Bill Text: CA SB456 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Fire prevention: wildfire and forest resilience: action plan: reports.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2021-09-28 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 387, Statutes of 2021. [SB456 Detail]

Download: California-2021-SB456-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  March 08, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 456

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Introduced by Senator Laird

February 16, 2021

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An act to add Section 4123.10 to the Public Resources Code, relating to climate resiliency. fire prevention.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 456, as amended, Laird. Climate resiliency. Fire prevention: long-term forest management plan: reports.

Existing law establishes the Office of Planning and Research as the comprehensive state planning agency to, among other duties and authorities, engage in the formulation, evaluation, and updating of long-range goals and policies for land use, population growth and distribution, urban expansion, development, open space, resource preservation and utilization, air and water quality, and other factors that shape statewide development patterns and significantly influence the quality of the state’s environment. Existing law establishes in the Natural Resources Agency the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and requires the department to, among other thing, be responsible for providing fire protection, fire prevention, pest control, and forest and range protection and enhancement implements and apparatus as necessary and to enforce specified laws relating to forest and fire and forest practices, as provided.

This bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2022, in consultation with various state entities, including the Office of Planning and Research, to establish a long-term forest management plan. The bill would require the plan to include the use of various programs, including fuels reduction and prescribed fire. The bill would require the office, on or before July 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, until July 1, 2033, to prepare a report and provide it to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee on the status of the long-term management plan, as provided. The bill would require the office, on or before July 31, 2033, to prepare a final report and provide it to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee regarding the long-range forest management plan over the previous 10 years, as provided.

Existing law establishes the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program under the administration of the Office of Planning and Research to coordinate regional and local efforts with state climate adaptation strategies to adapt to the impacts of climate change, as specified.

This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation relating to climate resiliency.

Digest Key

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

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Section 4123.10 is added to the Public Resources Code, immediately following Section 4123.7, to read:

4123.10.

 (a) (1) On or before July 1, 2022, the department, in consultation with the Natural Resources Agency, the Office of Emergency Services, the Office of Planning and Research, and the California Environmental Protection Agency, shall establish a long-term forest management plan. The plan shall include the use of all the following programs:

(A) Fuels reduction and prescribed fire.

(B) Vegetation management.

(C) Fuels management crews.

(D) Complementary partnerships at the local level through tribal governments, cities and counties, fire safe councils, regional collaboratives, resource conservation districts, and others who protect forested landscapes and at-risk communities.

(E) Fuel breaks.

(2) The long-term forest management plan shall be constructed on a 5-year and 10-year period.

(b) On or before July 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, until July 1, 2033, the Office of Planning and Research shall prepare a report and provide it to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to inform the Legislature and public on the status of the long-term forest management plan prepared pursuant to subdivision (a) and provide information that will be useful for future decisionmaking regarding efforts to reduce wildfire risks and damages. If any funds are appropriated for purposes of supporting a program included in the plan during the most recent fiscal year, the report shall include, for each program so funded, all of the of the following information:

(1) Summary of the projects implemented, including a quantification of the number of projects funded. Where relevant, the summary of projects implemented shall include information on the total number of acres treated, grants or loans awarded, home retrofits, or other quantifiable deliverables. The information provided shall be broken down by project type if the program supports different types of activities.

(2) Summary of costs to implement projects, by project type, including a cost breakdown for different types of expenditures, such as state employment costs, contracted services costs, equipment costs, and the awarding of grants or loans.

(3) Summary of how projects were selected, including information on prioritization criteria used to select projects.

(4) Summary of geographic distribution, including number and costs of projects by region of the state.

(c) (1) On or before July 31, 2033, the Office of Planning and Research shall prepare a final report and provide it to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee regarding the long-term forest management plan described in subdivision (a), which shall include an assessment of all the information required in subdivision (b) over the previous 10 years.

(2) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the requirement for submitting a report under this subdivision is inoperative on July 31, 2037.

SECTION 1.

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation relating to climate resiliency.