BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                    SB 1386  


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          Date of Hearing:  August 3, 2016


                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS


                               Lorena Gonzalez, Chair


          SB 1386  
          (Wolk) - As Amended August 1, 2016


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          Urgency:  No  State Mandated Local Program:  NoReimbursable:  No


          SUMMARY:


          This bill declares it is the policy of the state that the  
          protection and management of natural and working lands is an  
          important strategy in meeting the state's greenhouse gas (GHG)  
          emissions reduction goals.  Additionally, this bill:


          1)Requires all state agencies, departments, boards, and  
            commissions to consider this policy when revising, adopting,  
            or establishing policies, regulations, expenditures, or grant  
            criteria relating to the protection and management of natural  
            and working lands.  Requires agencies to implement this policy  
            in conjunction with its strategies to meet GHG reduction goals  








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            and promote cooperation with owners of natural and working  
            lands.

          2)Defines "working lands" to mean lands used for farming,  
            grazing, or the production of forest products.





          3)Defines "natural lands" to means lands consisting of forests,  
            grasslands, deserts, freshwater and riparian systems,  
            wetlands, coastal and estuarine areas, watersheds, wildlands,  
            wildlife habitat, or lands used for recreational purposes as  
            specified.



          4)Provides nothing in this bill affects the existing authority  
            of a local government, state agency, department, commission,  
            or board relating to natural and working lands.



          FISCAL EFFECT:
          Minor, absorbable costs.


          COMMENTS:


          1)Purpose.  According to the author, the conservation and  
            management of natural and working lands is a key strategy  
            in California's ongoing efforts to meet its climate  
            change goals given these sectors' significant potential  
            for removing carbon from the air and storing or  
            sequestering it in, above, and below ground.  
            









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            The author contends that despite the enormous  
            sequestration potential, the protection and management of  
            natural and working lands is not codified as a state  
            policy that would last beyond this Administration.  This  
            bill codifies as state policy California's strategy to  
            protect and manage natural and working lands as a key  
            part of the effort to achieve our climate change goals.  


          2)Natural and Working Lands.  Three-quarters of California's  
            landmass is comprised of biologically diverse landscapes such  
            as forests, woodlands, shrublands, grasslands and wetlands.   
            These lands can be a major source of sequestration through  
            capturing carbon in soils, plants, and trees.  They can also  
            be a source of GHG emissions when drought, disease, wildfires,  
            soil disturbances, conversion, and harvests occur.  Through  
            preservation and management, natural and working lands can  
            provide significant GHG reductions. Natural and working lands  
            are also susceptible to climate change impacts of sea level  
            rise, drought, and increased temperatures.    





          Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081



















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