Wildfire prevention: environmentally sensitive vegetation management.

Senator Cortese's vegetation management legislation establishes new environmental criteria for California's wildfire prevention projects, defining standards for state agencies allocating funds from the 2024 Safe Drinking Water and Wildfire Prevention Bond Act. The bill creates a framework for "environmentally sensitive vegetation management" that aims to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk while maintaining native wildlife populations and biodiversity.

Under the new provisions, state agencies must prioritize projects incorporating twelve specific practices when distributing bond funds for vegetation management. These practices include following integrated pest management principles, implementing pre- and post-treatment monitoring plans, using methods that mirror natural disturbance processes, and maintaining buffer zones around water bodies. The requirements also mandate consultation with botanists and land management experts while calling for measures to protect rare species and prevent erosion.

The legislation builds upon the $200 million allocated through the 2024 bond measure for forest health and watershed improvement projects in fire hazard areas. It introduces the concept of "type conversion" - the replacement of native plant species by non-native species following disturbances - and requires funded projects to incorporate safeguards against this ecological shift. The provisions apply to vegetation management activities in very high, high, and moderate fire hazard zones throughout California's forests and adjacent habitats.