The Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act prohibits any person or public agency from importing into the state, exporting out of the state, or taking, possessing, purchasing, or selling within the state, a western Joshua tree or any part or product of the tree, except as specified. The act authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife to permit the taking of a western Joshua tree if specified conditions are met, including, but not limited to, that the permittee mitigates all impacts to, and taking of, the western Joshua tree through measures that are roughly proportional in extent to the authorized taking of the western Joshua tree. The act authorizes, in lieu of completing the mitigation measures, a permittee to elect to satisfy the mitigation obligation by paying fees pursuant to a specified fee schedule, as provided.

This bill would exempt from the act a project or activity located within a parcel that contains, or will contain, a single-family residence that has been continuously owned by the same person, as specified, on or before July 10, 2023, and the parcel owner complies with applicable local ordinances regarding western Joshua trees as those local ordinances read on July 10, 2023.