FLC is currently monitoring the more that 2,200 bills introduced for the 2021-2022 Legislative session through Brian White, your legislative advocate in Sacramento. The table below lists those that he and the Board believe are most important at the present time. We will continue to update you as the legislative process moves forward.
For those of you with rural home sites you may also want to monitor the Board of Forestry’s website for proposals dealing with legislatively mandated Fire Safe Regulations. Here is a link to a draft proposal submitted at the March Board meeting under the Full Board binder materials: https://bof.fire.ca.gov/business/
Please contact Deidre Bryant or one of the FLC Board if you have questions or suggestions.
Summary of Legislative Bills Potentially Affecting Forest Landowners of California.
| Bill No. | Author | Description | Position |
| AB 9 | Wood | Changes prescribed burn liability | Support |
| AB 52 | Frazer | Calif. Global Solutions Act | Watch |
| AB 267 | Valladares | CEQA exemption for thinning, fuel reduction projects | Support |
| AB 297 | Gallagher | Funding for fire prevention projects. Likely to be amended | Support |
| AB 416 | Kalra | Language is currently vague re deforestation. This bill was also introduced last year and did not pass. | Oppose unless amended |
| AB 431 | Patterson | Extends life of exemptions for fuel reduction around homes | Support |
| AB 575 | Fong | Similar to SB 332 | |
| AB 697 | Chau | Expands use of Good Neighbor Authority to use completed CEQA or NEPA documents to facilitate fuel treatment projects. | Watch |
| AB 910 | Bigelow | Expands size of small landowner exemption. | Support |
| AB 912 | Bigelow | Restores Working Forest Mgt. plan sixe toe 15,000 ac. | Support |
| AB 952 | Mathis | Amends Ca. Rev. & Tax law to permit limited deduction of passive losses for forest mgt. expenses for nonindustrial owners. | Support |
| AB 1500 | E. Garcia | Creates bond for forest mgt. activities | Support |
| SB 12 | McGuire | Limits development in high hazard fire zones | Oppose unless amended |
| SB 45 | Portantino | See AB 1500 above | Support |
| SB 55 | Stern | Limits development in high hazard fire zones | Oppose unless amended |
| SB 208 | Dahle | Changes definitions for Sierra Nevada Conservancy; could increase funding for fuels management. | Support |
| SB 332 | Dodd | Limits liability for prescribed fire under certain conditions. | Support |
| SB 709 | Dahle | One time 2 year extension on THPs that will otherwise expire in 2021 | Support |
| SB 396 | Dahle | Changes regulations regarding fire tools | Watch |
Track Bills by visiting http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov and use the Quick Bill Search function.
Current Year
Legislative Archives
Appellate Decision on WFMP Case
Good News -- Exemptions and NTMPs
CAL FIRE has reversed its policy change regarding the acceptance of exemptions for NTMPs. Please refer to the link below to view the letter from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Ken Pimlott) to the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (Keith Gilless).
Should you have any questions, please send an email to the FLC Legislative Committee at legchair@forestlandowners.org.
Letter and Supporting Content from CAL FIRE to Board of Forestry
Legislative Committee Assignments
Public Policy Institute of California
The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) issued a report in mid-September on the status of forest health in the Headwaters Forests. On September 20, there was a panel debriefing on the report. Click on the links below to download the documents.
If you are interested in wathcing the panel debrief, the video is posted on the PPIC's website: