CA AB1867

Exempts persons engaged in forest management from timber harvest plan requirements for cutting or removal of trees on their property within 300 feet of an approved habitable structure to reduce flammable materials and maintain fuel breaks, effective until January 1, 2019.

Requires cutting or removal activities to comply with defensible space standards that eliminate vertical continuity of vegetative fuels and horizontal continuity of tree crowns, with a registered professional forester preparing and submitting the notice of exemption.

For areas between 150 and 300 feet from the habitable structure, requires residual stocking standards consistent with timber regulations, increased quadratic mean diameter, and primarily healthy dominant and codominant trees retained.

Mandates the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection adopt implementing regulations no later than January 1, 2016, and requires the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to evaluate the effects and report recommendations to the Legislature before January 1, 2019.

Creates a Forest Fire Prevention Pilot Project Exemption for specific regions (Sierra Nevada, Modoc, Siskiyou, Trinity Counties) with modified requirements allowing removal of trees up to 24 inches in diameter in high fire threat zones.