Wildfire safety: fuels reduction projects.

Assembly Members Ellis and Gallagher propose exempting critical fuels reduction projects in high-risk fire zones from California Environmental Quality Act requirements through January 2028. The legislation applies to projects in communities designated as very high fire hazard severity zones by the State Fire Marshal or local ordinances.

The exemption covers five categories of wildfire prevention work: removal of hazardous or dead trees, creation of strategic fuel breaks identified in approved fire plans, vegetation clearing along transportation corridors to ensure safe evacuation routes, traditional ecological burning practices, and maintenance of existing fuel modification areas. For most project types, the exemption applies only to common nonnative vegetation species measuring eight inches or less in diameter.

The Natural Resources Agency and California Environmental Protection Agency must report to the Legislature by January 2026 on implementation of the March 2025 emergency proclamation that suspended certain environmental regulations for fuels reduction projects. These reports must detail which entities requested and received regulatory relief, document project specifications, and identify any instances of noncompliance with state environmental protection guidelines. Local agencies retain authority to levy fees sufficient to fund program implementation without state reimbursement.