CA AB2029

Requires the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to submit a report to the Legislature by December 31, 2017, reviewing trends in use, compliance, and effectiveness of timber harvesting exemptions and emergency notice provisions.

Expands the Forest Fire Prevention Pilot Project Exemption to permit removal of trees up to 26 inches in stump diameter (previously 24 inches) effective January 1, 2018 or upon report submission, whichever occurs first, and extends the exemption authorization until January 1, 2021.

Applies the expanded exemption to activities anywhere within 28 specified counties (Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Humboldt, Inyo, Kern, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, and Yuba) within designated fire hazard severity zones.

Requires legislative committees to hold a hearing in January 2018 if the report is not submitted by December 31, 2017, to investigate the delay.

Authorizes exemptions from timber harvesting plan requirements for specified forest management activities including defensible space creation, tree removal for fuel reduction, and other uses consistent with public safety and forest health.