Under existing law, the Department of Parks and Recreation controls the state park system, which is made up of units. Existing law also gives the department authority over, among other areas, state vehicular recreation areas, as provided, and makes the Director of Parks and Recreation responsible for planning and for the orderly development and operation of the California Recreational Trails System. Existing law requires the department to administer, protect, develop, and interpret the property under its jurisdiction for the use and enjoyment of the public.

Existing law requires the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection to identify areas in the state as very high fire hazard severity zones, as provided. Existing law also requires the director to classify lands within state responsibility areas into fire hazard severity zones, as provided.

This bill would require, on or before January 1, 2024, the Director of Parks and Recreation to develop and implement a wildfire prevention strategy for all property that is partially or wholly under the jurisdiction of the Department of Parks and Recreation that is located within a high or a very high fire hazard severity zone, as provided. The bill would require the wildfire prevention strategy to outline the department’s fire prevention goals and future projects for prescribed fire, defensible space, fire resilient restoration projects, and the fire hardening of the department’s structures, as provided, among other things. The bill would require the department to post the wildfire prevention strategy on its internet website, as provided. The bill would require the department to, on or before January 1, 2026, provide an update on the implementation of the wildfire prevention strategy to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature. The bill would require the implementation of the above-described provisions to be contingent on the enactment of an appropriation of moneys not from the General Fund for these purposes.