Bill Text: CA AB3023 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 3023 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force: interagency funding strategy: multiple benefit projects: grant program guidelines.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2024-09-22 - Vetoed by Governor. [AB3023 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB3023-Amended.html

Amended IN Senate June 20, 2024

Amended IN Assembly May 20, 2024

Amended IN Assembly April 16, 2024

Amended IN Assembly April 02, 2024

Amended IN Assembly March 21, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 3023

Introduced by Assembly Member Papan

February 16, 2024

An act to add Section 4773 to the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental protection.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 3023, as amended, Papan. Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force: interagency funding strategy: state watershed restoration plans: forest resilience plans: grant program guidelines.

Existing law establishes in the Natural Resources Agency the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and requires the department to be responsible for, among other things, fire protection and prevention, as provided. Existing law establishes the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force and requires the task force to develop a comprehensive implementation strategy to track and ensure the achievement of the goals and key actions identified in the state’s “Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan” issued by the task force in January 2021.

Existing law declares that the department has extensive technical expertise in wildland fire prevention and vegetation management on forest, range, and watershed land, and, when appropriately applied, this expertise can have significant public resource benefits, including decreasing high-intensity wildland fires, improving watershed management, and improving carbon resilience, among other benefits.

This bill would require the task force to develop, in partnership with the agency, an interagency funding strategy to help coordinate and align implementation of state watershed restoration plans and initiatives, as specified, with forest resilience planning efforts to achieve ~~more integrated and holistic outcomes.~~ outcomes more aligned with an ecosystem-based approach, as defined.

The bill would require the agency and other relevant state entities to review and update relevant grant guidelines for certain climate change, biodiversity, conservation, fire, and watershed restoration programs to encourage ~~projects that advance plans and goals in an integrated fashion.~~ multibenefit projects. The bill would also require the programs to review and revise relevant grant guidelines to reinforce the program alignment in order to integrate conservation action with landscape restoration actions to ensure that landscapes are protected and well managed for climate, biodiversity, water security, and fire resilience. The bill would further require, to the extent feasible, the interagency funding strategy to coordinate and align state and federal investments in forest and watershed protection programs.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

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

SECTION 1.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) California’s natural and working lands are essential to both mitigating and adapting to climate change. Restoring, managing, and conserving these lands are a critical complement to other direct emissions reductions. Climate-smart land management offers the most immediate, cost-effective, and large-scale opportunities for reductions in carbon and other potent greenhouse gas emissions.

(2) The health of California’s source watersheds is critical for secure water supplies, including the ability to buffer large storms and store snowpack. Healthy forests, meadows, and streams help moderate runoff, support reliable water supply, and allow better function of our water storage reservoirs.

(3) Extreme wildfire behavior is transforming the landscapes most important to state water supply. For example, one-quarter of the 7-million-acre area that supplies California’s three largest reservoirs burned between 2012 and 2022. Over 43 percent of that fire was damaging, high-intensity fire.

(4) The forest conditions that support greater and more resilient carbon sequestration and biodiversity are also more resilient to wildfire: larger well-spaced trees maintained by frequent low-intensity fire, often accompanied by healthy mountain meadows. These are the same target conditions that support good watershed function and more predictable water runoff.

(5) Conservation actions are essential to develop and retain these healthy landscape characteristics and ensure that critical areas are managed for public benefits into the future. Strategic conservation can simultaneously help reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, enhance carbon sequestration, improve fire safety and water security, protect biodiversity, and position future generations to better survive our changing climate.

(6) California’s budget crisis demands that state agencies better coordinate and align existing grant programs to facilitate achievement of multiple state mandates related to climate adaptation, carbon storage, biodiversity, forest health, water quality, and economic development.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to better align ongoing planning and implementation of landscape treatments to address climate change, wildfire, watershed restoration, and biodiversity conservation actions.

SEC. 2.

Section 4773 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

4773.

(a) In developing the comprehensive implementation strategy and the accompanying expenditure plan required in Section 4771, the task force shall develop, in partnership with the Natural Resources Agency, an interagency funding strategy to help coordinate and align implementation of state watershed restoration plans and initiatives, including, but not limited to, the State Water Plan, integrated regional water management plans, associated regional water planning initiatives, and the California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future, with forest resilience planning efforts, including Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program efforts and the department’s unit fire plans, to achieve ~~more integrated and holistic outcomes.~~ outcomes more aligned with an ecosystem-based approach.

(b) (1) To further the goals of the interagency funding strategy described in subdivision (a), the Natural Resources Agency and other relevant state entities shall review and update relevant grant guidelines for climate change, biodiversity, conservation, fire, and watershed restoration programs to encourage ~~projects that advance plans and goals in an integrated fashion.~~ multibenefit projects. If feasible and appropriate, similar grant programs may develop a shared, consolidated application process. ~~Grant programs~~ Elements of guidelines to review include, but are not limited to, ~~all of~~ the following:

~~(A)The department’s forest health grant program, the Fire Prevention Grants Program, and the Wildfire Resilience Program.~~
~~(B)The Department of Water Resources’ integrated regional water management grant program and other grant programs that support watershed restoration planning and implementation.~~
~~(C)The Department of Conservation’s Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program.~~
~~(D)The Department of Fish and Wildlife’s watershed restoration, planning, and protection programs.~~
~~(E)The Wildlife Conservation Board, state conservancies, and other relevant conservation funding programs.~~
(A) Aligning the timing, requirements, and application process of grant solicitations, to the extent feasible and consistent with program requirements.
(B) Encouraging multiple benefit projects.
(C) Opportunities to simplify and streamline the grant experience for the applicant.
(D) Opportunities to develop a common application for the organizational, governance, legal, and financial elements of the grant submission.

(2) The programs described in paragraph (1) shall review and revise relevant grant guidelines to reinforce the program alignment required pursuant to subdivision (a) in order to integrate conservation action with landscape restoration actions to ensure that landscapes are protected and well managed for climate, biodiversity, water security, and fire resilience.

(c) The review required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) applies only to grant programs that receive funding through the Budget Act of 2024, ~~or later,~~ or a general obligation bond.

(d) To the extent feasible, the interagency funding strategy shall coordinate and align state and federal investments in forest and watershed protection programs.

(e) As used in this section, “an ecosystem-based approach” means a science-based approach to the integrated management of natural resources that aims to sustain the health, resilience, and diversity of ecosystems, while also allowing for sustainable use by humans.