AB 297 Summary

• Continuously appropriates $480,000,000 to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and $20,000,000 to the California Conservation Corps from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for fire prevention activities that improve forest health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from wildfire.

• Extends indefinitely the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection's authority to exempt forest management activities from timber harvesting plan requirements, including expanding the fuel break distance from 300 feet to 500 feet around habitable structures.

• Exempts forest health and fuel reduction projects involving mechanical thinning, pile burning, prescribed fire, and grazing of trees 10 inches or less in diameter from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) environmental review requirements.

• Removes provisions that would have given priority tax credit consideration to businesses utilizing California timber from forest health and fuel reduction projects under the California Competes Tax Credit program.