Today's Law As Amended


Bill PDF |Add To My Favorites | print page

AB-2610 Wildlife Conservation Board: ecologically sensitive vegetation management: wildfire risk reduction.(2021-2022)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.

 Article 3.3 (commencing with Section 1357) is added to Chapter 4 of Division 2 of the Fish and Game Code, to read:

Article  3.3. Ecologically Sensitive Vegetation Management Grant Program
1357.
 For purposes of this article, the following terms have the following meanings:
(a) “Board” means the Wildlife Conservation Board established pursuant to Section 1320.
(b) “Ecologically sensitive vegetation management” means invasive plant control using best management practices to reduce wildfire risk over the long term while supporting native wildlife and biodiversity.
(c) “Integrated Pest Management (IPM)” has the meaning set forth in subdivision (d) of Section 14717 of the Government Code.
(d) “Local government entity” means any city, county, city and county, district, or other local government entity, if the other local government entity is otherwise authorized to acquire and hold title to real property.
(e) “Nonprofit organization” means a tax-exempt nonprofit organization that meets the requirements of subdivision (a) of Section 815.3 of the Civil Code.
(f) “Park and open-space district” has the meaning of “district” set forth in Section 5500 of the Public Resources Code.
1358.
 It is the intent of the Legislature that this article encourage ecologically sensitive vegetation management practices for the purpose of maintaining ecological health and strengthening biodiversity while mitigating wildfire risk through fuel load reduction.
1359.
 (a) The board shall establish a grant program to facilitate the application of ecologically sensitive vegetation management practices that can improve long-term wildfire risk reduction, improve native plant and wildlife diversity, protect water quality, and enhance ecosystem function.
(b) The board shall leverage existing state funding to award grants to local government entities, park and open-space districts, resource conservation districts, and nonprofit organizations for projects that carry out ecologically sensitive vegetation management practices designed to reduce wildfire risk by doing any of the following:
(1) Maximizing the removal or reduction of invasive plant species using an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach.
(2) Maximizing biodiversity through the use of locally appropriate native plant species.
(3) Maximizing the use of treatments that support native plant species proliferation.
(4) Prioritizing the treatment of invasive species over native species.
(5) Maximizing long-term wildfire risk reduction.
(6) Promoting practices that mimic natural disturbance processes to maintain rare habitats.
(7) Minimizing erosion impacts from vegetation management treatments.
(8) Using botanists and land management experts to develop long-term ecologically sensitive vegetation management treatments.
(9) Promoting ecologically sensitive grazing where applicable.
(10) Protecting watersheds, including leaving buffers around bodies of water.
(11) Promoting seasonally timed work to decrease potential impacts to birds, bats, and other wildlife.
(12) Promoting the development of monitoring plans and incorporating monitoring before, during, and after vegetation management treatments.