Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act: life-sustaining services: take permit.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's status indicates it did not pass in committee, leaving uncertainty about its future.

Western Joshua Tree Protection Law

This law prohibits moving, selling, or harming western Joshua trees without permission from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, except for necessary life-sustaining services.

What This Bill Does

• It stops people and agencies from moving, selling, or harming western Joshua trees without permission.
• The Department of Fish and Wildlife can give special permission to take a tree if it is needed for maintaining, operating, or constructing a life-sustaining service like water or electricity for homes.
• If someone needs to remove a tree because of an emergency that threatens health or safety, the department must decide within 10 days.
• People who get permits have up to 60 days to do what is allowed in their permit.

Who It Names or Affects

• Anyone who wants to move, sell, or harm western Joshua trees
• The Department of Fish and Wildlife

Terms To Know

life-sustaining service

Services like water, electricity, or gas that are needed for daily living.

Limits and Unknowns

• It is not clear if the bill will become a law because it did not pass in committee.
• The exact fee schedule for paying instead of completing mitigation measures has not been specified.
• The effective date of this legislation is unknown as it has not yet passed all stages.

Official Summary Text

SB 1063, as amended, Ochoa Bogh.
Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act: life-sustaining services: take permit.
The Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act prohibits any person or public agency from importing into the state, exporting out of the state, or taking, possessing, purchasing, or selling within the state, a western Joshua tree or any part or product of the tree, except as specified. The act authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife to permit the taking of a western Joshua tree if specified conditions are met, including, but not limited to, that the permittee mitigates all impacts to, and taking of, the western Joshua tree through measures that are roughly proportional in extent to the authorized taking of the western Joshua tree. The act authorizes, in lieu of completing the mitigation measures, a permittee to elect to satisfy the mitigation obligation by paying fees pursuant to a specified fee schedule, as provided.
This bill would
authorize the department to permit the taking of a western Joshua tree without payment of fees or other mitigation upon demonstration to the department that the taking of a western Joshua tree is related to the maintenance, operation, or construction of a life-sustaining
service, as defined.
service connection to a single-family residence or multifamily residence, including distribution infrastructure, as specified.
The bill would require the department to grant or deny that permit within 30 days of a request, or within 10 days of a request to address a threat to health or safety. The bill would allow the permittee 60 days to complete the taking authorized by that permit and the department may extend this 60-day period at its discretion.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF