AB 1311 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

California Rangeland, Grazing Land, and Grassland Protection Program.

Summary

Existing law establishes the California Rangeland, Grazing Land, and Grassland Protection Program to protect California's rangeland, grazing land, and grasslands through the use of conservation easements, for specified purposes. Existing law authorizes, under the program, funds to be expended by the Wildlife Conservation Board for the acquisition of conservation easements over qualified property, as defined, and authorizes the board to make grants of funds to a state agency, local public agency, or nonprofit organization for the acquisition of conservation easements over qualified property. The Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, approved by the voters as Proposition 4 at the November 5, 2024, statewide general election, authorized the issuance of bonds in the amount of $10,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance projects for safe drinking water, drought, flood, and water resilience, wildfire and forest resilience, coastal resilience, extreme heat mitigation, biodiversity and nature-based climate solutions, climate-smart, sustainable, and resilient farms, ranches, and working lands, park creation and outdoor access, and clean air programs. The act makes available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, $870,000,000 to the board for grant programs to protect and enhance fish and wildlife resources and habitat and achieve the state's biodiversity, public access, and conservation goals. This bill would appropriate, from the above-described bond funds made available to the board, $400,000,000 to the board to award under the program as grants to eligible entities, as defined, to acquire conservation easements on qualified property that is privately owned and supports the production of food and fiber and ecosystem services, including, but not limited to, wildfire fuel reduction, groundwater recharge, wildlife habitat, and open vistas. The bill would require the board to disburse the funds to grantees through grant agreements on or before June 30, 2028, and to allocate the funds to eligible entities across the state in a specified manner. The bill would require, on or before June 30, 2029, a grantee to expend the grant funds to acquire a conservation easement and record the conservation easement. The bill would authorize the board to partner with, and receive funds from, land trusts that are certified by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, as provided.

Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 21, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

02/21/25 - Introduced → 03/28/25 - Amended Assembly · 10 edits · Mar 28, 2025

MAJOR

AB 1311 was dramatically expanded from a minor nonsubstantive edit to a major funding bill appropriating $400 million from Proposition 4 (2024) bond funds for conservation easements on California rangeland, grazing land, and grassland. The amendment adds a new section establishing grant programs with specific regional allocations, eligibility requirements, disbursement deadlines, and partnership authority with USDA-certified land trusts. This transforms the bill from a technical fix into a significant conservation funding mechanism.

Scope change

The bill expanded from a nonsubstantive technical amendment to a single code section into a comprehensive funding and program-creation bill that appropriates $400 million, establishes new grant eligibility criteria, sets regional allocation requirements, creates disbursement deadlines, and authorizes partnerships with federal land trust programs.

FISCAL

Appropriates $400,000,000 from the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 (Proposition 4) to the Wildlife Conservation Board for conservation easement grants on rangeland, grazing land, and grassland.

Grants may cover up to 100 percent of the appraised value of a conservation easement (as determined by a qualified appraisal reviewed by the Department of General Services) plus up to $75,000 for processing expenses.

Establishes regional allocation of the $400 million: Northern ($25M), North Coast ($40M), Mountain ($10M), Sacramento Valley ($20M), San Joaquin Valley ($55M), Bay Area ($75M), Central Coast ($95M), Desert ($5M), and Southern ($75M). Board may reallocate to regions with higher demand if it determines by June 30, 2027 that a region lacks sufficient demand.

SCOPE

New Section 10334.5 establishes a grant program where the board awards funds to eligible entities to acquire conservation easements on privately owned qualified property that supports food and fiber production and ecosystem services including wildfire fuel reduction, groundwater recharge, wildlife habitat, and open vistas.

Adds extensive legislative findings section citing the 30x30 conservation goal, the Pathways to 30x30 Report, the role of rangelands in wildfire mitigation and biodiversity, the $4.76 billion cattle industry revenue in 2023, and over 300,000 acres of private working rangelands available for voluntary protection.

Bill title expanded from amending only Section 10331 to amending Sections 10332 and 10334 and adding Section 10334.5, with an appropriation added. Fiscal committee vote changed from 'no' to 'yes' and appropriation changed from 'no' to 'yes.'

ELIGIBILITY

Defines 'eligible entity' as one with Land Trust Accreditation Commission accreditation at time of application, demonstrated capacity to acquire an easement within 18 months of grant award, and financial capacity for perpetual stewardship monitoring.

TIMELINE

Board must disburse 75 percent of funds through grant agreements by June 30, 2027, and the remaining 25 percent by June 30, 2028. Grantees must expend funds and record the conservation easement by June 30, 2029.

REQUIREMENT

Authorizes the board to partner with and receive funds from land trusts certified by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service under the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (Agricultural Land Easement component).

DEFINITION

Expands Section 10332 with new defined terms including 'board,' 'conservation easement' (must be perpetual), 'eligible entity,' 'local public agency,' 'nonprofit organization,' 'property,' 'qualified property' (rangeland/grazing land/grassland used or suitable for grazing, zoned for agricultural grazing or open-space use, and used or suitable for wildlife habitat or native plants), and 'state agency.'

Floor votes

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No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

lower

May 23, 2025

Lower · Passed

In committee: Held under submission.

lower

May 7, 2025

Committee

In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

lower

Apr 29, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 28). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Apr 1, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

lower

Mar 28, 2025

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 28, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

lower

Feb 22, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

lower

Feb 21, 2025

Introduced

Introduced. To print.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors