.