The State Legislative Analyst´s Office says timber companies should have to pay more for state services as the state tries to trim its multi-billion-dollar budget deficit.
Its report says logging companies should pay what it actually costs the state to review their timber cutting plans, saving more than $21 million a year.
However, the Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention says timber owners already pay higher logging costs than in other states because of California´s stricter regulations.
The California Forestry Association says preparing the environmental and other documents needed for state approval already can cost owners from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
This post was last modified on 01/31/2009 5:28 pm