1103.04 SUBMISSION AND APPROVAL OF LOGGING PLAN.

   (a)    Plan Approval Requirement. The Deputy Director of Planning shall issue a logging permit for timber harvesting activities only on the basis of plans submitted to and approved by him. A separate permit shall be required for each site. It shall be unlawful for any landowner or operator to conduct timber harvesting on a site one acre or greater in size in the City of Youngstown except as provided for in an approved logging plan which is available at the harvest site at all times during the operation.

   (b)    Plan Submission and Approval. At least forty-five days before the operation is scheduled to begin, a landowner on whose land timber harvesting is to occur shall submit to the Deputy Director of Planning a written logging plan in the form specified in these regulations. Within forty-five days of the receipt of a logging plan, the Deputy Director of Planning shall approve, conditionally approve, or deny approval of the plan.

   (c)    Fees. The fee for processing a logging plan shall be fifty dollars ($50.00) for the first acre, plus one dollar ($1.00) for each acre or fraction thereof in excess of one acre to cover the cost of necessary reviews, except that no fee shall be charged for timber harvesting activities performed by a governmental agency. No logging plan shall be approved until all fees have been paid.

   (d)    Notification. The landowner or operator shall notify the Deputy Director of Planning in writing at least five business days before operations commence and five business days before operations are completed under an approved logging plan. The notification shall identify the operation, and, as applicable, shall specify the commencement or completion date.

   (e)    Review By Conservation District. A copy of all applications for logging permits and accompanying logging plans shall be transmitted upon receipt by the Deputy Director of Planning to the Mahoning County Soil and Water Conservation District for review and comment prior to the issuance of a permit. The recommendations of the Conservation District shall be considered for possible incorporation into the proposed logging plans.

   (f)    Change in Plans after Approval. No change, revision, or amendment shall be made to any approved logging plan unless authorization for such has been granted in writing by the Deputy Director of Planning.

   (g)    Expiration of Permit. Logging permits shall be valid for six months, provided that any permit may be renewed without cost for one additional six-month period at the direction of the Deputy Director of Planning.

   (h)    Supervision by Professional Forester. All timber harvesting activities in the field shall be supervised by a professional forester or his representative who must be at least a forest technician.

(Ord. 00-175. Passed 5-22-00.)