BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Kevin de Le�n, Chair
AB 2184 (Chesbro) - Timber and engineered wood products
assessment: forest restoration grants.
Amended: As introduced. Policy Vote: NR&W 9-0
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: August 4, 2014 Consultant:
Marie Liu
This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill Summary: AB 2184 would explicitly allow funds from the
Timber Regulation and Forest Restoration Fund (TRFRF) to be
allocated to local agencies to remediate former marijuana
growing operations.
Fiscal Impact: Ongoing potential cost pressures in the millions
of dollars to the Timber Regulation and Forest Restoration Fund
(General) to remediate former marijuana growing operations.
Background: The Timber Regulation and Forest Restoration Program
created the TRFRF which receives revenues from a 1% assessment
on lumber and engineered wood products sold at retail in the
state.
Subject to appropriation by the Legislature, there are four
tiered levels of priority use for the monies in the TRFRF:
1. To pay for the costs of collecting the assessment, and to
support the activities and costs of the agencies charged
with reviewing projects or permits for timber operations.
2. To establish a reserve fund of at least $4 million by 2016
to fund the agencies performing the timber operation reviews
should there be a temporary shortfall in projected revenues.
3. To support activities undertaken pursuant to the California
Forest Improvement Act, the California Urban Forestry Act
and existing restoration grant programs.
AB 2184 (Chesbro)
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4. To fund the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CalFire) to conduct (1) fuel treatment grants and projects
under the Wildland Fire Protection and Resources Management
Act, and (2) forest-related grant programs to reduce the
cost of wildland fire suppression, reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, promote climate change adaptation, improve forest
health, and protect homes and communities.
Each tier must be fully funded before the next can receive any
moneys from the TRFRF.
As part of the 2014-15 Budget in SB 861 (Budget) Chapter 35,
Statutes of 2014, the Legislature created new civil penalties
for activities associated with the production or cultivation of
marijuana on public and private lands. A portion of such
penalties are to be deposited into the TRFRF to be used for
grants that improve forest health by remediating former
marijuana growing operations.
Proposed Law: This bill would expand the allowable uses of
forest-related grants to explicitly include the remediation of
former marijuana growing operations.
Staff Comments: Under existing law, it is possible that a
project that remediates land formerly used for marijuana growing
operations could be eligible for a grant from the TRFRF for the
purpose of improving forest health or other existing eligible
grant purposes. However, this bill would ensure such
eligibility. By definitively expanding the eligibility of grants
from the TRFRF, this bill creates cost pressures on the TRFRF.
Given the extent to which public lands are being illegally used
for marijuana cultivation in the state's forests, the potential
cost pressures are in the millions of dollars.