Urban forestry: school greening.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify details about grant amounts or distribution methods.

Urban Forestry Act: School Greening

This law adds school greening to the California Urban Forestry Act, requiring the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to provide advice on improving public schools with trees and natural areas.

What This Bill Does

• Adds school greening as a benefit under the California Urban Forestry Act.
• Requires the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to provide technical assistance for creating tree-shaded, natural school grounds in urban areas.
• Updates the statewide strategic plan to include school greening goals by June 30, 2026.
• Authorizes grants from the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection for projects that optimize tree canopy cover and nature-based learning at schools.

Who It Names or Affects

• Public schools
• The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Terms To Know

Urban forestry

Planting and caring for trees in cities to improve the environment.

School greening

Adding more plants, especially trees, to school grounds to make them more natural and shaded.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how much money will be given for school greening projects.
• It is unclear if all schools will receive the same level of assistance or if some areas will get more help than others.

Official Summary Text

AB 803, as amended, Garcia.
Urban forestry: school greening.
The California Urban Forestry Act of 1978 has a stated purpose of the promotion of the use of urban forest resources for the purpose of increasing integrated projects with multiple benefits in urban communities, including, but not limited to, the benefit of expanded urban forest canopy and community greening.
This bill would also include school greening, as defined, as a benefit of the act.
The act requires the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to implement a program in urban forestry to encourage better tree management and planning in urban areas to increase integrated, multiple benefit projects by assisting urban areas with innovative solutions to problems including, among other things, improved capture of storm water and dry weather runoff, addressing water shortages.
This bill would provide improving school greening as a problem to be addressed by the program.
The act requires the department to complete a statewide strategic plan, as specified, and to submit the plan to the Legislature on or before June 30, 2025.
This bill would require the plan to be submitted to the Legislature on or before June 30, 2026.
The act requires the department to provide technical assistance to urban areas with respect to, among other things, improvement and enhancement of local water capture for urban forest maintenance, and requires the department to provide advice and guidance to cities, counties, districts, and other specified entities on, among other things, best practices and metrics for maintaining urban forest health.
This bill would require the department to also provide
technical assistance to urban areas with respect to improvement of public schools to create tree-shaded, natural school grounds, as specified, and to provide advice and guidance on use of trees in urban areas to promote community resilience and adaptation.
The act authorizes the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection to make grants to provide assistance for specified projects, including, but not limited to, tree planting projects and other categories of projects recommended by the director, as provided.
This bill would include, as part of that assistance, funding for school greening to optimize tree canopy cover and nature-based learning. The bill would authorize the director to authorize a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement within an approved
project.
project that is funded with state or federal dollars.
The bill would also make conforming changes.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF