California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have enacted the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparation, Flood Protection, Extreme Heat Mitigation, and Workforce Development Bond Act of 2022, which, if approved by voters, would have authorized the issuance of bonds in the amount of $7.43 billion to finance projects for safe drinking water, wildfire prevention, drought preparation, flood protection, extreme heat mitigation, and workforce development programs. The bond would have allocated $30 million to CARB, and would have required CARB to consult with the California Natural Resources Agency and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to fund projects that provide long-term capital infrastructure to convert forest and other vegetative waste removed for wildfire mitigation to uses that maximize reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, provide local air quality benefits, and increase local community resilience against climate change impacts. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary 

Exempts the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection grant programs that receive Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund dollars for healthy forest, fire prevention programs, prescribed fire, and other fuel reduction grant programs from the employer and procurement standards established by AB 680 (Burke, Chapter 746, Statutes of 2021).

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Summary

Would have enacted the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparation, Flood Protection, Extreme Heat Mitigation, and Workforce Development Bond Act of 2022, which, if approved by voters, would have authorized the issuance of bonds in the amount of $7.08 billion to finance projects for safe drinking water, wildfire prevention, drought preparation, flood protection, extreme heat mitigation, and workforce development programs. The bond would have allocated $30 million to CARB, and would require CARB to consult with the California Natural Resources Agency and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to fund projects that provide long-term capital infrastructure to convert forest and other vegetative waste removed for wildfire mitigation to uses that maximize reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions, provide local air quality benefits, and increase local community resilience against climate change impacts. Remains in the Assembly Rules Committee. 

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Summary

Would have required the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) to provide a basic level of technological support to community organizations for wildfire risk reduction and resiliency, including technology for data, geospatial mapping, and data management, as well as software and limited technical support. The bill would have required CNRA to structure this wildfire technology support in the same way that technology support is provided for similar services for wildfire-program building, outreach, and planning. The bill would have been contingent on a $5 million appropriation from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund each year through the 2023–24 fiscal year to CNRA for purposes of providing the technological support described above. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would have required the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) to research and provide a report to the Legislature with recommendations for, ways in which a community that undertakes science‑supported wildfire resilience actions can be recognized with a peer-reviewed, community-level certification in order to acknowledge and motivate wildfire resilience activity, on or before January 1, 2023. The bill would have been contingent on a $2 million appropriation from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund each year through the 2022–23 fiscal year to CNRA for purposes of this research and report. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary 

Would have extended the funding committed by SB 901 (Dodd, Chapter 626, Statutes of 2018) for fire prevention and management projects by continuously appropriating $200 million to California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CAL FIRE) from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). Beginning in the 2021-2022 fiscal year and ending in the 2028-2029 fiscal year, $200 million from GGRF would have been appropriated to CAL FIRE for (1) healthy forest and fire prevention programs and projects and (2) prescribed fire and other fuel reduction projects. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.   

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Summary

Would have required the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, before December 31, 2022, and before December 31 of each year thereafter, to identify priority fuel reduction projects. The bill would have also exempted the identified priority fuel reduction projects from specified legal requirements. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would have, among other things, continuously appropriated, from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, $480 million to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and $20 million to the California Conservation Corps for fire prevention activities, and indefinitely extend existing law that allows the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to exempt certain forest management activities from obtaining approval from CAL FIRE for a timber harvesting plan. Forest management activities that would have been eligible for exemption include cutting or removing trees on property to reduce flammable materials and maintain a fuelbreak on each side of a habitable structure. The bill would have also extended the distance of the fuelbreak from 300 feet to 500 feet. Finally, the bill would have exempted certain forest health and fuel reduction activities from the California Environmental Quality Act. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would have required CARB to identify and make recommendations for achieving the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions of greenhouse gas and black carbon emissions from wildfires in each update to the Scoping Plan after January 1, 2022. The bill also would have provided the intent to make a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund appropriation for wildfire mitigation and prevention. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Provides that it is the intent of the Legislature that CARB, in consultation with the local air districts, review established guidance and policies related to prescribed fire with the goal of maximizing acreage and opportunities to implement prescribed fire in order to reduce the air pollution associated with high-severity wildfire. The bill also makes various changes to State law to enhance wildland fire prevention efforts, including, among other things, incorporating and facilitating cultural burning practices, and requiring the identification of moderate and high fire hazard severity zones in local responsibility areas, as specified.

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