California Gov. Gray Davis (D) is asking the state Board of Forestry to pass a rule tomorrow that would require private landowners to get state approval before cutting down ancient trees on their property. Landowners would have to go through a multiagency environmental review before receiving permission to log a single ancient tree. The proposal appears designed to head off a more stringent ballot measure that enviros hope will win approval in 2002. The measure would ban logging of all trees that are more than 150 years old.
