California Environmental Quality Act: defensible space.

Senator Alvarado-Gil's proposal to exempt defensible space maintenance projects from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements aims to streamline environmental review processes for public agencies. The legislation would create a specific CEQA exemption for projects undertaken by public agencies to maintain defensible space around structures, as required under existing state law.

The exemption would apply to projects that comply with defensible space requirements outlined in both the Government Code and Public Resources Code. Under current law, these projects require environmental impact reports or negative declarations if they may significantly affect the environment. The proposed change would eliminate this review requirement specifically for defensible space maintenance activities.

While the bill creates new responsibilities for lead agencies to determine exemption eligibility, it specifies that associated costs must be managed at the local level. Local agencies and school districts maintain authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments to fund implementation, with no state reimbursement required under California's constitutional provisions for state-mandated local programs.