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AB 1426

Diablo Range Conservation Program.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and 1 co-sponsor

Establishes the Diablo Range Conservation Program to protect, restore, and enhance habitat across the Diablo Range, funded by a new state fund and grants to agencies and tribes.

In committee: Held under submission.
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Bill Summary · AB 1426

AB 1426 — Diablo Range Conservation Program (Kalra) — Summary

Status: Introduced Feb 21, 2025. In committee: Held under submission (Assembly Appropriations, 05/23/2025). Classification: bill; appropriation.

Main purpose

AB 1426 creates a new, state‑administered Diablo Range Conservation Program to protect, restore, and enhance the natural, cultural, and physical resources of the Diablo Range — a roughly 3.5 million‑acre landscape in central California — through land acquisition, restoration, habitat management, public access, and related activities.

Key provisions

  • Establishes Chapter 4.5 (Sections 1460–1468) in the Fish and Game Code as the Diablo Range Conservation Program Act.
  • Directs the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB), administering through the Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), to establish and run the program and to approve projects that acquire, preserve, restore, and enhance habitat in the Diablo Range consistent with CDFW‑approved conservation strategies.
  • Authorizes WCB to create an ad hoc advisory committee (per Section 1467).
  • Allows WCB to provide grants to local public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and California Native American tribes for activities including acquisition, restoration, enhancement, maintenance of fish and wildlife habitat and other natural resources in and adjacent to the Diablo Range.
  • Specifies program goals: biodiversity protection (including threatened/endangered species recovery), climate resilience (wildfire risk reduction, invasive species control, habitat connectivity, soil carbon protection), water and air quality improvements, and expanded public access and environmental education (with emphasis on underserved communities).
  • Establishes the Diablo Range Conservation Fund in the State Treasury. Moneys in the fund are available for program purposes upon appropriation by the Legislature.
  • Creates a Donation Account within the Fund to receive contributions, grants, goods or services; monies in the Donation Account are continuously appropriated to WCB for program purposes (i.e., available without further legislative appropriation).

Who/what would be affected

  • State agencies: Wildlife Conservation Board, Department of Fish and Wildlife (administration and coordination).
  • Recipients: local public agencies, nonprofit conservation organizations, and California Native American tribes eligible for grants.
  • Lands/species: public and private lands within the Diablo Range, regional habitats and species (including listed species), and nearby communities that use the Range for recreation and ecosystem services.
  • Fiscal: state fund created; legislative appropriations required for fund expenditures except for contributions deposited to the Donation Account (continuously appropriated).

Procedural/timeline notes

  • Introduced 02/21/2025; amended and heard in multiple committees (Water, Parks & Wildlife; Natural Resources); re‑referred to Appropriations. As of 05/23/2025 the bill was held under submission in the Assembly Appropriations Committee (suspense file). Committee votes in prior hearings were recorded (e.g., Natural Resources: 12–1 do pass; Water, Parks & Wildlife: 10–2 do pass as amended).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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