CA SB1029

Requires the Department of Conservation to submit a report to the Legislature by December 31, 2028, and every 5 years thereafter evaluating the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program's impact and effectiveness.

Report must assess grantees' planning processes, including evaluation of regional collaboration inclusivity and disadvantaged community participation.

Report must evaluate whether adopted regional priority plans align with program goals and state wildfire and forest resilience priorities.

Report must assess the program's effectiveness in increasing capacity for and implementation of landscape-level forest health projects within each region compared to pre-program conditions.

Department must contract with an independent third party to prepare the report, and the first report must also evaluate whether regional geographic definitions are appropriately sized to meet program goals.