Committee amends and advances Forestry Commission cleanup bill to full committee

House Bill 36-29, a package of updates to Title 48 concerning the State Forestry Commission, was amended and passed by the Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs committee and will go to the full committee for consideration.

Representative Moore, who presented the bill, told the committee the legislation compiles changes identified during an oversight subcommittee that held eight hearings with the department and updated statutory language that had not been revised in decades. State Forester Scott Phillips and David Jones, general counsel to the Forestry Commission, attended and answered questions.

The key amendment, offered by Representative Reese and adopted by roll call, adds “timberland” alongside “sub‑marginal agricultural lands” to the list of property the commission may acquire “by purchase, gift, or otherwise.” Phillips said omitting timberland had been an oversight and that the amendment corrects that error. Jones said the bill “modernizes the toolbox and the statutes in Title 48” and would make the code more efficient.

Representative Cromwell asked about the statute’s authority for commission agents to enter private lands to prevent or control “forest fire” and whether the jurisdiction includes private property. David Jones cited Title 48, section 48‑33‑30, which defines “forest fire” as “any fire burning uncontrolled on any land covered wholly or in part by timber, brush, grass or other inflammable vegetation.” Phillips clarified the commission has jurisdiction over wildland fires on unincorporated lands and that the language in the amendment removes a prior provision that had authorized certain county‑level board members to enter private lands; the updated language limits entry to commission agents in pursuit of extinguishing active forest fires.

The committee adopted Representative Reese’s amendment by roll call (5 ayes, 0 nays; 2 not present). The subsequent vote on the bill as amended recorded the same affirmative tally and committee leadership announced the bill would proceed to the full committee.

Votes at a glance: the amendment and the bill as amended were recorded as carried; roll calls recorded Representatives Atkinson, Hadden, Neece, Rankin and Rees voting aye; Representatives McDaniel and Chumley were recorded as not present.

The committee did not specify an effective date in the hearing record; the bill was described throughout as a statutory cleanup and modernization of existing Title 48 provisions.