AB 442 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973: working forest management plans: nonindustrial timber management plans.

Summary

Under the Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973, the Legislature finds and declares that it is the policy of the state to encourage prudent and responsible forest management of nonindustrial timberlands by approving working forest management plans in advance. Existing law regulates nonindustrial tree farmers and working forest landowners for timberland management purposes, including by setting a maximum acreage each may own, and authorizes a person who intends to become a nonindustrial tree farmer or a working forest landowner to submit to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection a nonindustrial timber management plan or a working forest harvest plan, respectively, regarding that acreage. Existing law provides a maximum of 2,500 acres owned for nonindustrial tree farmers and nonindustrial timber management plans and a maximum of 10,000 acres owned for working forest landowners and working forest management plans. This bill would increase the maximum acreage for nonindustrial tree farmers and nonindustrial management plans to 4,000 acres and for working forest landowners and working forest management plans to 15,000 acres. Existing law requires the harvest area of a working forest management plan to be contained within a single hydrological area, as defined. This bill would eliminate the requirement that the harvest area of a working forest management plan be contained within a single hydrological area. Existing law requires the working forest landowner who owns, leases, or otherwise controls or operates on all or any portion of any timberland within the boundaries of an approved working forest management plan, and who plans to harvest any of the timber during a given year, to file a working forest harvest notice, as defined, with the department in writing. Existing law exempts the Southern Subdistrict of the Coast Forest District, as described in regulations, from these provisions regarding working forest management plans. This bill would eliminate this exemption.

Issues: ✗ Environment

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Jun 2026

Assembly Passage

Jan 2026

Senate Passage

Jul 2026

Governor

Introduced Feb 6, 2025 Last action Aug 24, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

08/19/26 - Enrolled → AB442 · 1 edit

MINOR

No substantive policy changes occurred between these two versions. The diff reflects a change in document format from an official enrolled bill PDF layout (with page numbers, signature blocks, and formal headers) to a web page rendering of the same enrolled text (with navigation menus, bill tracking metadata, and online display elements). The legislative content is identical in both versions.

TECHNICAL

The document changed from a formatted official enrolled bill layout (with page numbers, Chief Clerk/Secretary signature blocks, and formal chapter heading) to a web page presentation (with navigation links, bill status timeline, version history, and online metadata). No legislative text was altered.

04/21/25 - Amended Assembly → 06/01/26 - Amended Senate · 5 edits · Jun 1, 2026

MODERATE

The Senate amendment fundamentally restructured AB 442 by removing the CEQA wildfire exemption provision entirely and refocusing the bill on expanding forest management flexibility. The new version increases maximum acreage limits for nonindustrial tree farmers (from 2,500 to 4,000 acres) and working forest landowners (from 10,000 to 15,000 acres), removes the requirement that harvest areas fall within a single hydrological area, and eliminates an exemption that had excluded the Southern Subdistrict of the Coast Forest District from working forest management plan requirements.

Scope change

The bill shifted from a CEQA environmental exemption focused on wildfire risk reduction in communities with single evacuation routes to a broader forest management flexibility measure that expands acreage thresholds, removes hydrological constraints, and extends working forest plan requirements to a previously exempt geographic area.

SCOPE

The CEQA exemption for prescribed fire, thinning, or fuel reduction projects in communities with a single ingress and egress evacuation route (new Section 21080.52) was entirely removed, along with the associated state-mandated local program finding and reimbursement provision.

Section 4597.22 was repealed, eliminating the exemption that had excluded the Southern Subdistrict of the Coast Forest District from working forest management plan provisions. This extends the requirements to that previously exempt area.

ELIGIBILITY

Maximum acreage for nonindustrial tree farmers increased from 2,500 to 4,000 acres, and maximum coverage for nonindustrial timber management plans increased from 2,500 to 4,000 acres.

Maximum acreage for working forest landowners increased from 10,000 to 15,000 acres, and maximum coverage for working forest management plans increased from 10,000 to 15,000 acres.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement that the harvest area of a working forest management plan be contained within a single hydrologic area (as defined by CalWater 2.2) was deleted, allowing plans to span multiple hydrological areas.

02/06/25 - Introduced → 04/21/25 - Amended Assembly · 5 edits · Apr 21, 2025

MODERATE

AB 442 was significantly expanded from a single-purpose CEQA exemption bill into a dual-purpose bill that also amends the Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973. The amendment adds a full set of definitions for working forest management plans, including a 10,000-acre cap on plan size and landowner holdings, and addresses the existing requirement that harvest areas be contained within a single hydrological area. The original CEQA exemption for prescribed fire, thinning, and fuel reduction in communities with a single ingress and egress evacuation route is retained unchanged.

Scope change

Expanded from a single CEQA exemption provision to also include amendments to the Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act, adding definitions and parameters for working forest management plans including acreage limits and landowner eligibility criteria.

SCOPE

The bill now amends Section 4597.1 of the Public Resources Code (Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act) in addition to adding the CEQA exemption, expanding its scope from environmental quality only to also cover forestry regulation.

DEFINITION

Added definitions for: long-term sustained yield, major stand type, management unit, stand, strata, sustained yield, uneven aged management, working forest harvest notice, working forest landowner, working forest management plan, and working forest timberlands.

ELIGIBILITY

A 'working forest landowner' is defined as an owner of timberland with less than 10,000 acres who has an approved working forest management plan and is not primarily engaged in the manufacture of forest products.

REQUIREMENT

A working forest management plan may include multiple landowners but shall cover no more than 10,000 acres of timberland. The harvest area must be contained within a single hydrologic area as defined by CalWater 2.2 (though the legislative digest states the bill would delete this requirement, suggesting it replaces or modifies a prior version of the restriction).

TECHNICAL

The state-mandated local program designation was changed from 'yes' to 'yes no,' which appears to be a drafting error in the amended version.

Floor votes · Senate Jul 2, 2026 · Assembly Jan 29, 2026

How they voted

37–0

Passed · 3 other

Total votes 40

Jul 2, 2026

D Democratic30

28 Yea 2

93% Yea

R Republican10

9 Yea 1

90% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Aug 17, 2026

Lower · Passed

Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling.

lower

Jul 2, 2026

Introduced

In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

lower

Jul 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 37. Noes 0.).

upper

Jun 29, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.

upper

Jun 22, 2026

Upper · Passed

In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

upper

Jun 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 9). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Jun 1, 2026

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.

upper

May 6, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on N.R. & W.

upper

Jan 29, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 74. Noes 0. Page 3871.)

lower

Jan 22, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (January 22).

lower

Jan 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (January 12). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Apr 22, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

lower

Apr 21, 2025

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Read second time and amended.

lower

Feb 18, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

lower

Feb 7, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 9.

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor