(a) The department shall provide an initial inspection of the area in which timber operations are to be conducted within 10 days from the date of filing of the timber harvesting plan or nonindustrial timber management plan, or a longer period as may be mutually agreed upon by the department and the person submitting the plan, except that the inspection need not be made pursuant to the filing of a timber harvesting plan if the department determines that the inspection would not add substantive information that is necessary to enforce this chapter. The department shall provide for inspections, as needed, as follows:
(1) During the period of commencement of timber operations.
(2) When timber operations are well under way.
(3) Following completion of timber operations.
(4) At any other times as determined to be necessary to enforce this chapter.
(b) (1) The Department of Fish and Game, the California regional water quality control boards, or the State Water Resources Control Board, if accompanied by Department of Forestry and Fire Protection personnel and after 24-hour advance notification is given to the landowner, may enter and inspect land during normal business hours at any time after commencement of timber harvest plan activities on the land and before the director issues a report of satisfactory completion of stocking pursuant to Section 4588 or at any time before the end of the first winter period following the filing of a work completion report pursuant to Section 4585, whichever is later. Any member of the inspection party may utilize whatever measurement and evaluation devices, including, but not limited to, photographic equipment and temperature measurement devices, that are determined to be necessary, when participating in an inspection of an area pursuant to subdivision (a) or after commencement of timber harvesting plan activities pursuant to this subdivision.
(2) Photographs taken during inspections shall be clearly labeled as to time, date, and location and shall be the property of the department and part of the inspection record. The inspection record shall be subject to all provisions of the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code).
(3) This subdivision is not a limitation upon the authority of any agency to inspect pursuant to any other provision of law.
(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 1991, or on the effective date of the rules and regulations adopted by the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection pursuant to Senate Bill 1566, whichever date occurs first.
(Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 972, Sec. 19. Effective January 1, 1999.)