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<ns0:Id>20250AB__262799INT</ns0:Id>
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<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-20</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Hart</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Hart</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to amend Sections 10332 and 10334 of, and to add Section 10334.5 to, the Public Resources Code, relating to land protection, and making an appropriation therefor. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>land protection, and making an appropriation therefor</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>California Rangeland, Grazing Land, and Grassland Protection Program.</ns0:Subject>
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<ns0:DigestText>
<html:p>Existing law establishes the California Rangeland, Grazing Land, and Grassland Protection Program to protect California’s rangeland, grazing land, and grasslands through the use of conservation easements, for specified purposes. Existing law authorizes, under the program, funds to be expended by the Wildlife Conservation Board for the acquisition of conservation easements over qualified property, as defined, and authorizes the board to make grants of funds to a state agency, local public agency, or nonprofit organization for the acquisition of conservation easements over qualified property.</html:p>
<html:p>The Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, approved by the voters as Proposition 4 at the November 5, 2024, statewide general election, authorized the issuance of bonds in the amount of $10,000,000,000
pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance projects for safe drinking water, drought, flood, and water resilience, wildfire and forest resilience, coastal resilience, extreme heat mitigation, biodiversity and nature-based climate solutions, climate-smart, sustainable, and resilient farms, ranches, and working lands, park creation and outdoor access, and clean air programs. The act makes available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, $870,000,000 to the board for grant programs to protect and enhance fish and wildlife resources and habitat and achieve the state’s biodiversity, public access, and conservation goals.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would appropriate, from the above-described bond funds made available to the board, $90,000,000 to the board to award under the program as grants to eligible entities, as defined, to acquire conservation easements on privately owned qualified property that supports food and fiber production and ecosystem services, including
wildfire fuel reduction, groundwater recharge, wildlife habitat, and scenic open space. The bill would require, on or before June 30, 2029, a grantee to expend the grant funds to acquire a conservation easement and record the conservation easement. The bill would authorize the board to partner with, and receive funds from, land trusts that are certified by the United States Department of Agriculture, as provided.</html:p>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
In October 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order No. N-82-20, advancing biodiversity conservation as an administration priority and elevating the role of nature in the fight against climate change. As part of this executive order, California committed to the goal of conserving 30 percent of the state’s lands and coastal waters by 2030, known as the 30x30 goal.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
In response, in April 2022, the Natural Resources Agency released the Pathways to 30x30 Report, which calls for an increase in voluntary conservation easements as a key pathway to achieve the 30x30 goal. The most recent Pathways to 30x30
California Annual Progress Report released in July 2025 identifies the need to conserve an additional 4,000,000 acres of land to achieve this goal.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
In 2024, the voters of California approved the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, which provided a source of funding for a comprehensive range of projects, including those supporting climate-smart, sustainable, and resilient farms, ranches, and other working lands.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
California’s private rangelands provide significant public benefits independent of public access, including watershed protection, soil health, carbon storage, wildlife habitat and corridors, scenic open space, and reduced wildfire and flood risk, all of which are fundamental to the health, safety, and prosperity of the people of California.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Livestock grazing occurs on approximately 32,000,000 acres of California’s rangelands across all 58 counties, of which approximately 17,000,000 acres are privately owned and actively managed by their stewards.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(f)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Livestock grazing can be an effective tool to establish and manage protective buffers against wildfire and to help mitigate climate change. Livestock grazing removes roughly 12,000,000,000 pounds of dry biomass from California’s rangelands annually.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(g)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Livestock provide food, fiber, and food security and are an important component of California’s economy and historical heritage. The cattle industry represents the fourth most valuable agricultural commodity in the state, which accounted for approximately $4,980,000,000 in revenue in 2024.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(h)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
California’s rangelands are one of the world’s
major biodiversity hotspots and support thousands of plant and animal species, many of which are listed as threatened or endangered under the California Endangered Species Act or the federal Endangered Species Act. These rangelands also provide habitat connectivity that is critical for wildlife migration.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(i)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
California’s tourism and hunting economy depends on healthy game species that rely on rangelands for habitat.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(j)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Proper grazing management maintains rangelands’ capacity to attenuate waterborne pollutants and supply clean water.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(k)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 directly addresses biodiversity protection. Section 93010 of the Public Resources Code identifies eligible programs for bond funding, including land acquisition, habitat enhancement
and restoration, rangeland and grassland protection, wetland conservation, ecosystem restoration on agricultural lands, climate adaptation and resiliency, pollinator protection, and oak woodland conservation. Sections 93500 and 93530 of the Public Resources Code further address improving climate resilience and the sustainability of farms, ranches, and working lands through conservation easements.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(l)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Voluntary conservation easements are a proven and cost-effective method for the durable protection of working landscapes while keeping land in private ownership and on local property tax rolls.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(m)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Voluntary conservation easements eliminate the need for local jurisdictions or state agencies to acquire, improve, or manage these lands in perpetuity.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(n)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
There are more than 300,000 acres of private working rangelands and
agricultural lands immediately available for voluntary conservation through conservation easements.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(o)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Voluntary conservation of private working rangelands by 2030 is necessary to advance achievement of the state’s 30x30 goal.
</html:p>
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Section 10332 of the
<ns0:DocName>Public Resources Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>10332.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>As used in this division, the following terms shall apply:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Board” means the Wildlife Conservation Board created pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 1320) of Chapter 4 of Division 20 of the Fish and Game Code.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Conservation easement” means a conservation easement, as defined in Section 815.1 of
the Civil Code, that is perpetual.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Eligible entity” means an entity that meets all of the following criteria:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Has received accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission at the time of applying for a grant.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Demonstrates the capacity to acquire a conservation easement within 18 months of the award of a grant.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Demonstrates the financial capacity to comply with perpetual stewardship and monitoring requirements associated with accreditation; or is a tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community eligible for special programs and services provided by the United States or the State of California to Native Americans because of their
status as Native Americans.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Local public agency” means a city, county, city and county, resource conservation district, district formed pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 5500) of Chapter 3 of Division 5, authority formed pursuant to Division 26 (commencing with Section 35100), or joint powers
authority.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Nonprofit organization” means a nonprofit public benefit corporation
qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
with a principal purpose
of conserving land and water resources.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(f)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Property” means real property, including a perpetual interest therein,
such as land, conservation easements, and land containing water rights.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(g)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Qualified property” means rangeland, grazing land, or grassland that is used or is suitable for grazing;
zoned for agricultural grazing, or open-space use; and used or suitable for habitat for aquatic or terrestrial wildlife species or native plants.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(h)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“State agency” means any public entity created by statute within the Resources Agency.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(i)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Tribe” means a federally recognized Native American tribe or a nonfederally recognized Native American tribe listed on the California Tribal Consultation List maintained by the Native
American Heritage Commission.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 3.</ns0:Num>
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Section 10334 of the
<ns0:DocName>Public Resources Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_0C58D2B8-4890-4873-8790-819841FB8078">
<ns0:Num>10334.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:Content>
<html:p>Except as specified in Section 10344.5, funds may be expended by the board for the acquisition of conservation easements over qualified property pursuant to Section 1348 of the Fish and Game Code. The board may also make grants to state
agencies, local public agencies, or nonprofit organizations for the acquisition of conservation easements over qualified property.</html:p>
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 4.</ns0:Num>
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Section 10334.5 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Public Resources Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_BBC476FC-AF0A-4F65-93F5-750708EAF929">
<ns0:Num>10334.5.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Of the amount described in subdivision (a) of Section 93010, the sum of ninety million dollars ($90,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Fund to the board for the purposes of this section.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The board shall award these funds as grants to eligible entities through the California Rangeland, Grazing Land, and Grassland Protection Program to acquire conservation easements on privately owned qualified property that supports food and fiber production and ecosystem services, including wildfire fuel reduction, groundwater recharge, wildlife habitat, and scenic open space. A grant may include:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Up to
100 percent of the appraised value of a conservation easement, as approved by the Department of General Services.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Up to seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) for applicant expenses related to processing the conservation easement.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
On or before June 30, 2029, a grantee shall expend the grant funds and record the conservation easement.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The board may partner with and receive funds from land trusts certified by the United States Department of Agriculture under the federal Agricultural Conservation Easement Program for purposes of implementing this section.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Priority shall be given to projects that leverage federal or private funding, but matching funds shall not be required.
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