Bill > AB1624

This bill, known as the Public Lands Protection Act, aims to safeguard California's public lands by automatically applying conservation-oriented zoning protections to federal lands once they are transferred to private or nonfederal ownership, starting January 1, 2025. If a parcel of federal land has already been designated as open space, public land, resource conservation, or a similar conservation-focused category in a local general plan or zoning ordinance, it will immediately be subject to those existing restrictions upon transfer. If the land has not been specifically zoned, it will automatically receive the most restrictive conservation zoning designation within that local jurisdiction. Any changes to these conservation designations, such as rezoning or subdivision, would require a full environmental impact report under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a two-thirds vote by the governing body after a public hearing, a demonstration of compelling public interest with equivalent conservation offsets, and compliance with all other development regulations. However, electric infrastructure and clean energy facilities needed for California's climate goals are considered permitted uses if impacts are minimized and mitigated. Certain parcels are exempt, including those with extensive existing infrastructure, lands held in trust for Native American tribes, or parcels within cities where surrounding areas are heavily developed. The bill declares these protections a matter of statewide concern, applying to all cities, including charter cities, and takes effect immediately as an urgency statute due to the imminent threat of federal land divestiture and potential irreversible development.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1624