Napa County Municipal Code Art. I Definitions and General Provisions

Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions in this chapter govern the construction of this chapter.

"Board" means the board of supervisors of the county of Napa.

"Commission" means the planning commission of the county.

"Cut-over land" means land which has borne a crop of commercial timber from which at least seventy percent of the merchantable original growth timber stand has been removed or destroyed by logging, fire, insects or tree diseases, and which is now supporting or capable of growing a crop of commercial timber and other forest products, and which has not been converted to other commercial or agricultural use.

"Director" means the director of the county planning, building and environmental services department, and the director's designees.

"Permit" means a permit to engage in timber operations issued pursuant to Section 16.08.250 of this chapter.

"Person" means any individual, copartnership, corporation or association.

"Private timber owner" means any person that owns commercial timber, timberland, cut-over land, or timber rights on lands of another except a governmental agency.

"Rules" means the forest practice rules established pursuant to Article III of this chapter.

"Timberland" means land which is growing a crop of trees of any species which are of sufficient size and quality to be capable of furnishing raw material used in the manufacture of lumber or other forest products. Orchards and Christmas tree farms are expressly excluded.

"Timber operations" means the cutting or removal, or both, of timber or other forest products, including but not limited to firewood, from timberlands for commercial purposes; it includes work preparatory to cutting, and all cleanup, restoration and reforestation activities following completion of cutting operations; it includes work ancillary to removal, such as road and skid trail construction, but does not include timber salvage operations resulting mainly from any necessary utility or public works clearing operation, or private construction projects.

"Timber operator" means any person who is engaged in timber operations himself, or who contracts with others to conduct operations on his behalf, except a person who is engaged in timber operations as an employee with wages as his sole compensation.

"Timber owner" means a private timber owner, as defined in this section.

(Prior code § 10000—10012)

(Ord. No. 1379, § 80, 1-29-2013)

This chapter is adopted pursuant to the grant of power contained in Public Resources Code Section 4582.

(Prior code § 10025)

The purpose of this chapter is to do all of the following:

A. Declare the existence of a public interest in the forest resources and timberlands in the unincorporated area of the county;

B. Declare the necessity of good forest practices in the cutting and removal of timber and other forest products to conserve and maintain the productivity of the timberlands in the interests of the economic welfare of the county and the continuance of the forest industry;

C. Declare the necessity of good forest practices to protect the ecologic balance of timberlands and haul routes in the unincorporated area of the county by regulating, in connection with timber operations, such activities as the following:

1. Soil erosion control,

2. Water quality control,

3. Watershed control,

4. Flood control,

5. Sustained yield practices,

6. Noise control,

7. Stand density control,

8. Reforestation practices,

9. Fire prevention and control,

10. Timber operation safety,

11. Traffic safety;

D. Declare the necessity of good forest practices to protect aesthetic and historical values such as scenic routes, vista points, historical sites, archaeological discoveries, wildlife habitats, and the preservation of rare or endangered species of plants and animals;

E. Authorize the formulation of forest practice rules;

F. Specify the manner in which the forest practice rules shall be administered;

G. Require that permits to engage in timber operations be obtained;

H. Provide appropriate criteria by which the responsibility and authority of the commission with respect to forest practices shall be exercised.

(Prior code § 10026)

The board intends to allow the cutting and removal of timber and other forest products from the private timberlands in the unincorporated area of the county only under high performance standards. These standards shall be designed to minimize the adverse environmental impact of such activities while maximizing the interests of the community in the maintenance of open space, recreational areas, aesthetic values and other similar social values.

(Prior code § 10027)

This chapter does not apply to any person who engages in the activities herein regulated as an employee with wages as his sole compensation.

(Prior code § 10013)