Except as provided in this section, timber harvesting on public reserved lands and nonreserved public lands may not exceed in total an average of 160,000 cords per year over any 3-year period. If an independent timber inventory conducted after July 1, 2015 establishes a different sustainable harvest, the department, upon recommendation from staff within the bureau based on opinions of silvicultural experts in public reserved lands management and data from the most recent physical forest inventory, may adopt by rule a different harvesting level consistent with the most recent physical forest inventory, as long as the harvesting level is also consistent with multiple use objectives, existing management plans and the department's most recent integrated resource policy for public reserved and nonreserved public lands, state parks and state historic sites. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A and must be reviewed by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over public reserved and nonreserved public lands matters.   [PL 2017, c. 289, §1 (AMD).]