BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair

                                           1293 (Hollingsworth)
          
          Hearing Date:  05/03/2010           Amended: 04/13/2010
          Consultant:  Brendan McCarthy   Policy Vote: EQ 7-0














































          SB 1293 (Hollingsworth), Page 2


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          BILL SUMMARY: SB 1293 requires the Office of Planning and  
          Research to update its CEQA guidelines, by including questions  
          relating to vegetation management in the initial study checklist  
          used by lead agencies in determining whether an environmental  
          impact report is necessary.
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          ____
                            Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions         2010-11      2011-12       2012-13     Fund
           
          OPR guideline update   $50                              General

          CalFire assistance with           $30                   General
             guideline update                           

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          ____

          STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria for referral to the  
          Suspense File.

          The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires lead  
          agencies to determine whether a proposed project may have a  
          significant impact on the environment. If so, an environmental  
          impact report is often required. The Office of Planning and  
          Research (OPR) develops guidelines for the implementation of  
          CEQA, including the criteria lead agencies use to determine  
          whether an environmental impact report is needed. The OPR  
          reviews the CEQA guidelines every two years for possible  
          updates.

          Under current law, the Board of Forestry designates state  
          responsibility areas - areas of the state where the Department  
          of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) provides wildfire  
          protection. These are generally timberlands, rangelands and  
          forested watersheds. In recent years, however, increasing  
          suburban development has occurred in state responsibility areas.  
          In addition, current law requires CalFire to identify areas of  
          very high fire hazard severity.
          
          SB 1293 bill requires OPR, at the next guideline update on or  
          after January 1, 2011, to prepare guidelines recommending  
          changes to the initial study checklist used by lead agencies  







          SB 1293 (Hollingsworth), Page 2


          when evaluating whether an environmental impact report is  
          needed. The revised study checklist shall include questions  
          relating to vegetation management projects designed to reduce  
          fire risk in state responsibility areas or within areas  
          classified as very high fire hazard severity zones.

          The OPR estimates costs to update the CEQA guidelines to be  
          about $50,000 in one-time costs. In addition, staff estimates  
          CalFire will require about $30,000 in one-time costs to assist  
          OPR in this effort.

          SB 1207 (Kehoe), to be heard by this committee, also deals with  
          CEQA guidelines and fire risk. That bill requires OPR to update  
          the CEQA guidelines to address the fire risk of projects  
          proposed in state responsibility areas or very high fire hazard  
          severity zones.