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SB-1293 Environment: guidelines: vegetation management projects.(2009-2010)

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Amended  IN  Assembly  June 30, 2010
Amended  IN  Senate  April 13, 2010

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2009–2010 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 1293

Introduced  by  Senator Hollingsworth, Ducheny

February 19, 2010

An act to add Section 21083.02 to the Public Resources Code, relating to the environment, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 1293, as amended, Hollingsworth. Environment: guidelines: vegetation management projects.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report (EIR) on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA requires the Office of Planning and Research to prepare and develop guidelines for the implementation of CEQA by public agencies.
This bill would require the office, on or after January 1, 2011, at the time of the next update of the guidelines for implementing CEQA, in cooperation with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, to prepare, develop, and transmit to the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency recommended proposed changes or amendments to the initial study for the inclusion of questions related to vegetation management projects to reduce fire hazards that are located in state responsibility areas and high fire hazard severity zones. This bill would also require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to certify and adopt these recommended proposed changes or amendments.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Vote: MAJORITY2/3   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 Section 21083.02 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

21083.02.
 (a) On or after January 1, 2011, at the time of the next review of the guidelines prepared and developed to implement this division pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 21083, the Office of Planning and Research, in cooperation with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, shall prepare, develop, and transmit to the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency recommended proposed changes or amendments to the initial study of the guidelines implementing this division for the inclusion of questions related to vegetation management projects to reduce fire hazards that are located on lands classified as state responsibility areas, as defined in Section 4102, and on lands classified as very high fire hazard severity zones, as defined in subdivision (i) of Section 51177 of the Government Code.
(b) Upon receipt and review, the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency shall certify and adopt the recommended proposed changes or amendments prepared and developed by the Office of Planning and Research pursuant to subdivision (a).

SEC. 2.

 This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
Because of the prolonged drought in California and the imminent danger of fire, and the need to establish an effective vegetation management to ensure the general safety and appropriate evacuation of the public, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.