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AB-1823 Fire protection: local fire planning.(2019-2020)

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Date Published: 10/02/2019 09:00 PM
AB1823:v93#DOCUMENT

Assembly Bill No. 1823
CHAPTER 399

An act to amend Sections 4290.1, 4630.1, and 4630.2 of, to add Section 4005 to, and to repeal Section 4124.7 of, the Public Resources Code, relating to fire protection.

[ Approved by Governor  October 02, 2019. Filed with Secretary of State  October 02, 2019. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1823, Committee on Natural Resources. Fire protection: local fire planning.
(1) Existing law requires the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, on or before July 1, 2022, to develop criteria for and maintain a “Fire Risk Reduction Community” list of local agencies located in a state responsibility area or a very high fire hazard severity zone that meet best practices for local fire planning. Existing law requires the state board to consider certain things when developing the criteria for the list, including recently developed or updated community wildfire protection plans.
This bill would also require the state board, when considering developing criteria for the list, to consider compliance with the state board’s regulations, including minimum fire safety standards. The bill would require the state board to post the list on its internet website. The bill would also repeal a duplicative and inoperative provision that incorrectly names the list.
(2) Existing law establishes the Forest Management Task Force pursuant to a specified executive order issued by the Governor, and requires the task force or its successor entity, on or before July 1, 2020, in consultation with specified entities, to develop recommendations for siting additional wood product manufacturing facilities in the state. Existing law specifies that it is the intent of the Legislature, in developing those recommendations, that the location and activities of the mass timber production facilities be, among other things, located in, or be approximate to, areas that are near the locations of large landscape fires, as described, and in areas identified as federal opportunity zones or in areas that have an average household income of 5% below the state’s median household income.
This bill would add a definition of the task force for purposes of those provisions and recast the median household income threshold from 5% below to at least 5% below the state’s median household income.
(3) Existing law requires, on or before January 31, 2020, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, in consultation with the state board, to identify barriers to in-state production of mass timber and other innovative forest products, and develop solutions that are consistent with the state’s climate objectives on forest lands.
This bill would extend the compliance date from on or before January 31, 2020, to on or before July 1, 2020.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 Section 4005 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

4005.
 “Forest Management Task Force” means the task force established by the Governor to oversee the implementation of Executive Order No. B-52-18.

SEC. 2.

 Section 4124.7 of the Public Resources Code, as added by Section 3 of Chapter 632 of the Statutes of 2018, is repealed.

SEC. 3.

 Section 4290.1 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

4290.1.
 (a) On or before July 1, 2022, the board shall develop criteria for and maintain a “Fire Risk Reduction Community” list of local agencies located in a state responsibility area or a very high fire hazard severity zone, identified pursuant to Section 51178 of the Government Code, that meet best practices for local fire planning.
(b) The board shall consider all of the following when developing the criteria for the list required under subdivision (a):
(1) Compliance with the board’s regulations, including minimum fire safety standards.
(2) Participation in the National Fire Protection Association’s “Firewise USA” or the National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s “Fire Adapted Communities” programs.
(3) Adoption of the board’s recommendations to improve the safety element pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 65302.5 of the Government Code.
(4) Recently developed or updated community wildfire protection plans.
(c) The board shall post the “Fire Risk Reduction Community” list on its internet website.

SEC. 4.

 Section 4630.1 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

4630.1.
 (a) On or before July 1, 2020, the department, in consultation with the board, shall identify barriers to in-state production of mass timber and other innovative forest products, and shall develop solutions that are consistent with the state’s climate objectives on forest lands.
(b) The department shall collaborate, in implementing this section, with members of the working group established pursuant to Section 717, other state agencies, and independent experts, including with apprenticeship programs of organized labor, community colleges, and others with similar expertise, on innovative forest products and mass timber workforce training and job creation.

SEC. 5.

 Section 4630.2 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

4630.2.
 (a) On or before July 1, 2020, the Forest Management Task Force or its successor entity shall, in consultation with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, the Joint Institute for Wood Products Innovation in the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, private industry, investors, and other stakeholders it deems appropriate, develop recommendations for siting additional wood product manufacturing facilities in the state. These recommendations shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
(1) A financially viable proposal for the development and construction of at least one new mass timber production facility that can manufacture mass timber panels that can be cross or dowel laminated or use similar mass timber technology.
(2) The identification and proposal of the necessary incentives needed to attract private investment to construct such a mass timber production facility in California.
(3) The identification of other former manufacturing or wood processing sites that may be suitable for future investment.
(b) In developing the recommendations pursuant to subdivision (a), it is the intent of the Legislature that the location and activities of the mass timber production facilities, to the extent feasible, meet all of the following:
(1) Be adjacent to a high or very high fire hazard severity zone, as identified by the department, and be capable of processing materials generated as a result of fuel treatments or other forest management practices.
(2) Generate mass timber workforce training and job creation opportunities.
(3) Be located in, or be proximate to, areas that are near the locations of large landscape fires of greater than 50,000 acres that have occurred since 2005 and in areas identified as federal opportunity zones or in areas that have an average household income of at least 5 percent below the state’s median household income.