CA SB455

Requires applicants converting timberlands of 3+ acres to obtain board approval and submit an application fee adequate to cover department and Department of Fish and Game review and compliance costs.

Prohibits timberland conversion approval unless the board finds that environmental impacts on wildlife and habitat are mitigated, mitigation occurs on California timberlands in proximity to conversion sites, and greenhouse gas losses are fully offset over the same time period as the conversion.

Mandates applicants reforest previously forested lands at a minimum 1:1 acreage ratio with permanent conservation easements, or alternatively at 2:1 ratio without easements, and undertake additional carbon sequestration or preservation actions if reforestation alone does not fully mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

Establishes the Timberland Conversion Services Fund, continuously appropriated to the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to implement mitigation requirements, with applicants entering enforceable agreements with the board to ensure mitigation completion within two years of conversion.

Allows counties adopting timberland conversion ordinances to petition the board to serve as lead agencies if they demonstrate compliance with mitigation standards, with applicant payments going to counties rather than the state fund.