AB 442: Z’berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973: working forest management plans: nonindustrial timber management plans.

This bill would exempt prescribed fire, thinning, and fuel reduction projects from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) if they are undertaken within a community with a single ingress and egress evacuation route. These projects, which aim to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfires, would be exempt from CEQA requirements if they meet certain criteria. The bill would require the lead agency to determine whether the exemption applies to a project, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. The state would not be required to reimburse local agencies and school districts for costs associated with implementing this bill.