Senate Bill 1712

SB 1712, introduced by Senator McPherson & Assembly Member Keeley, was signed by Governor Pete Wilson on Sept. 21, 1998. The Bill provides the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) $350,000 per year for each of the next six years, for a total of $2.1 million to address pitch canker.

Specifically the funds are to be used by the Department for, but not limited to the following:

For more information on implementation of SB 1712, contact Stephen Jones, Deputy Chief Forestry Assistance, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, 916-653-9450 or stephen.jones@fire.ca.gov

The following projects will be funded with multi-year contracts. While most of the funds for these projects are from the Pitch Canker Management account created by SB 1712, funds from the CDF Forest Pest Management Program also support these projects.

Conduct a survey to monitor disease movement within and outside of the Pitch Canker Zone of Infestation. A survey along the perimeter of known pitch canker infestations will be implemented to detect the early spread of the disease beyond where it is now known. This is a two-year project.

Research in a native Monterey pine stand will identify silvicultural treatments that will mitigate the impacts of pitch canker, determine the level of native disease resistance in the stand, and develop methods that will help to preserve Monterey pine forest diversity. This is a five-year project.

Development of a long-term forest management plan for the Monterey pine forest in the Cambria area. Plan development and implementation will include a Forest Management Plan, Public Education, and Forest Management Plan Implementation. A two-year project is planned.

The project has four specific objectives: 1) to create a database of susceptible tree population characteristics and management costs for at least eight urban forests in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco Counties, 2) to develop and use a statistical model of tree removal to forecast the timing and magnitude of fiscal and tree 'waste' impacts of the disease for the urban forests in the database, 3) to identify some new disposal options within the zone of infestation, and 4) to publish and widely publicize the results of the research. This is a two-year project.

Perform studies to understand disease, vector, and pine host relationships with respect to appropriate management of pine forests throughout the State. Work during the first two years will also provide for investigation into genetic conservation of Monterey pine in California. A five-year project is planned.

This project will assess the genetic resources of native Monterey pine forests, and develop a plan for their conservation. This is a two-year project.

This work will provide the following information: 1) inoculum density of pitch canker on cone surface as relates to host, weather, and disease intensity, 2) pitch canker contamination of Monterey pine seed, 3) pitch canker occurrence on and in Monterey pine seed, 4) elimination of pitch canker from contaminated seed by selected seed treatments, 5) the association of pitch canker with cones and seeds of other coastal pine species. This is a two-year project.

For more information on implementation of SB 1712, contact Stephen Jones, Deputy Chief Forestry Assistance, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, 916-653-9450 or stephen.jones@fire.ca.gov