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	<ns0:Description>
		<ns0:Id>20250AB__084696AMD</ns0:Id>
		<ns0:VersionNum>96</ns0:VersionNum>
		<ns0:History>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-02-19</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-03-27</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-05-23</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_SENATE</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-06-26</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
		</ns0:History>
		<ns0:LegislativeInfo>
			<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
			<ns0:SessionNum>0</ns0:SessionNum>
			<ns0:MeasureType>AB</ns0:MeasureType>
			<ns0:MeasureNum>846</ns0:MeasureNum>
			<ns0:MeasureState>AMD</ns0:MeasureState>
		</ns0:LegislativeInfo>
		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Connolly</ns0:AuthorText>
		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="COAUTHOR_ORIGINATING">(Coauthor: Assembly Member Lackey)</ns0:AuthorText>
		<ns0:Authors>
			<ns0:Legislator>
				<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
				<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
				<ns0:Name>Connolly</ns0:Name>
			</ns0:Legislator>
			<ns0:Legislator>
				<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
				<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
				<ns0:Name>Lackey</ns0:Name>
			</ns0:Legislator>
		</ns0:Authors>
		<ns0:Title>An act to add Article 3.6 (commencing with Section 2089.01) to Chapter 1.5 of Division 3 of the Fish and Game Code, relating to fish and wildlife. </ns0:Title>
		<ns0:RelatingClause>fish and wildlife</ns0:RelatingClause>
		<ns0:GeneralSubject>
			<ns0:Subject>Endangered species: incidental take: wildfire preparedness activities.</ns0:Subject>
		</ns0:GeneralSubject>
		<ns0:DigestText>
			<html:p>The California Endangered Species Act prohibits the taking of an endangered, threatened, or candidate species, except as specified. Under the act, the Department of Fish and Wildlife (department) may authorize the take of listed species by certain entities through permits or memorandums of understanding for specified purposes. Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to identify areas in the state as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones based on consistent statewide criteria and based on the severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in those areas. Existing law requires a local agency to designate, by ordinance, moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones in its jurisdiction within 120 days of receiving recommendations from the State Fire Marshal, as provided.</html:p>
			<html:p>This bill would authorize a city,
			 county, city and county, special district, or other local agency to submit to the department a wildfire preparedness plan to conduct wildfire preparedness activities on land designated as a fire hazard severity zone, as defined, that minimizes impacts to wildlife and habitat for candidate, threatened, and endangered species. The bill would require the wildfire preparedness plan to include, among other things, a brief description of the planned wildfire preparedness activities, the approximate dates for the activities, and a description of the candidate, endangered, and threatened species within the plan area. The bill would require the department to impose a fee on a local agency for the cost of reviewing a wildfire preparedness plan submitted by that local agency, as specified. The bill would require the
			 department, if sufficient information is included in the wildfire preparedness plan for the department to determine if an incidental take permit is required, to notify the local agency within 90 days of receipt of the wildfire preparedness plan if an incidental take permit or other state permit is needed, or if there are other considerations, exemptions, or streamlined pathways that the wildfire preparedness activities qualify for, including, but not limited to, the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection’s California Vegetation Treatment Program. The bill would require the department to provide the local agency, in its notification, with guidance that includes, among other things, a description of the candidate, endangered, and threatened species within the plan area and measures to avoid, minimize, and fully mitigate the take of the candidate, threatened, and endangered species, as provided. The
			 bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2026, to make a standard wildfire preparedness plan submission form publicly available on its internet website. The bill also would require the department, commencing January 1, 2027, to annually post on its internet website a summary of the wildfire preparedness plans submitted and include specified information in that summary.</html:p>
		</ns0:DigestText>
		<ns0:DigestKey>
			<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
			<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
			<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
			<ns0:LocalProgram>NO</ns0:LocalProgram>
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			<ns0:ImmediateEffect>NO</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
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				<ns0:Urgency>NO</ns0:Urgency>
				<ns0:TaxLevy>NO</ns0:TaxLevy>
				<ns0:Election>NO</ns0:Election>
				<ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>NO</ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>
				<ns0:BudgetBill>NO</ns0:BudgetBill>
				<ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>NO</ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>
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	</ns0:Description>
	<ns0:Bill id="bill">
		<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
		<ns0:BillSection id="id_F323B29C-A234-473D-AD06-2FC60FCC100D">
			<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
			<ns0:ActionLine action="IS_ADDED" ns3:href="urn:caml:codes:FGC:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'DIVISION'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'3.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'CHAPTER'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'1.5.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'ARTICLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'3.6.'%5D)" ns3:label="fractionType: LAW_SPREAD||commencingWith: 2089.01" ns3:type="locator">
				Article 3.6 (commencing with Section 2089.01) is added to Chapter 1.5 of Division 3 of the 
				<ns0:DocName>Fish and Game Code</ns0:DocName>
				, to read:
			</ns0:ActionLine>
			<ns0:Fragment>
				<ns0:LawHeading id="id_D677889E-2D8F-45B9-884A-56DA368BC2F0" type="ARTICLE">
					<ns0:Num>3.6.</ns0:Num>
					<ns0:LawHeadingVersion id="id_37670D01-4801-4493-A31F-7D842F25D8C5">
						<ns0:LawHeadingText>Incidental Take Associated with Wildfire Preparedness Activities</ns0:LawHeadingText>
					</ns0:LawHeadingVersion>
					<ns0:LawSection id="id_C7B2E7B0-8574-4FF9-9DCA-E834CD6FA22B">
						<ns0:Num>2089.01.</ns0:Num>
						<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_89DA9EC9-DE0C-4861-9E92-62F77114B6E8">
							<ns0:Content>
								<html:p>
									(a)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									The Legislature finds and declares the importance of undertaking wildfire preparedness activities to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. It is the intent of the Legislature that this article provides for enhanced consultation and coordination between agencies seeking to implement vegetation management and other wildfire preparedness activities and the department in order to facilitate the subsequent application for and timely approval of any necessary incidental take permits required before undertaking the wildfire preparedness activities.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(b)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									(1)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									A city, county, city and county, special district, or other local agency may submit to the
						  department a wildfire preparedness plan to conduct wildfire preparedness activities on land designated as a fire hazard severity zone, pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 51179 of the Government Code or Section 4203 of the Public Resources Code, that minimizes impacts to wildlife and habitat for candidate, threatened, and endangered species.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(2)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									The department shall impose a fee on a local agency described in paragraph (1) for the cost of reviewing the wildfire preparedness plan submitted by that local agency, consistent with the department’s fee authority.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(c)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									A wildfire preparedness plan submitted
						  pursuant to subdivision (b) shall include all of the following:
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(1)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									The name and contact information of the participating local agency.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(2)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									A brief description of the planned wildfire preparedness activities, including a description of the lands within the fire hazard severity zone.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(3)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									The approximate dates for which wildfire preparedness activities are proposed to occur.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(4)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									A description of the candidate, endangered, and threatened species within the plan area.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(5)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									(A)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									A description of how the local agency is compliant with the California Environmental Quality Act
						  (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code), and any planned environmental mitigation or conservation measures the local agency plans to take.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(B)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									The planned environmental mitigation or conservation measures pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall include, as applicable, measures to avoid, minimize, and fully mitigate the take of candidate, endangered, and threatened species during the practices to be conducted under the wildfire preparedness plan.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(d)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									(1)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									Within 90 days of receipt of the wildfire preparedness plan, the department shall, if sufficient information is included in
						  the wildfire preparedness plan for the department to determine if an incidental take permit is required, notify the local agency if an incidental take permit or other state permit is needed, or if there are other considerations, exemptions, or streamlined pathways that the wildfire preparedness activities qualify for, including, but not limited to, the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection’s California Vegetation Treatment Program.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(2)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									The department shall provide the local agency with the following guidance, as applicable, in its notification:
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(A)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									A description of candidate, endangered, and threatened species within the plan area.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(B)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									Measures to avoid, minimize, and fully mitigate the take of candidate, endangered, and threatened species during practices conducted under the plan.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(C)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									Any additional guidance to facilitate the completion and approval of a local agency’s application to the department for an incidental take permit pursuant to Section 2081.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(3)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									The department shall consult with the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection if technical assistance to evaluate a wildfire preparedness plan is needed.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(e)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									On or before July 1, 2026, the department shall make publicly available on its internet website a standard form for a local
						  agency to use when submitting a wildfire preparedness plan pursuant to subdivision (b).
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(f)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									(1)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									If the department determines any activities in a wildfire preparedness plan submitted pursuant to subdivision (b) require an incidental take permit, the department shall approve or deny the incidental take permit consistent with Section 2081 within 45 days of receiving a complete incidental take permit application from the local agency.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(2)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									An incidental take permit approved pursuant to this subdivision shall be for a term of no less than five years and shall be eligible for a permit renewal authorization by the department.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(g)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									Commencing January 1, 2027, the department shall annually post a summary of
						  wildfire preparedness plans submitted pursuant to subdivision (b) on its internet website, including, but not limited to, the status of the wildfire preparedness plans, information regarding which regions of the state the wildfire preparedness plans were received from, the dates when the wildfire preparedness plans were submitted, the number of incidental take permits issued pursuant to this section, and a summary of the other considerations, exemptions, or streamlined pathways local agencies were advised can be used to advance wildfire preparation activities.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(h)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									This section does not preclude the department and a local agency from mutually agreeing to an extension of a timeline described in subdivision (d) or (f).
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(i)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									For the purposes of this article, a “wildfire preparedness plan”
						  means a plan designed by a local agency or jurisdiction that meets all of the following criteria:
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(1)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									Protects communities from the threat of wildfire through vegetation management practices that, to the maximum extent practicable, avoid and minimize the take of candidate, endangered, and threatened species, while encouraging the enhancement of habitat.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(2)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									Is supported by the best available scientific information for both wildfire preparedness and conservation practices.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(3)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									Is designed to provide sufficient flexibility to maximize participation and to gain the maximum protection of life and property from the threat of wildfire without compromising wildlife benefits.
								</html:p>
							</ns0:Content>
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