Bill > SB1370

This bill establishes a consolidated and expedited review process for qualifying wildfire mitigation projects—such as hazardous tree removal, fuel breaks, and defensible space creation—by requiring the California Natural Resources Agency and the California Environmental Protection Agency to jointly administer a single application package and render a decision within 60 days. This process temporarily exempts approved projects from certain state environmental laws, including the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA, a state law requiring agencies to evaluate and mitigate the environmental impacts of their projects), while requiring adherence to a Statewide Fuels Reduction Environmental Protection Plan and imposing civil penalties of up to $10,000 for intentional or negligent violations. Furthermore, the legislation requires the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to develop a Nontimber Vegetation Management Program by July 1, 2028, which creates an alternative permitting pathway for non-commercial vegetation work on local, state, and private lands under a certified regulatory program, with the entire expedited review framework ultimately sunsetting on January 1, 2034.