(a) Upon receipt of the timber harvesting plan, the department shall place it, or a true copy thereof, in a file available for public inspection in the county in which timber operations are proposed under the plan, and, for the purpose of interdisciplinary review, shall transmit a copy to the Department of Fish and Game, the appropriate California regional water quality control board, the county planning agency, and, if the area is within its jurisdiction, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, as the case may be. The department shall invite, consider, and respond in writing to comments received from public agencies to which the plan has been transmitted and shall consult with those agencies at their request.

(b) Within the public comment period, any responsible agency, as defined in Section 21069, shall provide the department with specific comments or recommendations, or both, on any significant environmental issues and proposed mitigation measures raised by the timber harvesting plan. The responsible agency shall also identify its statutory authority for any requests for mitigation measures that it may determine to be necessary. If the responsible agency fails to respond by the end of the public comment period, the department may assume that the responsible agency has no comments or recommendations concerning the timber harvesting plan, but the failure of the responsible agency to make comments or recommendations shall not be used as the basis for a determination or presumption that the timber harvesting plan will have no significant effect on the environment. The department shall consider all comments and recommendations received from responsible agencies and from the public during the public comment period. If a responsible agency fails to respond within the public comment period, it may request additional time to respond. The director may grant an extension of the time to respond of up to 14 calendar days if he or she determines, after consultation with the person submitting the timber harvesting plan, that an extension is necessary.

(c) To ensure that all public comments and concerns are considered by the department, each responsible agency shall maintain a list of written information it disseminates on the timber harvesting plan under review prior to the close of the public comment period.

(d) On and after July 1, 1983, the board of supervisors or planning commission of any county for which rules have been adopted pursuant to Section 4516.5 may request a public hearing on any timber harvesting plan submitted for lands within the county, and the department shall hold a hearing for the purpose of public comment, if requested, prior to taking any action on the timber harvesting plan pursuant to Section 4582.7. The hearing shall be held in the county in which the proposed harvest is located at a time and place convenient to the public. The hearing shall be held in county offices if made available by the county for that purpose. The chairperson of the hearing shall be a representative of the department, shall receive both oral and written testimony from members of the public, local government officials, persons submitting the plans, and others, and shall provide for the hearing to be electronically recorded. The department shall prepare and make available written responses to significant issues raised at the hearing. The requirements of this subdivision shall not be construed as extending the time within which any action is required to be taken pursuant to Section 4582.7.

(Amended by Stats. 1995, Ch. 612, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1996.)