CALIFORNIA RPF LATEST 2026 MAIN FINALS EXAM
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔What characteristic of true fir requires that special attention be paid to it during
partial cutting? - ✔✔It is highly susceptible to various rots because of thin bark; the
cambium is easily exposed; susceptible to windthrow
✔✔How do FPRs define "economic feasibility" - ✔✔Whether the plan as revised could
be conducted on a commercial basis within 3 years of the submission of the plan
✔✔For a GPS unit suitable for forestry purposes (e.g. Resource Grade unit), name 2 of
3 types of x,y,z coordinates a point may be recorded in - ✔✔Geographic coordinate
system:
x, y = lat/long; z = elevation (3-d); these are Cartesian coordinates; (Q to Jason Barnes)
✔✔A 25-ton load of fresh wood chips is delivered to a biomass co-gen facility, with a
moisture content of 45%; how many dry weight tons is this? - ✔✔=.55*25 = 13.75
(the % of the water "burns off" from green wood to bone dry tons)
✔✔When an alien or exotic species can establish, grow, reproduce, and maintain itself
in an area where it did not originally grow, it is said to be: - ✔✔Invasive
✔✔Define direct & indirect control of insects - ✔✔Direct = control methods that kill
insects
Indirect = management activities that change the environment to reduce suitable
breeding conditions
✔✔The abiotic parts of an ecosystem are __________ - ✔✔Parts that are non-living
(soil particles, bedrock, air, water)
✔✔The FPRs allow the review team how many days to examine a THP to assist the
Director? - ✔✔50 days = receipt, then
Within 10 days: distribute, first review (is the document complete), Notice of Filing
Within 10 days of NoF: PHI
Within 20 days of PHI: second review team meeting
30 days after PHI: end public comment and agency comment
Then, Director has 15 working days to consider all input
✔✔Describe the Allowable Cut Effect - ✔✔This refers to the allocation of anticipated
future timber yields to the present allowable cut - employed to increase current harvest
levels, especially when constrained by evenflow requirements, by spreading anticipated
future growth over all the years in the rotation; so: cut more today, expect more yields
tomorrow
,✔✔Under the FPRs, what conditions would a cable road need to have erosion control
measures specified in the THP & installed? - ✔✔Cable road = path followed by logs
being yarded by a cable system; when these are cut so deeply that they divert and carry
water away from natural drainage patterns for more than 100 feet, you must install
waterbreaks at 100' intervals
✔✔The establishment of a forest or stand in an area where the preceding vegetation or
land use was not forest is_____________. - ✔✔Afforestation
✔✔List 3 compatible uses, besides tree growing and harvesting, that may occur on
lands zoned TPZ - ✔✔Wildlife habitat, water provision, grazing, residence for
management of TPZ, recreation, utility transmission facilities
✔✔For tax purposes, the cost of logging equipment is usually recovered by depreciation
and timber is depleted. By what taxation process is the cost of permanent roads most
often recovered. - ✔✔Costs for surfacing and culverts, with a determinable life, should
be amortized
✔✔Water bodies that are listed impaired under §303(d) of CWA must have a plan called
a ___________ developed for each pollutant which is the maximum amount that water
body can receive and still meet water quality standards - ✔✔Total Maximum Daily Load
✔✔The height above ground or (in some regions) above stump height, to which a tree
stem is salable for a particular product is termed ____________ height -
✔✔Merchantable
✔✔The difference between the greater volumes actually sawn over the lesser estimated
log volume is____. - ✔✔Overrun
✔✔An 8-digit code that uniquely identifies any of the drainage basins in the U.S. from
largest (regions( to smallest (cataloguing units) is a ___ - ✔✔Hydrologic Unit code
✔✔According to the definitions in the FPR (CCR 895.1), what stream order is required
for a planning watershed and what is the maximum acreage for a planning watershed? -
✔✔Planning watershed = contiguous land base and associated watershed system that
forms a fourth order or other watershed typically 10,000 acres or less in size; used in
planning forest management and assessment impacts (can subdivide if >10,000 acres,
or may have larger); third order basins that flow directly into ocean area also considered
appropriate (first order = tiny stream, no tributaries); largest = 12th order
✔✔Which silvicultural method is used to develop an unevenaged stand from a stand
that currently has an unbalanced irregular or evenaged structure? (silvicultural method
used no more than twice) - ✔✔= transition
, ✔✔Typically, riparian vegetation is more important as a source of energy "inputs" in the
headwaters areas of California and other western US rivers than toward the lower end -
why? - ✔✔Riparian vegetation in the upwaters contributes branches, leaves, nutrients,
and microinvertebrates, feeding primary production (allochthonous), while downstream,
primary production is through autochthonous (inside stream) sources and driven by
available sunlight. Upstream there are a lot of shredders and grazers to feed on the
organic materials, moving them from coarse to finer pieces.
✔✔What are two certification systems in the U.S.? - ✔✔Sustainable Forestry Initiative,
Forest Stewardship Council
✔✔According to Calfire guidance, what is the smallest stand size area that must be
disclosed in a THP when large old trees are present and potential significant adverse
impacts to large old trees may occur? - ✔✔This is from a guidance memo:
http://bofdata.fire.ca.gov/board_business/other_board_actions/heritage_tree_petition/he
ritagetree_guidance2_25_05.pdf; there is no "smallest stand size" to be evaluated -
even individual trees or stands smaller than 20 acres must be disclosed if damage is
expected
✔✔Give the common name of two deciduous US Forest tree species that are
monoecious and two that are dioecious - ✔✔Monoecious (both): oak, walnut, maple
Dioecious (separate): willow, ash
✔✔What is the 'coefficient of variation' used to measure? - ✔✔This measures the
dispersion of data points around a mean (ratio of standard deviation to the mean):
standard deviation/expected value; used to measure variation in comparing populations
✔✔What was the impetus for California to change the yield tax in 1976? - ✔✔The yield
tax gave impetus to landowners to cut more quickly because they were taxed on the
growing, uncut yield on the stump
✔✔For a project on private lands in California, briefly describe the current procedure to
obtain a spotted owl database check - ✔✔Go to CDFW website, use the California
Natural Diversity Database
✔✔List three instream conditions that can negatively impact fish populations as a result
of land management activities - ✔✔Sedimentation/erosion and destabilization,
temperature rise (through canopy removal), loss of coarse woody debris recruitment
because of logging
✔✔A rectangular piece of land measures 26.5 chains by 38.7 chains - how many
acres? - ✔✔=26.5*38.7 = 1025.55 chains
=102.6 acres
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔What characteristic of true fir requires that special attention be paid to it during
partial cutting? - ✔✔It is highly susceptible to various rots because of thin bark; the
cambium is easily exposed; susceptible to windthrow
✔✔How do FPRs define "economic feasibility" - ✔✔Whether the plan as revised could
be conducted on a commercial basis within 3 years of the submission of the plan
✔✔For a GPS unit suitable for forestry purposes (e.g. Resource Grade unit), name 2 of
3 types of x,y,z coordinates a point may be recorded in - ✔✔Geographic coordinate
system:
x, y = lat/long; z = elevation (3-d); these are Cartesian coordinates; (Q to Jason Barnes)
✔✔A 25-ton load of fresh wood chips is delivered to a biomass co-gen facility, with a
moisture content of 45%; how many dry weight tons is this? - ✔✔=.55*25 = 13.75
(the % of the water "burns off" from green wood to bone dry tons)
✔✔When an alien or exotic species can establish, grow, reproduce, and maintain itself
in an area where it did not originally grow, it is said to be: - ✔✔Invasive
✔✔Define direct & indirect control of insects - ✔✔Direct = control methods that kill
insects
Indirect = management activities that change the environment to reduce suitable
breeding conditions
✔✔The abiotic parts of an ecosystem are __________ - ✔✔Parts that are non-living
(soil particles, bedrock, air, water)
✔✔The FPRs allow the review team how many days to examine a THP to assist the
Director? - ✔✔50 days = receipt, then
Within 10 days: distribute, first review (is the document complete), Notice of Filing
Within 10 days of NoF: PHI
Within 20 days of PHI: second review team meeting
30 days after PHI: end public comment and agency comment
Then, Director has 15 working days to consider all input
✔✔Describe the Allowable Cut Effect - ✔✔This refers to the allocation of anticipated
future timber yields to the present allowable cut - employed to increase current harvest
levels, especially when constrained by evenflow requirements, by spreading anticipated
future growth over all the years in the rotation; so: cut more today, expect more yields
tomorrow
,✔✔Under the FPRs, what conditions would a cable road need to have erosion control
measures specified in the THP & installed? - ✔✔Cable road = path followed by logs
being yarded by a cable system; when these are cut so deeply that they divert and carry
water away from natural drainage patterns for more than 100 feet, you must install
waterbreaks at 100' intervals
✔✔The establishment of a forest or stand in an area where the preceding vegetation or
land use was not forest is_____________. - ✔✔Afforestation
✔✔List 3 compatible uses, besides tree growing and harvesting, that may occur on
lands zoned TPZ - ✔✔Wildlife habitat, water provision, grazing, residence for
management of TPZ, recreation, utility transmission facilities
✔✔For tax purposes, the cost of logging equipment is usually recovered by depreciation
and timber is depleted. By what taxation process is the cost of permanent roads most
often recovered. - ✔✔Costs for surfacing and culverts, with a determinable life, should
be amortized
✔✔Water bodies that are listed impaired under §303(d) of CWA must have a plan called
a ___________ developed for each pollutant which is the maximum amount that water
body can receive and still meet water quality standards - ✔✔Total Maximum Daily Load
✔✔The height above ground or (in some regions) above stump height, to which a tree
stem is salable for a particular product is termed ____________ height -
✔✔Merchantable
✔✔The difference between the greater volumes actually sawn over the lesser estimated
log volume is____. - ✔✔Overrun
✔✔An 8-digit code that uniquely identifies any of the drainage basins in the U.S. from
largest (regions( to smallest (cataloguing units) is a ___ - ✔✔Hydrologic Unit code
✔✔According to the definitions in the FPR (CCR 895.1), what stream order is required
for a planning watershed and what is the maximum acreage for a planning watershed? -
✔✔Planning watershed = contiguous land base and associated watershed system that
forms a fourth order or other watershed typically 10,000 acres or less in size; used in
planning forest management and assessment impacts (can subdivide if >10,000 acres,
or may have larger); third order basins that flow directly into ocean area also considered
appropriate (first order = tiny stream, no tributaries); largest = 12th order
✔✔Which silvicultural method is used to develop an unevenaged stand from a stand
that currently has an unbalanced irregular or evenaged structure? (silvicultural method
used no more than twice) - ✔✔= transition
, ✔✔Typically, riparian vegetation is more important as a source of energy "inputs" in the
headwaters areas of California and other western US rivers than toward the lower end -
why? - ✔✔Riparian vegetation in the upwaters contributes branches, leaves, nutrients,
and microinvertebrates, feeding primary production (allochthonous), while downstream,
primary production is through autochthonous (inside stream) sources and driven by
available sunlight. Upstream there are a lot of shredders and grazers to feed on the
organic materials, moving them from coarse to finer pieces.
✔✔What are two certification systems in the U.S.? - ✔✔Sustainable Forestry Initiative,
Forest Stewardship Council
✔✔According to Calfire guidance, what is the smallest stand size area that must be
disclosed in a THP when large old trees are present and potential significant adverse
impacts to large old trees may occur? - ✔✔This is from a guidance memo:
http://bofdata.fire.ca.gov/board_business/other_board_actions/heritage_tree_petition/he
ritagetree_guidance2_25_05.pdf; there is no "smallest stand size" to be evaluated -
even individual trees or stands smaller than 20 acres must be disclosed if damage is
expected
✔✔Give the common name of two deciduous US Forest tree species that are
monoecious and two that are dioecious - ✔✔Monoecious (both): oak, walnut, maple
Dioecious (separate): willow, ash
✔✔What is the 'coefficient of variation' used to measure? - ✔✔This measures the
dispersion of data points around a mean (ratio of standard deviation to the mean):
standard deviation/expected value; used to measure variation in comparing populations
✔✔What was the impetus for California to change the yield tax in 1976? - ✔✔The yield
tax gave impetus to landowners to cut more quickly because they were taxed on the
growing, uncut yield on the stump
✔✔For a project on private lands in California, briefly describe the current procedure to
obtain a spotted owl database check - ✔✔Go to CDFW website, use the California
Natural Diversity Database
✔✔List three instream conditions that can negatively impact fish populations as a result
of land management activities - ✔✔Sedimentation/erosion and destabilization,
temperature rise (through canopy removal), loss of coarse woody debris recruitment
because of logging
✔✔A rectangular piece of land measures 26.5 chains by 38.7 chains - how many
acres? - ✔✔=26.5*38.7 = 1025.55 chains
=102.6 acres
