Amended  IN  Assembly  March 15, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill No. 2144

Introduced by Assembly Member Chen

February 12, 2018

An act to add Article 3.7 (commencing with Section 5049.1) to Chapter 1 of Division 5 of the Public Resources Code, relating to state parks.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2144, as amended, Chen. State parks: Chino Hills State Park: wildfires.
Existing law gives control of the state parks system to the Department of Parks and Recreation. Existing law requires the department to consider certain factors when selecting park units for closure, including the extent to which park unit closure would impair firefighter access to water resources or otherwise increase fire risk.
This bill would state that it is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would make statutory changes relating to state parks and wildfire prevention efforts. require the department, no later than January 1, 2022, in consultation with various local entities, to develop and implement a wildfire management plan for Chino Hills State Park. The bill would require the plan to include certain things, including the promotion of an interagency approach to managing fires on an ecosystem basis across agency boundaries and in conformance with the natural ecological processes and conditions characteristic of the ecosystem.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for Chino Hills State Park.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Article 3.7 (commencing with Section 5049.1) is added to Chapter 1 of Division 5 of the Public Resources Code, to read:
Article  3.7. Chino Hills State Park Wild fire Management Plan

5049.1.
 No later than January 1, 2022, the department, in consultation with the cities of Chino Hills, Yorba Linda, Corona, and Brea, as well as the Orange County Fire Authority, Chino Valley Fire District, and the Corona Fire Department, shall develop and implement a wildfire management plan for Chino Hills State Park.

5049.2.
 The wild fire management plan described in Section 5049.1 shall do all of the following:
(a) Reinforce the commitment that firefighter and public safety is the first priority.
(b) Describe wildland fire management objectives that are derived from land, natural, and cultural resource management plans.
(c) Create of a multi-coordination effort from local cities and surrounding communities that utilizes their plans for handling wildfires.
(d) Address all potential wildland fire occurrences and consider the full range of wildland fire management actions.
(e) Promote an interagency approach to managing fires on an ecosystem basis across agency boundaries and in conformance with the natural ecological processes and conditions characteristic of the ecosystem.
(f) Include a description of rehabilitation techniques and standards that comply with resource management plan objectives and mitigate immediate safety threats.
(g) Include a wildland fire prevention analysis and plan.
(h) Include a fuels management analysis and plan.
(i) Include procedures for short and long-term monitoring to document that overall programmatic objectives are being met and undesired effects are not occurring.
(j) Address public health issues and values to be protected.

SEC. 2.

 The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique location of Chino Hills State Park in relation to private residences and the risk for wildfire.
SECTION 1.

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would make statutory changes relating to state parks and wildfire prevention efforts.