HB 2577 Summary

• Amends Arizona Revised Statutes sections 3-905, 3-915, and 37-1303 to allow the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management to remove or destroy protected native plants without the standard 60-day notice requirement when necessary to prevent, manage, or suppress wildfires.

• Adds an exemption to chapter 3 (protected native plants) for wildfire prevention, management, or suppression activities conducted by the Department of Forestry and Fire Management.

• Grants the state forester an exemption from Title 3, Chapter 7 provisions regarding protected native plants when performing wildfire prevention, management, or suppression duties.

• Clarifies that normal and routine maintenance of improvements causing incidental destruction of native plants, and wildfire suppression activities, are not subject to native plant protection requirements.