California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would require the California Natural Resources Agency to develop and implement a fuels transportation program that provides grants to eligible communities to offset the cost of transporting fuels to a biomass energy facility. The bill would also make funds from Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund available to facilitate the grant program. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Among other things, the bill would continuously appropriate, 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, indefinitely extending 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 eligible for exemption include cutting or removing trees on property that reduces flammable materials and maintains a fuelbreak for 300 feet on each side of a habitable structure. This bill would also extend the distance of the fuelbreak to 500 feet. Finally, this bill would exempt 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 make a public agency liable for all damages proximately caused by a negligent or intentional violation of the requirements of the Information Practices Act of 1977.  The bill would have also prohibited an agency from selling, renting, or exchanging for a commercial purpose the personal information that the agency holds without the consent of the person to whom that information applies.  Remains at the Assembly Desk.

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Summary

Would have appropriated $330 million from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in fiscal year 2020-2021 for healthy forest and fire prevention programs and projects to improve forest health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by uncontrolled wildfires.  This bill also would have specified that no less than $10 million of the appropriation go to the California Conservation Corps for fire prevention projects and activities in, or adjacent to, the State Responsibility Areas.  Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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