Existing law establishes in the Natural Resources Agency the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, which is known as and may be referred to as CAL-FIRE. Existing law establishes in CAL-FIRE the Office of the State Fire Marshal and requires that office to establish the Community Wildfire Mitigation Assistance Program to coordinate regional and local efforts with state policies, strategies, and programs for community wildfire mitigation in order to improve wildfire preparedness and prevention, with an emphasis on the most vulnerable communities.
This bill would require that, notwithstanding any other law, any state-level environmental and resource permits, approvals, consultations, and reviews required for a covered wildfire mitigation project, as defined, be consolidated into a single coordinated review by a project review team, as defined, and administered jointly by the consolidated review agencies, defined as the Natural Resources Agency in coordination with the California Environmental Protection Agency. The bill would require an applicant seeking authorization to undertake a covered wildfire mitigation project to submit a single, consolidated application package to the consolidated review agencies. The bill would require an authorization to be rendered by the consolidated review agencies within 60 calendar days of receipt, as provided, and would authorize the applicant and the consolidated review agencies to agree to extend the 60-day timeline if both parties agree more information is required. The bill would require the authorization to be in writing and to include specified information, including, among other things, a description of the project and a list of permits, agreements, consultations, or authorizations waived by the review agencies' authorization.
The bill would further provide for an expedited authorization, as defined, issued pursuant to these requirements, which would waive the requirement that the covered wildfire mitigation project comply with statutes, rules, regulations, and requirements, within the jurisdiction of boards, departments, commissions, and agencies within the consolidated review agencies. The expedited authorization would replace any other permit, agreement, or authorization required by state statutes, rules, regulations, and requirements that falls within the jurisdiction of boards, departments, and offices within the consolidated review agencies. The bill would require covered wildfire mitigation projects to be conducted in compliance with specified requirements and would impose a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for each intentional, knowing, or negligent violation, as provided. The bill would require covered wildfire mitigation projects to be limited in project size based on the type of project, as specified, and completed within 2 years of approval by the consolidated review agencies. The bill would further require CAL-FIRE to conduct a risk reduction cost per unit for all publicly funded projects.
The bill would provide that the above-described provisions do not preclude compliance with applicable local and federal statutes, rules, and regulations.
The bill would also require, on or before July 1, 2029, the consolidated review agencies to report to the Legislature on, among other required things, the implementation of all wildfire mitigation projects that were permitted pursuant to the above-described provisions, as provided.
This bill would make these provisions inoperative on December 31, 2030, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2031.