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

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included claims about specific timeframes for completing work on homes' life-sustaining services, which were not supported in the official source material.

Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act

This act prohibits moving, selling, or harming western Joshua trees in California without a special permit from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, except for necessary work on homes' life-sustaining services.

What This Bill Does

• It stops people and government agencies from importing into, exporting out of, taking, possessing, purchasing, or selling within California any part or product of western Joshua trees without a special permit.
• The Department of Fish and Wildlife can give permits to take trees if the person promises to fix any damage caused by taking the tree through measures roughly proportional in extent to the authorized taking.
• If someone needs to work on a home's life-sustaining services (like water, electricity) near a western Joshua tree, they don't have to pay fees or do extra fixes as long as they show why it’s necessary.
• The Department of Fish and Wildlife must decide if they will give a permit within 30 days, or faster if there is an emergency.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who want to move, sell, or harm western Joshua trees in California.
• Government agencies that deal with the protection of plants and wildlife.
• Homeowners who need to work on their home's life-sustaining services near a western Joshua tree.

Terms To Know

life-sustaining service

Services like water, electricity, or gas that are needed for daily living and safety in homes.

mitigation measures

Steps taken to fix damage done to the environment, such as planting new trees or protecting other plants.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill did not pass in committee and was not signed into law.
• It is unclear how many western Joshua trees are affected by this proposed legislation.
• There may be additional rules about permits that were not included in the summary text provided.

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