State Government / California / Legislation / AB 1808
Existing law, the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act, prohibits a 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 provided. Under existing law, the Department of Fish and Wildlife may authorize, by permit, the taking of a western Joshua tree if certain conditions are met, including, among other conditions, that the permittee mitigates all impacts to, and the taking of, the western Joshua tree. Existing law authorizes the department to enter into an agreement with a county or city to delegate to the county or city the ability to authorize the taking of a western Joshua tree associated with developing single-family residences, multifamily residences, accessory structures, and public works projects concurrent with its approval of the project if certain conditions are met. Existing law authorizes a person or public agency receiving a take authorization for a project to pay specified fees in lieu of satisfying the mitigation obligation on several bases, including if the project receives a permit issued by a county or city. Existing law requires the department to annually adjust those fees and, by December 31, 2026, and every 3 years thereafter, to adopt and subsequently amend specified regulations adjusting the fees. This bill would additionally authorize the department to enter into an agreement with a city to delegate to the city the ability to authorize the taking of a western Joshua tree associated with developing commercial and industrial projects. This bill would additionally authorize a person or public agency receiving a take authorization from the department to pay specified fees in lieu of satisfying the mitigation obligation for (1) the removal of no more than 10, or the trimming of, western Joshua trees by an owner-occupant of an existing single-family residence if the western Joshua trees are within 30 feet of the existing single-family residence or 15 feet of an existing accessory structure, or within the construction footprint, or 15 feet of the construction footprint, of a new accessory structure that is proposed to be constructed for the existing single-family residence or (2) the removal of no more than 40, or the trimming of, western Joshua trees by the proponent of a public works project if the western Joshua trees are within the construction footprint, or 15 feet of the construction footprint, of a public works project to repair, rehabilitate, replace, or maintain an existing structure. The bill would authorize a county or city operating under an agreement with the department to authorize, by permit, without mitigation and subject to a fee to cover the administrative costs of issuing the permit, a project described above in (1) or (2) . The bill would require a property owner or proponent of a public works project seeking a permit to submit a request to the county or city, as applicable, that includes specified information. The bill would require, within 60 days of receipt of a request for a permit, the county or city, as applicable, to either notify the property owner or proponent of the public works project that the county or city will issue the permit or to deny the request if it does not meet the above-described requirements. The bill would, until the department certifies a certain programmatic environmental impact report, as specified, or until January 1, 2032, whichever occurs first, exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act the issuance of a permit by the department, a county, or a city for a project described above in (1) . This bill would delay from December 31, 2026, to June 30, 2027, the date by which the department is required to adopt regulations adjusting the fees for the taking of a western Joshua tree paid in lieu of mitigation. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 1927.8 of the Fish and Game Code proposed by SB 1062 to be operative only if this bill and SB 1062 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Latest development · Sep 10, 2026
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
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Primary sponsors are listed before cosponsors and other sponsoring entities.
Newest action first. Action language is supplied by the state source.
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
Urgency clause adopted. Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 75. Noes 0.).
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly.
Ordered to special consent calendar.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).
In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (July 1).
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on E.Q. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on E.Q.
Referred to Coms. on N.R. & W. and E.Q.
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 67. Noes 0. Page 5258.)
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Read second time and amended.
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 20).
Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
Read second time and amended.
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 14).
(Pending re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES.)
Assembly Rule 56 suspended. (Page 4581.)
Re-referred to Com. on W., P., & W.
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on W., P., & W. Read second time and amended.
Referred to Coms. on W., P., & W. and NAT. RES.
From printer. May be heard in committee March 13.
Read first time. To print.
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