CEQA - Agriculture and forestry resources

Introduction

The California Department of Natural Resources adopted the amendment to Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines on December 30, 2009. The amendment came into effect on March 18, 2010. The title of this section has been changed from "agricultural resources" to "agricultural and forestry resources" and two issues related to forests and woodlands have been added [questions c and d]. In addition, guidance on forest and woodland resource information has been added to the "CEQA Preliminary Study List 2010 Guidelines".

The reasons for amending this part of Appendix G are as follows.

According to the California State Natural Resources Administration's "Final Statement on Regulatory Action Reasons", in December 2009, "Amendments will add several issues related to forest resources in the agricultural resources section. Forestry issues are properly addressed in the Appendix G list for several reasons. First, forests and forest resources are directly related to greenhouse gas emissions and emissions reduction efforts. For example, converting forests to non-forest uses may result in direct emissions of greenhouse gas emissions [see, for example, the California Energy Commission's baseline greenhouse gases]. Emissions from California forests, pastures and agricultural land [March 2004], p. 19.]

"This conversion will also eliminate existing carbon stocks [ie, carbon stored in vegetation], as well as significant carbon sinks [ie, instead of emitting greenhouse gases, forests remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere]. , Appendix C, p C-168.] Therefore, such conversions indicate potential greenhouse gas emissions. Changes in forest or woodland zoning may also eventually lead to conversions, which may result in greenhouse gas emissions, aesthetic impacts, and impacts on biological resources. And water quality effects and more.

"Therefore, these increases are justified to ensure that the lead agency considers all potential impacts in its initial research. Just as EIR must address the conversion of major agricultural land or wetlands as part of the project [solving the whole problem] the action needs to be Forest cleanup should be analysed prior to project development, so forest removal should be analysed. Agricultural and forest resource treatment may directly affect agricultural land, forest land and forest land project impacts [by project removal], or indirectly [by facilitating these land transfers] For other uses]."

---

Orignal From: CEQA - Agriculture and forestry resources