CA AB267

Extends the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption for prescribed fire, thinning, and fuel reduction projects on federal lands from January 1, 2023 to January 1, 2026.

Requires that significant environmental impacts identified in the federal National Environmental Policy Act review must be avoided or mitigated for the exemption to apply.

Mandates lead agencies to file notices of exemption with the Office of Planning and Research and county clerks, and requires non-department lead agencies to provide project information to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Eliminates the annual reporting requirement and instead requires the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to submit a single report to the Legislature by January 1, 2025, containing information about exempt projects.

Exemption remains in effect only if the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency certifies annually that the federal National Environmental Policy Act and related federal forest management laws have not been substantially amended since August 31, 2018.