SB 1386, as amended, Wolk. Resource conservation: working and natural lands.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The act requires all state agencies to consider and implement strategies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
This bill would declare it to be the policy of the state that the protection and management of natural and working lands, as defined,begin delete areend deletebegin insert isend insert a key strategy in meeting the state’s greenhouse gas reduction goals, and would require all relevant state agencies, departments, boards, and commissions to consider this policy when revising, adopting, or
establishing policies, regulations, expenditures,begin delete andend deletebegin insert orend insert grant criteria relating to the protection and management of natural and working lands.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 9001.5 is added to the Public Resources
2Code, to read:
(a) It is the policy of the state that the protection and
2management of natural and working landsbegin delete areend deletebegin insert isend insert a key strategy in
3meeting the state’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. The
4protection and management of those lands can result in the removal
5of carbon from the atmosphere and the sequestration of carbon in,
6above, and below the ground.
7(b) The protection and management of natural and working
8lands provides multiple public benefits, including, but not limited
9to, assisting with
adaptation to the impacts of climate change,
10improving water quality and quantity, flood protection, ensuring
11healthy fish and wildlife populations, and providing recreational
12and economic benefits.
13(c) All relevant state agencies, including the Natural Resources
14Agency, the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the
15California Environmental Protection Agency, and their respective
16departments, boards, and commissions, shall consider the policy
17set forth in subdivision (a) when revising, adopting, or establishing
18policies, regulations, expenditures,begin delete andend deletebegin insert orend insert grant criteria relating
19to the protection and management of natural and working lands.
20(d) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the
21following meanings:
22(1) “Working lands” means lands used for farming, grazing,begin delete or,end delete
23begin insert orend insert forest production purposes.
24(2) “Natural lands” means lands consisting of wetlands,
25watersheds, wildlands, or wildlife habitat, or used for recreational
26purposes such as parks,begin insert urban and community forests,end insert trails,
27greenbelts, and other open-space
land.begin insert For purposes of this
28paragraph, “parks” includes, but is not limited to, areas that
29provide public green space.end insert
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